Sullivan Town

Sullivan Town

This section of Jefferson County affords some interesting and important history. In size md topography it is not unlike other towns, containing an area of thirty-six square miles of land, of a rolling or undulating nature, well ada])ted to agriculture. Nearly one-half of the town is yet in a primitive state. Extensive forests of ash, oak, maple, basswood and tamarack ire still in existence, anl will furnish material for the woodman's axe for generations to come.

There are four post offices in the town, viz.: Rome, Erfurt, Sullivan and Oak Hill. Rome is an unincorporated village of about three hundred inhabitants, beautifully situated on Bark, River, in Section 17. It was laid out and recorded by Ambrose Seely on the 9th of September,

1848, and contains an area of 7,000 square rods. It ia under town government, its populatioi not.being numerous enough to entitle it to corporate privileges. Mr. H. D. Sprague, one of th oldest iiiliabitants, settled in Rome in January, 1846. He puichased a lot three rods wide b; six in length, upon which stood a log cabin, built by Peter Knochker. The population at tha date is given as follows : D. Secly, wife and two children : Davis Scely, wife and two children Joseph Hibbard. wife and two children : AVilliam Arms and mother ; Sandford Burdick, wif and four children : Peter Knochker, wife and three children. Mr. Davis Seely had thre children, but one of them, a boy, was killed a mile and a half from Rome, when the family wa moving in. A leaning tree, beneath which the teamster drove, crushed the unfortunate child' head against a box in the wagon. Schools, churches and mills were soon established, and Rom has ever since been made to '' howl '' with the ceaseless noise of progress. The first school wa taught by Cynthia Moulthrop, now Mrs. Cusiiman. The young idea was taught to shoot withii the confines of a diminutive log hT)use, built in 1846 for educational purposes. There are noA two public schoolhouses, with bells and belfrys. Mr. Sprague has been identified with ever effort to nurture the tree of knowledge in Rome.

The first church services were held in the house of Joseph Hibbard in the fall of 1846. b; a Methodist divi\ie named Hiram Frinck. The log schoolhouse was subse((uently used for relig ious purposes until 1859, when a commodious church edifice was erected by the Methodista Among the ministers of this denomination who have preached in Rome may be mentioned th Revs. Fox, Latin, MofBt and Lawton. The next religious organization was that of the Free Will Baptists, which took place in 1854, with the Rev. John G. Hull as Pastor, Elder Parkin and Phincas Jai|uith following successively in the charge. In 1873, the society reared a churcl edifice. Mr. Hull has been recalled. In 1864, the German Methodists ciTected an organiza tion, and in 186!l built a church. The society is included in the Whitewater Circuit. In 185'J the Bible Christians formed a society and purchased a church site, but soon afterward relin ((uished 'their efforts to form a permanent organization.

In 1842, Myron Smith and S. D. Tenny built a saw-mill and dam on Bark River. Th mill was soon afterward destroyed by fire; but the demand for building material promptei Charles De Witt to immediately rear a similar concern upon the smoldering debris of th original. After long years of useful service, the De Witt Mill was torn away, and, in 1853, i grist-mill was erected upon the site by Thomas Hooper. The property subsequently passed t the hands of the Notebohm Brothers, and, in 1864, it was replaced by a new structure am improved machinery. Messrs. Ponburg & Foljahn are the proprietors. In 1847. Ambros Seely built a saw-raiil on the dam. The successive proprietors of this institution were Spragu & Foss, A. Seely, H. M. Dibble & Brothers. J. J. Kent and D. Force. Mr. Kent agaii obtained control of the property and is its present owner, having added machinery for th manufacture of feed and cider. In 1848, David Seely built a turning-shop, and, after a fex years of successful operation, it was destroyed by fire. Then Moulthrop i.*i: Dibble reared ; similar concern near the site of the old one. This was also burned. David Force was the nex enterprising individual to make a venture in this direction. To the present time, his shop ha escaped the devouring elements.

A post office was established at Rome in 1848, Aaron J. Ball being the first Po.stmaster His successors have been Orceraus Bramon. Smith Tubbs, H. M. Dibble, William Lyman am Eugene Shakshesky. W. H. Sprague is Mr. Shakshesky's Deputy. Postmaster Tubbs wa the first to locate it in a place of security. Prior to that time, the mail-pouch was dropped b; the carrier at the side of the road a short distance north of the village, the changes being mad beneath the shades of an oak.

The first hotel in Rome was built in 1848 by Silas Sears. It stood on the site and was i part of the Rome Exchange, and was known by the very suggestive and alliterative name o " Live and Let Live.." Peter Tubbs. Henry Horndon, Gilbert Allen, John Anthony and Johi Smith have been the proprietors. Smith died in 1867, and his widow now does the honors. ^ few years ago, George Ungermyre built a large structure for the purposes of a hotel, but th business did not warrant its success. The property is now owned by Mrs. K. L. Piper, of Watertown. The upper portion has been converted to the uses of the Good Templars and Odd Fellows.

Among the leading and most prominent persons in Rome may be mentioned the following : Eugene Shakshesky, merchant ; L. Shakshesky and John Treidel, merchants : George Bick. merchant ; John Koche. merchant : Cartwright & Lippert. cheese-factory ; H. D. Sprague. blacksmith and .Justice of the Peace; Kinion Meeller, harness; Miss Emma Sprague, milliner; Mrs. Rothel, milliner; J. J. Daniels, boot and shoe maker; C. J. Collier. ex-County Superintendent of Schools ; C. Wheeler, the inventor of a machine that will make a rope any length in a room' tep feet square, spinning from the raw^ material ; John Walsh, school-teacher ; M. Rothel. brickmaker ; W. Stone, blacksmith ; Jacob Lambrich, blacksmith ; William McCann, carpenter and Justice of the Peace; Henry Landgraf, wagon-maker; George Smith, wagonmaker.

The first post office established in what is now the town of Sullivan was Oak Hill, more famili.Trly known to the early settlers as " Pumpkin Hollow.'' The Postmasters have been Charles De Witt, Norton Blackmer, Austin Longley and William Webster. Almond Steele. David Waite, David Piatt and Seth Dustin were among the early settlers at Oak Hill. At present, the place consists of a cheese-factory, a sorghum-mill, two blacksmith-shops and one store. It is located in Section 34.

Erfurt Post Office, in Section 14, dates back to pioneer days. Rudolph Shuber has held the office of Postmaster since its establishment by the Postmaster General. There is a gristmill at Erfurt, built in 1845, by William Warren as a saw-mill, and afterward converted into a flouring-mill by John Heath ; also a store, a blacksmith-shop and a cider-mill. Bark River furnishes an excellent water-power.

In 18.50. Sullivan Post Office, in Section 29, was established. James Riddle being the first, and William Riddle the present. Postmaster. Welcome Henry, Ruben Terwilliger, John Nutter, H. D. Sprague, Nelson Hubbell and James Riddle were among the earlier settlers in that vicinity. James Riddle died during the presidency'of the lamented Lincoln. When he voted at the Presidential election of 1860, he was heard to say: "I have always been a Democrat, but I begin to realize my mistake ; and, as I know I shall not live much longer, I shall try to wipe out my political sins by voting for Abraham Lincoln ; then I can die in peace."

The first election for officers in the town of Sullivan was held in the spring of 1846, at the house of John Nutter, in the eastern portion of the town, near what is noAv Sullivan Post Office. That section of the town was then known as " Hardscrabble " among the old settlers. At that election, Charles De Witt was chosen Treasurer, and Myron Smith, Clerk. There were also elected three Supervisors, four Justices of the Peace, one Assessor, three Road Commissioners, three Constables, three Fence Viewers and one Sealer of Weights and Measures.

School District No. 8, town of Sullivan, has a war record that will compare favorably with any place of equal population in the Union. Eighty-three soldiers enlisted in the cause of the preservation of free institutions ; and, what is more remarkable, but one of this number was killeil, while four died of disease. Gen. Henry Harnden, now a revenue officer at Madison, while a resident of Rome, enlisted as a private in the First Wisconsin Cavalry, and was rapidly promoted. While filling the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he was sent in pursuit of Jeft" Davis, and, but for the unofficerlike conduct of Col. Pritchard, of the Fourth Michigan Cavairy, would have captured the arch-traitor, petticoats and all.

A Tkrrible Experience

In the quiet village of Rome lives an aged lady, athwart whose path of life has fallen a multitude of sorrows. Every one knows "Aunt Betsy" Sears. She is sixty-four years of age. and lives alone in a neat little room, over the door of which, on the outside, is this sign : "Job Printer." In one corner of the room are three or four cases of type, each letter standing

Job Printer Jefferson Street , Rome . Wis

Some years ago, Mrs. Sears wrote an account of the trials and tribulations experienced b; herself and family when they came to Wisconsin. It is a true picture of pioneer life, vividl; portrayed, and full of the sad impressions that only can be wrought upon the minds of ihos who braved the dangers and trials of early days and suffered the adversities that beset the pionee in almost every clime. The extensive length of the paper will not admit of its publication ii its entireity in these already overcrowded pages, but the most essential parts are given :

On the 22d of October, 1843, we left our former home in the town of Camden, County of Oneida, State of Ne' York, with our four little children, to go to the Far West. Arriving at Buffalo, we found thai no vessel was goin through to Milwaukee short of three or four days, but the " .lulia I'almer" was about to sail for Detroit, and w were induced to take passage upon her. We were told that we would find plenty of boats at Detroit that would tak us through to Milwaukee, but when we arrived at the Michigan metropolis, we found it necessary to wait for tli same vessels we left at Buffalo, and when they came they were so heavily loaded they could not take us on l>oarc and it was the htst trip they were going to make, .\fter remaining in Detroit five days, at a cost of §10, there cam a man to the tavern with a team and double wagon without any cover on it. He w:is accompanied by his wife, an ihey were going to .Milwaukee. They agreed to take our family through for ?2il, we to bear our own expenses; s< on the 3d of November, we set out upon a journey in an open wagon, for which we were little prepared. Th ground had frozen very hard the night before, and upon it had fallen about four inches of snow. For two weeki we had very severe weather, when it moderated and the ground and snow thawed together; then it was nothin but mud. Thus we traveled around Lake .Michigan through snow and mud and rain and shine, until we reache Racine. There we heard that the smallpox prevailed in Milwaukee, anil so we hired the man to take us across Ih country to Prairieville (now Waukesha). I had two brothers living at Cienesee, in that direction ; hut when we g< within three miles of their place we heard that they also had the sni.allpox in both families, and had each lost child 'with it. There we were, worn out with fatigue, and my little children sick from the lime we first put fool o ihe steamboat at Bufl'alo ; lotking forward to an hour of rest, the society of friends and a temporary home ; then i a uiomenl to have our hopes dashed to earth - it was too much. It seemed as though I must sink down and die. W had then traveled eighteen days, and I had carrie<l my little babe, twenty-two months old, almost all the way in m lap : for it was so cold I had to keep her under my cloak. The youngest of our three litlle boys was very ill, requi) ing the constant attention of his father, who frequently stoppeil by the roadside with him, and was then compelle to run to overtake the wagon : for our teamster displayeil his kindness by refHsing to slop for anything or anybod; When we stopped at night, instead of rest I had to cook our suppers, for it would have cost us all we had to live i ihe taverns.

When we heard the terrible news of my broihers' misfortunes, we stopped at a house on the road and had oi children vaccinated. We remained over night in the house with a very kind family. I shall never forget how I fe when the good mother spread a warm biscuit with butler and divided it among my half-starved children. It brougl the tears of joy to my eyes. It was the first morsel, except one, that they had received without money, in five week;

In the morning, my husband set out for my brothers' homes, but before reaching there he met one of them going to Prairieville. They were overjoyed to learn of our safe arrival. They had expected us three weeks before, but, not having any intelligence of us, had given us up for lost, and believed we were drowued while crossing the lake. My brother said there was no danger of our taking the smallpox, as they were well of it, and had thorouglily disinfected their houses. So we went home with him, but it seemed to me as if I was carrying my children to the grave. When we arrived, we found that his wife was nursing a lady with the disease, and therefore we were right in the midst of it. Within nine days, I was taken with the varioloid ; two days later, my little girl was taken sick, and the next day our youngest boy took his bed with the terrible disease The day before I was taken, my husband started off to look for a farm, and, as he remained away longer than we expected he would, we liegan to feel uneasy about him. When we started from Detroit, we gave orders to have our goods sent on to Milwaukee on a schooner, but up to the time we were taken down with the smallpox we had not heard anything from them. Never before nor since have I experienced such feelings of sorrow and misery. Three of us sick with a dreadful disease, my husband absent, I knew not where, and every indication that our meager stock of clothing and bedding had been lost on the lake. While I lay groaning in my utter wretchedness, this thought occurred to my mind :

I Stopped weeping and began to hope. Thought I, it may be that my husband is safe ; the children are not dead yet, and, possibly, some lucky wave may waft our goods ashore. That day, my husband came home ; the children began to appear better, and my brother came from Milwaukee and said he had found our goods, and that they were ou the way home. I began to take courage and think that all would yet be well. But alas ! how soon are blooming hopes cut off. On Wednesday, my husband came home full of bright prospects. He had found a good location, and had stayed and put up a house, calculating to move his family into it the next Monday, little dreaming of what a situation we were in at home. When he came, there we were in a pile, three of us in one bed, and nine of us in a little shanty 12x14 feet in size. Our two sick children looked so loathsome we could scarcely bear the sight of them. The next day, they grew worse, and on Sunday, at 11 o'clock, the little gir^ died ; on Monday, at 12 o'clock, her little brother followed her. It had always seemed to me that, if I should ever lose a child, I could never let it go out of my arms ; but now two of my loves were dead, and what mother cannot imagine my feelings when I looked upon their innocent faces, covered with the repulsive marks of a terrible disease? They must be hurried into the ground as quick as possible, and I not able to see them buried. But God strengthened my almost exhausted endurance, and I became resigned to my fate. I believe He is too wise to be mistaken, too good to be unkind.

Two weeks from the day my little boy died, we started, in company with the family of my brother, Davia Seely, for Bark Woods. By some means, tlie teams took different roads, and we became separated. Our team came . through Waterville, while my brother's went through the bluffs. 1 was very feeble from my recent sickness, and everything seemed to conspire against us as we wended our way through the woods, with no guide save now and then a freshly-marked tree. At the end of the second day, we reached our destination ; but what had become of my brother and his family ? This annoyed us very much all night. The next morning, we saw Davis coming slowly through the woods, but the woful look upon his face told us plainer than words that something terrible had happened. His little four-year-old boy had been killed the day before by a leaning tree under %vhich the teamster drove. We thought that our cup of sorrow was already full, but now it was running over. Picture to yourself a family of weary emigrants, looking forward with eager eyes and longing hearts to the time when they should reach their final destination, and be shebered from the chilling rain that was descending in torrents upon them, and urging forward their jaded beasts as fast as their weary limbs and the roughness of the ground would permit. Suddenly there is a crash. Oh 1 what a sound to the father's ears, when, from a distance in the rear, he sees it is the head of his son. He has seen the danger and hallooed to the teamster, but too late. He rushes forward and catches the lifeless body of his boy. " Oh ! Mr. De Jayne," he says, "you have killed my son ! You have killed my son 1

Onward, through the mud and brush, he bore his bleeding child, in agony too great to give vent to tears. They found their way to a little shanty belonging to Mr. Tinney, and there watched and mourned the remainder of the night. * * * The next day, the funeral took place from Mr. Crowder's tavern. I believe it was the first meeting of any kind ever held in these woods.

When we left my brother Dempster's, on the 1st of January, 1844, he calculated to come out in a few days and bring us .some provisions. Consequently, we did not fetch anything but a bag of flour and about a pound of butter that I put in my work-basket. But Dempster did not come for four weeks, and, during that time, we had very short allowances. We succeeded in getting three bushels of flat turnips, at 18 pence a bushel. This was all we could get for love or money. Potatoes, there we e none to be had, .and as for meat, I borrowed three pounds of pork of an old settler, and I used to cut two very small slices of it and fry them, and take a little flour and water and make a sort of paste or gravy with which to moisten our bread and turnips. I did not dare to cook bat two turnips apiece, and they were very small, and I did not dare to peel them before they were cooked, because it would be such a waste. So, with our two turnips and bread and paste we made our breakfast, and, with a little water porridge made of "middlings" and sweetened with black molasses, and very poor at that, and a slice of toasted bread, we made our dinner. For supper, we had stewed dried .apples and bread ; and sometimes, for a change, we ate our bread plain. This kind of fare lasted for four weeks, when my brother came and brought us some flour, a " porker" that weighed 160 pounds, and forty pounds of butter that we brought with us from York State. Then we had something to eat.

When we arrived at Mr. Crowder's, we had but $20. Our shanty had neither floor nor windows ; so we were obliged to stay at the tavern till our bill amounted to S3 ; then we had SIT to live upon the rest of the year. By the last of May, we were eating our last bushel of flour. My husband had cleared a small piece of land, and he could not leave it to go out to work to get somelliing to eat, for he must plant it or go without another year. One night, my brother came to our house on his way to Genesee. I could not sleep that night for thinking of our miserable situation. In the morniag. I rememt)ered, when we moved in, we passed a house about two miles beyond Walerville where I saw eighteen hogs' plucks hanging up. It occurred to me that, if they had so many hog.*, they must have something else. So I told my husband that I was going to run away. He asked me where I was going, but I told him I could not tell him where ; I was going to seek my fortune. I filled my satchel with a few articles of my own manufacture, and started with my brother toward Genesee. We were all day going fourteen miles. The musquitoes were so thick that we could not breathe without inhaling them, unless we had something over our faces. We got out at Mr. Davenport's (for that was where I saw the hogs' plucks) just about sundown. They gave us some supper, and my brother went on. I told Mrs. Davenport I would like to stay all night with them, but she said she did not see how she could keep me. I told her I would sleep any place, if she would only let me stay, ami she finally consented to do so. She made a bed on the floor for one of her little girls, and I was assigned a place with her sister, who, during the night, probably taking me for an intruder, turned her heel battery upon me with such ferocity that I was compelled to retreat as far as the limits of the bed would permit, and there lay motionless for fear of another attack. In the morning, I began to press my suit, having laid my case before them the night before. I told them that we had just moved into the woods : that our money was all gone; our provisions were nearly exhausted, and we had no means of procuring any more : that I had come out there in search of something to do that I might earn some flour. Mrs. Davenport said she had no work for me lo do, but told me of several in the neighborhood who hired their sewing done. Then I exhibited the arlicles I had in my satchel - knit caps, knit edging, and some white painted standcloths. When she saw the edging, she said that was just the thing she wanted, for she had just bought a damask linen table-cloth, and wanted that to trim it with. I sold her fourteen yards of the lace andone of the standcloths, for S3. 50. Wasn't I rich then ! 1 felt wealthier than ever before. I was fourteen miles from home, and expected to go all the way on foot ; but I felt so much lighter that it was a pleasure to walk. I traveled about six miles that day, and called at every house I came to in search of work, but none could I find. Night overtook me at the house of a family named Cobb, and there I remained until the following afternoon, when Mr. Cobb took me in his wagon to the house of Mr. Churchill, where I stayed all night. In the morning, I explained my business, and told of my success at Mrs. Davenport's. Mr. Churchill said he was going to .Jefferson in a few days, and would get me some wheal, have it ground and bring the flour to us. I told him I had a new pair of boots I brought from Viirk Stale wilh me, that were too small, and that I would let him have them fur his wife to pay him for his trouble. That was just the thing he wanted ; so, when I got ready to go, he sent his brother with a team to take me home. You may be sure there was joy in the camp when I got back and reported what 1 had done. In a day or two, Mr. Churchill came along, going to .Jefferson, and took my money (which amounted to $4, as I had 4 shillings a man gave me for mending his coat). We had one bushel of wheat that we intended to sow, but the season was so far advanced we thought best not to waste it in that way. With the $4 we got eight bushels of beautiful winter wheat ground and fetched to our door (and the one we had made nine bushels), all paid for, and Mr. Churchill allowed us a shillings in cash to boot on the boots. This lasted till almost harvest, and Mr. Churchill gave us an order for a barrel of flour at .Jefferson, and that held out till corn was ripe, and then we had johnny-cake of our own raising. ****»»*

The following spring, I painted a table-cloth for Mrs. Davenport, for which she paid me $1, and on my way home I met a man [Mr. Sawyer, of the Sawyer House, Jefferson] who had some hams to sell, and with my dollar I bought a small one, which lasted us til! summer, for I did not dare to cook a piece of it unless a traveler came along and wanted to buy a meal. When the ham gave out, we had 40 cents, all in cash, and my husband took it and went to Melinda's I'rairie, and bought five pounds of pork.

The first cow we had cost us SH- The man from whom we bought her owed us $'i, and I sold my shawl and a fine large pair of tailor's shears to finish paying for her. The first pig we had cost us $1. It was about the size of a cat, and my husband carried it in a bag from Golden Lake, a distance of eight miles.

In September, 1S4.5, our second son, ten years old, took a very severe cold and almost choked to dealh before we could reach a doctor with him. The nearest physician lived at Golden Lake, and when we got there with our dying child he was away. Returning the next day, he said he could do nothing for him, and at 9 o'clock the little sufi'erer passed away. My heart, still bleeding from my former bereavement, was now torn open afresh. I thought the past was nothing compared wilh this ; for it seemed my affections had been doubly entwined about our two boys after the others had been snatched from us. An awful task now lay before us ; we must return to our friends with our dead boy. The doctor's daughter and her husband returned wilh us and remained till after the funeral. Two or three weeks later, my husband was taken wilh the ague, and was not able to do a day's work for three months. The only Son who had been spared to me and myself had to harvest the corn and draw in the potatoes and turnips and prepare our winter's wood. Oa the :i9lh of November, 1840, a little Badger boy, weighing eleven pounds, came to our fireside.

Before I close this narrative, I will give you a little sketch of the commencement of religious meetings in these woods. Wiien we moved in, there was a man and his wife here who were professors of religion. My brother Davis, my husband and myself completed the little band of five. We began our prayer-meetings soon after we arrived, and have kept them up pretty much ever since. The first sermon that was ever preached in this place [the town of Sullivan] was by Brother Allen, a Methodist colporteur, at our house. The first regular preacher we had was Hiram Frinck, and the first quarterly meeting was held in my brother's saw-mill.