Trempealeau Town

Trempealeau Town

Arcadia to secure no advantages. John D. Lewis led the fight for Arcadia, and on the final proposition of seUing the property at Galesville he had onlytwo opponents, the members from Gale and Trempealeau. November 21, 1876, a committee was appointed to supervise the removal to Arcadia. January 2, 1877, the board met in the schoolhouse at that place.

Whitehall now entered the fight in earnest. Galesville, strongly entrenched in historic tradition, had been defeated, and it was believed that Arcadia would prove a less formidable foe. Presenting the argument that Arcadia was on the western edge of the county and Whitehall in the geographical center, the people of the latter village had circulated a petition, and securing the necessary number of signatures, asked the board on January 3, 1877, to call for an election on the question. Mr. Lewis alleged that many names had been secured by misrepresentation, and that most of the signers thought the petition was one requesting that no county tax be laid for erecting county buildings. He demanded for Arcadia the right to be represented by an attorney and witnesses before the county board. But he was denied that privilege and the election was ordered to be held in the fall. However, in spite of this coming contest, the board appointed a committee to draw plans for the erection of a $20,000 building at Arcadia.

At the election held November 6, 1877, the voters decided by about 600 majority to move the county seat to Whitehall. The citizens of Arcadia alleged fraud and secured an injunction, but in the end were unsuccessful in their contentions.

January 23, 1878, the board met at Scott's Hall, at the southwest corner of Main and Scranton streets, in Whitehall, and after considerable jockeying passed a resolution condemning the people of Arcadia for their attitude, accused them of stirring up strife, or engendering animosities which would take years to overcome, and wrongfully putting on the county the cost of expensive litigation. In the same resolution S. W. Button was authorized to employ Judge Thomas Wilson of Winona to defend the board in the injunction proceedings brought by Arcadia. On the final vote, the only members opposing the resolution were the ones from Arcadia and its adjoining town of Dodge, and the two southern towns of Caledonia and Trempealeau.

The people of Arcadia continued to feel that not only was Arcadia the logical place for the county seat, but that they had in fact been defrauded out of it. The necessary number of names being secured to a petition, the question of removing the county seat to Arcadia came before the voters November 7, 1882, and was defeated by a count of 1,874 to 1,454.

Thus for the third time, the people had declared in favor of Whitehall. The fight had been long and bitter, the newspapers had been filled with recriminations, the quarrel had been the chief subject of conversation for years, the ill feeling engendered was long to remain, but the people of Arcadia accepted the situation cheerfully and set- about to maintain the position of that village as a metropolis of the county, even though its geographical position had defeated its county seat aspirations. The question was now practically dead, though the people of Independence prepared a petition and endeavored to secure an election in the fall of 1883 on the proposition of removing the county seat to Independence. It was found, however, that the number of votes cast at the previous election was 2,013 of which two-thirds was 1,342. Of the 1,493 names on the petition, 1,318 were on the poll lists and 162 were not. The status of 16 names was in doubt. The petition thus fell short of the necessary 1,342 and no similar petition has since been attempted.

November 15, 1882, 0. J. Allen of Lincoln, moved before the county board that the courthouse be erected in Whitehall. The proposition carried by a vote of 12 to 5, the opposing votes being those of the members of Arcadia township and village, and their neighbor Dodge, of Burnside where the people had aspirations for Independence, and of Preston were the people had aspirations for Blair. A building committee was appointed consisting of A. H. Gary, J.D. Olds, M. J. Warner, H. Hoberton and John McKeith. A large lot was presented by the town of Lincoln, and that town also paid $5,000 toward the construction of the building. Work was started in the spring of 1883, and the building was completed late that year at a cost of about $20,000, being occupied early in January, 1884.

November 11, 1885, money was appropriated for a jail, and work was commenced the following spring in charge of a building committee consisting of H. Hoberton, E. H. Warner and Peter Ekern. It was accepted November 1, 1886, having cost about $8,000.

The courthouse and jail proved adequate for more than thirty years. In 1910 the need of improvement was apparent, and on November 16, 1910, after preUminary investigation and due consultation with the State Board of Control, it was decided to rebuild the jail, and at the same time to build an addition to the courthouse which would nearly double its capacity. The first set of bids was rejected, and on January 10, 1911, the contracts were let. The work on the courthouse and jail was completed late in the fall of 1911 at a cost of nearly $30,000, the committee in charge consisting of James N. Hunter, chairman; E. F. Hensel, secretary; E. F. Clark, C. Q. Gage and F. A. Hotchkiss.

The courthouse and jail are surrounded by beautiful wooded lawns which stretch across the schoolhouse property and merge in the public park, which in turn extends to the village cemetery, this giving the people a beautiful sweep of public property scarcely to be equaled in western Wisconsin.

From the earliest days the care of the poor has been an important part of the work of the county board. Some members have favored putting the entire burden on the townships ; some have favored putting the entire burden on the county, and some have favored a division of responsibility between the county and the townships. The various systems have been tried with varying success. At present the townships are responsible for the care of their own poor, while the county looks after the poor whose actual residence in any particular township cannot be proven.

times been set on foot. Once a poor farm was bought and sold again, and once the foundation of an almshouse was constructed but later abandoned.

November 11, 1885, at the same meeting which voted to erect a jail, a motion was passed authorizing the purchase of a poor farm, the erection of an almshouse and the purchase of equipment, $2,000 to be levied for the purpose that year and $4,000 the following year. The farm was to consist of between 80 and 160 acres and was to be located in the Trempealeau Valley, not more than four miles from a railroad. The work was to be completed November 1, 1886, at which time the county system of caring for the poor was to go into full effect. A poor commission was appointed, consisting of W. A. Johnson of Gale, Thomas Thompson of Independence and Charles Johnson of Blair. But evidently at the time of passing the vote the board had misgivings, for a motion was at once introduced to reconsider. The misgivings continued, and at a special meeting held June 15, 1886, it was decided to adopt the township system of caring for the poor, to dispose of the farm in Burnside which the commissioners had tentatively purchased, and to abandon all the work that had been done in preparation for inaugurating the county system. On the final vote the supervisors who still favored the county system were the representatives from Burnside, Independence, Preston, Sumner and Trempealeau Village.

In the years that followed, the matter of building institutions for the care of the poor and of the insane was discussed at various meetings. On January 2, 1899, O. E. Gibbs, E. J. Matchett and D. L. Holcombe rendered an extensive report on the subject and recommended that an insane asylum and almshouse be built, as a measure of economy, efficiency and humanity. The report was accepted and the three men named as a committee to carry out their recommendations. Later G. H. Neperud, D. Wood, Stener Hanson and E. F. Clark were added to the committee. Land was purchased west of Arcadia and work was started in the spring of 1899, complicated somewhat by an injunction obtained by Martin T. Babbit, who claimed that the powers of the committee expired when the old board went out of office in March. The injunction was served May 4 and dissolved May 12.

The work on the almshouse was suspended permanently after the foundations were nearly finished. The asylum was practically completed January 25, 1900. The first trustees were D. L. Holcombe, president, of Arcadia ; F. M. Smith, secretary, of Osseo, and Thomas Thompson of Whitehall. J. A. Johnson was the first superintendent. He was followed in March, 1901, by P. H. Johnson, who was succeeded in January, 1911, by John McKivergin, the present superintendent. The farm consists of 405 acres at the asylum west of Whitehall and three forty-acre tracts of woodland elsewhere. The farm is well improved and equipped and the institution is regarded as a model of its kind. The establishment has not only supported itself, but has already paid nearly one-half of the original cost of $90,000. A part of the income consists of a certain sum received each year from the state. The first nine patients were received April 6, 1900, and the number was increased to forty-six before the end of the month. The capacity is now nearly 150 patients.

of the successive county boards. The early roads in Trempealeau County followed the river courses. The trail along the Mississippi and the trail dovi^n the Beef River Valley early became much frequented highways. Beef River Valley, Trempealeau Valley and its two gi-eat northern branches, Pigeon Creek and Elk Creek (Pleasant) Valleys ; and its eastern branch, the Big Tamarack Valley ; Bruce, Chimney Rock and Borst Valleys, tributary to Pleasant Valley ; Beaver Creek Valley and its tributary, French Creek Valley, are all natural lines of travel, while the Trempealeau Prairie affords routes west and south from Galesville and north and east from Trempealeau.

The greatest difficulty in road building in the county is in crossing the ridges which separate the valleys. None of the roads of the county follow the crest of the ridges for any considerable distance, the longest ridge road being one of several miles between Pigeon Valley and Osseo. The southern part of the county abounds in rock, but in the northern part of the county rock for road building must be shipped in.

The territorial and early state assemblies designated certain routes as state roads ; the early county boards co-operated with various other counties in laying out roads which would connect the widely separated pioneer hamlets, and also laid out such roads as extended across more than one township. The care of the roads and the laying out of short roads was left with the townships. Bridges were built in whole or in part by the county when it appeared that the construction of such bridges would impose too great a hardship on the individual towns.

Modern road building in Trempealeau County was inaugurated under the laws of 1907. In that year the county board outlined a series of "proposed county highways" covering the natural routes of communication within the county. E. J. Matchett was appointed county highway commissioner. Under this system the county was to pay one-half for the construction of county roads and the township one-half. Under the laws of 1911 the state pays one-third, the county one-third and the town one-third. The state money available, however, has not thus far been sufficient to meet the entire one-third, so in reahty the county and township are paying considerably more than their respective thirds.

Trempealeau County was one of the first counties in the state to build roads under the laws of 1907. In 1912 macadamizing was started on the Arcadia-Dodge and the Galesville-Ettrick roads. The work of macadamizing, grading and surfacing has since continued until something like $400,000 has been spent within the county. The heaviest piece of relocation work in the state was done on the so-called Decorah Peak cut, near Galesville, where something like 35,000 cubic yards of earth were moved in a stretch of a little more than a mile, at a cost of about $25,000. The new road considerably modifies the grade and eliminates many dangerous curves. In 1916 Emil F. Rotering was appointed county highway commissioner, and under his able supervision, with the co-operation of the county board committee, the highways of the county are being gradually improved and the system extended.

leau County, was appointed as clerk of the county board at its first meeting, May 1, 1854. John Nicholls was appointed November 20, 1854. Charles Utter was elected in the fall of 1854, but did not qualify, and on February 3, 1855, John Nicholls was again appointed. He was elected in the fall of 1856. Since then the clerks have been :

A. A. Arnold became county superintendent of schools December 5, 1861. At the same time George Batchelder, A. R. Wyman and Henry Lake were appointed examiners. Mr. Arnold resigned September 1, 1862, and was followed by D. W. GilfiUan. Following him came : 1865, S. S. Luce ; 1870, Amos Whiting; 1874, J. B. Thompson; 1876, Amos Whiting; 1878, Mary Brandenberg ; 1880, Stephen Richmond ; 1882, W. J. Showers ; 1885, W. L. Cummings; 1893, T. C. Salt; 1899, L. S. Keith; 1907, Cornelia (Campbell) Remington; 1909, Dan P. Gibson; 1917, Helen Berg. Beginning with 1905, the school superintendents have been elected in April and have taken office the first Monday in July, to conform with the school year.

Augustus W. Armstrong was elected register of deeds of Trempealeau County in the fall of 1854. John Nicholls succeeded him January 1, 1857. Since then the registers have been: 1859, Charles E. Perkins; 1861, Edward Barnard; 1863, Charles E. Perkins; 1867, David W. Wade; 1871, H. L. Bunn; 1875, John Olson Melby; 1887, Simon Olson; 1893, T. R. Phillips; 1895, H. N. Halvorson; 1901, Christian F. Ringlee; 1907, Juhus E. Wilberg; 1913, Morris Hanson.

Romanzo Bunn was probably the first man to serve Trempealeau County as district attorney. He took office January 1, 1857, and resigned September 28, 1857, being followed by A. A. Arnold. Mr. Arnold resigned May 13,

1899, Robert S. Cowie. Judge Cowie resigned late in 1903, and Robert Christianson was appointed. Mr. Christianson died after a few months, and Earl F. Hensel was appointed. He served until the close of 1908. John A. Markham then served until the close of 1912, when Judge Hensel again took office, being succeeded January 1, 1915, by Elmer E. Barlow.

The first coroner of Trempealeau County was William Adams. He was foUowed by: 1857, Isaac Clark; 1859, D. W. Gilfillan; 1863, George Batchelder; 1865, Henry Lake; 1867, Charles C. Crane. Crane served as coroner the greater part of the time until 1889, though during that period F. E. Booth, Robert Cance and Ed. Borwell served one or more terms. C. E. Scott served from 1889 until the appointment of H. A. Towner, February 6, 1901. W. E. Parker served until 1911. Then C. L. Storey and S. F. Hutchins each served a term, followed by M. C. Crane.

Ten men have served as county judges of Trempealeau County. Benjamin F. Heuston was elected in 1854. He has been followed by: 1860, A. W. Newman (appointed April 10) ; 1867, S. W. Button ; 1873, Charles E. Perkins ; 1880, Seth Mills (appointed December 2) ; 1882, M. Mulligan ; 1888, R. A. Odell (appointed January 10) ; 1906, Robert S. Cowie ; 1909, Earl F. Hensel (appointed July 3) ; 1910, Hans A. Anderson.

1881 : Albion, Ed. Borwell (George 0. Babcock sat at special meeting in March, 1881) ; Arcadia, W. W. Barnes; Burnside, E. Elstad; Caledonia,

1884 : Albion, W. J. Boyd ; Arcadia, A. Rathbone ; Burnside, L. N. Lee (for Giles Cripps); Caledonia, Charles Pickering; Chimney Rock, John Haakenson ; Dodge, A. Mondry ; Ettrick, E. 0. Gilbertson ; Gale, A. Arnold ; Hale, M. J. Warner; Lincoln, E. H. Warner; Pigeon, Peter Ekern; Preston, Henry Thorsgaard; Sumner, Curtis Buzzle (for Stoddard Field) ; Trempealeau, N. H. Carhart; Unity, Ole Thomasgaard; Arcadia Village, W. W. Barnes (for N. Lehrbach) ; Trempealeau Village, H. Hoberton, chairman.

1901: Albion, N. I. Gilbert; Arcadia, J. I. Dewey (at fall meeting, 1901), Frank Thomas (at January meeting, 1902); Burnside, James N. Hunter; Caledonia, Frank Bender; Chimney Rock, Peter Nelton; Dodge, Frank Brom; Ettrick, K. S. Knudtson; Gale, A. A. Arnold; Hale, M. J. Warner; Lincoln, William McKivergin; Pigeon, N. J. Agneberg; Preston, F. D. Hopkins; Sumner, A. N. Freng; Trempealeau, H. G. Gibbs; Unity, M. P. Imnislund; Arcadia, F. C. Richmond, chairman; Blair, L. L. Grinde; Galesville, John McKeith ; Independence, A. W. Liver ; Osseo, G. 0. Linderman (sat at fall meeting) ; E. J. Matchett (sat at January meeting) ; Trempealeau Village, Thomas Bohen ; Whitehall, P. A. Van Horn.

1903: Albion, Anton Ronglien; Arcadia, George Schmidt; Burnside, James N. Hunter ; Caledonia, D. E. Chappell ; Chimney Rock, Peter Nelton ; Dodge, John Brom ; Ettrick, K. K. Hagestad ; Gale, A. A. Arnold ; Hale, F. A. George; Lincoln, D. Wood; Pigeon, N. J. Gilbert; Galesville, E. F. Clark; Independence, A. W. Liver ; Osseo, G. 0. Linderman ; Trempealeau Village, H. Hoberton ; Whitehall, P. A. Van Horn.

1904 : Albion, Anton Ronglien ; Arcadia, George Schmidt (at fall meeting, 1904), J. I. Dewey (at spi'ing meeting, 1905) ; Burnside, James N. Hunter; Caledonia, D. E. Chappell; Chimney Rock, Peter Nelton; Dodge, Paul Jereskie; Ettrick, K. K. Hagestad; Gale, A. A. Arnold; Hale, F. A. George; Lincoln, D. Wood; Pigeon, N. J. Agneberg; Preston, F. D. Hopkins; Sumner, A. N. Freng; Trempealeau, N. H. Carhart; Unity, Ole Thomasgaard; Arcadia Village, F. C. Richmond, chairman; Blair, L. L. Grinde; Eleva, N. I. Gilbert; Galesville, E. F. Clark; Independence, A. W. Liver; Osseo, G. 0. Linderman; Trempealeau Village, H. Hoberton; Whitehall, P. A. Van Horn.

Paul Jereskie; Ettrick, A. P. Ofsdahl; Gale, A. A. Arnold; Hale, F. A. George; Lincoln, D. Wood; Pigeon, G. H. Neperud; Preston, Ole Sylfest; Sumner, A. N. Freng; Trempealeau, H. G. Gibbs; Unity, Ole Thomasgaard; Arcadia Village, F. C. Richmond; Blair, K. S. Knutson; Eleva, N. L Gilbert; Galesville, E. F. Clark; Independence, A. W. Liver; Osseo, G. 0. Linderman, chairman ; Trempealeau Village, H. Hoberton ; Whitehall, G. F. Steig.

1906 : Albion, Anton Ronghen ; Arcadia, J. L Dewey ; Burnside, James N. Hunter; Caledonia, Frank Bender; Chimney Rock, P. K. Risberg; Dodge, Paul Jereskie; Ettrick, A. P. Ofsdahl; Gale, A. A. Arnold; Hale. F. A. George ; Lincoln, C. Q. Gage ; Pigeon, G. H. Neperud ; Preston, F. D. Hopkins ; Sumner, A. N. Freng; Trempealeau, H. G. Gibbs; Unity. Ole Thomasgaard; Arcadia Village, F. C. Richmond ; Blair. K. S. Knutson ; Eleva, N. L Gilbert ; Galesville, E. F. Clark ; Independence, A. W. Liver ; Osseo, G. 0. Linderman, chairman; Trempealeau Village, A. A. Holmes; Whitehall. A. E. Wing.

1908: Albion, Anton Ronglien; Arcadia, L. K. Strand; Burnside. James N. Hunter, chairman ; Caledonia, Frank Bender ; Chimney Rock, P. K. Risberg ; Dodge, Ignatz Rudnik ; Ettrick, A. P. Ofsdahl ; Gale, H. F. Claussen; Hale, N. J. Nelson; Lincoln, C. Q. Gage; Pigeon, G. H. Neperud (at spring meeting), M. Everson (at fall meeting); Preston, Ole Sylfest; Sumner, John Ring; Trempealeau, Henry Kopp (sat at fall meeting), H. G. Gibbs (sat at spring meeting) ; Unity, Ole Thomasgaard ; Arcadia Village, F. C. Richmond; Blair, W. J. Hyslop; Eleva, N. I. Gilbert; Galesville, E. F. Clark ; Independence, F. A. Hotchkiss ; Osseo, G. 0. Linderman (sat at fall meeting) , C. W. Lewis (sat at spring meeting) ; Trempealeau Village, A. A. Holmes ; Whitehall, H. A. Anderson.

Village, F. C. Richmond, Morris Hanson (did not qualif jO , H. T. Thompson (sat at fall meeting), L. L. Grinde (sat at spring meeting) ; Eleva, P. J. Skogstad; Galesville, E. F. Clark; Independence, F. A. Hotchkiss; Osseo, C. M. Lewis (sat at fall meeting), G. 0. Linderman. (sat at spring meeting) ; Trempealeau Village, H. Hoberton; Whitehall, E. F. Hensel (sat at fall meeting) , John Hager (sat at spring meeting) .

1912. Albion, W. J. Boyd; Arcadia, M. T. Stelmach; Burnside, James N. Hunter, chairman ; Caledonia, D. E. Chappell ; Chimney Rock, S. P. Solfest ; Dodge, M. D. Brown ; Ettrick, E. J. Brovold (at fall meeting) , J. A. Knudtson (at spring meeting) ; Gale, L. L. Grinde ; Hale, F. A. George ; Lincoln, C. Q. Gage ; Pigeon, E. A. Hegge ; Preston, Ole Sylfest ; Sumner, John Ring; Trempealeau, I. R. Barr; Unity, C. 0. Dahl; Arcadia Village, J. A. Palmer; Blair, A. B. Peterson; Eleva, N. I. Gilbert; Galesville, E. F. Clark; Independence, F. A. Hotchkiss ; Osseo, G. 0. Linderman ; Trempealeau Village, H. Hoberton ; Whitehall, E. F. Hensel.

1913: Albion, W. J. Boyd; Arcadia, M. T. Stelmach; Burnside, James N. Hunter; Caledonia, D. E. Chappell; Chimney Rock, Peter Nelton; Dodge, M. D. Brom ; Ettrick, G. W. Smith ; Gale, Phillip Uhle ; Hale, G. H. Conrow ; Lincoln, C. Q. Gage ; Pigeon, E. A. Hegge ; Preston, Ole Sylfest ; Sumner, A. Ihle (sat at fall meeting) , Lars N. Seesan (sat at spring meeting) ; Trempealeau, Henry Kopp; Unity, C. 0. Dahl (sat at fall meeting), D. G. Williams (sat at spring meeting) ; Arcadia Village, J. A. Palmer ; Blair, A. B. Peterson ; Eleva, P. J. Skogstad ; Galesville, E. F. Clark, chairman ; Independence,

1916: Albion, Ole T. Miland (at fall meeting), Fred Bowers (at spring meeting) ; Arcadia, Ed. B. McWeeny ; Burnside, James N. Hunter ; Caledonia, William NichoUs; Chimney Rock, Peter Nelton; Dodge, M. D. Brown; Ettrick, J. A. Knutson; Gale, L. L. Grinde; Hale, G. H. Conrow; Lincoln, C. H. Anderson; Pigeon, E. A. Hegge; Preston, Ole Sylfest; Sumner, E. J. Henry (sat at fall meeting), E. H. Remington (sat at spring meeting) ; Trempealeau, Henry Kopp; Unity, C. 0. Dahl; Arcadia Village, J. A. Palmer ; Blair, K. S. Knutson (in place of Stener Hanson) ; Eleva, C. P. Larson; Galesville, E. F. Clark; Independence, F. A. Hotchkiss, chairman; Osseo, E. Hagen; Trempealeau Village, E. D. Smith (sat at fall meeting), G. G. Gibbs (sat at spring meeting) ; Whitehall, N. L. Fredrickson.

2 - All the proceedings of the successive boards mentioned in this chapter are found in the Minutes, which are in the custody of the County Clerk. The list of officers which appears in this chapter is secured from the election returns, from the oaths of office filed, and from the Minutes.

3 - This list appears on p. 1035 in the History of Western Wisc07isin (Chicago, 1881), and is supposedly from the pen of B. F. Heuston. The election of the clerk of court, clerk of the board, register and treasurer are confirmed by the records. The name of Ira E. Moore apjicars nowhere in the records, and A. M. Brandenburg apparently served as sheriff in 1855-.56. Tlie records show that George J. Turton was appointed surveyor June 26, 1855. No other mention of Charles Utter as district attorney can be found. He was not a lawyer. Hollister Wright filed his bond as treasurer Jan. 19, 1855, but on March 9, 1856, George Batchelder was paid for services as treasurer. No confirmation appears of the election of William Adams as coroner.