Spring Grove Town (part 1 of 2)

History Preface

Before the days of newspapers in a new country, the county and family records are almost the only means by which the dates of important occurrences are preserved. Nevertheless, when a county has been settled fifty years, each man, by reference to the dates set down in his family Bible, and to the year in which he came, is able to fix a great many other dates, thus: "Barber and Newcomb had been here a year when I came, in v:>'7. Holland came the next spring. Smith came the year our bain- died, and that was '38. Brown must have come in '37, for it was the description of the country, in his letters, that induced the Smiths to leave Illinois. Jones came the 10th of vSept. '39. That was the day Tom was born, and I remember Jones was camped right in front of my house, because some of his cattle had given out."

Alas, that the good mother of the house must shake our faith in her husband's chronology in this way! k* No, Pa, that was the day Mary was born. [ know, because Mrs. Jones said 'twas a pity she wasn't a boy, she had such a good head." There is always a possibility that dates arrived at by the course just illustrated may be wrong-; but usually there is also a great probability that they are right, and when the same dates are obtained in two or more families, the probability becomes almost a certainty. In proportion to their number, their correctness is disputed not nearly so often as the correctness of later dates which are verified by the newspapers of their time.

In the effort to make this history correct, a great many letters have been written, and a great many visits have been made in the several towns. Assistance has been received from over two hundred persons, more than one-fourth of whom came to the county before 1840, some of them before 1830. With all the avidity of DrvdenV reaper, who of this labor has recently been submitted to a number of old settlers, in the hope that a comparative view of the recollections of many persons might lead to the detection of errors which escaped those who had fewer data to guide them.

One of the main objects of the following pages is a faithful delineation of life and manners in the early days of the county. With' this object in view, record has been made of some incidents .which are, in themselves, so trivial that one who knew of them said he supposed they were put in to fill up.

I cannot sufficiently express mv gratitude for the kind assistance which has been rendered me both by old friends and by those to whom I was hitherto a stranger. It has made mv task one to be remembered only for its pleasures. I am under special obligations to the town clerks and to the county officers for information contained in the records under their care, and to Col. Edwin E. Bryant, Adjutant General of Wisconsin, who allowed me to examine all the muster rolls in his office.

With the greatest diffidence as to their judgment upon it, and with just one plea in its behalf, the history is nowsubmitted to the people of Green County. The plea is ibis: It is often said, though whether the saving orig-

Green County is a square of sixteen townships. It is one of the six counties in Wisconsin that border upon Illinois. Eighty miles from its eastern boundary is Lake Michigan; forty miles from its south-western, and sixty miles from its north-western boundary line, is the Mississippi. The counties bounding it in its own state are Dane on the north, Rock on the east, and La Fayette and Iowa on the west.

Geologically, Green County is in the limestone district of southern Wisconsin, and nearly all of its western half is included in what is called the lead region of the state, which is, as is well-known, a driftless region. The eastern half of the county, in which the marks of drift currents are everywhere discernable, is remarkable for including at Exeter the only lead mines found in the three states of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin outside of the driftless region.

The surface of the county is undulating. Prof. J.. D. Whitney, in the State Geological Report for 1S62, has called attention to the fact, that while the whole north-west is characterized by three divisions of surface, - the bottom land, the bluffs that shut it in, and the upland or prairie, - the surface of the lead region has certain peculiarities of its own, which are principally due to the erosion of its streams. There is, in this region, a rapid alternation of bluffs and valleys. The valleys branch again and again in every direction, and their width is usually in proportion to the size of the streams that wander through them. The conformations of surface in south-western Wisconsin present, therefore, a marked contrast to the comparatively unbroken level of the south-eastern part of the state. Green County partakes of the peculiarities of both regions, and may be regarded as the connecting link between them. Near its western boundary the hills are many, and the valleys are narrow; but in the interior of the county the valleys along the small streams grow so much wider than those in the lead region, that the bottom land of Sugar River is as wide as that of the Mississippi, and the undulations of surface gradually grow longer and gentler, until, a little before the eastern border of the county is reached, the surface becomes a level prairie.

The soil is varied, like the surface. In a few places where the sandstone comes to the surface it is a sandy loam. The usual surface rock is the Galena limestone, which underlies the soil at a depth varying from a few inches to eight or ten feet, and, with the exception of the deep clay loam in some parts of the northern and western towns, the usual soil is a rich black loam, with a large admixture of vegetable mould, and a subsoil of clay. Good crops of all kinds are raised in every town, and even in the hilliest towns the undulations are so gradual that there is very little land which can not be cultivated. Hence, the good drainage and all the other desirable results of a rolling country are enjoyed here without the disadvantages of a too broken surface.

The Pecatonica and Sugar rivers and their larger tributaries afford excellent water power for manufactures, while the innumerable streams that start from the springs on the hillsides complete the natural fitness of the county for becoming one of the leading live stock counties in the United States.

Good timber is abundant. It is especially heavy in the north and west, and every town has its groves of ash, elm, maple, hickory, walnut, basswood, poplar, and various kinds of oak. The healthfulness of the county, which is unsurpassed, is probably due, in great measure, to the elevation of the land. The elevation of the following places was determined by the surveys of the Southern Wisconsin Railroad Company:

Elevation Above

Juda is shown by these surveys to be 348 feet higher than Milwaukee, 113 feet higher than Janesville, 79 feet higher than Madison, and 312 feet higher than Prairie du Chien.

Great Britain. At the close of the revolution it was claimed by Virginia, and ceded by that state to the United States, after which it was under the territorial government of Ohio until 1800. From that time until 1809 it was a part of Indiana territory. It was then Included in Illinois territory until 181S, when it was attached to Michigan territory. On the 4th of July, 1S36, it was organized as the territory of Wisconsin. When Michigan territory extended as far west as the Mississippi, that part of the territory lying between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi was divided into two counties, Brown and Crawford. The division was such that that part of Green County which is comprised in fthe four towns, Brooklyn, Albany, Decatur, and Spring Grove, was in Brown County, whose county seat was Green Bay, while the remainder was in Crawford County, of which Prairie du Chien was the county seat. So far as this county is concerned, the memory of man goeth back only to 1826-7. In 1826 there began to be a -great deal of talk about the lead mines of south-western Wisconsin. In 1827 the interest in them was as general .as the interest in the California gold mines in '49, and there was such a rush to them from all parts of the country that sometimes the boats that came up the Mississippi from St. Louis could not carry half of those who wanted to come. Probably the first white men who saw what is now Green County passed this way in 1S26, on their way to the mines near the river. The first who remained came in '28, to trade with the Indians. Their names were McNut and Boner. They stopped at the old Indian, or Sugar River diggings, near the present village of Exeter, where they were soon joined by an interpreter named Van Sickles, and by miners. Some time prior to 1S29, John B. Skinner and Thomas Neal began to work at the Skinner diggings, in the township since called Monroe. In 1S30 Andrew Clarno built the first house in Clarno township, and two years later William Wallace and Joseph Paine, who had been working at the mines, settled near him. New miners came occasionally, but the number of settlers did not increase until after the Black Hawk war, which broke out in the spring of 1S32. Although this war lasted only three months, it must not, on that account, be passed by as unimportant. It cost about three hundred lives, whites and Indians, and even the great rebellion was not a greater source of anxiety, in its time, than was the Black Hawk war to the early settlers. Prior to the war, in October, 1S29, the southern part of Crawford County, including, of course, the greater part of the future county of Green, was organized as Iowa County, of which Mineral Point was the county seat. Most of the depredations of the Indians during the war were committed in the mining districts of Iowa County. Hundreds of miners left the country and never returned. The movements of the Indians were so stealthy and so rapid that the settlers, separated by long distances from each other, were in the wildest alarm. Their thoughts when awake, their dreams when asleep, were all of the Indians. Finally they sought

Fort Union, near Dodgeville; Fort Jackson, at Mineral Point; Fort Defiance, five miles south-east of Mineral Point; Mound Fort, at Blue Mounds; Funk's Fort, near Gratiot's Grove; and Fort Hamilton, at Wiota. Other forts were at Platteville and White Oak Springs. Most of the forts were simply yards, with close fences made of upright, ten-foot slabs. There were houses in the yards to which settlers removed their families and household goods. It is the opinion of Mr. O. H. P. Clarno that the worst of the war was inside the forts. The children of the various families were soon arrayed against each other in a struggle in which an armistice was a thing unknown, and the mothers not only assisted them, but also en^ao-ed in such hostilities on their own account that a dispute as to the ownership of a fryingpan has sometimes been known to lead to the conversion of that pacific utensil into a weapon of war.

This is not the place for a detailed account of the war, for none of its battles were fought within the limits of Green County; and the departures of the settlers of Exeter and Clarno to places of safety are elsewhere described. Galena and all the villages of Iowa County furnished volunteers; and, after a few engagements, Black Hawk's forces were overpowered, and he himself was taken prisoner before the arrival of Gen. Scott, who, in eighteen days (a rapidity of travel that was thought remarkable), had transported nine companies of artillery from the seaboard around the lakes to Chicago. But the soldiers escaped the tomahawk of the Indians only to become the victims of that equally relentless foe, the Asiatic cholera. Of 2S0 men commanded by one Col. Twiggs, it is said not twenty survived. Doubtless many were buried alive. At one time, writes one who was in Chicago while the troops were there, when several were jDla-ced beside the hole in which they were to be buried, one of the number moved, and asked for water. He lived to rejoice in good health.

After the war, immigration increased. To the new comers, as to the earliest settlers, those who had participated in the war ever appeared as heroes. For years the one unfailing subject of conversation, the subject which never grew old and never was out of place, was the war. Every incident was told over and over again. There was a man named Bennett Million, who used to play the fiddle at the dances in Monroe. He, wTith a number of others, had been surprised by the Indians, somewhere near the Pecatonica, and chased by them. The fright made one of his companions insane, and several others were killed. Mr. Million saved himself by rolling in the mud until so covered by it that he could hide on the ground. His experience was interesting and exciting, and many a time, in later years, the gay company for whom he played bade him lay by the fiddle and the bow, and tell them his story of the war.

Iowa County was partially surveyed before the war, much earlier than would have been necessary had not the lead mines brought it into notice. In 1S35 the land was brought into market, and many settlers came to the county in '35-6. Probably nine-tenths of those who came now or any time before 1840 came from

Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Virginia. It is difficult to ascertain the states of their nativity. A very large proportion of them came from Illinois, but they had gone there a few years before, when "Eelinoise" was the boundary of the civilized world. The Indiana immigrants were, many of them, born in Ohio, and many who came from Ohio had spent their earlier years in Pennsylvania or Virginia. At this time hardly any one came directly from New England, but some who were by birth the children of New England came from New York state. The settlers of 1S35-6-7 endured privations of all kinds. The nearest markets were Mineral Point, Galena, and Fort Winnebago. The difficulties of going to market were increased by the fact that the streams, which a few years later were shallow enough to be forded, were now so deep that teams were oblio-ed to swim across them, and the banks were so steep that travelers carried shovels with which to cut them down. One might travel days at a time, in southern Wisconsin, without seeing a house, and dismal prophets had foretold that this state of things must continue. A history of the Black Hawk war, published in 1S34 by J. A. Wakefield, after remarking that if the four lakes " were anywdiere else except in the country they are, they would be considered among the wonders of the world," added this discouraging conclusion : " But the country they are situated in is not fit for any civilized nation of people to inhabit. It appears that the Almighty intended it for the children of the forest." Janesville was then in its infancy, and for two or three years Mr.

Janes came to Green County to buy provisions of the farmers. Madison was thought of; but when the seat of government was located there in 1S37 there were but three white men in Dane County.

About the same time that Wisconsin was separated from Michigan, Iowa County constituted her portion of the future little Green one election precinct. Henry Dodge, the first governor of the new territory, apportioned to each county its number of councilors and representatives, and the number allotted to Iowa County entitled her eastern election precinct to one representative. The election was held where Monroe has since grown up, at the blacksmith shop of a Mr. Brown (familiarly known, from the material of his clothes, as Buckskin Brown), and resulted in the election of Wm. Boyles, of Cadiz. Other things than political affiliations determined a candidate's success in those days. There were very few young women in the country, and it is said that every single man in the precinct favored the election of Mr. Boyles because he had eight unmarried daughters. At the first session of the first Wisconsin legislature, which convened at Belmont, Iowa County, in the fall of 1836, Mr. Boyles presented a petition (which had been drawn up and circulated by Mr. Daniel S. Sutherland), asking for the organization of a county which should have the limits of the present county of Green, and be called Richland. The petition was granted, so far as setting off a new county was concerned, but some one objected to the name because it was " too matter-of-fact," and Mr. Boyles was invited to select another. According to one account he selected Green, as indicative of the bright color of the vegetation, and refused to change it to Greene in honor of Gen. Greene. Another account says he selected Greene, and when the act of the legislature was printed the final e was omitted by mistake. Be this as it may, for some years the name was usually written Greene.

To the act which detached this county from Iowa, was proposed an amendment attaching it to that county for judicial purposes. Action on the amendment was deferred until the next session, so that when the legislature adjourned in December, 1836, Green County was left detached from Iowa County, without any authority to organize, and without being attached to any county for judicial purposes. In this state of affairs, Iowa County claimed jurisdiction over Green, and, having appointed Daniel S. Sutherland and Wm. Bowen justices of the peace, directed them to hold an election for county officers; but when the people assembled election day, Mr. Sutherland urged them not to do anything which might be understood as an acknowledgment of Iowa's authority over Green, and it was unanimously resolved that no election should be held. There followed nearly a year in which Green County had no government or legal organization. By an act of the legislature, which was approved January 15th, 1S38, Green Count}'- was fully organized ; but ' while the bill was before the legislature some one said that Green indebted to Iowa County for a portion of all the indebtedness of the mother county incurred prior to

March 4th, 1S37. From this unfortunate statement arose a claim of Iowa County against Green for $537.73. But, though the claim was urged as late as 1S50, and though the lawsuits to which it gave rise cost the people of little Green as much as the amount claimed, yet they always insisted that, as they had derived no benefit from the expenditures for which they were charged, the claim was unjust and should not be paid, and it never was paid.

The first election in the new county was held March 5th, 1838, at the house of Jacob LyBrand, in Monroe, or New Mexico. Two hundred and thirty-one votes were cast, and Daniel S. Sutherland, Wm. Bowen, and Daniel Harcourt were elected county commissioners. What was called the annual election was held in August, at which time the following officers were elected : Daniel Harcourt and James Reily, commissioners; Jehu Chadwick, treasurer; Jarvis Rattan, coroner; Jabez Johnson, assessor; Hiram Rust, register of deeds, and Jabez John- son, collector. Soon after this election, a copy of the newly published laws of the state was received, and it was found that the ioth of September was the day appointed by law for holding the annual election. Consequently no certificates were issued to the officers elected in August, and another election was held in September, the result of which is given in the course of this sketch. The commissioners had for clerks, this first year of the county's existence, Hiram Rust, Mortimer Bainbridge, and Win. Rittenhouse, successively. The commissioners' work was as follows: They appointed judges of elections, ordered that Green County constitute one election precinct, that elections be held at the house of Jacob LyBrand, and that the district court be held at Jacob Andrick's. They charged Joseph Paine $1.50 for tavern license for three months, and Jacob Ly- Brand $20.00 for license to retail merchandise for one year. They established the boundaries of road districts one and two, received and granted several petitions for roads, and issued orders to the amount of $129.67.

The first court held in Green County, was the United States district court, Hon. Chas. Dunn presiding. It was held in April, 1S3S, at Mr. Andrick's house, now known as the Niles place, south of the village of Monroe. The first grand jury, Hiram Rust foreman, met in the blacksmith shop of Buckskin Brown. Once, when Judge Dunn was here, the gran/1 jury found an indictment against a woman. Before the hour for the trial, and before the grand jurors had come out of their room, which opened into the court room, the Judge

The first person tried by a jury was Daniel Harcourt, who was charged "with removing and destroying- the boundaries of a lot of land." Road viewers had been appointed to lay out a road to which Dr. Harcourt was opposed. The projected road was described by its proximity to certain marks of the government surveys; namely, the stake on the corner of the section, and the trees called witness trees, upon the bark of which had been cut letters and figures showing the quarter section and the number of the section. The road viewers met to perform their duty, but they found that Dr. Harcourt and his son-in-law had removed the stake, and that the marks on the witness trees had been so nicely filled with moss and lichens that no one unacquainted with their position could tell where they had been. The case turned on the removal of the stake. Dr. Harcourt claimed that the original stake had been destroyed by a fire, that he and his son-in-law had put another in its place, and that, having put it there themselves, they had a right to take it away again. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty. In October, 1839, Frederick Bedtner made the first declaration of intention to become a citizen. John Thorp, the first naturalized citizen of Green County, took the oath April 14th, 1S41. The first divorce was granted in 1842, and there were eight divorce cases before '50.

"April 2d, 1839. Whereas Jacob LyBrand obtained an order to take out license to vend merchandise in the county of Green, at the July term of this court in '38, and has failed to comply with the law in that case made and provided, therefore, ordered, that suit be instituted against said Jacob LyBrand in the district court of said county, in an action of debt to the damage of said county of $100."

In 1S39 a tax of one-half of one per cent, was levied on the valuation of all taxable property. For convenience of assessing, the county was divided into three districts, and it was ordered bv the commissioners that firstrate land be valued at three dollars per acre, and secondrate land at two dollars per acre. The territorial revenue from Green County in 1839 was $90.58, which was five per cent, of all taxes. The produce of the county in 1839 was as follows:

Immediately after the organization of the county there arose a contest for the county seat, which had the effect of preventing immigration while it lasted, and of inducing many who had come to go away. Shortly before the organization of the county, Judge Andrick laid out a town, where he lived, which he called New Mexico, but which he neglected to have recorded in the land office at Mineral Point. It was supposed that this town of New Mexico would be the county seat of the prospective county, and Mr. Payne besought Judge Andrick to sell him an interest in it, which the Judge refused to do. Mr. Payne then laid out a town, which was immediately north of New Mexico, and which ineluded land on both sides of that now occupied by the railroad track. Mr. James Campbell, who was Mr. Payne's surveyor, remembers that while they were surveying, Mr. Payne stopped work to make a last effort to purchase a share in New Mexico, and that he remarked, on his return from his fruitless visit to Judge Andrick, " New Mexico isn't recorded, and if the old fool wo'n't let any one else have half the county seat, he shan't have any part of it himself." The act of the Burlington legislature which made this a county, also located the county seat at New Mexico, referring, of course, to Judge Andrick's town. As soon as this act was passed, Mr. Payne named his town New Mexico, and hastened to the land office at Mineral Point. A few miles behind him rode Judge Andrick, 23iirsuing him with a speed compared to which the most rapid movements of the Indians who followed him in 1S32 and of the sheriff who sought for him in 1S49 were as the crawling of a snail to John Gilpin's ride. Mr. Payne reached Mineral Point before Judge Andrick, and got his New Mexico on record first, which made it the county seat by law. But, moved by a petition which was presented by Mr. Sutherland, the member from Green, the legislalature, at its next session, repealed this law, and appointed three commissioners to select a county seat. To induce Mr. Sutherland to work for the repeal of the first law, a large number of the voters of Green County had pledged themselves to submit to the decision of the commissioners, whatever it might be. The commissioners, after looking the county over, selected a place which they called Roscoe, about two and one-half miles northeast of the present village of Monroe. The place was not acceptable to the people. It was then made to appear before the legislature that Mr. Sutherland owned all the timber in the vicinity of Roscoe, and that his influence had led to the selection of that place. The representation was a mistaken one, as regards both the ownership of the timber and the influence exerted by Mr. Sutherland. But this law was also repealed, and it was decided that the question of the county seat should be decided by a vote of the people. In the meantime, it was undertaken to dig a well in Mr. Payne's town, but, after digging about forty feet, those interested in it became discouraged, and gave up the attempt. The belief then became general that the county seat must be at some place where water could be more easily obtained, and Messrs. Payne, LyBrand, and Russell offered to give the county 120 acres of land near the spring - Mr. Russell stipulating that his share of the gift should be for the benefit of a county seminary. Mr. Andrick had also abandoned the hope of making his town the county seat, and had united with others in claiming that honor for a site which was situated a short distance south of Roscoe. At the election, in May, 1S39, the point at issue seems to have been not so much the comparative merits of the two sites under consideration, as the comparative popularity of the men who had selected them ; and the tickets of one party were marked, " For Andrick, Wilcoxon and Sutherland," while those of the other party read, " For Payne, LyBrand and Russell." The vote was a tie, Andrick and Sutherland's site having received just half the 136 votes cast. A second election was held in June, and though there were cast six votes more than at the other election, the result was a second tie. This, result was inadvertantly brought about by Mr. Ly- Brand. Election day each party knew how many voters it had in town, and knew, too, that Mr. LyBrand's side had one more man than the other. To make assurance doubly sure, Mr. LyBrand sent into the country for another voter, paying his messenger $2.50 for the trip. The man, whose name was Elias Luttrell, came, but, much to Mr. Ly Brand's surprise, he voted with the opposition. A third election was held in August. Andrick and Sutherland were now the champions of a site which was almost the geographical centre of the county ; but, as votes were cast for men, rather than for places, it was probable that this election would result, like the others, in a tie; when Mr. Ly Brand, taking" advantage of the great popularity of a peculiar kind of hat, braided by Mrs. Rust, offered to give one of them to a young man, named Porter, if he would induce some miners at Sugar River diggings to come to the polls. The offer was accepted, and the votes thus gained located 'the county seat. The selection of a name for the town was left to Dr. Harcourt, one of the county commissioners, and he selected Monroe.

In August, 1S39, the land given for a county seat was deeded to the county, Mr. Ly Brand reserving the privilege of selecting, from his forty acres, six town lots for himself. In May, 1840, Mr. Ly Brand was desired, by the commissioners, to make choice of his six lots. It appears from the following entry in their journal, dated June 1st, 1840, that he failed to do so: "Whereas no specified time is designated for the selection of said lots, and sufficient time having been given to the said Jacob LyBrand to make such selection as by him provided in said deed; and whereas he has hitherto neglected, and, by so neglecting, refused, and by so doing, waived his right to make such choice; and whereas provision is made in the above named deed that Green County, before offering any portion of the town of Monroe for sale, shall make a deed to said Jacob LyBrand of six building lots, in said town, as provided in said deed; now, be it ordered that the following lots be selected - " A deed of the six lots chosen for him was accordingly offered to Mr. LyBrand. He declined to accept it, and selected other lots, which the commissioners, being, in their turn, willing to delay matters, neglected for some time to deed to him. But they had advertised in the Wisconsin Enquirer, a paper published at Madison, a public sale of lots in the town of Monroe, to be held the 8th of October, 1S40. The sale was to begin at ten o'clock. Early in the morning of that day, therefore, Mr. LyBrand was given a deed of the lots he had chosen.

published in 1844, says there were in Green County, in 1840, 247 horses, 1,459 neat cattle, 608 sheep, 3,605 swine, 2 stores, 1 grist mill, and 3 saw mills. A tax of" one per cent was levied on the valuation of all property in 1840, the valuation being the same as in 1839. In 1844. the county taxes were as follows:

1S40 saw inaugurated a system of economy for countycommissioners, which wai- adhered to until '49, and which is illustrated by this passage from the journal : "This his account against Green County for the sum of thirtysix dollars, and moved the court here for an allowance of the same. And after the matter being considered,, and fully understood by the court, it is ordered that he have an order made in his favor for the sum of eighteen dollars.'" This system being understood, bills were usually made out With reference to being allowed only in part.

In 1842, Green County had two election precincts, called Monroe and Sugar River. Others were set apart in the following year. In November, 184S, there were eight election precincts, namely: Monroe, Greenville,, Jefferson, Exeter, Mill Creek, Calimine, Decatur, and Albany.

It took some time to find out what officers were needed to do the business of the county. In 1S3S, and again in '39, an assessor and a constable were elected. In 1840, the number of assessors was increased to three, and in '41 the number of constables was increased to two. A collector and three fence viewers were elected in 1840, and six road supervisors were elected in '41. In 1S43, justices of the peace were elected in each precinct. In 1844, each precinct elected justices, fence viewers, and a constable.

In 1840, school districts were organized. There were ten, and they were set off in the following order: Roscoe, Richland, Monroe, New Mexico, Union, York, Green, Mill Creek, Fairfield and Pennsylvania.

At this time the county commissioners were also school commissioners, but in 1S41, and each year thereafter, until '49, three school commissioners were elected. The first school commissioners were Elias Jones, Wm. C. Green, and E. T. Gardner. In 1845, there were seventeen school districts which had had school three months the preceding year. In 1847, twenty-five districts, in which there were 1,323 school children, had school three months; and seventeen districts, in which there were 514 children, had no school.

The number of petitions and orders for roads recorded in the commissioners' journal during the first years of the county's existence makes one wonder that the commissioners ever had time to attend to anything besides roads, and the wonder grows when one reads petitions in which the wished for road is described by its proximity to John Chryst's stack yard, the slough near Wm. Rittenhouse's stable, and other similar landmarks.. In 1S42 the first bridge in the county was built across. Sugar river, on the road from Janesville to Monroe. In 1S43 a bridge over the Pecatonica, and a second bridgeover Sugar river, on the road from Madison to the Illinois state line, by way of New Mexico, were built, and in '44 Sugar river was spanned by a bridge on the road from Monroe to Beloit. Of these four bridges, Joseph Woodle built the first, Ezra Durgin and Jacob Linzee: the second, John B. Sawyer the third, and Jacob Linzee the fourth.

In 1 841-2, nearly every masculine heart in the county was fired with a desire to get wolf scalps, and many pages of the commissioners' journal for that time are filled with the names of successful hunters. The conduct of some who engaged in this onslaught upon the wolves was marked by all of a crusader's strange extravagance. A few of them suffered from a hallucination that led its victim greatly to exaggerate the number of wolves laid low by his valorous hand. Such unfortunates exhibited, in their wildest moments, scalps which indicated that in this country the wolf and the fox, and even the wolf and the woodchuck, lay down together; and the worthy commissioners wej-e often much troubled by their mad clamor for reward.

184.3 was tne yeal* first fixed upon by the Millerites, or Second Adventists, for the end of the world. Ten years had now elapsed since Wm. Miller began preaching, and as early as 1840 the number of his disciples was thought to have reached fifty thousand. Many who did not profess his faith awaited with fear and trembling the opening of the fateful year. The winter of 1842-43 was one of almost unparalleled severity. Early in November, the snow fell to a great depth. With the exception of a few days in January, the ground was covered until April, and the idea that the world was to be destroyed by cold gained many adherents in Green County. The roads, that year, are thus described by Mr. S. F. Chipman, in Guernsey's History of Rock County : " Road-tracks across the prairie would catch the drifting snow until they attained to an elevation of two to four feet, which very much endangered the safety of meeting teams; for, in turning out, the horse that stepped from the path would often sink and plunge so deep that the mate would fall on to or over him, and both be floundering for dear life in the deep snow, with more or less icy crusts to cut and maim them." Mr. Chipman tells of meeting, one cold morning, a sleigh in which were four men who had missed their way while going from Monroe to Janesville. They had wandered over the prairie two days and nights, without food for themselves or horses, and had just decided to kill and eat one of their horses, wdien Mr. Chipman found them and directed them to a house two miles distant. Corn was everywhere so scarce that winter that men came to Green County from a hundred miles awray to buy, and many cattle died of starvation. After a time, only three men in the county had corn to sell. They sold for twenty-five cents a bushel; but one of them, a very sanctimonious man, said, " let us charge fifty cents. " "No, said one of the others," lengthening his sentence with strong Anglo Saxon expletives, " that may do for you, but, as for me, I have a soul to save, and shall charge only twenty-five cents." Speculators wanted to buy all this farmer's corn, but, as the grateful customers of Mr. Thomas Bowen still remember, he refused to sell to any one more than one load at a time.

In Mav, 1S48, Wisconsin became a state, and Green County passed under the supervisor system of government. Since the organization of the state government, as before, most of the officers of the county have been well qualified for their positions, and, with one exception, they appear to have conscientiously performed the duties devolving upon them. The exception is Horace B. Poyer, county clerk from the year 1S49 to 1855, and forger of county orders. Probably no man in the county was ever more generally popular, more implicitly trusted, than Mr. Poyer at the time he was engaged in his forgeries. An investigating committee appointed by the supervisors reported December 27th, 1S55, as follows : " The matter is involved in much obscurity, owing to the destruction and mutilation of records and papers. We are therefore unable to make so full and perfect a report as we could desire. We have, however, detected frauds committed from the year 184S to 1S54, inclusive. The aggregate amount of which the county has been defrauded (so far as we are able to state from our imperfect means of ascertaining), including orders altered, orders wholly fraudulent, and the same raised for weights and measures, and exclusive of $895.17 of for the issuing of which no bills or resolutions -can be found, is $2,541.28; from which deduct $696.80, the amount canceled by Poyer, and there remains a balance now due the county of $1,844.48." The value of the orders which the report refers to as canceled, was saved for the county by the fact that a year before the forgeries were generally known, A. Ludlow and Asa Richardson became convinced that a large number of which they had bought were fraudulent. Their efforts to ascertain the truth were discovered by Mr. Poyer, who engaged two attorneys, to whom he made a confession, expressing at the same time a great desire to repair the wrong he had done. All the fraudulent orders which had been discovered were immediately canceled, and Mr. Poyer expressed great pleasure in his -own reformation. He won the confidence and the deepest sympathy of all who knew his secret. They believed he had been the victim of circumstances which could never mislead him again. After some time, however, it was discovered that the confession was less full than it had been represented to be. Other forgeries, even forged certificates of wolf scalps, were discovered, and, after paying his attorneys with a forged land warrant, Mr. Poyer fled to a distant state, where, under an assumed name, he is said to be leading an honorable life. The next event of importance was the building of the railway. The Milwaukee and Mississippi Company purposed building roads from Milwaukee to Madison, Prairie du Chicn, and Dubuque. The Dubuque branch was to pass through Jancsville, but that city, having at that time a more realizing sense of its value to the road than of the road's value to it, received the project so coldly that the company said Janesville should not have a road. The Madison road was built through Milton instead of Janesville, and all idea of the Dubuque branch was abandoned. Green County began then to look for some other way of getting a road, and Janesville had been sufficiently humbled to be willing to help her- Early in 1852, gentlemen living in Albany sent a petition to the legislature, asking to be incorporated as the Southern Wisconsin Railroad Company, with authority to build a road from Milton, by way of Janesville, through the counties of Green, La Fayette, and Grant, to some point on the Mississippi. While all the inhabitants of Green County were agreed in the desire for a road, they differed widely in the choice of a location for it. Those in the northern half of the county wanted it to go by Albany ; and, with the exception of one or two old settlers, who had never been satisfied with the location of the county seat, and who hoped that a railroad north of Monroe would re-open the old county seat question, those in the southern half were quite as unanimous in the desire to have it pass through Monroe. News of the Albany petition reached Monroe. As soon as possible, one or two citizens, believing that if you would have a thing done to suit yourself you must do it yourself, went to Madison, and, there being no interested person there from Albany to prevent, changed the Albany bill by inserting in the place of the names of the men who originated it, the names of men living in and around Monroe. Thus changed, the bill passed, and there was no longer any doubt that if there was a road it must go through Monroe. The road was surveyed, and some stock was taken by the farmers. In the fall of 1S53, grading began at Monroe ; but the company lacked means to carry on the work, and early in '54 gave UP its charter to the Milwaukee and Mississippi Company, so that the projected road was thenceforth known as the Southern Wisconsin Branch of the Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad. Many men in Green County now subscribed liberally, but, there being still a lack of money, farm mortgages, payable in ten years, were resorted to. In mortgaging their farms, some of the farmers were influenced wholly by a desire to get the railroad here, but most of them were also moved by a spirit of speculation. Stock in the railroad company was given them for their mortgages, and the general opinion of its value was such that farmers made their mortgages as large as the company would allow them to be. The comjDany promised to pay the interest on all the mortgages, and promised that no mortgages on land west of Brodhead should be sold until the road reached Brodhead, and none from west of Monroe until the road reached Monroe. In October, 1S54, stock to the amount of $485,900 had been taken. The greater part of it was in Green County, but the mortgages given in the vicinity of Shullsburg amounted to $128,000. By February, 1S56, work on the road had begun. The mortgages were taken to New England, where they sold readily. The company also obtained money at three different times by mortgages on the road ; but much of the money obtained in these ways was used on the Prairie du Chien road, and work on the Southern Wisconsin was not prosecuted with the vigor the mortgageors had hoped for. The road to Prairie du Chien was finished in April, 1857, but the company had not then the money to push forward the other road. In August, before the track was laid to Brodhead, the road was sold on the third mortgage; stock went down to ten per cent., and the iron for the road between Brodhead and Monroe was held in New York for the duty, which, with the storage, amounted to $20,000. The Bank of Monroe advanced the money to pay the duty, being partially repaid by farmers who gave their notes at the time for various amounts, and work was resumed. The track was laid to Brodhead in September, to Juda in November, and to Monroe the last of December. It was really Green County, not the railroad company, that brought the road from Janesville, and a great number of citizens are entitled to a share of the credit of it; but, much as it cost in money, the greatest cost of the road was in the anxiety and long suspense it brought the mortgageors.

The company assumed an appearance of great fairness towards the mortgfasreors. Sometimes a director was chosen from among them, and, as was especially the case in the election of Judge Dunwiddie, this was conducive to the interests of both the company and the mortgageors; but the appearance was frequently deceptive. On one occasion, all the stockholders and their wives were given a free ride to Milwaukee, to attend a railroad meeting. They were all urged to go, but, after their arrival at the meeting, some pretext was raised by which almost every one of them was prevented from voting. The agreement of the company in regard to using the mortgages from the country west of Monroe was so far kept that, before the sale of the road in August, 1S57, all those given west of Green County were released. The desire for the road was so great in La Fayette County that Mr. E. D. Clinton, the general agent of the road, and the man who, more than any one else, was the cause of its extension from Janesville, found more difficulty in releasing the mortgages than he had found in obtaining them. Two men refused to comply with the condition of a release, which was to pay the recorder's fee, and in these cases Mr. Clinton paid the costs himself. The mortgages given in the western part of the county were all sold before the road reached Monroe, and the promise in regard to paying the interest on the mortgages was not fulfilled. After the completion of the road, the stock was raised by a fictitious dividend and by some other devices to ninety per cent. The holders of the mortgages were by this time glad to sell them, and the company bought them and settled with the mortgageors by buying their stock at ninety per cent. A few of the farmers had previously effected a settlement with the purchasers of their mortgages, and paid more; but ten cents on a dollar was all that any of them were obliged to pay, and a few of them never paid anything.

The only other railroad in Green County is the Madison branch of the Northwestern railroad, built in 1864. It passes through the village of Brooklyn, in the northeastern part of the county. Other roads are hoped for, as is more fully explained in the sketches of Cadiz and Albany.

When the war broke out, Green County responded nobly to the call made upon her. Her first company, Company " C," of the third regiment, was enlisted in April and May, 1861 ; it was one of the three companies of the third regiment which, with two companies of the Massachusetts fourth, fought at Bolivar against more than three times their number, and captured a heavy field piece, which was brought from the field by the Wisconsin companies under command of Lt. O'Brien, of Green County. Not less brave and efficient were the soldiers sent forth at a later day. But the very number of their heroic services makes it impossible to tell them, for every company furnished numberless instances of gallant conduct, of patient endurance, and unselfish devotion, and so far as any one who was not himself among their number can write it, the record of the marches and battles of Green County's soldiers has already been written in the Military History of Wisconsin and the annual reports of the Adjutant General of the state. [See appendix.]

In December, 1861, Green County was credited with 229 soldiers. In August, 1862, her total credit was 708, and 355 men were still lacking under the calls that had been made at that time. In the fall, twenty-five men were drafted, but for various reasons only twelve of them were mustered into service. Under the call of October, 1863, for 300,000 more, the quota of Green County was 223. Under the four calls of 1S64, dated February 1, March 14, July 18, and December 19, her quota was 1326. It has been impossible to find the credits of the several towns in the early part of the war, but the quotas and credits of each town, from October, 1863, to the end of the war, are shown in the following table :

Green County's treatment of her soldiers and their families was generous as well as just. At a special meeting of the supervisors in May, 1861, on motion of Mr. Adams, it was " Resolved, that, in the opinion of this board, the county will be willing to pay all the necessary expenses of maintaining the families of all those who may volunteer (that may need such assistance) during the war." The aid thus early promised was continued to the end, and the towns were individually as prompt and persevering as the county. The following statement of the amounts raised to pay bounties to volunteers, and to aid the families of the same, is from the Sentinel of July 26th, 1865:

Amount

Raised by the county for the support of the families of volnnteers, or their children, from the beginning of the war up to Agust 1st, 1S65, $ 54,102 35

Previous to any consideration of the history of the several townships, it may be well to take a general view of the progress made by the county, since the organization of the towns, in wealth and population, in its industries, and in its provisions for education. The county is free from debt, and its condition has always been one of increasing prosperity, as is indicated by the following statistics:

The attention given to manufactures has been limited by the insufficient facilities for transportation. It is thought that the completion of either of the projected railroads running north and south, would give a new impetus to creative industries. But even now the manufactures of the county are varied and important, as will be seen by reference to the histories of the several towns. The progress of the county in this respect has been much greater since 1S70 than the progress indicated by the following table for the decade ending in that year : a great wheat county, many farmers raising forty bushels an acre. Soon after i860, while no marked change was observable in other crops, the wheat crops, from some cause not clearly understood, grew smaller. Even on new land the yield was comparatively small, and farmers wisely turned their attention to the raising of cattle. Now, wheat is brought here from other states, -and stock, cheese, butter, eggs, hides, tallow, and wool have taken the place of the wheat, corn, and oats that used to be shipped to the eastern markets.

From United States Censuses

Since stock raising has been one of the leading- pursuits - and now nearly every farmer is a stock dealer - much attention has been given to the improvement of stock. The importations during the past seven years have been many and large. At the present time there is probably no other county in this state, or in Illinois,, that sends as many and as good hogs and cattle to market as are sent from this county, and the indications are that Green may soon take the lead in fine sheep and horses also. A natural result of this new industry is the increased manufacture of cheese. In 1S70 there was not a cheese factory in the county. In 1S76 there were in operation more than fifty factories, which made in the aggregate over 2,000,000 pounds - much more than was made in any other county, and about one-eighth of the whole quantity made in the state.

The higfh rank of the countv as an agricultural county, is due in part to the influence of the Green County Agricultural Society. This society was organized July 4, 1853, with the following officers: E. T. Gardner, President; J. V. Richardson, Secretary; John A. Bingham, Corresponding Secretary; A. Ludlow, Treasurer; and six vice-presidents. A fair was held in November of that year, at the court house, at which time one hundred dollars were paid for premiums. The next fair was held in October, 1854, in a new fair ground, just north of the village of Monroe. The money to fence the fair ground and erect the necessary buildings, was raised by selling life memberships at ten dollars each. At this fair the premiums amounted to twro hundred dollars. The fair ground was paid for in 1S55 by selling life memberships. It included seven and one-half acres, and cost fifty dollars per acre. On the seventh of July, 1857, the society was reorganized under a state law for the encouragement of agriculture, which was passed in 1856. The fair ground now used is a little east of the village, and, with the buildings, is worth from eight to ten thousand dollars.

The following are the names of the other officers elected at the annual meeting in January, 1 S77 : W. A. Wheaton, Vice-President; James H. Van Dyke, Treasurer; A. S. Douglas, Secretary; C. E. Adams, Recording Secretary; A. Ludlow, Superintendent.

Statistics Of Population Nativity Of Population

figures are taken from the U. S. Census of 1S60, but there seems to be some mistake about them. They make the population of the county only 18,869.

Sex And Age In 1870

When the town governments were organized in 1849, the schools were intrusted to town superintendents; but since 1S61 they have been under the supervision of county superintendents. The following is a list of the county superintendents: Wm. C. Green, elected in 1S61 and '63; Edwin E. Woodman, elected in 1865; D. H. Morgan, elected four consecutive times, and T. C. Richmond, the present incumbent. Mr. Woodman being absent at the time of his election, and subsequently, Mr. Green held the office during that term. The superintendent's report for the year ending August 31, 1S76, contains the following statistics:

There are, in the county, three schools with two departments each - those at Monticello, Juda, and New Glarus, and three with three or more departments each - those at Monroe, Brodhead, and Alhany. There are five school libraries, the largest of which is at Monroe.

gone from this county, and a little examination will show that the schools of Green County have kept pace with those of any other county of the same population in the state. Mr. Richmond is now doing the schools a great service by raising the standard of teachers' examinations, and by giving the teachers, in institutes of several weeks' duration, the instruction of which they are most in need.

Pauperism, Disease And Crime

The first mention of paupers in the county commissioners'journal is this of January, 1S43: "Ordered that Alexis Van Ornum he paid only $30 for nursing and for funeral expenses of Benjamin Jacobs, a poor person." From 1849 until '60 each town took care of its own poor. In 1S60 the supervisors elected three superintendents of the poor - Hiram Rust, I. M. Bennett, and Ransom Drake - and appropriated $2,000 to buy a county poor house and farm. The farm is in Mount Pleasant. The superintendents erected a building in the summer of 1861, and additional building's were erected in 1S70 and '73. During the year ending Nov. 15, 1S76, the average number of inmates at the poor house was 53, and the whole number of week's support given to inmates was 1,996. The average cost to the county of each week's maintenance was $1.46. The poor commissioners also expended about $1,500 for the poor living in the several towns. The principal buildings on the poor farm were destroyed by fire on the last day of May, 1S77, but new buildings will be erected as soon as possible.

*This is the number on the records at the prison, but these records only show by what county the prisoners have been convicted and sentenced. The commitment papers do not state whether prisoners had a change of venue to or from any county. Neither do they show to what county prisoners sentenced by the United States' Courts belonged.

County Commissioners

From 1S49 to '62 the chairmen of the town supervisors elected in April of each year constituted the county board of supervisors. Their names are given in the histories of their respective towns. A state law approved March, 1S61 made the board of supervisors to consist of three electors, one to be elected in each of three supervisor districts. Elections were to be held in November of each alternate year, and the term of office was to begin the first of the following January.

By a change in the law, supervisors elected in 1S67 from the odd numbered districts held office for one year, while those from even numbered districts held office two years.

The law of 1869 was a special law for Green County, and was declared unconstitutional by the supreme court. In obedience to a law published in 1S70, the county returned, after the April election of 1S70, to the system of government wherein each town and village is represented.

Council

The first convention to form a state constitution convened October 5, 1S46, and adjourned December 16, 1846. The members from Green County were Davis Bowen, Noah Phelps, Wm. C. Green and Hiram Brown. The members of the second convention, which was in in session from December 15, 1S47, to February 1, 1S48, were James Biggs and Wm. McDowell.

Circuit Courts

The act establishing the territorial government of Wisconsin provided for the division of the territory into three judicial districts, and for the holding of district court by one of the three judges of the supreme court in each district. The three judges were Chas. Dunn,

*By the state constitution, adopted March, 1848, the counties of Milwaukee, Waukesha, Jefferson, Racine, Walworth, Rock, and Green, constituted the first congressional district. There was one other district in the state, and each district had one representative.

fin 1849 the number of districts was increased to three. Rock, Green, La Fayette, Grant, Iowa, Dane, Sank, Adams, Portage, Richland, Crawford, Chippewa, St. Croix, and La Pointe were included in the second.

David Irvin, and Wm. C. Frazer. Green County was in the first, or Judge Dunn's district. Judge Irvin was assigned to the court in that part of the territory afterwards included in the state of Iowa; but on the 12th of June, 1838, the territory of Iowa was organized, and the legislative assembly which convened in the following November made a new assignment of districts. From July, 1839, until Wisconsin became a state, the second district, which in 1S39 included the counties of Walworth, Rock, Green, and Dane, and of which Green County formed a part until 1848, was Judge Irvin's district. In 1848 the state was divided into five judicial circuits, the first of which was composed of Racine, Walworth, Rock, and Green. By a law of 1870, which went into effect January 1, 1S71, Green, Rock, and Jefferson constitute the twelfth circuit.

Among the pioneers of Green County were many single men, some of whom could hardly be called settlers. "My home was under my hat," said one who may be taken as a representative of the class. Yet they did good work in taming the wilderness, and, whether they went from to town and from county to county, as work and the hope of gain called them, or kept bachelor's hall on their own land, they were an important element in the society of that time. Bachelors' parties were among the most enjoyable gatherings there were. Not infrequently, a dozen bachelors met in the evening at Smith & Enos' mill, or at some brother's cabin, and spent the night in fun and jollity. Occasionally, they went as far as Hamilton's diggings to hear the Colonel tell, in his entertaining way, of the great men he had seen at Washington; and sometimes they had a party to which married men and their wives were invited. At one such party at Mr. Rust's, the floor was turned bottom side up after supper, "so as to have a clean, smooth surface " on which to exercise the light fantastic toe. Among the pleasantest parties of this kind in the eastern part of the county, was that given by Mr. Lake to chard, which was one of the first orchards in the county. Mr. Rust's blackberry preserves are still sweet in memory, and those who have forgotten the flavor of Mr. Lake's apples still praise the hot biscuit he made for supper. But if these bachelors cooked well, they did not always cook willingly. One acknowledges that he often went hungry because he had no time to cook. Mr. Asa Richardson used to carry his cream over to Mrs. Rust, preferring to do without butter rather than churn. Another, who proposed to a girl the evening he was introduced and married her the next time they met, explains his haste by saving, " it was the way then to do things up pretty quick, and as I had to work out doors as much as any of the men, nobody needed a wife more than I did." The arrival of a young lady anywhere within fifteen miles was an especial promoter of the labors of hair cutting, shaving, washing, ironing, patching, and darning among the bachelors. There were no photographers to catch the shadow of these self-made men, but an indication of the beauty and harmony to which they were expected to attain in their dress is given by a bit of the exjDerience of a gentleman who in 1S42 went with two companions from Monroe to see a newlv arrived belle of Spring Grove. Despite much preparation, there were still three or four holes in his coat. His companions, who, like himself, are now well known all over the county, told him they could not induce him in such a plight, and, under pretense of pinning up the holes, they managed to grasp the coat fenced, and cultivated ten acres which he s year to Daniel Baxter of New York, who immediate went there to live. The next settle] was Mr. Eli Kline from Indiana. In '37, he and bis sc as, John and Isaac, built a carding mill where the village : Spi Grove, of which it was . eginning, - now. For many years after this, the stream on v c was ailt, name of Si - allj The next year bi Davis of Pennsylvania, who says it cost m move his family and household goods from G 1 : . Spring G - rom Penns at Galena,

Samuel Myers af Indiana, who purchase la terest the carding mill, and at whose house j elects in Mill creek pre< were he phen Bowen, Archie Davis, H Judkins. . ably Alf< Blakely, and E. P. P.

The carding machine was a great help to Mill Creek precinct, which included most of the territory included now in the towns of Spring Grove and Jefferson. Public opinion required settlers to wear homespun cloth, and all the wool in the county was carded at Kline's mill, to which was added, after a time, a fulling mill.

In the first vears of its existence, the abolitionists made this precinct a principal field of their labors. Probably the first abolitionists in the county were Jacob LyBrand and G. W. Rogers of Monroe. Perhaps the most active of them all was Hollis W. Button of Spring Grove. Mr. Button was originally a democrat, but while in Illinois in the winter of i840-'4i, cnance led him to attend a meeting which brought upon him the suspicion of being an abolitionist, and he was mobbed by his democratic brethren. This treatment awakened in him a new interest in the anti-slavery agitation. He read anti-slavery books and papers, and soon became an abolitionist, laboring unceasingly to convert others. For several years the abolitionist made nominations for as many of the county officers as they had men to fill. " The first time this was done," says Mr. Button, " we had seven votes and a half, all cast in Spring Grove." The half vote was the vote of a man who scratched all the names on the abolition ticket except Mr. Button's. It was very unusual for abolitionists to hold office in Green County. Even the office of road master was de- nied them. One of their number was once appointed judge of elections, and half a day elapsed after the time had come for him to take the oath of his office before he was allowed to take it, the objection being that an abolitionist's oath was not to be believed. In August, 1845, tne abolitionists, who then numbered thirty-one in the county, induced a Mr. Mathews of Racine County to lecture to them at the court house in Monroe. A place of entertainment was found for him at the house of an influential and very worthy Baptist, but the host did not know, until he had kept his guest one night, that the subject of the coming lecture was abolition, and when he did know it, his conscience would not allow him to keep Mr. Mathews an hour longer. Another abolition meeting was appointed for the next 4th of July, but, when those interested in it assembled, they found the court house fastened against them; whereupon Mr. LyBrand wrote an account of the affair for an anti-slavery paper, and desired all the other abolitionists to subscribe their names to the article. This they refused to do, on account of some personal criticisms which it contained, and Mr. LyBrand was so displeased by the refusal that he never worked with them after that time. The strongest instrument in weakening the opposition to their cause was a Methodist minister, by the name of McKey, from Janesville. Escorted by Mr. Button, he made the tour of the county as a preacher, and in this capacity gained great popularity. The field being made ready in this way, he went over the county again as an abolition lecturer, and from this ent to Wiots . .here he - nearlv killed mob. All his late admirers flocked to hear him, and many were converted to his views. yorae of the churches were nearlv broken up by the differences of opinion that followed the lectures, nd there were Meth - that called McKey the devil's ploughshare that tore up the churches, and ;i big nigger Button " the devil. Not long after this the Rev. J. D. Stevens, the Presbvterian cler^vman. made M me .: the -tathe underground railroad. Now and then an abolitionist fell from the rank-. The first vote in Jordan for an abolition ticket was that of Ij a C rey, in I S47. The vote involved him in an argument which half a dozen men, and one of them showed his contempt for it by brir. , a basket of corn which he shelled during the meeting. Among the leading abolit: at this time were James Kiidow, Mordecai Vanderbilt and Wm. Wilford, of Spring Grove; J. W.

uart and Donald Johnson, of Decatur; Wrn. Mc Dowell and Joseph W. Smith, of Clarno; D. II. Morn and Thos. Lindley. of Sylvester; L. Chamness and Thos. II. Millman, of Monroe: and Samuel Overmeyer, of Albany, Man} others who were opposed to slav< were no1 counted as abolitionists because the^ did not approve of all the measures of the abolition party,

In 1 8 | | , what was called a temporary [u>>t office \\ .i> opened in Mill Creek precinct, No mail route w as open thai way, but Mr, Kildow, who lived on section thirty, was authorized to receive and distribute mails, and the settlers took turns in carrying the mail From Monrot to Mr, Kildow's house. In recognition of the great numbei of springs and groves in the precinct, Mr, kiLI.'w called the office Spring Grove, In '48, when .t mail route was opened Prom R.ockford to Mineral Point, 1 1 was made t«> go l>\ the Spring Grove offi< and Mr, Kilduv received .1 v. mmission as post master, which he resigned in '57, in ordei to remove to the southern part of the town, riu- office then went w< into [efferson, \\ here it was named Oakley, with which name it was moved in [860 to its present resting place, t lie village of Sp i Grove, rhe Peedee office, in the southern part oi the town, was also established in 186 For several years aftei M 1 . Baxtei went to Spring Grove he kept .1 store tber< 1 w hich there w as no store in

Ludlow, until he went into business in Monroe, and t luu with Geo, \\ . Hoffman, until he op< ned .1 store in Oheco, rhen Mr. J, Hoffman opened the first store in the village oi Spring Grove, which, though changing owners occasionally, still continues there with Mr, John Kelly's woolen mill, the child of Kline's fulling mill, Thru- was formerh .1 ood store and .» tavern .it Clai ence, a little village on Sand Prairie, near the northeast corner of the township. Around the Sugar River crossing on the Beloit road, there had been for a number of years a settlement of Canadians, sometimes called Derrick's settlement, as the settlement of the immigrants from the Wabash around Spring Grove was called Kline's settlement. Prominent in Derrick's settlement were the families of Boslow and Dr. P. B.

Springstead. Dr. Springstead's son and son-in-law, Chancellor Springstead and Wm. Sherry, built in 1841 the first house on Sand Prairie. Clarence was the child of this settlement. The first house was built in '45 by Wm. Sherry. For a number of years'the village grew, and then, when Brodhead and Juda began to grow, it wasted away as an apple tree withers, and yellows, and dies, when a walnut begins to grow by its side, and by the time the railroad was completed the life of Clarence was gone. Like Decatur, the other village that died that Brodhead might be, Clarence had for some time borne a bad reputation. Counterfeiters had given it a notoriety that must have gone far to reconcile its best friends to its decline.

The report of the county clerk for 1877 shows that this year Spring Grove leads all the other towns in the most important crop in the county. Following is an extract from the report:

Jordan

No reverence attaches itself to the modern Jordan. It may be a very good creek in its way, but the town which it waters has a bad reputation, for which both town and stream must suffer. No pilgrim stranger ever stands on this Jordan's crooked banks. If, perchance, there be one who wishes to do so, he is whisked off by some one mindful of his county's honor to the Jordan prairie of Decatur; he is let down into mines in Monroe, and dragged to the top of the mounds in Mount Pleasant; he is made to admire the level land and tine crops of Spring Grove, and the undulating land and fine crops of York; but when his time and strength are gone, he has not seen Jordan. Green County finds her proverbially necessary skeleton in the closet, her black sheep in the flock, in this town. Josephus himself, could he hear the jokes and the expressions of sympathy of which Jordan land and Jordan farmers are the subjects, would lose all reverence for the historic name, and his next volume might hear upon its title page this warning addressed to would-be Jordan farmers :

In 1S65, that part of Jordan which borders on Skinner creek was declared to be a good oil country, and a great many with faith in the fitness of all things for some good believed the report. A man supposed to be acquainted with the Pennsylvania oil district visited the Skinner land, and warned the citizens that, if they hesitated, wise men from the east would step in before them, and occupy this newly discovered road to fortune. They did not hesitate. In March '66, the ''Farmers' Oil and Lead Co.,"" a stock company having "power and authority to mine and dig for mineral, ore, and coal, and to bore and search for salt, oil, and petroleum," was incorporated. An engine was bought, and a bore forty feet deep was sunk. Meanwhile, oil was really found in one or two springs, and, though the incredulous insisted that a little investigation would show that some cruel joker had first found it in a Monroe grocery, land owners on both the Monroe and the Jordan side of Skinner felt that they were among earth's favored few. But this glorious summer was followed by a winter of discontent. The company abandoned the enterprise and dissolved, and the price of Skinner land went down again, since which time there has been no popular hope for Jordan. But after all, there is something to be said for the town. It is healthful. Among the oldest settlers in the town is Mr. John Stevens. He happened to camp there while he was taking his family from Missouri to the east, for health. A stay of one night so invigorated the invalids that a longer stay, a further renewal of strength, then a home there and perfect health followed. Other settlers testify to a similar improvement of their health in Jordan, and one centenarian spent his last score of years there.

If people do not choose to farm in Jordan, other sources of wealth are open to them there. One of these is a fine hard limestone, which is almost a marble, and which only needs a railway to bring it into demand as a building stone. Lead is found in small quantities all over the town, and some shafts have yielded a large amount. One farmer struck a three hundred dollar bunch with his plow. The Indians mined extensively in Jordan, and had seven smelting furnaces just over the town line in Adams, where thev carried the lead from northern Jordan on account of the natural conveniences there for washing it. In the stream on his farm, Mr. Wm. Soper has found hundreds of pounds which he thinks the Indians took there to wash. It is believed that the only natural cranberry marsh in southern Wisconsin is in Jordan. It is not large, but since its discovery, cranberry vines have appeared spontaneously in several other places in the town, and there is little doubt that the culture of cranberries in Jordan might be made, and will sometime be made profitable. In the western part of the town there is an inexhaustible bed of ochre, which has been found, by examination of a specimen sent to Ohio, to be identical with the ochre from which the excellent and well known Ohio paint is made. Along Jordan and Skinner creeks are wide beds of peat, from three to ten feet in depth. The peat is of an excellent quality, but, except to a limited extent as a fertilizer, no use is made of it, for Jordan has too much good timber to be willing to dig for fuel. Had Jordan a fertile soil there would be nothing in the town to complain of. Good water is abundant. Jordan and Skinner creeks traverse the town from north to south, and Jordan farmers claim that there is an average of one spring for every forty acres in the town. There is properly no prairie, but the bottom lands are very wide and level, and the remark of the American Cyclopaedia that the hills in Green County "are arable to their very summits," shows that the hills alone do not make Jordan a poor town. The under-drainage is so perfect that in case of heavy rains the roots in cultivated ground are sufficient to prevent the soil from washing, and the injury from drouths is comparatively small, because the soil does not bake like an undrained surface, and, being always porous, it easily absorbs the dew and vapors of the air.

But good health, good drainage, and good water are the rule in Green County, and since others of the towns are supplied with lead, fine limestone, and peat (the town of Washington, for example, has a bed of limestone exactly like the so-called marble of which the normal school building at Platteville is built), all these good things count for nothing, and, because it has the poorest soil in the county, Jordan is unhesitatingly condemned as a very poor town. It would seem, though, from the learned Dr. David Dale Owens' Geological Report of the mineral region of Wisconsin that Jordan has nothing to be ashamed of in the way of soil. A measure of the value of a soil is the average quantity of organic matter, in other words the plant food, it contains. The average quantity of organic matter in one hundred specimens of the soil of Massachusetts analyzed by Prof. Hitchcock, was 7.68 per cent. In specimens from New York it was 6.64 per cent. In Dr. Owen's report, published in 1S39, is given the following analysis of soil from " township two, range six east, Green County, Wisconsin : "

It will not be claimed that all the soil in Jordan is as good as that which Dr. Owen analyzed, but where some of it is so much better than the average soil in New York and Massachusetts, it does not seem probable that the townshijD as a whole is much inferior to the average land in those states. That it is much better land than is generally supposed might be inferred from the fact that a large proportion of its inhabitants are foreigners who went there, not only without a knowledge of the language, customs, and climate of the country, but without money enough to pay for the land they settled on, and that they are now, almost without exception, possessed of good homes and large farms. Good crops of all kinds are raised in Jordan. It must be admitted that in a great part of the town the land does not grow more valuable from year to year, but in these cases the farmers have done nothing to raise the value of their farms. Some farmers who use no fertilizers raise crop after crop on a field until it is exhausted, and then, without seeding it down, they call it pasture. Were Jordan so poor a town as to render such a course impossible, her reputation would be much better. But better methods are coming into use, and it is not too late to rectify mistakes. Jordan land will bear a great deal of abuse. One of the best farms there, a farm which would be called good in any town or state, was bought by its present owner as a worn out farm, and, by only a reasonable amount of care, brought by him to its present excellence.

The earliest settlers in northern and middle Jordan were Robert Brazel, John Trotter and Joshua Chilton, all from Illinois. The former came in '37, the latter two in '39. Wm. Brazel came in '40. John and Geo. Yazel, Nathaniel Matthews, James and Absalom Kelly, who all came to the county in iS39-'40, were in the southern part of the town before the end of '41. John Pinney and Jacobs were in western Jordan before 1840, and there were two or three men in Lafayette County so near the boundary line that they have been counted as Green County settlers. James Mills was already on his farm just west of "lattice bridge," and now called Wiota was then called " the cape," in whimsical allusion to the fact that one of the first families that settled there came from a cape on the Atlantic coast. The Wiota of that day was at the junction of the forks of the Pecatonica, just west of the north-west corner of Cadiz. Steamboats from some point on Rock river ascended the Pecatonica as far as the junction in 1S45, and it was supposed there would be a city there. The settlers of 1843 were Henry Hard and Curtis Cary, of Ohio; John and Geo. Chilton, of Virginia; John and Wesley Church, of Illinois; and

Shafer. Next, in 1S44, came Mr. John Soper, of Vermont. Lars Larson (sometimes called, in accordance with the Norwegian custom which allows individuals to affix to their names the name of their native place, Lars Larson Bothan), came in 1844. It is thought he was the first Norwegian to settle in the county. He was followed the next year by Axel Iverson (Stortottle), and almost every year since then Norwegian immigrants have come to Lafayette and western Green. Some of the eastern towns, particularly Albany, have also a large number of Norwegians among their farmers. Since 1845, t°°' a gi'eat many Irish immigrants have made their homes in Jordan. In 1843 or '44 Dr. John Church, already mentioned as a preacher, built 'a saw mill in Jordan. In '47, John Bachman built the first grist mill in the town, and in '48 Benjamin Cross and Lemuel and Miner Taylor built the second saw mill.

Oak Springs and Exeter, territorial road, recorded as being on the line between Adams and Jordan. It followed the ridge, some parts of which are on the line, others are half a mile - south of it. The first school was taught in the early summer of 1S41, by Miss Emma Green, in a cabin owned by Mr. Joshua Chilton. The first school house was built in 1S44, by Win. and Robert Brazel, Joshua Chilton, and Mrs. John Trotter. It was on the Wm. Brazel place, since known as the John Scott place. The first public school taught in it was taught by James Tennyson in the winter of '44- '45. The first frame school house was built in '48 in "the Blaine" district, near the south-east corner of the town. The only post office in Jordan is that at Jordan Centre, where there are a number of dwellings and a school house, and where a church is building.

Source changes here: from History of Green County, Wisconsin, by Union Publishing Company, Springfield, Ill., Pub. [from Old Catalog], published 1884; 14,370 words in this source stream.

Spring Grove Town

This little village of about 100 inhabitants is situated near the southern central part of the town of Jefferson. Its first start was in 1862, when Harrison Clevenstine opened a store. He ran the business until 1866, when E. L. Walker succeeded him. Mr. Walker engaged in the business until 1875, when, owing to heavy reyerses, he closed up. Miller & Reitzell then commenced business. They afterward moved their stock of goods away. In 1882 Wells & Walker opened a store. In a short time G. M. Walker purchased the business, and he in turn sold to J. H, Armstrong in 1883. Mr. Armstrong continues to run the store, and does a good business. He carries a stock of goods valued at $2,000. The building is of brick, and is used as a dwelling house and store.

Abraham Sanborn and Calvin Hale were the first settlers at Twin Grove, although they did not settle at "the corners." Mr. Sanborn's house was about forty rods north, and Mr. Hale's house a quarter of a mile southeast of the corners. Mr. Hale died and his family afterwards erected a house about forty rods east of the corners. Messrs. Sanborn and Hale located herein 1845.

Jonathan Cable settled there soon after, and engaged in the blacksmith business. This business is now in the hands of a gentleman named Walters, who is a first-class workman.

The citizens of Twin Grove are an energetic, wide-awake and intelligent class of people, who are not slow to take advantage of the fine agri cultural district which surrounds their neat

Biographical

J. A. Chambers is a native of Union Co.,Penn., born Feb. 6, 1834. He is a son of Benjamin and Mary C. (Musser) Chambers. Mis father was a saddle and harness-maker, and started the first harness shop between Chicago and Galena. He worked at his trade in the winter, and improved his farm in the summer. He brought with him his wife and two children - John A. and Robert M., the latter now residing in Colorado. He arrived in the town of Jefferson in the spring of 1839, and in a short time purchased a farm of John Baker. By hard labor and economy he was successful in securing a comfortable home. They had three children born to them in the town of Jefferson - Elleanor B., Mary C. and Henrietta B. He continued to live on his farm most of the time until his death, which occurred in October, 1872. John A., the subject of this sketch, was five years of age when he came to this county. He left the farm to learn the harness making trade, at which he worked for seven years. He then returned to the home of his father and built a house and fenced eighty acres of land adjoining his father's farm. He was married in March,

1860. He then gave up farming and worked at his trade. On the 12th of August, 1862, he enlisted in company K, 22d Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He served until the close of the war, participating in many battles. He was with Sherman on his march from Nashville to Atlanta, Savannah and Richmond ; at the battle of Spring Hill, Tenn., he was wounded in the hand and disabled for eight weeks. At the close of the war he returned to Green county and engaged in farming. In March, 1867, he was married to Margaret Rockey, of Stephenson Co., 111., and at the death of his father, purchased the old home, vehere he now resides. By this union there are six children - Henrietta E., Charles L., Ella M., Mary C, Margaret E. and Benjamin G. Mr. Chambers owns 206 acres of land, with timber adjoining, and one of the best springs in the town of Jefferson. He is engaged in farming and raising stock.

J. S. Brown is a native of Green Co., Ohio, born May 21, 1822. He is a son of D. W. and Lydia (Rowser) Brown. His father was a farmer and a native of Pennsylvania Both parents are now dead and buried in Olive Cemetery near Bellbrook. The subject of this sketch removed from his native State to this county as early as 1844, and lived with Allen Woodell in Spring Grove about eight months, then went back to Ohio. He afterwards returned to Green county, and selected 120 acres of land which he has since sold. He lived upon a farm until 1882, when he removed to the village of Juda, where he has since lived. He now owns 205 acres of land, and a nice house in the village. He was married June 4, 1848, to Patience Stephens, a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Reuben and Sally Stephens, who were among the early settlers of the town of Jefferson. Her father is dead, but her mother is yet living, hale and hearty, aged eighty one years. By this marriage there were three children - David D., now in Oregon; Florence, now living in Franklin Co., Iowa; and Lydia, who lives in Butler Co., Neb, all being married.. The mother of these children died and Mr. Brown was again married to Judith A. Luce, a resident and native of Green Co., Ohio. Three children have blessed this union - Belle L. and Jennie, both married; and William who lives at home and is a teacher in the schools of Green county. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Baptist Church, and Mr. Brown of the Christian Church. Mr. Brown has been somewhat prominent in the county, having been chairman of the board of supervisors twice, deputy provost marshal during the late war, and constable for

Joseph Belveal came to Green county about 1844, and purchased the farm owned by Jeremiah Bridge, which contained sixty acres, located on section 31, in the town of Jefferson. He has since sold twenty acres and now owns forty. He has always been engaged in farming. Mr. Belveal was born in Belmont Co., Ohio, Jan. 22, 1821. His parents, Joseph and Sarah (Caniff) Belveal, are dead, and buried in Union Co., Ohio, where they removed when Jose])h, Jr., was ten years old. He remained in that county until he came to Jefferson. He was married Dec. 14, 1847, in Monroe, to Elizabeth Clark, a daughter of J. E. Clark, of Jefferson. The ceremony w^as performed by Elder Walworth. Mr. and Mrs. Belveal are the parents of four children, of whom three are living - Sylvester, Sarah A. and George W, Lewis C, the eldest, is dead. Sylvester is a carpenter and cabinet maker. He has a shop upon the farm, in which he works during the winter, making all kinds of scroll and bracket work. He is a natural genius. Mr. Belveal is a republican and a Church member.

E. J. Blackford, a native of Fayette Co., Penn., was born May 12, 1824, and is the son of William and Rachel (Johns) Blackford, natives of the same State, who emigi'ated to Green county in 1845, and settled in Richland timber, on the Monroe and Juda road. They are both now deceased and buried in Juda Cemetery. The subject of this sketch came here with his parents with whom he made his home for a time. He worked the first summer for Elder Patton. He was married to Margai-et Chryst, a daughter of John Chryst, Sr., an early resident of the county, now deceased and buried in Richland. In 1867 Mr. Blackford removed witli his family to Iowa, and remained two years. When they were returning to Green county in 1869, Mrs, Blackford died on the road. By this union there were seven children, four of whom are living - John W,, Rebecca R,, James

E. and Thomas J. He bought a farm in the town of Jefferson in 1859 called the "Cliryst" place. He also owned a farm on section 8 of the same town. He removed from the "Chryst farm," to .Juda, in November, 1878, living in that town until March, 1883, when he moved to his present home. He was married again, Dec. 23, 1870, to Mrs Jane Clemmer, formerly Jane Roderick. Mrs. Blackford has one daughter by her former marriage - Lucinda L., wife of B. B, Bowell. Mrs Blackford is a member of the Baptist Church, Mr, Blackford is a democrat, politically, and has been town clerk of Jefferson, also chairman of the town board two years; assessor, one year, and is at present, justice of the peace.

Andrew Roderick was a native of Pennsylvania, born July 14, 1803, His wife is a native of the same State and was born on the day previous. He was always accustomed to farm work, and after spending some time in Virginia came to Green Co., Wis., in 1846, having but |60. He bought forty acres of land and was successful, adding thereto until he had 250 acres. He died April 16, 1871, on the farm now owned by Elder Patton and was buried in Juda cemetery. He was an active, energetic, hard working man, a sincere Christian, and a much respected citizen. He always took a prominent part in Church matters, and was universally beloved. Mr. and Mrs. Roderick were the parents of nine children, all of whom reached an adult age. Mrs. Roderick still lives on the old homestead, having a pleasant room exclusively for herself.

James W. Roderick has been a resident of Green county since 1846, when he came here witli his parents, who located at that time on section 3, in the town of Jefferson. He was born in Fayette Co., Penn., April 5, 1843. He, at present, owns a farm of 200 acres, a part of which is the homestead formerly owned by his father. He has good improvements and is desirably located. He was married Dec. 22, 1870, to Hannah LaBoard, a daughter of Peter La-

Board, of Juda. The ceremony was performed by Rev. G. R. Patton. They have had three children, only one of whom is living - Ross R Lydia L. and Letha M. are buried in Juda cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Roderick are members of the Haptist Church.

Nathaniel Preston was a native of England, born in Portsmouth, June 13, 18-22. In 1845, he emigrated to America with his mother and lived a few months in Cincinnati, and then came to Monroe, Green county, where he engaged in business, running a shoe shop. In a short time he moved to the town of Jefferson, on section 13, where he owned eighty acres of land, and where he died in June, 185*7, and was buried in Spring Grove cemetery. His widow with characteristic energy has since added to this farm until it now contains 120 acres, and her son Arthur also owns a like amount. His wife was formerly Charlotte E. Cook, a daugliter of John J. Cook, deceased, of Monroe. They were married, in 1852, and had two children - Arthur T., and Mary E., who was married to W. S. Pengra, Sept. 3, 1874. Arthur is engaged in stock raising, frequently has good herds of cattle and sells annually a goodly number. Mrs. Preston after coming to this county taught school tor a number of years.