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JNCIDENTS and ANECDOTES
OF EARLY DAYS
= AND
HISTORY OF BUSINESS
IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF FOND DU LAC
FROM EARLY TIMES TO THE PRESENT
PERSONAL REMINISCENCES
REMARKABLE EVENTS
ELECTION RESULTS
MILITARY HISTORY, ETC.
By A. T. GLAZE
1905
P. B. HABER PRINTING COMPANY
FOND DU LAC. WISCONSIN
F-r
A. T. GLAZE
TO THE READER
/m^ IME flies; days, weeks, months and years rush, into the past with
\^^ astounding rapidity. Half centuries pass over our heads and we
hardly realize it. Every day of these rushing years we are helping,
more or less, in the development of events which become history to
those who are to follow us.
Rushing through the affairs of daily life, absorbed in business, we do
not stop to consider the importance of collecting and preserving historical
facts and relics, although we concede that simple justice to the old in years
who have shaped the history of their time, as well as for the help, guidance
and gratification of the young, that a record of important events should be
made and relics collected and preserved. In the present condition, many of
the interesting and important events in the history of the city and county of
Fond du Lac, are practically lost to the people of today because of the widely
scattered sources from which they can be obtained and the time requisite for
the search. A few relics and curiosities of the early days of the city and
county have been collected by private parties, and very many more might be
obtained from old residents and the few pioneers who are yet living. Many
of these, of peculiar historical interest, as the years pass, may be wholly lost
or destroyed. To this extent at least, delay is dangerous and every active
citizen unquestionably feels that no further time should be lost in this
matter.
Impobtant to the Community. — A true record of the time and place of
important events, in a form of easy and prompt access, is almost a necessity;
when noted enterprises originated and how developed; dates of individual and
society efforts in public affairs; when public improvements were entered upon
and when completed; dates and results of local elections, and a wide range
in the histories of churches and societies. Is there one person in the city to-
day who can readily and promptly answer the questions of how many and
what regiments went into camp heire at the time of the war of the rebellion
and where their camps were located; what military companies were organized
wholly or in part in this city or county and to what regiments were they
assigned for duty; who of the Fond du Lac men returned from the war with
military rank higher than first sergeant; what is the record of this city as to
independent military companies; where is the ground upon which the first
house in this city was built, and for whom; what was the starting point of
our present public library, who was identified with xc and what changes and
vicissitudes has it passed through in reaching its present grand proportions;
Lake Winnebago navigation — when, where and by whom was first steamboats
built and the names of them; when were our railroads built; when, where
and by whom were first artesian wells drilled and from which we get the
name "Fountain City"; the straightening of the river, together with hundreds
of like interesting subjects.
Important to Individuals. — Correct records place individuals in rightful
positions in matters of local history, of which they are often deprived or re-
garding which they are more frequently misrepresented because of incorrect
information.
There are now about 45 men and 12 women living in Fond du Lac who
were residents in 1850 or earlier, and of those who have lived here 45 years
and less than 50 years, there are about 120 men and 45 women, a total of but
about 225 people in Fond du Lac today who have lived here more than 45
years. Of fals total, only about 57 resided here in 1850 or earlier. In the
natural course of things, these people must now rapidly pass away. Their
memory cannot be depended upon much longer, and with them must go per-
sonal knowledge of events in pioneer days. Is it not important then, that
means be adopted to preserve the facts and such relics as may yet be gath-
ered bearing upon the early history of Fond du Lac. We have a State His-
torical Society, of which every intelligent citizen of tine state is proud, and
like local societies now exist in many of the cities of the state, among them
Milwaukee, Kenosha, Waukesha, Janesville, Beloit, La Crosse, Eau Claire,
Osihkosh, Green Bay, and even so small a city as Ripon has a prosperous
society for this work. Such a society, with its collection of records and
relics, is able to claim and prove what rightfully belongs to the locality and
its citizens. And in after years, those wTno were at the front in shaping the
destiny of Fond du Lac, wiil not be wholly lost to the memory of their suc-
cessors.
At least five histories of the state and three of the county, have been
compiled and printed by others, and may be readily consulted when desired,
therefore for this work it is desirable to speak only of personal and city
matters. Some errors will creep in though the most determined efforts are
made to avoid them. The writer has been familiar with the scenes and with
the people for nearly sixty years and has endeavored to avoid the provoking
mistakes of those who have preceded him.
The pioneers who settled this county worked under disadvantages, but
success followed hard work. They came, they saw, they conquered the land
to the south of Lake Winnebago, and today we have one of the grandest
sections of the great state of Wisconsin.
A. T. GLAZE.
Vrofit by the Vast;
Live for the Present;
Hope for the Future,
MILITARY HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Our Independent Military Companies and Part Taken in the War
of the Rebellion. Company E and the Part it Took
in the Spanish-American War.
Fond du Lac National Guard.
Few people residing in Fond du Lac today, have knowledge of
the fact that at a comparatively early day of the city's history, there
was a military company here known as the Fond du Lac National
Guard, of which D. E. Wood was Captain, D. E. Hoskins, First
Lieutenant, J. W. Partridge, Second Lieutenant, E. H. Jones,
Orderly. It was organized in 1857, and with its beautiful uniforms
and soldierly movements, was the pride of the young city. An inci-
dent of state historical interest, was the loss and recovery of some of
the cbmpany's arms. T. S. Weeks was the company Armorer, and
as such, kept and cared for the guns. One morning while the excite-
ment was on in connection with the arrest of the negro Glover under
the provisions of the fugitive slave law and rushing him from Mil-
waukee to Ripon for concealment, these company arms suddenly
disappeared and immediately the question for investigation was, who
took them and where were they? The feeling was high over the
rescue of Glover from the custody of the U. S. Marshal, and the
determination to hide and protect him shown by Booth, Rycraft and
the anti-slave element at Milwaukee, and La Grange. Daniels,
Pickett and their friends at Ripon. The U. S. ]\Iarshal and deputies,
the latter including F. D. McCarty, then Sheriff of this county, and
John S. Horner, of Ripon. were in lively pursuit, and it was feared
by many that there might be trouble. The morning that Tom Weeks
discovered the guns were gone, followed a night of considerable ex-
citement at Ripon, and the evening of that day occurred the memor-
able gate-pin scene, a standing joke in the region for many years.
The joke was perpetrated in this way : Glover was supposed to be
and in reality was concealed on the premises of Armine Pickett, five
miles northeast of Ripon, and McCarty, Horner and two other men,
whose names are lost to history, proceeded in that direction. In
front of -the Pickett home was a gate of heavy proportions, and to
hold it in place when not in use, a pin was used in a hole bored in
the gate-post. Arriving at the scene in the dusk of the evening, the
officers were met by Mr. Pickett, who led the way through the gate,
but just as he passed through, he seized the gate-pin, and in a very
determined manner threatened to shoot if they did not get out of
there. And they got at a lively rate, for they imagined the gate-pin
to be a revolver and knew Pickett to be a man of determination. It
6 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
seems Judge Horner was slow to run and was led away by an animal
yoke around his neck.
But as to the guns — Lieut. Hoskins by careful and persistent
detective work, found that Colwert Pier, 3-oung and full of political
enthusiasm, led the boys who took away the guns, and explaining
the penalty to them, the guns next morning were found in their usual
place and the scene closed.
But as to the subsequent career of the National Guard, the beauti-
fully uniformed and well equipped military company. Its ending
was neither bright or pleasing. It went out because the men tired
of it and did not come out for drill. Gen. C. S. Hamilton, a graduate
of West Point and a Mexican war veteran, then a resident of Fond
du Lac and known as Capt. Hamilton, agreed to drill the company,
and faithfully did so when he could get enough of the men to come
to make it worth while. Amory Hall was used for a drill room, and
while some worked hard to become proficient, others were said to
be too lazy for anything and especially so for military duty. Result —
the company died in i860 from neglect. There was a total of sixty-
four men in the ranks, comprising many of the most popular young
men in the city. Capt. D. E. Wood, afterward Colonel of the 14th
Regiment in the war, was a remarkably fine appearing ofificer, as also
w^ere Lieutenants Hoskins and Partridge, and when they appeared
on the streets. Fond du Lac people were proud of them. Capt. Wood
was full six feet tall, well proportioned and as straight as an arrow.
For many years preceding the war, there was a great deal of
pride taken in local military companies, and nearly all cities had them.
Fond du Lac was not an exception. But the war came and the
people had all the military side of life they cared for. Few such
companies are in existence now outside of regular state authority.
The National Guard is recognized by most of the states, but the
companies are on a far different basis than those of ante-war times.
Of the members of this the first military company in Fond du
Lac, E. H. Jones, Milt. Ewen, T. S. Weeks, Fred Kalk, C. L. Pierce,
are the only ones known to be now living.
A full history of the S. M. Booth troubles before spoken of. may
be found in the History of Wisconsin by Moses M. Strong.
Hibernian Guards.
The Hibernian Guards was an acti\'e military company in exist-
ence in Fond du Lac in 1861 when the war of the rebellion started.
It was composed of ninety-three of the active young Irishmen then
living here. They had an armory at the corner of Johnson and Ban-
nister streets, where they met for drill, but when the weather would
permit drilled on a large parade ground where St. Patrick's church
now stands. The of^cers of the company were:
Captain — James Maginnis.
First Lieutenant — Samuel Ray.
Second Lieutenant — Martin Curran.
First Sergeant — Edward Midglc}-.
Lieutenant Ray had seen service in the Mexican war as a captain
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 7
and was the drill master. When news came of the firing upon Fort
Sumter and excitement was great, the young men in the ranks of the
Hibernians partook of the feeling that prevailed and expressed
themselves as ready to enter the army and take part in putting down
the rebellion. Two days after the news came the men were called
out by Capt. Maginnis and directed to meet at the court house at
7 :30 p. m. to formally offer their services to the government. The
boys were there almost to a man and after some patriotic speeches,
Capt. Maginnis formally made the offer of services. But now came
an incident that caused a row and broke up the meeting. S. E.
Lefiferts, holding a commission as Quartermaster General in the
state militia from Gov. Randall, was present, and after the remarks
by Capt. Alaginnis, was said to have declared that "there are enough
young Americans to put down this trouble inside of ninety days and
we do not want any red faced foreigners." Air. Lefferts soon dis-
covered that this remark was a foolish one and disappeared, so that
the men could not find him for punishment. The men then formed
in company order, marched to their armory, stacked arms and voted
unanimously to disband. The governor was notified and the guns
and entire equipment returned to Madison. This ended the Hiber-
nian Guards of Fond du Lac, after an existence of something more
than two years. The company was under command of very com-
petent officers and was well drilled. The uniform was quite showy
and they made a most handsome appearance on the street. The war
came along after the disbanding and it was found by examination
of the muster roll, that nearly all the members became soldiers in
other companies. The war gave the people enough of military duty
and experience and there has not since been that desire for independ-
ent military companies that existed before.
It is proper to state here that Mr. Lefferts contended that he
did not make the statement a^ charged, but what he did say was that
there were enough active young men in this country to put down
this trouble inside of ninety days, and made no allusion to Irishmen
or foreigners.
Fond du Lac in the War.
It is doubtful if there was a county in the state that showed
more patriotism and showed it more promptly than Fond du Lac.
On that bright April morning of 1861, when the news flashed over
the wires that Fort Sumter had been fired upon, Fond du Lac people
were fully aroused. There was no daily paper here then, but so
eager were we for news that at noon of each day A. T. Glaze printed
a dodger at Beeson's Job Office, containing the telegrams obtainable,
and about two hundred of these were quickly sold at five cents each.
Captain, afterwards General Hamilton, was sure to be on hand to
get one of the first copies. When the call for troops was issued,
Co. I, First Wisconsin, was filled to the maximum in less than two
days, and the names on the muster roll were from Fond du Lac's
brightest young business men. It was thought at Washington that
"it would not be much of a shower" and the call was for three months'
8 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
service. Then came the enlistment for three years or during the war
and nearly all of the Co. I boys put their names to this roll, but they
were now Co. K. Capt. J. V. McCall had good reasons to be proud
of his boys.
Capt. E. S. Bragg and First Lieutenant E. A. Brown organized
Co. E of the 6th Wisconsin. The company was enlisted for the 2d
Regiment but was assigned to the Sixth and Col. Lysander Cutler
took a splendid body of men to the Army of the Potomac. Capt.
Bragg was rapidly promoted and became the general in command
of the renowned Iron Brigade, composed of the 6th and 7th Wiscon-
sin, 19th Indiana and 24th Michigan. Capt. Brown was killed at
Antietam, and disease thinned the ranks. Col. J. A. Watrous came
to the company from Appleton. It was a sorry scene that September
evening at dusk, as the funeral procession of Capt. Brown slowly
moved through Main street to the Pier cemetery.
Col. D. E. Wood, Surgeon W. H. Walker and Chaplain J. B.
■Rogers were Fond du Lac men. Co. A, Capt. Lyman ]\I. Ward, was
mostly recruited here. There were some Fond du Lac men in other
companies of this regiment, but the names are not now obtainable.
Col. Wood cam.e home sick and died at home, early in the war, and
Capt. Ward became the colonel.
Lieutenant, afterwards Captain Martin Curran, took a goodly
number of Fond du Lac men to Milwaukee to join the 17th or Irish
regiment. Col. John L. Doran.
First Lieut. Edward Colman became Colonel of the i8th Regi-
ment and former Lieut. Governor Beall, was Lieut. Colonel.
The 2ist was a grand regiment, all of the men from this
part of the state and in its ranks were many Fond du Lac county
men. Capt. Alex White, Co. A, Capt. Edgar Conklin, Co. F, Capt.
George Bentley, Co. H and their Lieutenants, Milt. Ewen, Fred L.
Clark and T. F. Strong, Jr., together with Ed. Delany, of Co. I, and
Surgeon S. J. Carolin, were all Fond du Lac men.
The 32d Regiment was one of the grandest that left the state.
Capt. C. H. DeGroat, Co. A, afterwards Colonel, W. R. Hodges, Co.
B, and Capt. W. S. Burrows, Co. H, and Lieutenants Thos. Bryant
and J. K. Pompelly, were all Fond du Lac men. Captains G. G.
Woodruff and M. B. Pierce were from Waupun. This regiment made
a grand record at Memphis, before Atlanta and in Sherman's mem-
orable "march to the sea." Their long march ended in the streets
of Washington.
Col. C. K. Pier was transferred from the First and given com-
mand of the 38th Regiment, which did some rough work near Rich-
mond, where Col. Pier was seriously wounded.
In the skeleton infantry regiments which followed to the end of
the war, were many Fond du Lac men.
The 1st Cavalry was organized at Ripon by Prof. Ed. Daniels
and O. H. La Grange. It camped on the college campus, but the
feet of the horses so cut the ground that it required three or four
years to get it smooth again. Col. Daniels had to quit the regiment
on account of poor health and Col. La Grange was in command to
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 9
the end of the war. Maj. H. S. Eggleston, of Ripon, died of disease,
but Maj. H. S. Town survived the war and aied in 1897. Capt. Hugh
La Grange died of disease before the close of the war. Col. N.
Boardman belonged to the Second Cavalry.
The Fourth Infantry was reorganized for the cavalry service,
and among its members was the late Capt. Elihu Colman.
The Third Wisconsin Battery had its origin at Ripon. Lu. H.
Drury, the well known editor, was the Captain. This battery
changed its light guns for four thirty-two-pounders, with ten horses
each, and did tremendous work in several battles. Capt. Drury was
shot through the lungs before Atlanta, but recovered.
When seven batteries were called for from this state, in 1862,
Alex. White's Co. A, of the Twenty-first Regiment, was recruited
for one of them, but failed to get ready in time and went into the
infantry. •
The draft of 1863 did not strike Fond du Lac hard, as the quota
of men had been provided for. A few towns were struck pretty hard.
In the draft of 1864, the same towns were struck, but in the last
draft, in 1865, just before the close of the war, the wheel did not turn
in this county at all. A few years after the war some very foolish
falsehoods gained currency about the drafts and other events, and
some of them found their way into an alleged history of the county.
It is to be regretted that any of these stories got into print. Should
the reader find one of them, let him reflect that it is a lie, told long
after the alleged occurrence.
The amount of money paid by private parties for substitutes,
could only be guessed at, but there w^ere many of them and it must
have been large in the total. The estimate was that the city paid
about $100,000 in bounties. The city paid $30,000 at one time. Some
of these bounty soldiers ran away from service, but the number that
deserted was but a small fraction of the number that has been
stated to be bounty jumpers. Many men were enlisted in Fond du
Lac, Ripon and Waupun by men who aspired to commands, and
taken to other places, some of them out of the state. These we often
got no credit for on our quotas.
Capt. Charles S. Hamilton was an old time resident of Fond du
Lac, coming here in 1849. He was a graduate of West Point and a
Mexican war veteran. As Colonel he took the Third Wisconsin to
the Army of the Potomac, but was soon promoted to command of a
brigade in the western army. Other well known Fond du Lac men
in the army were Gen. Roswell M. Sawyer, Surgeon H. M. Lilly, Capt.
J. V. Frost, Col. Bertine Pinkney, Surgeon H. L. Barnes, Capt. Thos.
H. Green, Capt. Thos. Bryant, Capt. W. S. Burrows, Capt. J. A.
Watrous, Capt. Hiram K. Edwards, Col. Delos A. Ward, Capt. Milt.
Ewen, Capt. L. H. D. Crane, Col. Geo. W. Carter, Surgeon W. H.
Walker, Surgeon D. A. Raymond, Capt. J- O. Ackerman, Capt. C. H.
Benton, Capt. Geo. E. Sutherland, Capt. Michael Mangan, Maj. A.
E. Bovay and Maj. K. M. Adams.
In this list of commissioned officers should be the Lieutenants,
but the names of many of them are among the things forever lost
10
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
by lapse of time. Besides these, Fond du Lac county had in the
ranks as private soldiers, more than two thousand of as brave men
as ever shouldered a musket or swapped tobacco, whiskey or bacon
with a Johnnie on the picket line.
Fond du Lac Guards.
In late years so well known as Co. E, had its origin at a meeting
held at the law ofifice of Geo. E. Sutherland, on Forest street, on the
evening of March 25, 1880. Notice of the meeting was published in
the Daily Commonwealth on that day, and pursuant to the notice,
twenty-foiir men assembled in the evening to organize a military
company as a part of the Wisconsin National Guard. The following
named men signed the roll :
A. W. Starr.
J. E. Sullivan.
Frank A. Flower.
Sumner L. Brasted.
George S. Burrows,
E. M. Moore.
Frank Wallace.
J. C. Kenneally.
Ed. Foulkes.
J. D. Radford.
A. F. Starr.
F. S. Wiley.
J. C. Murphy.
A. H. Rottmeyer.
C. M. Cooley.
J. R. Libbey.
A. D. Estabrooks.
J. B. Gibson.
E. A. Hanks.
J. J. Kunze.
J. L. Martin.
J. H. Morse.
C. L. Handt.
M. L. Normile.
After appointing a recruiting committee, the meeting was ad-
journed one week, to meet at the council rooms. April ist the mert
met and the following names were added to the roll :
A. A. Kelly
J. Q. Haas.
F. A. Dawes.
J. E. Kent.
Jolin E. Waters.
C. J. Hunter.
Waldo Sweet.
Fred. Eycleshimer. E. A. Galloway.
Lamont Hunter.
Otto Fetters. .
W. H. Shattuck.
Lester Noble.
F. A. Brasted.
P. B. Haber
C. R. Boardman.
E. T. Tallmadge.
H. T. Sackett.
Frank Sweet.
Richard Furcell.
John Rogers.
E. A. Little.
C. A. Erhart.
Harrison Fade.
Fred French.
Governor Smith having been applied to for a mustering officer
to muster the company into the Wisconsin National Guard, notice
was received that Jerome A. Watrous, of the governor's stafif, had
been appointed. At the meeting of April 7, the following additional
members signed the roll :
C. E. Dickinson.
H. R. Potter.
J. C. Hanson.
O. C. Davis.
R. H. O'Meara.
Geo. B. Sweet.
E. A. Adams.
John Hamilton.
.John Magnussen
W. T. Treleven.
C. T. Galland.
F. S. Lippett.
E. A. Lang.
W. H. Olmsted.
The ten days' notice having been given by publication, the
mustering officer met the coiupany on April 21, but it was found that
the company was two men short of the required minimum of sixty-
five men, and an adjournment of twenty minutes was taken and the
following named men signed the roll, bringing it to a total of sixty-
eight :
R. M. Wilson. F. F. Duffy.
H. W. Wilkner. T. H. Shepard.
Joseph Carberry.
The company having complied with all the requirements of law,,
was. mustered into the service of the state April 21, 1880. The men
were evidently very fond of band music, for on May 5, they incurred
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT H
a debt of $57.00, and in August $40 more, but the soldiers and sailors'
reunion, at Milwaukee, donated $100 to the company, which helped
it out of debt for music. All through its early life the company had
ups and downs of all sorts as all new organizations do. It required
administrative power of a high order to keep the company on its
feet. Jealousy crept in, of course, and some of the men were constant
breeders of discord. But Capt. Brasted was a man of force and kept
trouble at the lowest point.
After the company had been mustered in, the following commis-
sioned officers were elected :
Captain — Sumner L. Brasted.
First Lieutenant — John C. Kenneally.
Second Lieutenant — Charles J. Hunter.
Commissioned Officers-
Following have been the commissioned officers of Co. E from
the organization of the company to the present time :
Captain S. L. Brasted, commissioned Captain April 7, 1880;
Colonel May 21, 1883. Died 1886.
Captain C. J. Hunter, commissioned Captain August i, 1883,
promoted to Major February 24, 1892.
Captain E. T. Markle, commissioned Captain April 5, 1892, Com-
missary of Subsistence with same rank, July 5, 1899.
Captain Emil C. Plonsky, commissioned Captain December 2,
1899. Resigned October 30, 1904.
Captain Wm. J. Seeve, commissioned Captain December 2, 1904.
First Lieutenant John C. Kenneally, commissioned April 7, 1880,
promoted to Quartermaster February 18, 1881.
C. J. Hunter, commissioned Second Lieutenant April 9, 1880,
and First Lieutenant March 18, 1881.
C. E. Dickinson, commissioned Second Lieutenant March 18,
1881. Resigned April 7. 1882.
J. D. Radford, commissioned . First Lieutenant June 2, 1882.
Resigned March 13, 1883.
A. A. Kelly, commissioned Second Lieutenant June 2, 1882, First
Lieutenant March 30, 1883, Major August 30, 1883, Lieutenant
Colonel February 8, 1886. Resigned Februar}- 23, 1892. Died
July 4, 1897.
Edward Foulkes, commissioned Second Lieutenant March 30,
1883. promoted to Adjutant with rank of Captain April 15, 1885.
Resigned February 8, 1887.
Otto H. Fetters, commissioned First Lieutenant July 30, 1883.
Resigned March 17, 1884.
James M. Moore, commissioned Second Lieutenant July 30, 1883.
Resigned January 28, 1884.
G. H. McNeel, commissioned Second Lieutenant January 24,
1884. Inspector Rifle Practice April 30, 1884.
Geo. S. Burrows, commissioned Second Lieutenant March 2y,
1884. Resigned April 26, 1885.
12 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
E. T. IMarkle, commissioned Second Lieutenant June ii, 1885,
First Lieutenant May i, 1887.
S. H. Longdin, commissioned First Lieutenant Alay 5, 1892,
Battalion Adjutant February 5, 1892.
L. H. Gillet, commissioned Second Lieutenant May i, 1887. Re-
signed November i, 1889.
Otto A. Abel, commissioned Second Lieutenant November 14,
1889. Resigned April 6, 1892.
Chas. H. Tripp, commissioned Second Lieutenant April 5, 1892,
First Lieutenant December 15, 1895. Resigned December 14, 1898.
E. C. Plonsky, commissioned Second Lieutenant December 15,
1895, Captain November 30, 1898. Resigned October 18, 1904.
J. F. Dittmar, commissioned Second Lieutenant December 10,
1898. Resigned July i, 1900.
W. F. Bruett, commissioned Second Lieutenant July 2t„ 1900.
Resigned September 28, 1904.
A. R. Brunet, commissioned Second Lieutenant December 7,
1904-
A. H. Trier, commissioned First Lieutenant December 7, 1904.
Wm. J. Seeve, commissioned First Lieutenant December 10,
1898, Captain December 2, 1904.
The officers serving the company at the present time are :
Captain — Wm. J. Seeve.
First Lieutenant — Adolph M. Trier.
Second Lieutenant — Adelbert R. Brunet.
In the war of the rebellion and in infantry formation in the field
of which we have knowledge until 1889, a regiment consisted always
of ten companies of one hundred men each. In 1889 the German-
French system was adopted for the National Guard in Wisconsin.
This system increased the number of companies to twelve, divided
into three battalions of four companies each and a major in command
of each battalion. This system is much more efficient, and it is said
by experts that it enables the officers to handle the men more effect-
ively. The old Spanish officers in the Spanish-American war could
not understand how the American troops were hurled upon them
so rapidly and with such effective results. They found out later on.
Previous to 1889 the Wisconsin National Guard had the old regi-
mental formations of ten companies each, with a Colonel, Lieutenant
Colonel and one Major, but they readily took to the new formation
and drill and today are said by experts to be the equal of any troops
in the country.
In 1882 the state fair was held at Fond du Lac, and the last day
of the fair the Guards made a fine appearance in neat and new uni-
forms. Governor Smith was present and made a speech to the boys
highly com])limentary of their appearance and conduct. With full
ranks and new uniforms they did look very nice.
In July, 1883, the regiment was formed and the boys had their
first camp at Oshkosh. Here it was that the old name of Fond du
Lac Guards was dropped and the company to be since known as
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 13
Company E. In forming the regimental line, this company was as-
signed to that place, and it has since been known by that name.
From the start the company has been very fortunate in having
in its ranks young men who took readily to military drill and had
pride in the work, hence the company always showed well in public
and brought out good figures at inspections. The captains have
been men of high character and great zeal and determination in
bringing the command to the highest degree of proficiency. From
the beginning the company has always been more or less handi-
capped by the loss of well drilled, active young men from the ranks
by removals from the city, deaths and expiration of enlistment, yet
at the inspections the company did not lose its standing. The skill
and efficiency of the company officers, soon brings new recruits to
the required proficiency.
The drill of military companies is not all for show in street
parades in pretty uniforms. There may be troubles, as in the labor
riots at Milwaukee and the military may be needed, and there may
be war in which our border may need protection. Few people realize
the value of military drill in the development of the physical powers
of young men. Especially since the adoption of the setting up drill
or exercises, has there been great development of the powers of the
athlete and physical powers generally.
In the year 1886, there were three of the marked events in the
early life of the company. On February 8, an order was issued for
every man and officer to appear at the armory February 10, at 12:45,
in full dress uniform to attend the funeral of Col. S. L. Brasted, and
every man and officer was present prompt to the minute.
On May 5, 1886, came an order from Governor Rusk for every
man to appear for duty at once and be in readiness to march at an
hour's notice to aid in the suppression of the Milwaukee riot. The
men were at the armory as ordered and were held until midnight,
when a detail was made to give notice if needed. Next day notice
was given that their services would not be needed. Subsequently
Col. Patton in general orders thanked the company for its prompt-
ness and soldierly conduct.
In September the company had its first inspection at the hands
of an officer of the state outside the company's own commanders.
This inspection was made by Adjutant General Chapman, and was
mostly in evolutions in marching. Even at this early day the boys
were complimented. In 1895 the company won its position at the
head of the Wisconsin National Guard, which it has continued to
hold until 1905, excepting two years, when it lost by small fractions
of a point. The inspections were mostly made by Gen. King, a West
Pointer regarded as one of the most exacting officers in the service.
The work of the company has been very successful from the begin-
ning. • '
At the competitive drills at St. Louis in 1900, Co. E was awarded
first place and won a prize of $700. At the same place in 1904, the
exhibition drills gave Co. E almost a world-wide notoriety. All of
the drills of Co. E, competition or exhibition, were passed upon by
14 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
high grade U. S. Army officers. In this year of 1905, the company
is twenty-five years old and has always ranked high. Today the
muster roll numbers sixty-four men and the compan}' has never been
short but has often had more applications for membership than was
needed.
When the company was organized the Helmer Hall, on Fourth
street, was rented for a drill room, but in 1888 the Watke- skating
rink, on Second street, was purchased for $2,700, and the present
armory is the result. The improvements made by the company from
time to time, at a cost of something over $5,000, has resulted in one
of the best armories in the state. The title of the property is in the
name of the company and the boys are proud of it.
In the Spanish-American war, Co. E left home April 28, 1898,
to join the other companies of the Second Regiment in camp at Mil-
waukee. They broke camp and left the state May 15, 1898. They
were at Chattanooga, Tenn., nine weeks, and at Charleston, S. C,
thirteen days, when they took transport for Ponce. Porto Rico. They
left Ponce September ist and arrived home September 9th. While
in Porto Rico the boys had a brush with the enemy at Coamo. Dur-
ing the absence of the company Arthur McCourt died of disease and
was the only death from the ranks.
The Co. E Athletic Association is an organization which shows
something of the sort of men connected with the company. While
this association has no part in the military work, all members of it
must be members of Co. E. Organized in 1897 for company and
personal amusement and benefit, it at once took high rank in the
athletics of the city. In basket ball it acquired a state and even
national reputation. The team was held in readiness to play any
team in the United States, and did play many of the strongest, east
and west. While Yale held the eastern basket ball championship in
1899, Co. E was anxious to meet Yale and expended $1,000 to get
that team to the west, only to send it back with bowed heads. In
1899 and 1900, Co. E achieved the wonderful results of winning 32
of the 36 championship games played. The team which brought
these surprising results was under excellent management and the
men gentlemen. Following are the names of the men in the team
and their positions :
Wm. F. Bruett, Center.
J. L. Rogers, Forward.
August Buch, Back.
Adelbert r^nmet. Wnrk.
Albert Brunkhorst, Forward.
Max Severin, Substitute.
Carl H. Brugger, Manager.
Eugene Bartlett, Trainer.
Robert Jenkinson was elected Sheriff in 1852 and County Treas--
urer in 1854, but died in a few weeks after assuming the duties of
the latter office, and W. H. Hiner served the balance of the term.
FOUNTAINS AND WATER WORKS
Discovery of Artesian Wells From Which We Get the Name of
"Fountain City." First Ones
Drilled Here.
From the earliest settlement of Fond du Lac until 1849, water
for household and general purposes, was obtained as in most new-
countries, by digging wells. A man named Curtis, a practical well
driller from the east, came here from Sheboygan with his outfit, and
as J. C. Lewis and R. L. Morris were building the old Badger Hotel,
corner of Main street and Western avenue, they employed Mr. Curtis
to drill a well there. When the hole had reached a depth of eighty
feet, all hands were discouraged, as a sufficient supply of water for
even a small hotel had not been struck. But it was resolved to sfo a
little deeper and in a few hours water gushed out of the top of the
hole in such quantity as to overflow the surroundings and a ditch
had to be dug to the Bissell sawmill race to carry away the surplus.
Here was the first of the celebrated Fond du Lac fountains,
which gave us the title of "Fountain City." The next one sunk was
at the home of George ]\IcWilliams, where the malt house now
stands. It overflowed into the river and was for many years one of
the most noted fountains in the city. Specimens of the water from it
were sent to Chicago for analysis and was found to contain "valuable
medicinal qualities," but it was never utilized as a health resort. It
was nearly one hundred feet deep. The third fountain in Fond du
Lac was sunk at Phinney's livery barn, located about where the gas
holders of the gas works are now. This fountain was but about
seventy feet deep, yet the water rose nearly four feet above the
ground and discharged its surplus into the ravine.
John Sealy then went into the business and fountains went down
rapidly all over the city. It was in 1853 that what was known for
years as "the big fountain," was struck at the corner of Marr and
Sixth streets. The water rose more than two feet above the ground
and the stream was nearly the full size of the bore. It was fortunate
that the ravine was near for the overflow. There has not been a drop
of water from it in many years. The next big fountain was at the resi-
dence of Mr. Follette, on Follette street, now the home of Mrs. D.
Babcock. The overflow swamped all the low places north of Arndt
street, and the old Cotton street school house stood in a pond. It
was necessary to carry the surplus water so far that it was difficult
to get rid of it. In the winter when the drain was frozen, it gave the
boys a beautiful skating park north of Arndt street. After a few
years, however, it ceased to give trouble.
Next came the era of the deep fountains. Heretofore the depth
16 ■ BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
was 60 to 120 feet, but now they went down 230 to 250 feet. The
first one of these was sunk by Mr. Wild, at his bakery and candy
factory, on East First street, and was 256 feet deep. It was the
belief that if the bore reached to the sandstone strata, the water
would be comparatively soft, instead of being loaded with lime. The
object of Mr. Wild was to obtain soft water for use in the bakery,
but he did not fully succeed. The water is" better but is not like rain
water, by any means.
Dr. Bishop and Father Taugher put down a fountain somewhat
later, and at a depth of 256 feet secured a splendid flow of water which
continued a few years and has since been pumped. Since the advent
of the deep wells, the shallow ones of former years are impractical,
as pumping from them brings surface water only. It is therefore
manifest that the water supply or head has been exhausted. The
well at the laundry on East First street, sunk two years ago by
Thomas Dobyns for X. R. Heath, is 286 feet deep but does not flow,
yet yields an abundant supply of water by pumping.
Now conies the era of the water works which requires such a
vast amount of water, but it is feared by some that the head of the
deep wells will eventually be exhausted atid Fond du Lac will be
compelled to depend upon Lake Winnebago for its water supply. It
is well, however, not to borrow trouble but wait in patience and hope
for better results. But should this time come the lake will give us a
better supply than many cities have.
The Fond du Lac AA^ater Company received its franchise from
the city of Fond du Lac in 1885. The original owners were Messrs.
T. F. Flaggler, H. H. Flaggler, G. A. Gaskill and P. H. Linneen. The
company now has seven wells. The shallowest of them is 475 feet
in depth, and the deepest is 1,103 ^^^^ in depth. The remaining five
of said wells have an average depth of 750 feet. Four of the wells
are six inches in diameter. One is eight inches in diameter, and two
of them are ten inches in diameter. The last one was drilled in 1900.
The general pressure for domestic purposes is- 30 to 35 pounds per
square inch. Fire pressure is from 90 to 100 pounds per square inch,
dependent upon the locality of the fire, although the pressure can
readily be run up, if required, to 150 pounds per square inch and over.
When the pressure in the central part of the city is 100 pounds, or
over, it is very apt to burst the hose, and make the hose almost un-
manageable. The first superintendent of the plant was Mr. Frank
Barnes. He was superintendent during its construction in 1885.
His successor was Mr. Fred Tenbrook. He was superintendent for
two years. Since Mr. Tenbrook ceased to be superintendent, Mr.
William Masson has continuously occupied that position. Mr.
Masson has been connected with the company since the beginning,
having been employed as a mechanical assistant in installing the
engines in the plant of the company at the pumping station.
Two low pressure engines of large capacity do the pumping at
the water works. They are perfect in construction and as handsome
pieces of machinery as this city ever had. But one of the engines is
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 17
run at a time, so that if there is a breakdown or need for help the other
one can immediately be brought into use.
That the water should be the best possible, it is provided in the
franchise that all water above the sandstone shall be packed out of
reach of the pumps with seed-bags. This was done and probablv
three better men than the men appointed to superintend this work,
Col. James Ewen. ex-Aiayor John Nichols and AV. M. Phalen, could
not be found in the wdiole city to guard the interests of the people.
They watched closely every move. It is generally conceded by those
who know about such things, that there is not a water system in the
whole state that has given less cause for complaint than has ours.
The fairly well remembered Hunter Magnetic Fountain, was
quite a noted place for a few years, but it long since passed away
and today the exact location of it is unknown and cannot be found.
In 1872 George Hunter built a paper mill on the west bank of the
river about thirty rods south of Scott street bridge. For. this mill
Mr. Hunter needed a good supply of pure water and a fountain was
decided upon. When the bore had reached a depth of about 120 feet a
powerful stream was struck and it was soon found that some of the
tools were magnetized. Rev. Dr. Barry, a somewhat noted scientist,
examined it and declared it the strongest magnetic spring of which
he had any knowledge. A moderate sized screw driver immersed in
the water a short time, would lift a tenpenny nail. The fame of this
fountain spread and people came with jugs and kegs for the water.
A large bath house was built and T. M. Bowen, the barber, went
down there to run it, but after a year or two the bath house burned
and was not rebuilt, as it had been found that the water held lime in
solution to the extent that it was so hard that soap could not be used.
The bath rooms at no time contained a cake of soap. Of course a
great many people who desired to use it were disappointed and it
was a severe loss to Mr. Hunter. The paper mill also burned and the
fountain was left alone to go into decay, which it did, and noted as
it was, no man today knows exactly where it was. The late C. R.
Harrison told the writer he believed he could find it, but he did not
have the opportunity to look for it. He was so familiar with the spot
he no doubt could have found it if any one could.
Such was the origin, progress and history of Fond du Lac's
noted artesian wells from the beginning. Our success with them
has been phenomenal and the question now is, how long will they
continue to serve us?
Caskets in Use But Few Years.
The caskets now seen at funerals have been in use but a few
years. Before they came the flat and swell top coffins were in general
use. The casket is less repulsive, hence was not long in getting into
general use. Hie coffin is no longer seen anywhere, and it is well
that it is not, for nothing is more repulsive to humanity.
18 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Foolish Forms of Speech.
Is it possible to give anything like a sensible reason for some
methods of expressing- thought? Is it ■ not foolish in the highest
degree to give a sort of smooth double grunt when you wish to say
yes, and a spasmodic double grunt to say no? This grunt expres-
sion of yes and no cannot be spelled — -they are not words at all —
simply grunts that originated among the negroes. If you wish the
repetition of something you did not understand, is there much sense
in the use of a long drawn out "hay." And is not. the constant use
of "you know," almost idiotic? If you catch yourself in this form
of speech, why not drop it if the person addressed really does know.
If the person don't know, you are asserting that which is not true,
and if he does know, where is the sense in telling him about it? It
is simply a habit of speech and a foolish one. And in the use of
adjectives, did you ever think how foolish it is to say "awful pretty,"
or "awful nice." Our language furnishes much better and far more
appropriate words. These are very foolish habits of speech that we
drop into but should stop.
Ben. Gilbert and His Cap.
In 1846 no matter how one worked, they did not expect pay in
money, for there wasn't any in the country. All payments were in
trade and dicker. Ben. Gilbert earned seventy-five cents and re-
ceived an order on Moses S. Gibson's store, and bought a cap with
it. On his way home with the cap on his head, a front wheel of his
wagon struck a stump at Second street bridge, the yoke of young
oxen jumped and Ben was thrown into a mud hole anywhere from
six inches to two feet deep, head first. The cap remained in the
mud, but Ben pulled his head and hands out, and after getting his
hair, eyes, face and hands in usable condition, he fished out the cap
and threw it into the wagon. At home his mother washed it, but
the shine was all gone and Ben was disconsolate. He felt it all the
more because he needed and wanted the cap and the price of it was
the first seventy-five cents he ever earned away from home.
A. T. Glaze had a Russian Cossack fur cap which he bought of
a Jew on the Indian pay ground. Lake Poygan, in 1851, which did
not get into a mud hole, but did get into the hands of Mrs. Beeson,
which was all the worse for the cap, for it was ripped and made into
a collar.
Passenger Steamboats on the Lake.
It is only fifty years ago that steamboats carrying passengers,
ran regularly on Lake Winnebago. Trips on them were not espec-
ially enjoyable, but they furnished the easiest and best means of
reaching the northern region.
LUMBER AND LUMBERMEN
The Making and Handling of Lumber in Fond du Lac, From the
Beginning. The Mills and the Men Who Have Taken
Part in This Great Industry.
Almost from the day of their arrival, the pioneer settlers seri-
ously felt the need of lumber. The shelter they were able to provide
for their families was made of logs, poles, brush and grass. Lumber
was not obtainable, and for some time after there began to be milb
it could not be supplied in sufficient quantity to meet the demand.
Dr. Darling, in this as in many other things, very soon realized the
situation, and looking around for relief he bought the then nearly
completed structure on the west branch of the Fond du Lac river in
the town of Fond du Lac. This mill was completed and set
to work in 1845, ^^'^ was the first lumber cut here. The mill
was driven by water power and the output was by no means large,
but it was a beginning. Other small mills were started at various
places and in the meantime the hardy lumbermen from the east hav-
ing penetrated the country from Green Bay westward to the Wolf
■river, mills were erected and lumber sawed, a portion of which found
its way to Fond du Lac in rafts as early as 1847. Col. James Ewen
and Curt. Lewis were the pioneers in this rafting business. Among
the mills built here was the Bissell mill, a sash saw affair, built by
Wheeler and Short, the dam for which was at Western Avenue
bridge over the east branch of the river, and the mill was on the land
now occupied by the Crofoot lumber yard now owned by Walter
Wild. The mill was a lazy affair, but managed to cut considerable
lumber when there was water enough. A frame was also erected
for a flouring mill at what is now the corner of Macy and Court
streets, where the plow shop stands, but was never completed, and
after standing a number of years until it became dangerous, was
taken down. The Bissell mill disappeared in 1855, when the water
ceased to be sufficient to run it.
In 1849 Brand & Olcott established a lumber yard, and were
soon followed by P. Sawyer, I. K. & W. C. Hamilton and others.
In the meantime sawmills appeared with ample steam power and the
lumber cut was sufficient for all purposes. There was now no trouble
in obtaining lumber if the settler had the money to pay for it. The
log houses and shanties began to disappear and frame houses and
fine barns often graced the farms.
From 1850 onward there was a steady increase in the magnitude
of lumber interests until the maximum was reached in the ten years
20 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
from 1868 to 1878, at one time during this period there being twenty-
eight himber and shingle mills at Oshkosh and twelve in Fond du
Lac. The Wolf River Boom Company had its enormous works on
the river, which included detaining booms between New London and
Oshkosh and the large booms, sorting and rafting works at Lake
Poygan, near Winneconne. Eight tugs were required to sort logs
and handle them after they were rafted. Some of the mills had a
capacity of more than an even million feet of Ivimber a year, and the
product was shipped to all parts of the United States.
But while all this was taking place, the railroads were pushing
their lines into the timber lands northward, with branches turning
to the right and left into the heavy timber formerly reached by the
streams and logs ceased to be floated downward. The mills now
began to disappear from their old locations, being taken north to the
timber, instead of the timber to the mills as formerly. This continued
until in ten years more nearly all the mills had been moved, only
enough remaining to cut the local supply of logs. The Winneconne
boom has gone into ruins and work on the river has ceased. The
logs are now made into lumber in the woods where cut, loaded on
cars and taken to market, saving much time and expense. The situ-
ation now is three mills at Oshkosh and one at Fond du Lac. There
is now an ample supply of lumber at Fond du Lac, but it is not cut
here. This is the situation here after about forty years of forest
slaughter. There is much timber yet, but railroads have made a
great change of methods in handling it.
Dr. Darling, Edward Pier, John H. Martin, Reuben Simmons,
Selim Newton and others of the pioneers, lived long enough to see
the marked change in the lumber supply. They saw the mills in-
crease in number and capacity, and the lumber supply become ample
for all purposes, but not the subsequent local decline. But the local
decline did not bring back the log house and shanty experience.
Could they return and look the field over, they would doubtless be
much surprised. Time works great changes and business methods
are equally wonderful in results.
Persons without experience have little idea of the expense and
difficulties of getting logs down the small streams on which they
were banked from the woods, running them on the river to the boom,
getting them through the sorting race and rafting them ready for
the mills. During this work some of the logs became water-logged
and sunk. A few of these were recovered by the use of tugs with
barges and grapples, but it is thought that many thousands of feet
now re])Ose on the i^ottom of Lake Poygan and the river. Pine and
cedar are the only logs that can be successfully rafted. Even hem-
lock have to be mixed with pine, and to get hardwood logs, such as
oak, maple, ash and elm, it is needful to place three or four good sized
pine logs by the side of each hardwood log, and even then they will
be very nearly under water. Such rafts were sometimes brought to
Fond du Lac, and it was found that T. S. Henry was the only man
in the mills here, who could file a circular saw to successfully cut
these hardwood logs. The circular saw was then universally used in
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 21
the mills here. The band saw was then practically unknown. The
person who undertook to burn the slab wood from these hardwood
logs was entitled to sympathy. The" water took all the life out of
the wood, and ashes the shape of the stick, with little heat, was left
in the stove.
The local decline in the number and work of the sawmills is not
wholly due to the building of the railroads, however, and the con-
tention of practical men that the roads were built because of a de-
mand, is no doubt true. The decrease in the water flow in the streams
made the running of logs difificult and expensive and there seemed to
be a necessity for cutting the lumber further north and employing
railroad transportation. Hence the building of roads and moving
of mills.
It will be remembered that there was a time that the flow of
water in Wolf river^ was ample at all seasons of the year for the
running of such large steamers as the Tigress, Milwaukee, Tom Wall
and W. A. Knapp between Oshkosh and New London as a daily
line, and the Diamond and Badger State to Berlin. This was long
since abandoned as impossible and as small a boat as the John Lynch
can now reach only as far north as Fremont. Formerly the largest logs
floated over the Mukwa bar, but at some seasons it is now hardly
practical to float a canoe over it. This being the situation, logs were
liable to be "hung up" for a whole year, and the risk was too great.
The small tributary streams of the A\^olf, that formerly -oated out
logs in the spring, are now almost destitute of water.
It will also be remembered by old settlers that there was a time
that the east and west branches of the Fond du Lac river at some
seasons of the year had so much water as to be burdensome and
basements and streets in low places were flooded. This occurred
almost every year, and at no time were these streams deficient in
water as they are most of the time now. In early times the Soper
and Bissell mills on the east branch and the Seymour and Clark mills
on the west branch, were able to run with water for power. All of
this long since disappeared, and oftentimes now there is hardly
water sufflcient to water a flock of geese. The mills are dead and
gone into ruin long ago.
It is in place here to say that while R'ipon had five water mills
and one woolen mill in i860, all run by the water of Silver creek, all
but one have disappeared as water mills. No lumber was ever cut
at that place, though Julius Eggleston at one time proposed to start
a mill and bring logs from Winneconne by rail, but it was abandoned
as impractical. ]\iills still run on the small streams in the county,
but they are weak. It has been said that the Phalanx had a small
water mill there at one time, but if so it was very short lived.
The following sawmills have had an existence in Fond du Lac
and they appeared in about the order here given. As previously
stated, there were some small water mills before the Davis mill was
built, but these were steam mills capable of doing heavier work:
22 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
The Col. Davis Mill.
Located on bank of the river midway between Arndt and Scott
streets. Built in 1847, but not started until spring of 1848. This
w^as the first steam mill in Fond du Lac.
The Littlefield Mill.
Located on east side of the river near Johnson street. Started
in 1849. Burned after a year or two.
The Butler Mill.
On west bank of river near where the Wisconsin Central bridge
is now. It also burned after two or three years' service. 1850.
Henry & McKibbin Mill.
This mill was in the warehouse at the foot of Arndt street,
erected by E. H. Galloway in 1848, for the use of steamboats, but
was never so used. T. S. Henry and John McKibbin started it in
1850, and it was the first mill in Fond du Lac to use a circular saw.
It was sold to Alex. McDonald, who run it several years.
Second Littlefield Mill.
East bank of river south of Scott street. Built in 1851, after the
first Littlefield mill was destroyed.
The Scribner Mill.
West side of the river near Johnson street. Built in 1852.
The Sawyer Mill.
AVest side of the river near Scott street. Built by James
Sawyer in 1853.
Leavitt Mill — Hunter & Jewell, Deacon Fuller, J. Q. Griffith.
On west side of river at Forest street bridge, where the Fond du
Lac Implement Company's plant is now. Built by Mr. Leavitt in
1855-
Asa Pierce & Leonard Bissell Mill — Merryman & Hunter, D. W.
Smith, E. N. Foster, Chas. Chandler.
On east bank of river at the forks. Built in 1854 and the largest
and strongest mill in Fond du Lac up to this time.
Galloway & Hunter Mill.
On east bank of river below Arndt street, E. H. Galloway and
George Hunter. Built in 1854.
I. K. & W. C. Hamilton Mill— A. K. Hamilton.
At Luco and a very active mill. Started in 1856 and burned in
1884. Was rebuilt the following year and sold to A. K. Hamilton.
After two or three seasons, it was again burned in an incendiary fire
and the location abandoned.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 23
The Grain Mill.
Built in 1865, and in 1866 was bought by M. D. ]\Ioore and has
for many years been known as the Moore & Galloway mill. It has
burned three times and rebuilt.
A. K. Hamilton Mill.
' Northwest of West Division street bridge. Built in 1879 by J.
Q. Griffith & Sons and bought by Mr. Hamilton in 1884, after the
burning of the Luco mill. He sold it in 1891 to ]\Ir. Curtis, who took
it north, Mr. Hamilton retaining the land.
The Railroad Mill.
Below Scott street and the landing. Was built in 1857, mainly
to cut hardwood for the car shops. Was run but a couple of years.
C. J. L. Meyer Mill.
On the marsh near the Blast Furnace. Built in 1868.
The Moore & Galloway Mill.
East bank of the river near Scott street. Built in 1866 and is
the only sawmill now in Fond du Lac.
The Second Littlefield Mill.
The second Littlefield mill wa'S overhauled by G. W. Sexmith
and run two seasons. He also remodeled the Railroad mill and run
it. The Asa Pierce mill at the forks of the river, and the Leavitt mill
at Forest street bridge, were given overhaulings two or three times
by different parties and did fair work for a time.
It is a fact perhaps not peculiar, that all of the Fond du Lac mills
were destroyed sooner or later by fire. It seems to have been their
fate to burn. The mills of a later period that were rebuilt, were
burned. The Meyer mill, the Moore & Galloway mill and the Steen-
berg factory, are of this class. The Meyer factory was on fire two
or three times but escaped destruction. W^e can truthfully say that
the Fond du Lac mills went up in smoke.
A large proportion of the sawmills named here, also cut
shingles and lath, but the following were distinct shingle mills:
The Shingle Mills.
The Littlefield Mill — East bank of river near Scott street.
Beaudreau Mill — East side of river near Arndt street.
Galloway & Hunter Mill — East side of river below Arndt street.
J. W. Lusk Mill — East side of the river near the forks.
C. R. Harrison, T. S. Henry, Alex. White and a few others were
recognized experts in mill management almost from the beginning
in Fond du Lac, and were identified with it almost to the end. W'hen
anything goes wrong or changes are to be made, the services of such
men are a necessity, and it was fortunate for the Fond du Lac mill
men that they had such men to draw upon.
24 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
^Mlile the Henry & McKibbin. C. J. L. Meyer and A. K. Hamil-
ton mills may be referred to as among the best Fond du Lac has
ever had, it is doubtless true that the one until lately remaining to
us was at least the equal of any of them. The last Moore & Gallo-
way mill was built by M. D. Moore, C. A. Galloway and G. N. Mihills,
under the corporate name of the Moore & Galloway Lumber Com-
pany, and besides the sawmill have a large factory where about
everything is made that is needed for building purposes, whether
for the modest dwelling or the most elaborate trimmings and finish-
ing for the business structure. They also maintain three large
lumber yards in this city, and furnish the lumber for yards in other
places.
Besides the men above named in connection with these mills,
were some financially interested more or less in some of them at
different times, among them A. G. Ruggles, John Bannister, S. E.
Lefferts, Col. N. Boardman, Orson Breed, B. Nightingale, J. C. Lewis,
Geo. W. Weikert and others.
Shingle machines were invented and patented by Wm. P. Valen-
tine, Dr. Wm. H. Walker, Kasson Freeman and L. Beaudreau. The
Valentine machine had a wide sale and all were manufactured here
by Peacock & White.
In 1850 A. G. Ruggles became interested in the Col. Davis mill
and late in that 3^ear put in machinery for dressing lumber, but there
being so much difficulty at that time in getting the knives of planing
machines ground properly, the work was for a time abandoned and
the mill closed. Later on C. R. Harrison arranged a machine to
grind the knives and these and other machines were started to pre-
pare lumber for all sorts of building purposes. These were the first
planing machines here and were run for several years. John Bonnell
started a planing mill on West Johnson street, in 1854.
The first mills all had sash or mulay saws, and the first circular
saw in Fond du Lac was put into the Henry & McKibbin mill by T.
S. Henry. The filing of circulars had to be learned by experience,
and though the first ones were a quarter of an inch thick, there was
much trouble with them. The idea of running a saw as thin as those
of late years would have been thought foolish. The old saws with
the set in them, took out about three-eighths of an inch of the log at
each cut. The sus])icion exists in the minds of some, that here
originated the modern expression, "monkey with the buzz saw."
In 1863, U. D. Mihills started a sawmill and a large factory in
which all sorts of lumber was prepared for building purposes, includ-
ing sash, doors and blinds. This plant burned and was not rebuilt.
In 1874 the Mihills Manufacturing Company was formed with G. N.
Mihills at the head, but it also burned after a time and was merged
in the Moore & Galloway Lumber Com])any.
The most successful of all our lumber firms, though ])assing
through three fires, the Moore & Galloway Lumber Company, was
started in 1866 by M. D. Moore. Mr. C. A. Galloway was the book-
keeper, but in 1868 became a partner under the firm name of Moore,
Gallowav & Baker. In 1884 the firm was incorporated under the
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 25
name of Moore & Galloway Lumber Company. M. D. Moore, C. A.
Galloway and G. N. Mihills being the owners. They make every sort
of material for building purposes. Besides the extensive yard at
the mill, the company has two large yards up town. Mr. Moore
died in 1902 and his two sons have taken his place in the business.
The C. J. L. Meyer Factory.
In 1854, C. J. L. Meyer and his brother, Herman Meyer, owned
a business on Main street. Then, as in later years. C. J. L. Meyer
sought something better through inventive genius and among other
things invented a hollow auger for the use of wagon and carriage
makers. With it he went east in 1856 and during his absence his
brother Herman negotiated for the purchase of a small planing mill
and sash factory on the old Bissell mill race, owned by C. O. & H. L.
Hurd. It was built to run by water power, but water became so
scarce that the outfit was moved to a barn-like shop on the south
side of Western Avenue, opposite the present factory, built for the
manufacture of land rollers. Here they installed their machinery
and began planing lumber and making sash. Here let it be said, for
the information of those not posted in manufactures forty and fifty
years ago, that such articles as sash, blinds and doors could not be
then bought at stores, but had to be made by the joiner who took
the contract to build a home. Sash first came on the market, then
doors and last of all blinds. During this time Mr. Meyer lost his
brother Herman by death, and he continued the business alone. The
power in the factory soon became too w^eak, and Peacock & White
built an engine considerably larger. But as time went on, and new-
machinery was added, the new engine became too small and the
factory building also. The business increased enormously so that in
1865 Mr. Meyer bought the property across the street and erected
the big brick factory. Business still crowded and new machinery and
new power were demanded. He opened a large w^arehouse in
Chicago for the sale of the product of the factory and the sales
there were enormous, but besides this he had large shipments every
day to points on the Mississippi river and the west generally. The
financial side of the business was in charge of H. Woodworth, a
former well known dry goods man here, while Mr. Meyer looked
entirely to the general management. And so things continued until
about 1878, when a reaction began, caused by the establishment of
so many similar concerns throughout the country. The demand
continued to decrease until in 1881 it was determined to make furni-
ture and the following year the large brick finishing rooms east of the
factory, were built. In the meantime Mr. Woodworth died, Mr.
Meyer was growing old and his great Hermansville plant required
so much of his attention that the factory here was neglected. He
now found it impossible to keep things going and in 1886 failed.
The plant now stood idle until 1891. when Maj. E. R. Herren and C.
V. McMillan, from Stevens Point, purchased the factory, organized
under the name of "The Winnebago Furniture ]\Ianufacturing Com-
pany," and have run it with wonderful success ever since.
26 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Mr. Meyer now made a tremendous effort, by aid of his friends,
to save as much as possible from the great business at Hermansville.
It is tmderstood here that his ill success was due to the fact that
some ]\Iichigan sharpers were successful in getting possession of his
property.
In connection with the factory, Mr. Meyer built and equipped
a fine machine shop mainly for the repair and building of his own
machinery. The buildings erected for these shops still stand west
of the court house. These shops were first started on the marsh
north of Scott street near his sawmill. He also built the blast fur-
nace but did not put it in blast. Mr. Meyer was an enthusiastic and
able business man, but often his ideas were wiled.
The Steenberg Factory.
This well known business was started by Lewis & Steenberg
in 1868. In 1871 O. C. Steenberg bought out Mr. Lewis, and the
only change made since that time, was to the title of the O. C. Steen-
berg Company, after the death of Mr. Steenberg in 1894. Since then
the factory has been under the management of F. G. Steenberg, oldest
son of O. C. Steenberg. In 1885 the factory burned and was a total
loss, but in just six months a new factory was started across the
street from the old one. In 1895 ^^'^^ large brick warehouse was
burned, with a loss of $12,000, in sash, doors and blinds. It was re-
built at once. Fire has been a serious enemy of this factory, but it
has continued in its work and is still running. O. C. Steenberg was
principal of the Fond du Lac High school in 1863 and died May 17,
1894.
Stewart & McDonald Factory.
Alex. Stewart and Alex. McDonald built a factory in 1869 at the
corner of Arndt and Brooke streets. They bought the Henry &
McKibbin mill at the foot of Arndt street, and cut the lumber there
for the factory, besides much hardwood. The factory had been idle
about three years when it was burned down in 1887, and was not
rebuilt. The Cotton Street M. E. Church was burned at the same
time.
A number of small factories were run at different times and in
different parts of the city, but did not last long and their output was
mostly on local orders.
To Teach English to Indians.
It was some years after the appointment of Gust. Bonesteel as
Indian Agent in 1856, that the people got through laughing at his
taking Squire Goldstucker north to teach the English language to
Indians. The joke was in the fact that- Goldstucker was at that
time the crookedest talker of English in the entire community. His
best talk was in slang dutch, hence the amusing feature.
FOND DU LAC RAILROADS
A Brief History of the Railroads at Fond du Lac, Together With
Some Personalities Connected Therewith.
Fond du Lac's first railroad station was a small building set on
blocks at the southeast corner of Forest Avenue and Brooke street.
It looked more like a barn than a railroad station. The first trains
went only to Oakfield, from whence a stage line was put on across
to Woodland and a route opened to Milwaukee. But the road soon
reached to Chester and remained there until the Milwaukee road
reached Minnesota Junction, when our line was extended there and
we had an all rail route to Milwaukee. In the mornings at about 8
o'clock, Ben Garvin brought the little locomotive Winnebago, the
only one then here, with all the pride imaginable, to the first station,
pulling one to four flat cars and a compromise passenger car. Jud.
Remington, the first conductor, sang out "all aboard," and away they
went for the terminus of the line.
But this small barn-like station house did not remain there long.
The station was moved one block north, to Division street, where a
very good building for the time, was erected and in one form and
another was occupied for the purpose about forty years and until the
present station house was built in 1893. If it had been able to see
and talk, what tales that old depot could tell. Changes were made
a number of times in arrangement and size of the building, but
mainly it was the same all those years. The building was moved east
from the track and is now used as a freight house. Who of the old
timers do not remember the familiar faces of John Kuicks as depot
master and Tom Moore as baggageman, about that station at train
time. Ben Garvin looked after the round house and Mr. Landerman
of the yards. People under thirty-five years of age cannot remember
the big smoke stacks of the wood burner engines then in use.
Conductors. — The first fares the writer saw collected on a car
of the Northwestern road, was by A. D. Bonesteel, when the road
was built to Chester only, but his service was temporary. The con-
ductors on this end of the road were J. B. Clock and Jud. Reming-
ton. After the road was completed to Chicago, the trains brought
A. A. Hobart, George Webber, Ben Patrick. John Barker, Cy.
Cambridge and J. B. Clock as conductors, and a little later, but still
pioneers in the work, came Lew Hall, Sam Gilford, Ben Sherer,
George French, Lew Emerson and others, all of whom Fond du Lac
people became familiar with. All are now dead and died in their
beds. There were occasional accidents but none were killed. It was
said of John Barker that he was more years on the road and passed
28 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
over more miles of track than any other man ever in the employ of
the Northwestern road. He was also the most popular man.
Engineers. — Among the old time engineers were George Bentley,
Al. Hobart, Ben. Garvin, George McNamara, Charles Webber, Steve
Hotallng. Albert Selleck. Jake Adams, Will Barnes, H. Wellington
and a little later, still veterans, came Jack Tripp, Lncien Smith,
Gust. Brasted. Dick Moulton, Sam Davis, Amos Klingsmith. Of
these old time engineers, Steve Hotaling, Ben Garvin, Jack Tripp,
Gust. Brasted and xA.mos Klingsmith are still living. George Bentley
was killed in the war and Sam Davis was killed in a wreck near
Appleton.
George McNamara was on the engine. Perry H. Smith, attached
to the excursion train of eleven cars that met with the terrible acci-
dent at Johnson's Creek, in September, 1858, and A. A. Hobart was
the conductor of that train. Neither of them was seriously hurt.
As Fond du Lac was for many years the division headquarters, the
people here were familiar with all those old-time employes whose
names are here mentioned.
Ground was broken in Fond du Lac for what is now the North-
western road, on Jvily 4, 185 1, was running to Chester in 1855 and
to Chicago in 1858. The road to Milwaukee, known at the time it
was built in 1872, as the Air Line, was built mainly through the
efforts of C. J. L. Meyer and James Coleman. The Sheboygan line,
now owned by the Northwestern, was built from Sheboygan to Glen-
beulah in 1868, to Fond du Lac in 1871 and to Princeton in 1874.
Extended to Grand Rapids and Marshfield in 1900.
Judge Kinyon completed the narrow gauge road to Iron Ridge
in 1874. It was known as the Fond du Lac, Amboy & Peoria Rail-
road. It maintained a sickly existence and was finally absorbed by
the St. Paul road in 1885. The gauge was at once changed to the
standard and new life was infused into it. The Midland track now
owned by the St. Paul, were laid through the city by the efforts of
Col. N. Boardman, Dana C. Lamb and others, in 1892 and the depots
of the St. Paul were moved to the east side in 1897. The North-
western has a contract for track rights over it at certain hours of
each day, which makes it an important line for business men of the
city.
The Wisconsin Central was extended from Neenah to Fond du
Lac in 1881, and to Chicago in 1883, and track rights from Rugby
Junction to Milwaukee, gives Fond du Lac first class lines to both
cities. In 1896 C. F. Whitcomb became president of the Wisconsin
Central and transferred the shops and division headquarters to North
Fond du Lac and built the street railway line to that ])oint. The
foMowing year the Northwestern located its shops there, thus adding
to this city an important suburb.
The office of Register of Deeds in the old court house was not a
pleasant place, and it became dismal enough in the small stone build-
ing before it was moved to present quarters.
DEALERS IN DRY GOODS
Who Have Been the Dealers in Dry Goods From the Earliest Times
to the Present. History of the Trade in
Fond du Lac.
When we say that the first dry goods sold in Fond du Lac were
sold in the first building erected here, the Fond du Lac House, near
the corner of Johnson and Brooke streets, we might also say that
the first hats and caps, boots and shoes, hardware, groceries, etc.,
were also sold there, as the first store, that of Clock & Weikert, was
a general store, as were also all of the first stores here, which means
that they kept a little of everything needed in a new settlement.
Their advertisements in the newspapers used to read dry goods,
groceries, hardware, crockery, boots and shoes, hats and caps, tin-
ware, cordage, etc. The sale of some of these articles was continued
in the dry goods stores many years after special stores were estab-
lished. A store with only dry goods in it was not known in Fond
du Lac until Mr. Whittelsey came here from New York and went
into business with John Sharpe. Until this time all of them kept a
few staple groceries and ladies shoes. Before the special stores
came, the customer could get about all he wanted at one store, yet
the stocks were not especially large as the variety in any one line
was so much less than it is now. The customer was content with
what he could get, for he knew nothing about great variety. Of
the dress goods now displayed in the dry goods stores for the ladies
to select from, were wholly unknown — they were not in existence.
The present status of the trade is a matter of growth, especially in
the last thirty years. Of our present merchants, only Mr. Whittelsey
and ]\I. Wagner have had personal knowledge of the changes.
It was during and after the war of the rebellion that the people's
wants became so great that the efiforts of manufacturers and dealers
were strained to meet them. During the war period and for some
years after, money flowed freely and fortunes were made rapidly.
As Josh Billings once said, "people bored holes with big augers."
Enormous strides were made in the direction of extravagance, and
we are hardly out of the course yet. In 1905 we may have made
some progress in economy of living, but people of the pioneer period
would look upon us of today as in the highest degree extravagant.
We must admit that there is room for the practice of economy, es-
30
BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
pecially in dry goo
Fond du Lac from
Clock & Weikert.
George Keys.
Geo. W. Gillet.
A. P. & G. N. Lyman.
Wm. A. Dewey.
Brownson & Laughlin.
Carswell & jJee.
Hall & Hoskins.
John Sharp.
John Sewell.
E. R. Ferris.
Mumford & Tanner.
Parker & Prettyman.
Drummond & Co.
Valentine & Olmsted.
ds. Following are the
the beginning :
Charles Geisse.
Moses S. Gibson.
C. P. Weld.
Sewell & Brother.
Smith & Chandler.
Rumsey Bros.
Sharpe & Whittelsey.
Dormer & Green.
C. J. Pettibone & Co.
Hoskins & Serwe.
H. Woodworth.
Erlich & Co.
Lange Bros.
P. Brucker.
Wagner & Sons.
dealers in dry goods in
O'Rourke Bros.
Laughlin & Carey.
H. K. Laughlin.
L. C. Martin.
Haas & Wagner.
P. B. Clancy.
O. H. Ansted.
J. Goldstorm.
Whittelsey Dry Goods Co.
O'Brien Dry Goods Co.
M. Wagner & Son.
J. F. Gruenheck.
Strassel' & Co.
H. Yabroff.
H.^ Yabroff.
Those in the business here now are :
Whittelsey Dry Goods Co. M. Wagner & Son.
O'Brien Dry Goods Co. J. F. Gruenheck.
Haas & Wagner. Strassel & Co.
The first store, that of Clock & Weikert, in one of the rooms of
the old Fond du Lac House, wotild not be a very desirable place for
present day shoppers, but it served its day as a place to procure a
few necessities. Fancy goods did not belong to that day. Fifteen
years after this store ceased to exist, James B, Clock was a passenger
conductor on the Northwestern road and George W. Weikert was
postmaster of the city and lived at the southeast corner of Main and
Fifth streets.
The second store here was brought in a little later by George
Keys. It was located further up town, and while it also would fail
the modern shopper, it served its purpose as a general store. The
stock was much larger than that of Clock & Weikert and for a number
of years was a popular place to trade.
The next store here, that of A. P. & G. N. Lyman, with W. A.
Dewey in charge, was much more pretentious and gave Fond du Lac
quite a business boost. The Lymans had ample capital, and with a
large store at Sheboygan, were able to push btisiness. They handled
cattle and had a distillery at Sheboygan. About 1852, G. N. Lyman
went to Ripon and lived there many years, handling cattle. He also
started a distillery there but soon became impressed that it was not
a respectable business, and quit it.
Next came H. K. Laughlin and G. F. Brownson, in 1849, under
the well known firm name of Brownson & Laughlin, with the best
stock of goods Fond du Lac people had yet seen. They were in
business many years and the name of the firm became well known
far and near.
But it was not until 1861, when J. C. Whittelsey came here from
New York to join John Sharpe in business under the firm name of
Sharpe & Whittelsey, that Fond du Lac had anything like a straight
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 31
dry goods store. Up to this time all the stores kept more or less of
mixed stocks of goods. After Mr. Whittelsey became sole proprietor,
everything except dry goods were cast out and it was Fond dti Lac's
first straight dry goods store. Mr. Whittelsey is now the veteran
of the dry goods trade here.
M. Wagner ranks next in seniority in the trade. Mr. Wagner
came to Fond du Lac in 1856, but has not been all the time in the
dry goods trade. During his first twenty-two years here he clerked
for different dealers and went into dry goods in his own name in 1878.
He and his son Adolph now own the building in which they are
doing business at the corner of Main and West Second streets, and
have one of the handsomest stores in the city.
In this year of 1905, J. C. Whittelsey is the veteran of the dry
goods trade in Fond du Lac. The large store which bears his name,
had its origin here in 1858, in the name of John Sharpe. Mr. Whit-
telsey came from New York city in 1861, and the firm of Sharpe &
Whittelsey continued until 1875, when ill health induced the with-
drawal of Mr. Sharpe, who went to Florida and died there three
years later. The dry goods trade was continued by Mr. Whittelsey
until 1901, when the present organization was effected under the
name of Whittelsey Dry Goods Co. Mr. Whittelsey was in the
trade here just forty years when he gave up active management to
the company. The ground on which the store is located, was bought
in 1869, but the building was not erected until 1873. When Mr.
Whittelsey came here the store was in the old Darling's block, but
was afterward moved to the building which stood where the store
is now.
Of the general reputation of the Fond du Lac dry goods stores,
it is a well recognized fact that Laughlin's, in all the years he was in
business here, stood at the head for the class of goods kept in stock.
If an article came from Laughlin's, it was conceded to be the best
in market. To go to Laughlin's meant to get the best.
On the other hand, to go to the cheap John stores that have been
here, meant to get something cheap in quality as well as price. The
general impression in the community seemed to be that good goods
were not kept there, and it was probably correct. Dealers no doubt
fully realize the fact that a reputation of some sort is sure to come
to them. To use Abraham Lincoln's adage, "you may be able to
fool all the people some of the time, some of the people all the time,
but you can't fool all the people all the time."
The busiest place Fond du Lac ever had in this line was Petti-
bone's. The object of C. J. Pettibone was to drive business, to push
it to its fullest extent. On the street he went as if shot out of a gun.
He was always in a hurry. The class of goods kept was not recog-
nized as always the best, but his aim was to sell them, good or bad.
To use a modern expression, he was a hustler.
Our dealers generally have been looked upon through many
years as being fair and honorable and as having fine stocks, some
32 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
have drawn patronage from people long distances away. Good
goods, large stocks and reasonable prices have been the rule.-
The early days dry goods firm of Carswell & Dee was well
known in the fifties. Mr. Allan Carswell, a tall, well proportioned
and noble Scotchman, left here and went into business at Oshkosh,
where he died in 1883. Thos W. Dee returned to Canada, where he
died a few years ago. Fond du Lac never had more popular men
personally, than the members of this firm. John Sewell and his
brother Joseph Sewell, died a few years ago on the Pacific coast. T.
Drummond died at Denver about ten years ago. His brother, Robert
is still with us. Wilson Drummond died in Kansas. Daniel W.
Smith, Charles Chandler, J. W. Valentine, Charles and Joseph Olm-
sted, A. P. Lyman, G. N. Lyman, W. A. Dewey, E. R. Ferris, G. F.
Brownson, H. K. Laughlin, C. J. Pettibone, in fact pretty much all
the old time Fond du Lac merchants have crossed the silent river of
death. Very few of the old timers remain in any business here.
But a few years more and the old names will be all gone.
Time works great changes and half a century obliterates the
past like a pall. These now here in business will be the old men in
a few years, like those of fifty years ago are now. The business men
of today may flatter themselves that they do not have to meet the
cares and privations of their predecessors. "Their yoke is easy and
their burden is light."
Dry Goods in Ripen.
Bowen & Beynon were the pioneer dealers in dry goods at Ripon.
They opened their store when this bright and lively city was but a
village of a few people and Capt. Alapes was getting in his best
work. Then came Skeels & Hammond, Samuel Sumner and Olmsted
& Miner. Later on were Hammond & Pinkney, J. E. Sebring, A. W.
Pettibone and H. B. King. All these stores were there before 1876,
all were well kept and carried large stocks of goods. Ripon has al-
ways had first-class dry goods stores, well managed.
It was Samuel Sumner, who early in the war believed the price
of cotton goods must of necessity advance in price, and put all the
money he had and all he could raise into cotton, with the result of
reaping a big fortune. ]\Ir. Sebring tried it afterward, but was too
late.
A new feature in the sale of dry goods has come to us in the last
few years. While the regular dry goods stores keep the same goods,
there are stores which deal only in trimmings and the smaller articles
which ladies shop for. In former times we had what was known as
variety stores, but their stocks were not like the shopping stores of
today. They handled a class of goods known as "yankee notions."
We have these stores yet, but they ignore general dry goods and
ladies" trimmings, furnishings and fancy goods are their stocks. The
fact that the variety of these goods has so vastly increased has no
doubt brought into existence . stores for handling them. The mer-
chant of the early days of Fond du Lac would no doubt have been
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 33
Startled to have one-half the variety of the articles of today, placed
upon his counters. And what would have been the thoughts of the
lady of fifty years ago if her dressmaker had ordered so many yards
of trimmings for her dress. During the period of hoops, it required
many yards of material, but the trimmings were left out as com-
. pared with the dress of today. And in the making, when would the
dressmaker complete a job but for the sewing machine.
The ladies and the dry goods dealers have to be fast friends. He
supplies her demands and she is his best customer. With dry goods
the average man has little to do except to pay for them.
First County History.
The first attempt at a history of Fond du Lac County was by
Martin Mitchell, in 1854. It is a small book of ninety-six pages and
sold for $1.50. It was printed in the office of the Commonwealth,
and treated mainly of the organization and settlement of the various
towns. It is interesting as far as it goes, but no attempt is made to
handle the vast fund of historical matters pertaining to early days,
of which so many then living were personally cognizant. An
edition of five hundred was printed, yet today, after the lapse of fifty
years, a copy is found with much difficulty. The writer knows of
but three, one of which he owns and is grateful for to Mrs. Spencer,
of Racine, daughter of J. A. Smith.
Curious Records and Relics.
If one has time to search through the old records and files at
the court house, he will find some queer relics or records. For in-
stance, in the files in the office of the Clerk of the Court was found
the complaint drawn in 1856, showing the beginning of a suit by
one prominent lawyer against another for a "vigorous kick admin-
istered to the posterior portion of his body by the toe of defendant's
boot, to the great injury of complainant's body and mind." It is
narrated in the complaint that defendant followed complainant from
the court house without his knowledge, and when opposite Darling's
block, on Main street, administered the kick without his knowledge
or consent, and asks for $5,000 damages. AVhat the ofTense was that
led to the kicking is not stated, but is presumed to have been some-
thing that occurred in a law suit, of a nature common in early times
among lawyers. It is not needful to give names here, but sufficient
to say that both were prominent lawyers at the time.
Where Was Your Furniture Made?
It was since the starting of Fred. Sander's furniture store in
Fond du Lac, that if you wanted a bureau, a cupboard, a bedstead,
a table, anything in the furniture line, even to common chairs, you
went to the shop and ordered it. It all comes from the factory now.
34 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Scripture or Not Scripture.
Any man who lifts his hand against a woman otherwise than in
acts of kindness, it were flattery to call a heathen. Such was the re-
mark Justice of the Peace J. J. Driggs once made to a man before
him for whipping his wife. "Squire," said the man, "you are a
member of the Methodist Church, and you ought to know that is
not in the Bible." "I didn't say it was," replied Driggs, "and if it
isn't in the Bible it ought to be." "But you have not quoted it right
anyhow." "Never mind, it is good enough scripture for five dollars
and costs."
Disliked Scandal Cases.
In the trial of cases in circuit court in which scandal was likely
to be developed, J. M. Gillet was somewhat noted for his dislike to
have women present. He thought it was not a proper place for them.
And so in the noted Matteson-Curtis scandal case, from Rosendale,
as a great many women from the city and some from Rosendale,
were present ever}^ day of the long trial, he took occasion to talk
about it in his address to the jur3^ In his address to the jury on the
other side, C. A. Eldredge started in to defend them and talked
graciously for a while, but drifted into a line of argument more severe
than anything Gillet had said. Before leaving the court room some
women took him to task for it. "Well," said he, "conscience choked
me off and the old cuss set right down on me." It was long after
this that the women ceased their talk about speeches of Gillet and
Eldredsre.
An Old Time PostofBce Clerk.
Who of the older citizens does not remember John Woodhull,
for many years a clerk in the Fond du Lac postofiQce. Always
pleasant, always reliable and always ready with an answer to any
foolish question. He could tell the caller when they got their last
letter and when they would get another, could tell to a minute when
a letter would reach its destination, or if another person of the same
name lived in a place to which a letter was addressed, John knew on
the instant, every detail of the business. He was a bachelor, but
drifted back east in 1887, where he was married and died about six
years ago. Few men in Fond du Lac had more friends and none
could be more implicitly trusted.
The County Seat Contest.
Less than sixty years ago it was uncertain whether Taycheedah
or Fond du Lac would be the county seat of this county. The harbor
at the south end of the lake and the overflowing marsh to the north-
east, won the prize for Fond du Lac.
THAT INDIAN SCARE
One of the Most Singular and Incomprehensible Events in the
History of Fond du Lac County.
This was one of the most remarkable and incomprehensible
events in the entire history of Fond du Lac county. It started from
the east side of the county, but where and how it originated has not
with certainty been ascertained to this day. It seems to have been
one of those foolish events which no one wants to talk about after
it is all ended. It was ascertained that five Indian wood cutters, be-
tween Chilton and Manitowoc, got into a fight among themselves,
which was all the trouble there was and all the Indians known to be
in all the region. The scare spread from house to house, teams were
hitched to wagons, the families hurriedly piled in and left for this
city, the supposed place of safety. Early in the morning the streets
in the east part of town were filled with teams and lined with
refugees. All told the same blood-curdling stories of fire and murder,
and that the savages were but a short distance away, they were com-
ing hundreds strong, seeking for blood. Edward Beeson, Edward
Pier, Curt Lewis, Dave Curran and other old residents familiar with
Indians, ridiculed the scare and tried to reassure the people, but
still they came. But no Indians appeared and shortly after dinner
a company was organized on horseback to go out east and find out
what was happening. In this company the writer remembers, Fred
Kalk, Keyes Darling, Sile Gilbert and D. E. Hoskins. They went
out twelve miles, but found no Indians or heard of any. Another
party of eight or ten. among whom were Edward Pier, Edward
Beeson, Ham Clark and others familiar with Indians, went out in a
light buss by way of Lake deNeveu, ending their trip at the home
of Egbert Foster, two and one-half miles east of the present Eden
station, where they found the house surrounded by refugees whom
Mr. Foster had induced to stop on their way to the city. The news
had come to the city that Mr. Foster's buildings and crops had been
burned and the family butchered, and when the party arrived there
was loud cheering. Toward evening the refugees gained confidence
and began to leave for home. So ended this remarkable scare.
In her paper on remembrances of early days, Madame deNeveu
says:
That Indian "Scare."
One day in September, 1862, my six children came rushing
home from school, scared nearly to death. One of my sons, Arthur,
was hardly able to articulate. They all told the same tale — the In-
dians were coming, and Mr. Germond was going to call for all and
take us into town. He soon appeared with his family and was so
36 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
scared he did not wait for all my children, but with some of them,
dashed off, the rest I sent by other neisi;hbors. My husband and
other son, Edward, had gone to the city early that morning and were
surprised enough to see the children landed on Main street and hear
the awful tales of bloodshed, of the mill burning and of troops of
warriors just around the last bend or over the last hill when people
had given their farewell looks (as tliev supposed) to their homes. I
would not believe the tales I heard, for I questioned as to where the
Indians had come from. This was just following the awful Minnesota
massacre, so people were ready to be afraid. Well, finally, after re-
fusing over and over to leave home, Mr. Haight came and forced me
into his wagon, but before I had gone a mile I asserted myself and
refused to go further. So. Mr. Haight let me go very reluctantly
and home I came. My maid had been at the family washing and
when she flew away she threw the clothes right and left, and these
I began sorting, not knowing what else to do, keeping a sharp lookout
for Indians in case there were some, which I did not believe for one
moment, and there were none anywhere about, and before many
hours had elapsed many groups of people went home, passing our
house — many of them asserting they had only gone down town shop-
ping.
Pencils Forty Years Ago.
Ten cents each for the Faber No. 2, the best pencil in the market,
and three cents each for unvarnished basswood, the cheapest and
poorest. But American made pencils came to the front and the
Dixon and Star brought the best to five cents and the cheaper ones
to two for a cent or five cents a grab. To swedge out a piece of
metallic lead to use as a pencil in school, was the experience of many
people on our streets today. A serious personal encounter occurred
one day in front of George Henning's store, between a school teacher
in the town of Taycheedah and the father of one of his scholars,
relative to a part of a pencil which the teacher was charged with
pocketing without consent of the owner.
Methods of Preserving Fruits.
Most ladies of today would laugh at the processes of years ago
to keep fruits for future use. Ladies of the long ago knew nothing
of modern methods of canning. The Mason jar was unknown and
the old pound for pound preserves and drying methods had to be
used. The flies had their full share in the work but maybe we were
not quite so sensitive then. Canning factories are by no means es-
tablishments of pioneer days.
Some of the finest elm trees in the city used to stand in the court
house yard, but the burning of the old court house destroyed a num-
ber of them and the filling of the yard wiped out the rest of the old
timers.
THE HARD^VARE TRADE
Vicissitudes of the Hardware Business in Fond du Lac. Who Have
Been in the Trade Here From the First.
The hardware trade Hke most kinds of business, has had many
changes since the pioneer days of Fond du Lac. Early in our his-
tory 'we had no hardware stores. A few nails of various sizes, a few
bars of iron such as country blacksmiths use, some common locks and
door latches, some screws, tacks, hinges, scythes and a few other
things, were about all the goods needed in that line and they were
kept in stock in the general stores, mixed with dry goods, groceries,
boots and shoes, etc. If more than this was needed, the order was
given to John Denny, the freighter, who brought it from John
Nazro, of Milawukee. As time went on, the population increased,
the demand was larger and the men appeared with stocks to supply
it. When the service of the general merchant ceased to be satis-
factory, the hardware dealer came.
The hardware dealer has been compelled to enlarge his quarters
very much and the number of articles in stock have multiplied, and
are all the time increasing. Yet there are hundreds of articles missing
that were formerly in the stock of every dealer. What the end of
all this will be, no one can tell, but it must end somewhere. The
stores are crowded with goods and if the increase in new articles is
to continue, something must be cast out to make room. The remedy
seems to be and has already been applied in the large cities — separate
heavy and shelf hardware and make each a class of business by
themselves. In early days there was no trouble in this direction.
Keepers of general stores managed, in small rooms, to supply hard-
ware to meet the general demand. The dealer of today cannot meet
all demands on him.
The early settler used wood pins in place of nails or spikes, for
many purposes, and the door latches were also of wood, home made,
and the locks, if they had any, were of the same material, some of
them ingenious contrivances. The writer saw one on a door in the
town of Oakneld, that for ingenuity was a marvel. The key was
made of a piece of telegraph wire, and it might bother a lock expert
of the present to lock and unlock it, but worked nicely for one who
knew how to handle it. The hinges of the doors to these rude
houses were also often made of wood, warranted not to sag, and as
to sash for windows, well, they often had none, a single pane of glass,
if any, serving the purpose of a window. The people of today, who
can drop into the hardware store any time, have little idea of the
trade in pioneer days.
For many years the well known hardware store under the firm
name of Hughes & Otis, has been in existence and has been one of
38 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
the heaviest dealers in hardware Fond du Lac has ever had. Both
members of the firm came from the noted pioneer hardware store of
K. J\I. Hutchinson, at Oshkosh. They came here in 1873 'i^fl began
business under the firm name of Hughes & Otis. In 1878 they bought
the stock of Hall & Hoskins, and in 1883, they bought the large
stock of C. H. Benton. After residing here nearly ten years, Mr.
Otis went to Chicago, where he engaged in business until the firm
here bought the Benton stock, when he returned to Fond du Lac for
two or three years ; then returned to Chicago again ; he died there in
1898. His father was for many years the collector for the great New
York firm of H. B. Claflin & Co., and Mr. Otis followed him for a
time, but the west was his field of work and he came here. He was
one of the most companionable men Fond du Lac people ever knew.
John Hughes comes from the sturdy AVelsh race and few business
men here, have more friends. He was elected mayor of the city in
1885 and again in 1904 without opposition.. He has held many other
positions of honor and responsibility. As a business man he is al-
ways reliable, as a citizen honorable. Mr. Hughes bought the in-
terest of Mr. Otis in 1890 and the firm was dissolved.
The next largest stock of hardware in Fond du Lac was no
doubt that of C. H. Benton & Co. The company of this firm was S.
B. Amory, father-in-law of Mr. Benton. A fine building expressly
for the business, was erected, but for some reason did not succeed
and the stock was sold to Hughes & Otis.
The Benton store was started in 1868 imder the firm name of
Alley & Benton, by purchase of the stock of Alley & Bettis. In 1870,
the firm became C. H. Benton & Co., and in 1876 took the firm name
of Benton Hardware Company. The store was first opened in the
north store of Amory Block, but in 1876 a fine building was erected
expressly for the business, next door north. In 1887 the store was
■closed out to Hughes & Otis. Mr. Benton died in 1890.
In 1850 A. D. Ward & Co. opened a small hardware stock, and it
was probably the first straight stock of hardware in Fond du Lac.
In 1852 R. R. Deacon opened a hardware store here, which was
bought by Mr. Bettis in 1856, and this store continued until bought
by Alley & Benton, in 1868.
In 1854 William Farnsworth opened a heavy stock of hardware,
and a year later sold a one-half interest to I. S. Sherwood, the firm
being Farnsworth & Sherwood. In 1864, having started the La Belle
Wagon Works, he sold his interest in the store to his brother, James
H. Farnsworth, and the firm was I. S. Sherwood & Co. In t868
Sherwood sold to Capt. W. A. Knapp and the firm became Farns-
worth, Knapp & Co.' This firm went into bankruptcy in 1873 and
the stock was bid in by Chapin Hall and F. B. Hoskins, the firm being
Hall & Hoskins, who^sold to Hughes & Otis in 1878.
In 1882 W. Wilkie and George P. Dana opened in the north store
of the old Darling Block, under the firm name of Wilkie & Dana.
Two years later Mr. Dana withdrew and the* firm continued W.
Wilkie & Son. Later on it was changed to Wilkie Hardware Co.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 39
George P. Dana opened a stock in his own name in 1891. Rusch
Cc Hirth opened a fine stock in the Odd Fellows' Block in 1898.
Christian A. Lang opened opposite the ^^'indsor House in 1889.
J. F. Wegner, formerly wdth .alley & Bettis and C. H. Benton,
opened in his own name in 1887.
Fond du Lac has six hardware stores, all of w^iich keep stoves
and tinware. The tin shops do not make tinware, as in old times,
their business being confined mostly to jobbing. The stores in old
times of K. Gillet, E. Perkins, W. J. Wallace, Stephen Oberreich
and A. B. Taylor, have no counterpart now. Tinware is now made
in large factories and bought, not made in the shops.
The huge hardware stock in the store of John Hughes of today,
embraces iron and steel and wagon and carriage stock, and is doubt-
less the largest in the state outside of Milwaukee, and John Hughes
himself, is no doubt, one of the most industrious merchants of his
age, in the state.
Relics of the Past.
Things which seem commonplace now, in after years become
interesting and valuable relics. As interesting a relic as one often
finds is in possession of Hon. H. D. Hitt, at Oakfield. He has many
such relics, but there is one of more than common interest. It is an
arithmetic made in school by his great grandfather. At that time
books were scarce and school instruction was imparted orally. In
school there would be one arithmetic and that belonged to the
teacher. He gave out the work and the scholar took it down on his
slate. After it was completed, the example and work was all written
out with a quill pen on fools cap paper. The latter comprises the
arithmetic before alluded to. The work is all very elaborately en-
rolled and embraces much in mathematics that is now never heard of.
Some of the processes we are now using may be superceded in a few
years by better ones. Save your school books for interesting relics.
The Fountain City Herald.
Royal Buck came to Fond du Lac from Madison in 185 1 with
the Fountain City Herald, which he published for three years, but
it was not a success and was sold to J. A. Smith, and with the West-
ern Freeman, already owned by him, became the Commonwealth.
At the time of the Pike's Peak gold fever. Buck started with his
family for that region in a covered wagon, drawn by a team com-
posed of an ox and a cow. That fall they reached Nebraska City,
and while living in their wagon there they received supplies for the
winter sent by Dr. Darling, Dr. Wright and other members of the
Congregational Church of this city. Buck l5ravely entered upon
the work of opening a farm, but later secured a position in the
United States land ofBce at Nebraska City. In 1861, President
Lincoln made him register of that office, and he held the position a
number of years, becoming quite well off. Royal Buck struggled
against adversity and finall}^ conquered.
40 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
The Old Giltner Place.
It is very doubtful if there is a house in Fond du Lac that has
gone through the vicissitudes of approaching destruction and been
occupied by more families than the so called "Giltner House" on
East Second street, opposite No. i engine house. In the fifty-eight
years of its existence, it has suffered from fire, lightning and wind,
but escaped destruction. It was twice enlarged after it was built,
was occupied for a time by four families, including Jo. Kings and
Steve Buckland. Father Bonseuil, the early Catholic missionary, held
services there, the "Giltner girls" had a millinery and dress making
shop there se^'eral years, a picture gallery was there, many transient
doctors had rooms there. Mr. Kellogg, general agent for the New
York Mutual Life Insurance Co., made his headquarters there, and
W. H. Ebbets at one time had his law office in the building. Of the
four Giltner girls, some or all of them lived there many years. At
the time of the great Main street fire in 1852, the wind dropped burn-
ing shingles on the roof and it was on fire several times. Three or
four times in its history the house was on lire on the inside and twice
was struck by lightning. Its identity was changed in 1903.
Peat Fifty Years Ago.
The operations of Dr. Beebe in peat reminds the old settler in
Fond du Lac, of the agitation of the same subject in the early fifties,
l;)y J. W. Whinfield, who had given some attention to it in England.
If the claims of Mr. Whinfield for peat as fuel for domestic use and
under boilers for steam could be half realized, it would be more
valuable than the coal fields. In an article from him printed in the
Fond du Lac Journal at the time, he claimed that iron had been
smelted in England with peat fuel. He had evidently given the
subject much attention, and among other things predicted that peat
would be the fuel of the future and that we had enough in the peat
beds of our marshes to last hundreds of years. Our wood supply
was nearly exhausted at that time and transportation made coal too
costly. Peat was the coming fuel and he urged the people to assist
in developing this fuel so plentiful at our very doors.
Rush Lake marsh, near Ripon, is an almost inexhaustible peat
bed, and an attempt was made in 1870, to utilize it, but without the
proper machinery, buildings or money, was a failure.
A Laundry Not Thought Of.
It is now one of the singular facts of history that it is only twenty-
five years since a laundry was first thought of for Fond du Lac.
Up to 1879 the young men had had to look to a washwoman to
launder their shirts and collars, and seldom got them well done. The
Chinamen did the best work here in that line until the Ira W.
Hughes launclry was opened, and a little later the Eureka.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Origin, Development and Present Status of the Fond du Lac
Fire Department. Some Men Who
Have Been In It.
In the early days of Fond du- Lac, the fighting of fires was de-
pendent upon the personal efforts of citizens with pails, and as late
as 1850 there were but four or five cisterns for fire purposes in the
town. As to fires, the village had been very fortunate, but in the
winter of 1852, the citizens were awakened to the fact that something
must be done to procure fire apparatus. The Davis block, nearly
opposite Forest Avenue, burned, and four days later occurred the
fire that burned the east side of Main from First to Second streets,
and some around the corner of Second. Early in 1853 old No. i
engine and hose cart were purchased, and a year later Nos. 2 and 3
were bought. Nos. 4 and 5 companies were organized considerable
later. In the sixties, when the steamers came, we thought we were
fixed for all time, but it remained for the waterworks to come and
give us the perfection of fire service.
In the earliest days of the Fond du Lac fire department, engine
old No. I and accompanying hose cart, were housed on the west side
of Main street opposite Third and over the ravine. K. A. Darling
was the first foreman of the company, and D. W. C. Wright was the
first hose captain. The first steamer was also housed there for a time.
The boys used to congregate there evenings and have a lively time.
North of the engine house was J. L. Ault's shop, where he made
lightning rods and made and repaired steel plows. Barnett had a
cabinet shop on the ground where Blankenburg was so many years,
but the store and shop of Mr. Blankenburg was then on the east side
of Main street.
When Fond du Lac bought its first fire apparatus, old No. i,
which was given the name of Washington Volunteer Fire Co. No. i,
in the summer of 1854, Azro Taylor was chosen first fire chief, and
held the office several years. He was succeeded by Allan Carswell.
a dry goods man of the firm of Carswell & Dee. a stubborn Scotchman
but a good fire fighter. Next came Alex. \\'hite, and since then
numerous men have served in that ofiice, but it is doubtful if any
have been more efficient. In 1856 we got two Waterford engines.
Fountain City No. 2, Foreman E. S. Bragg, located, on Division
street, and Winnebago No. 3, Foreman C. R. Harrison, located at
Arndt and Brooke streets, where No. 3 is yet. We then felt compe-
tent to fight almost any fire, yet in i860 we bought a steam fire
engine, an Amoskeog machine, put it in charge of No. i company and
Johnny Hardenburg as engineer to run it. Later on the self-pro-
42 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
peller Alex. ^Mlite was bought and we have that machine yet, but
not as a self-propeller — that feature was soon abandoned.
One night the engine house took fire and among the damages to
be invoiced was the burning of two of the wheels of the steamer.
George Pike, the engineer of the steamer, was mad beyond endurance,
but he got over it after a few days. The engine house was then
moved to West Second street, to about where the gas office is now.
This building was not strong enough for the rough usage and weight
it had to carry, and Chief ]\Iarshal A. B. Taylor, by direction of the
council, at last provided quarters to be permanent, by sending No. i
to where it is now and has been for more than thirt}^ years.
In the meantime another steamer was bought and housed with
No. 2, No. I still having the first steamer. Moses Nightengale was the
engineer of the new machine. But not long after agitation began for
the purchase of a self-propeller and a committee was sent to an
Illinois city where one was in use, to inquire about it. This com-
mittee, with Alex. White at the head, reported favorably and the
machine was purchased and Johnny Hardenburg was appointed en-
gineer to run it. At its first fire on Portland street, it got stuck in
the mud so tight that the self-propelling machinery could not pull it
out and horses had to be used. In fact it was soon found that our
streets were not sufficiently improved for such a machine and the
self-propelling feature was abandoned. Tt was named Alex. White,
and its main merit was that it could pump a very large amount of
water. In this year of 1905, the city still owns this machine and
No. I steamer. After the coming of the Alex. White, No. i was
transferred to No. 3 house. Fire Company No. 4, located on Military
street, afterwards at the five points, and it got the old No. i machine
while No. i house took the Hook and Ladder apparatus. No. 5 Fire
Company was also formed and located on Main street, where it is yet.
It was composed of husky middletown young men, but lasted only a
few years as a distinct volunteer organization. At the county fair in
1875, No. 2 and No. 4 competed for a silver trum]>et in making a
half mile run and laying 500 feet of hose. No. 4 won and the men of
that company thought they were entitled to the care of No. 2
steamer, and as they did not get it, they disbanded. But the beginning
of the end of the volunteer fire department was at hand. Jealousy
had crept in more or less all around and culminated on July 4, 1877.
Nos. I and 2 wanted Azro Taylor for Chief Fire Marshal, and Nos.
3 and 5 wanted George P. Dana. The latter was elected and the
order for the department to turn out for the 4tli July parade, came
from him. Rebellion was abroad and when the parade reached
Second street. No. i left the ranks and disbanded. In a year from this
time all the old companies were disljanded. The council looked upon
it indifferently, as horses were now in use to haul the machines and
drag ropes were of little use. A paid department was then ]:)Ut into
service and has continued ever since most efficiently.
When the waterworks came in 1885, there was practically an
end of pumping by engines and our No. 2 steamer was sold, as well
as the hand machines. The Alex. White is kept in repair and ready
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 43
for emergencies, but No. i would need overhauling if desired for use.
For some years the Hook and Ladder house was on East First street,
where the residence of Mrs. Payne now stands, but it has not been
there since 1882. The No. 2 house is now and has been for some 3-ears
a modest but neat dwelling on the north side of Division street, near
Main. No. 4 house has also been a dwelling on ^lilitary street for
many years. Nos. i, 3 and 5 are in daily use by the department.
They have been changed and repaired many times, but with the
waterworks system there is less wear and tear. With forty to sixty
men making the engine house headquarters for recreation as well as
business, running out the machine every few nights for practice, and
the general roughness which all this naturally brings, is suggestive
of frequent repairs. But who will imagine that the old Volunteer
Fire Department did not fulfill an important mission and do an im-
portant work. Complaints of inefficiency were sometimes heard, but
they may have originated in the talk of croakers, while sensible
people remembered the sort of appliances they had to work with and
the many difficulties they had to encounter, and especially as to
water supply. But there is another feature to be put into the credit
side of the ledger in making up the account of the old fire department.
The engine houses kept many men from loafing in saloons, barrooms
and on street corners. The men were interested in their fire com-
panies, and almost nightly could be found at their engine houses in
association with their fellows. The department did fulfill a mission
other than that of fire fighting.
From the time the Fond du Lac Volunteer Fire Department was
organized in 1853, until 1859, when the steamers came and the boys
no longer "run wid der masheen." the firemen's dances were a
marked social feature every winter. They had the earnest support
of the best class of citizens and were under the control of men of
high standing. IMost of these firemen's dances were arranged and
were under the control of Fire Company No. i, but No. 2 had them
occasionally. No. 3 still less frequent and No. 4 seldom or never.
No. I seemed to be composed largely of dancing men. No. 2, with
Gen. Bragg as foreman, was composed of business men who cared
little for dancing. No. 3 was a lower town organization of leading
men, headed by C. R. Harrison, Alex. White and B. F. Sweet, and
No. 4 had a sort of sickly existence of a few years at the "five points."
For foreman at different times. No. i had Geo. W. Sawyer, A. B.
Taylor, J. V. ^IcCall, Ed. J. Hodges and D. W. C. Wrigjit. Among
the hose captains were Milt. Ewen, Tom Green, Tom Weeks and
Fred Kalk. Truly was old No. i a lively set of fellows. But in 1858
the city got its first fire steamer and the downfall of the old fire de-
partment began and the grand old firemen's dances ceased. The last
one seems to have been in January, 1861, in Amory Hall.
Adelbert Coffman, present Chief Fire Marshal, has been a fire
fighter in this city since boyhood, a period of about thirty-five years.
He knows the department and its work, almost from the beginning.
44 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Death of Ira Schoolcraft.
News comes of the death of Ira Schoolcraft, one of the old time
citizens and business men of Fond du Lac, who died May 14, at the
residence of his son-in-law, Henry B. Fargo, in Chicago. Mr. Fargo
was also a former well known citizen here. Mr. Schoolcraft came
to Fond du Lac in 1853 and opened a shoe store and shoe shop. He
resided for some years on the south side of Third street, near Marr,
and was noted for the fine garden on his home lot. During his resi-
dence there an accident occurred which showed some Christianity and
brotherly feeling in Fond du Lac. One summer just as his garden
was getting nicely started, Mr. Schoolcraft had a malignant frog
felon come in the palm of his right hand. Of course he suffered in-
tensely and it lasted two or three months. During this time the
shoemakers of the town banded together and not only cared for his
garden by work evenings and mornings, but also harvested and cared
for his crop in the fall.
The family moved to Chicago in 1863, and Mrs. Schoolcraft
died in 190T, after a married life with Mr. Schoolcraft of sixty years.
Old time citizens well remember the family.
Water Was Let Out.
On a Sunday evening in 1862, when Elder Rogers was pastor
of the Baptist Church in Fond du Lac, there was an unusual occur-
rence. There were to be some baptisms that evening, and the weather
being very cold the chill was taken from the water in an adjoining
room and then the water was run into the baptistry under the pulpit.
Just before the service was to begin. Deacon Perkins looked into the
baptistry to see that all was right, and to his horror he found that it
was empty. Some one had pulled the plug and let the water out.
It was too late to remedy it and of course there was no baptism,
but at the close of the service Elder Rogers gave the perpetrator of
the joke as severe a scoring as was ever heard. It was severel years
before it was known to a certainty who did it, and it is just as well
not to mention names now. Elder Rogers was chaplain of the
Fourteenth regiment during the civil war.
Gen. Hamilton a Veteran.
Gen. C. S. Hamilton came to Fond du Lac in the spring of 1850
and built and occupied the house on the east side of Sophia street
next north of the Howie house. Mrs. Hamilton's name was Sophia
and the street was named for her. Gen. Hamilton was a graduate
of West Point and up to 1861 he was known to everybody in Fond
du Lac as Capt. Hamilton. He was in the Mexican war of 1846 and
1847 ^s a captain in the regular army, but resigned his commission
in 1849 to come west. He was made colonel of the Third Wisconsin
Infantry in 1861, and later was promoted to brigadier general and
finally to major general. He had an oil mill here which he moved to
Milwaukee.
BOOT AND SHOE TRADE
Early Shoe Stores and Who Owned Them. Peculiarities of the
Trade to the Present. Busy Class
of Men.
The trade in boots and shoes from the early days to the present,
has undergone greater and more frequent changes than any other.
Changes in styles come with the seasons and methods of handling
the trade come and go. In the early days of Fond du Lac all the
stores kept boots and shoes, and a store handling only these goods,
was almost unknown. The men wore boots almost without excep-
tion, and women's shoes were made of cloth or cheap leather. Thirty
years ago we had Edwin C. Burt's shoes for women, no doubt the
best grade of goods ever sold here and the highest in price. But
this was one of the vicissitudes of the trade. Great as was the de-
mand at the time, they went out of sight and Burt's goods have not
been in the market in many years. And the pernella cloth shoes for
ladies and sometimes for men too, disappeared about i860, and have
not been seen here since as a regular line of goods. Previous to
(that date all the dry goods stores kept them. A shoe store as we
know them now, was almost unknown. Foot wear that could not
be purchased at the general. store, had to be made at the shop of the
shoemaker, and these shops were numerous. The best shop Fond du
Lac had was owned by John Hale and H. E. Stilwell, under the
name of Hale & Stilwell. The shop was in a wood building that
stood on Main street, about where Geo. P. Dana's hardware store is
now. The men employed never numbered less than six and most of
the time a dozen. Jack Cole and Henry Aiiller were the makers of
men's fine French calf boots and both boasted that he made the
handsomest and best hue boot in town. Charley Arlin, O. S. Leonard
and Ad. Lovett worked on "bats," the nickname of the times, for
women's and children's shoes. George Driggs and Fred Tyler held
seats for kip work and Felix Rodgers, Pete Shoemaker, Herman
Meese and others had the stogas — boots and other coarse work. That
Hale & Stilwell shop was a lively place and the boys who worked
there made it lively for a new comer. In the old fashioned Shoe
shops, when a new man unpacked his "kit," he was expected to "pay
his block," which meant that he must treat all the hands. The treat
need not necessarily be liquor, but anything he pleased. So rooted
was this practice that a new man found it much cheaper to treat than
to bear the burden of refusal. Almost all the villages and cross
roads had their shoe shops instead of the one man cobbler of today.
Mann & Hoyt, afterward F. E. & E. Hoyt, and McBride & Kellogg
were the first stores that dealt exclusively in boots and shoes. But
46 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
the changes continued to come and finally we have come to the
period when shoes are the only goods made and sold and the boot
for men, is banished from sight and sale. The shoemaker's shop for
the making of foot wear to measure is also well nigh banished, and
those still existing are mainl}- devoted to fitting cripples and de-
formed feet, and neighborhood cobbling. The shoemaker has not
much of a place in modern industries. The factory and the shoe
store have compelled him to seek other emplo3'ment. What the next
change will be we cannot even guess, but we may be sure that it will
not be a restoration of the shoemaker to his lost estate in the shop.
The veteran shoe dealer in Fond du Lac is M. Fitzsimons,
now Fitzsimons & Sons, for many years well known to all who
bu}' goods here. Mr. Fitzsimons began the business here in 1854,
in a building that once stood near the corner of Main and East
Second streets, on the land now vacant. He and Martin Sasse were
partners in the business many 3'ears and when dissolved, Mr. Fitz-
simons moved to the west side of Main street, a few doors south of
First street, where he remained fourteen years and until 1896,
when their present beautiful store was completed on the
northwest corner of Main and West First streets, on the
site of the old Darling's block, they moved their store to
that place. It was fifty-six years on the 12th of July, 1905,
since Maurice Fitzsimons entered the shoe business in Fond du
Lac. Surely is he a veteran and a successful one. He has experienced
the ups and downs of all sorts and especially in the shoe trade.
In 1867, twelve years later, W. H. Egelhofif opened the shoe
business here and has been in it ever since. He also may be ranked
as a veteran. His sons are now in charge of the business, but Mr.
Egelhof? still gives it much attention. The building occupied by
W. H. Egelhoff & Co., is owned by them and has been fitted to suit
their trade. The first twelve years of his business here, Mr. Egelhoff
made foot wear to order only. He carried on a shoe shop, and often
employed six to ten men, but in 1879 ^e started a small store.
The store of the C. F. Youmans Shoe Company was started in
1875 t>y J. J. Odekirk, but in 1878 became the property of C. F. You-
mans, and has thus remained ever since. J. G. Youmans, a brother,
opened a shoe store here in 1863, but left the business in 1878, after
fifteen years. C. F. Youmans is a full and complete Badger. He
was born and raised in Wisconsin and was never in any other busi-
ness.
Up to 1874 nearly all men wore boots, but in ten years the de-
mand had so nearly ceased that many of the shoe stores ceased to
have them in stock. The Stickney boot had a large sale, but Mr.
Stickney said that in the two years, 1878 to 1880, the demand de-
creased to the extent that they closed the factory. And the shoe
shops disappeared about the same time, so that there was only here
and there a shop left, and maybe a solitary cobbler on his bench in
the rear of the shoe stores. The explanation is all in the one word
"factory." The question naturally arises, who will do even the cob-
bling in the future? No one is learning the trade.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 47
C. J. Pettibone & Co. were dealers in boots and shoes from the
opening of their store in i860. It was a dry goods store, not a shoe
store, but carried a stock of shoes to the time of closing out in 1893.
L. J. Venne and Peter Scholl opened a shoe store in 1871, under
the firm name of Venne & Scholl. Some changes took place until
1893, when it was closed out. This store had a large and fine stock
and a heavy trade. The sons of Mr. Venne have since had shoe
stores.
C. W. Seaver was a heavy dealer in boots and shoes and had a
large trade, but he failed in 1875 and the store ceased. Ill health
caused it.
C. W. Haskell began the business here in 1874 and continued in
trade many years. His stock was mainly of shoes for women and
children, and he had a fine business which was closed out in 1890.
Leland & Alden, Barber & Kent and Frank Miller had shoe
stores here, but were not long in existence. W. F. Georg was for
several years with Mr. Youmans, but bought the Venne stock when
it was closed out, and now manages as fine a store as there is in the
city.
The shoe company organized by local capital in 1880, was pros-
perous for a time, and made a nice line of goods, but bad manage-
ment brought it to grief. It was bought by C. M. Henderson & Co.,
of Chicago, who moved it to Illinois. The factory was in operation
here about eight years.
But the grandest movement here in the shoe business, was the
establishment of the large M. D. Wells factory, in 1902. The large
and beautiful building occupied by it was erected with local capital
and much of the stock is held by Fond du Lac citizens.
There are a few shoemakers' shops in the city that make foot
wear to order, of which that of M. Herbert, on East Second street,
is the principal one. All of the old timers, Peter Servatius, George
Wright, W. H. Bischofif, Hale & Stilwell, Leonard & Arlin,. Ad.
Lovett, W. B. Tyler, Peter Shoemaker, Ira Schoolcraft, John Rott-
man, Pat. Caufield and others, have ceased to exist and their owners
are all dead. Peter Scholl came here with his father, Jacob Scholl, in
1846, unable to speak the language of the country, and began mak-
ing foot wear. Peter Scholl still sticks to his shoe bench and is the
oldest shoemaker in Fond du Lac. Mr. Egelhofif has a man in his
employ, Mr. Gerhard, who has worked for him thirty-seven 5'ears,
and is there yet. Everett & Koerner and William Welch were old
time dealers in shoes and the store now conducted by Whittaker &
Cromwell, was established several years ago by Charles Meade.
Where Was Your Tinware Made?
Since the war of the rebellion there has been very little home-
made tinware seen in Fond du Lac. It now comes from large fac-
tories and at nearly one-half former prices. It is needless to say
that it is but about one-half the value. Except for dairy use and on
special orders, no tinware is now made in Fond du Lac.
48 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Early Days Fishing.
There was a time when if the P^ond du Lac boys went fishing
or hunting they seldom returned empty-handed. Out in the country
in any direction they would get prairie chickens and with net at the
Bissell mill dam, or at First street bridge, or with hook and line
below Scott street bridge, or at Luco, could be had a supply of fish.
Prairie chickens are not obtainable and the realization of a nice string
of fish belongs to the angler of long ago. Shoulder your fish pole
some day and try your luck. It is possible, even probable, that you
will come home without having had a nibble.^ Hunting and fishing
are far from what they were. Game is scarce compared to former
times. The laws protecting fish and game came too late for sports-
men.
Queer But Not a Fool.
A very peculiar character among the boarders at the Cottage
in 1 85 1 was a German named Yost, a parlor chair maker who worked
in the cabinet shop of Charles Blankenburg. Yost was cordial with
the boys, yet exceedingly diffident and remarkably peculiar in his
motions. He was a very odd genius and very fond of the girls. One
day Lon Blake, the circus performer, put on a dress and bonnet and
took a seat in the parlor waiting for Yost to come to dinner. When
he came one of the boys told him there was a lady in there waiting
for him. He opened the door but almost instantly wheeled and went
off up stairs to his room. When he was asked about the lady he re-
plied : "He no girl, you can't fool me." Yost in some unknown way
detected the trick, but how he would never tell. The joke was on
the boys, not on Yost, and it was a long time before they tried any
more on him.
Bullis Was a Practical Joker.
When a young man, N. L. Bullis began his business career in
Fond du Lac as a clerk in the general store of Parker & Prettyman,
He learned to speak French and became a valuable clerk, but after
some years opened a store of his own, and still later entered upon
the livery business which he continued until failing health compelled
him to give it up. His S3'mpathy for any one in distress was un-
bounded, yet he was a practical joker of more than ordinary keen-
ness. When such a joke was to be planned the aid of Nels Bullis
was sought. He was the genius of the town in that line, and if any
one was severely sold it was regarded as certain that he was in it.
Who of the older settlers does not remember N. L. Bullis?
When the late Frank B. Floskins was Register of Deeds, he did
as much if not more than any other one man to further the work for
the new court house. He was then a young man but a worker.
THE EARLIEST SETTLER
Of those Who Came to This County in 1836, is Entitled to the Honor
of Being the First Settler.
The First Settler.
Gen. Albert G. Ellis came to Green Bay as the government sur-
veyor in 1828. Jo. King came from Canada and met Gen. Ellis at
Mackinaw. The latter desired to engage some hardy French voy-
ageurs to assist him in his work, and Jo. King was one of them. In
1832 they meandered the east shore of Lake Winnebago, and in 1833
the west shore. Gen. Ellis died at Stevens Point in 1887, where the
writer of this interviewed him a number of times. He asked about
Jo. King and seemed to think a great deal of him. He remembered
him well and told many stories about him, mostly jokes that had im-
pressed him.
What is now the Ingall's farm, south of the city, was the first
Fond du Lac home of Jo. King. His entry certificate of the land
bears date of the Green Bay land office in 1836. He improved the
farm some and in 1838 built a log house on it. In 1839 he was
married to Mrs. ^lay by Justice of the Peace John Bannister. He
moved into his house at once, and here it was that Mrs. A. \\'. Chap-
man, of West Johnson street, was born February 3, 1840, unquestion-
ably the first white girl baby born, in this county. John A. Bannister
was born in 1839, and was the first child born in the county. The
writer has verified these as facts beyond question. The only way to
get at the facts in these matters, is to ascertain and give dates of
events. In the summer of 1839, ]\Irs. King visited relatives at Pe-
waukee. and was the first white woman to pass over the trail on
horseback. Soon after this the Pier twins, the late Col. C. K. Pier
and Mrs. Skinner, now in Chicago, were born, and were the first
twins in the county. Later on Jo. King traded this farm for one in
Eden, which his estate still owns. As he entered this land in 1836
and actually worked on it, built a house there and lived in it in 1838,
Jo. King may be regarded as the first settler. After leaving the
farm, about 1842. he came to the city and lived in what was known
as the old Giltner house, opposite Xo. i engine house, on Second
street, in 1903 made into a modern house. Only four families lived
in it in the early forties. For many years Jo. King, Steve Buckland
and John Denny did most of the freighting between Milwaukee, She-
boygan and Fond du Lac. When Edward and Colwert Pier first
came through from Green Bay, they found Jo. King at Brothertown.
Mrs. May, whom Jo. King married and who was the mother of
Mrs. Chapman, had a by no means pleasing pioneer experience when
50 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
she came to this county. She came in 1838 with the Darling family,
in a batteaux from Green Bay, landing near the Fond du Lac House,
at Brooke street and the railroad bridge. Mrs. Chapman can go to
the spot, it having been pointed out to her by her mother. While
Airs. May came by water, Mr. May started overland, to view the
country. Several days after he should have been here, a young half
l)reed came and reported to Dr. Darling and John Bannister, the
finding by him of a dead man sitting against a tree near Stockbridge.
They went out with a team, but decay had gone so far, in the hot June
weather, that the body could not be moved and was buried there.
The. supposition was that he died of exhaustion. Most of the papers
taken from his pockets, including his marriage certificate, are now
in the possession of Mrs. Chapman and have been shown to the
writer. It is stated by some writers of Fond du Lac history, that
the Darling family landed at Sheboygan and came here overland.
This is surely an error, as the proof is clear that they landed at Green
Bay.
From the facts obtainable there seeems to be no doubt about Jo.
King being the first individual settler. It is true that Edward and
Colwert Pier were here in 1836, but they at that time only decided
upon their land and did not enter it until later in the year. ,The date
of the King entry certificate shows that his entry was first. At any
rate they were so nearly together as to make it hardly worth while
to quarrel over it. As the modern saying has it, "they came early
and stayed late." Joseph King died in 1884, at the age of 69 years.
The great influx of population of Fond du Lac county was from
1850 to 1856, many came in 1848 and 1849, but the greater number
of pioneer farmers came between 1842 and 1848. A few came from
1838 to 1842 and a still less number previous to that date. Those of
the earlier period have now all passed away, but their successors are
enjoying the labor of their hands.
It is pleasant to the writer of these facts, to remember that he
was able to visit with Gen. A. G. Ellis several times at Stevens Point,
in the last years of his life. He was surveyor general of the territory
of Wisconsin under the administration of Gen. Jackson, and started
the Green Bay Intelligencer, the first newspaper, in 1832. He loved
newspaper work and continued to write articles for the Stevens Point
Joinery, almost to the, day of his death. His age we have forgotten,
but it was not far from 90. He often talked about Dr. Darling, John
Bannister, Edward Pier, Jo. King and others of the old timers in
Fond du Lac.
Close and careful investigation reveals the fact that there are
many errors in previous histories of Fond du Lac city and county,
and perhaps there are good reasons for this, as it is often difficult to get
at facts. No one knows this better than those who have undertaken
to get them. People do not remember things alike, and unless facts
are a matter of record, information is decidedly unreliable. In this
work we have tried hard to get matters correct.
THE BANKS AND BANKERS
Fond du Lac Banks from the Beginning and Who Managed Them.
An Interesting Chapter of Business History.
It is not legitimate banking to furnish capital for men to estab-
lish themselves in busines, but when once a fixed fact, the banker has
his field of work in assisting the business man temporarily. The
assets of a bank in a measure belong to the business men where the
bank Js located, and of right cannot be denied them if the rules are
■complied with. Collaterals and short time paper of acceptable
character, are a legitimate part of this transaction. The banker
assists and the business man receives on the basis of this security.
The banker has no right to make the terms unnecessarily hard, but
only such as shall make the loan, secure, for we must bear in mind
that the banker is but the representative of those who own the money
which comprises the bank's capital and assets. He must be honest
with the owners of the bank and fair to the customer, all the time
adhering to the legitimate rules of, banking, founded on long experi-
ence. In this way only can there be success. Since the advent of
our national banking law there has been little complaint except that
occasionally a banker is found whose exactions are deemed some-
what rigid. But is it not better to err, in this than in being too loose?
The local deposits in the banks indicate the condition of business
and the confidence of the people, in the soundness and reliability of
the banks. When money is required in large amounts to adjust the
balances due by business men at the commercial centers, especially
when business is slack, these deposits disappear and if the banks are
short of money to discount paper, the people feel it. A bank is a
business institution dealing in money. As in all other kinds of busi-
ness, there are fixed principles which govern it, and if these are
violated there is sure to be trouble, for the bank is the business
barometer. It is sensitive to the situation and feels and shows the
financial storm that is coming. It is good banking to see and protect
the bank against disaster and at the same time inspire confidence in
the business community. To say what paper may be safely dis-
counted and what paper ought not be, often requires peculiar ability
in such matters. Anxiety to do business must not prompt the banker
to discount paper of doubtful character, or to make the amount too
large on good paper. Either may make trouble.
The ability with which Fond du Lac banks have been managed
from the beginning, is shown by the fact that but once, in our history,
has there been mistakes of management that brought serious loss.
The Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank, under the management of Robert
A. Baker and John S. Burrows, was for many years a sound financial
52 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
institution, but later on, in the anxiety to do business, unsound and
insecure securities were accepted ,.and the bank made a disastrous
failure. C. H. Benton, as assignee, settled affairs as best he could,
but there was bad management of the bank's affairs toward the last
by Mr. Baker and Mr. Burrows. This has been the only instance of
a Fond du Lac bank doing business outside of regular banking
methods. The Exchange Bank of Darling & Co. failed, but it was
because of bad habits rather than a violation of banking methods.
Fond du Lac Banking Houses.
In' the early times of Fond du Lac, that is to say, previous to
1850, Dr. Darling seems to have furnished the money for business
exchange. His oldest son, Keyes A. Darling, was associated with
his father presumably in this as in other business. While Dr. Darling
was in Congress, Keyes A. Darling and his son-in-law, John A. East-
man, looked alter the details of his large business.
Exchange Bank of Darling & Co.
Dr. T. S. Wright, son-in-law and representative of Gen. Warner,
came to Fond du Lac in 1849, ^^^ i^"^ 1850, Darling, Wright & Co.
started the above named bank, K. A. Darling, President ; T. S.
Wright, Vice-President, and C. W. Whinfield, Cashier. Chas.
Schaefer, afterward for six years State Treasurer of Minnesota, was
for a time Cashier of this bank. The business was continued many
years, and early in its history erected the stone banking house at the
southeast corner of Main and East First streets, so long occupied in
late years by the Wells Bank.
Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank.
In 1852 Robert A. Baker and his brother, Henry O. Baker,
closed out their grocery business, the latter returning to New York
city and Robert A. Baker opened a broker's office. In 1856 the above
named bank was organized with S. B. Amory, President, and R. A.
Baker, Cashier. It was a bank of issue under the state banking law.
After a few years Mr. Amory withdrew from it and Mr. Baker and
John S. Burrows, known as Cashier, were the only persons known
to be connected with the bank. After the panic of 1873, land specu-
lation was entered upon and disastrous losses followed. For many
years the Baker bank was a strong and popular institution. The
banking house of this "bank was the conspicuous structure that until
recently stood on the south half of the property of the Fond du Lac
National Bank. John S. Burrows died by suicide at Marquette, Lake
Superior, and Mr. Baker died in Chicago.
McCrea, Bell & Butler Bank.
This was a Milwaukee firm that owned the Fond du Lac and
Sheboygan Plank Road and did an extensive grain and lumber busi-
ness here. The firm built the one story stone banking office at the
northwest corner of Main and Division streets. They never did much
of a banking business here, and the office was used mostly for other
PROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 53
business, which was wholly closed out about the time of the war.
The building- has been used many years for a saloon.
Bank of the Northwest.
This bank, now the First National Bank, was organized by Ed-
ward Pier, B. F. Moore, A. G. Ruggies and S. E. Lefferts, in Janaury,
1855, B. F. Moore, President, A. G. Ruggies, Cashier. It was a bank
of issue under the state banking law. Just ten years later it was
changed to a national bank under the name of First National Bank of
Fond du Lac, Edward Pier, President, B. F. Moore, Vice-President,
A. G. Ruggies, Cashier. Directors — Edward Pier, B. F. Moore, A. G.
Ruggies, John H. Martin, Orrin Hatch. One year later J. B. Perry
became the Cashier, a position in which he laithfully served the bank
for thirty-five years, and is now its President. A. G. Ruggies was
President from 1875 wntil his death in 1887, when E. A. Carey was
chosen and served until 1903. Since that date J. B. Perry has been
the President, and Ernest J. Perry Cashier. Besides the names before
mentioned vvho have been directors, H. D. Hitt has served more than
fifty years without missing a monthly meeting, although he lives at
Oakfield, nine miles away. C. A. Heth served many years and until
his death. Maj. E. R. Herren has been a member of the board a
number of years. Gen. Ruggies was also a director many years. B.
Wild was a member of the board and A. G. Ruggies, G. W. Earle
and J. C. Fuhrman are directors.
The first rooms occupied by the Bank of the Northwest were
very modest ones on the south side of West First street, , in the rear
of the corner store. In 1857 the bank was moved to the corner of
Main and Forest streets, where it has been ever since, though the
old rooms are now a hotel, corner of Marr and Fourth streets. The
present plain but substantial building was erected in 1873 ^^^ ^^^
been the business home of the bank for more than thirty years. In
the half century of this bank, whatever of panics or business troubles
came, no one for a moment suspicioned the soundness of the First
National Bank of Fond du Lac.
Fond du Lac National Bank.
This powerful financial institution was organized in 1887, with
the following named ofificers; who also constitute the Board of
Directors : President, C. A. Galloway ; First Vice-President, Fred-
erick Rueping; Second Vice-President, J. A. Merryman; John
Hughes, Charles Schreiber, E. P. Sawyer and N. S. Gilson, Directors,
and G. A. Knapp, Cashier. A little later Judge Gilson retired and
G. A. Knapp became a member of the Board of Directors.
The officers have been practically the same to the present.
From the start it was shown by the reports that this bank
had the confidence of the business public. The bank bought the
former Baker bank property and thoroughly remodeled it before
opening for business, but after a few years it was found to be too
small and the bank bought the Bischofif property next north, the
building on it was removed and in 1902 the bank went into its present
54 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
beautiful building-, occupying- both of the lots. The ofifice of this
bank and its equipment are not surpassed in the state.
Wells Banking House.
This bank, which was the predecessor of the present Commercial
National Bank, was opened in 1870 by William H. Wells, at the
southeast corner of Main and East First streets, and remained there
more than thirty years. Until his death in 1888, Wm. H. Wells
managed the business, and after that date his brother. John C. Wells,
was in charge, but in 1898 he also died, and M. T. Simmons succeeded
to the management. Since he went into the bank in 1875, Mr. Sim-
mons has been in active control, a period of more than thirty years.
From the beginning it was the constant effort to secure the confidence
of the people and was remarkably successful. Care and strict integ-
rity marked every step from the beginning. In 1901 Mr. Simmons
nationalized the bank, Messrs. Henry Boyle, John T. Boyle, H. R.
Potter, Frank B. Hoskins, George Giddings, F. E. Hoyt, M. T. Sim-
mons, D. D. Sutherland and A. G. Bechaud taking the stock and be-
coming the board of directors. The bank then bought the property
at the northeast corner of Main and East First streets, and in 1902-3
erected the present fine building for its own use. The officers of the
bank are : President, H. R. Potter ; Vice-President, Henry Boyle ;
Second Vice-President, A. G. Bechaud; Cashier, M. T. Simmons.
The AA'ells Bank was never a bank of issue.
The Savings Banks.
The first savings bank in business in Fond du Lac, was organized
by Edward Pier and E. H. Galloway. They were able to realize how
desirable it would be to have a safe institution in which
savings could be deposited, down to as small sums as half a dollar.
In 1866 they organized the Fond du Lac Savings Bank and erected
the fine building at the southeast corner of Forest Avenue and Macy
street. The business of the bank was for a few years, conducted in
a brick building west of the present First National Bank. During
the time of Curt. Lewis as postmaster, the postoffice occupied the
room afterward used by the Savings Bank. The bank started in busi-
ness with Edward Pier, President ; E. H. Galloway, Vice-President ;
Edward Colman, Treasurer, and C. K. Pier, Director. After the
injury of Edward Pier and finally his death, and the death of Mr.
Galloway, the latter's son, E. A. Galloway, became an officer, but as
he preferred the farm and had no taste for banking, he retired, and
Mrs. M. H. Galloway became President, C. K. Pier, Vice-President,
and G. A. Knapp, Treasurer. Finally Mrs. Galloway found that she
could not give attention to the business, C. K. Pier had gone into
lumber manufacture at Merrill and it was determined to close the
business, which was done in 1886, after a career of seventeen years.
It was a train of circumstances that brought about the closing of this
bank, and not a lack of business, and every dollar due was paid.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 55
The C. L. Encking Bank.
In 1878, C. L. Encking started a Savings institution which was
named the German Savings Bank, of which little is known now.
Since Mr. Encking died, no one. seems to know much about it. It is
quite sure, however, that it never did much business. At the closing
everything was settled and paid and so quietly that little is remem-
bered about it.
Cole Savings Bank.
In 1878, William E. Cole started the Cole Savings Bank, and has
built up one of the successful institutions of Fond du Lac. Naturally
careful and conservative and realizing from the beginning that care-
lessness with the savings deposited in his bank would be unjustifiable,
he has never allowed himself to depart from the policy of strict
business integrity which was determined upon from the beginning.
His conservatism especially fits Mr. Cole for this business, and a
man better qualified would be difficult to find in this state. He has
sometimes been charged with being too -conservative, but all fair
minded business men, do not hesitate to declare that it is far better
for him to be too conservative than too liberal. His business methods
very soon gained the confidence of the people, and in the nearly
thirty years of the bank's existence it has always retained it. This
bank was incorporated in 1890 under the state banking law. as the
Cole Savings Bank. In 1899, Mr. Cole bought the part of the Amory
block owned by Mr. John Amory, and fitted it in nice shape for the
use of the bank. For twenty years he occupied the rooms under the
First National Bank, rather than risk any of the assets of the bank
for a fine office elsewhere. He began on the bottom round of the
business ladder and great care has marked his career.
German American Savings Bank.
A bank bearing this name was organized in 1867, by R. Ebert
and J. C. Perry, who were afterwards joined by Louis Muenter, but
it never did a heavy business. After a few years Mr. Perry withdrew
and in 1883 the bank was discontinued because of the ill health of
Mr. Ebert. While it bore the name of Savings Bank, it did not do
a regular business as a savings bank. The modest building erected
by this bank for its use, still stands on Main street near the corner of
the malt house lot.
These are all the banks Fond du Lac has ever had. There have
always been men here with money to speculate in non-bankable
securities, such as Chattel Mortgages, Judgment Notes, and cut-
throat schemes of all sorts, and we have them yet. We have had
but one bad failure in our history and our banks, as a rule, have
smoothly weathered the storms of panics and financial troubles of
every sort.
56 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
CITY OF RIPON.
Ripon has never had many banks and those located there have
been of the solid, substantial and reliable sort. The men managing
them have invariably had the full confidence of the people.
Bank of Ripon.
This bank was organized under the state banking law in 1856,
with H. H. Mead as President, and E. P. Brockway, Cashier, and
ceased business in 1864 to give place to the First National Bank.
First National Bank.
Organized in 1864, with E. P. Brockway as President, Geo. L.
Field. Cashier. In 1890, H. H. Mead became President, and in 1902
Mr. Mead retired and Geo. L. Field assumed the office, with F.
Spratt as Cashier. In 1882 the fine banking house of this institution
was destroyed by fire, but was immediately replaced.
Bowen & Wheeler Bank.
Began business in 1864, with J. Bowen as President and Chas.
F. Wheeler, Cashier. Ceased business in 1876.
German National Bank.
This was one of a series of banks organized by L. D. Moses, a
former W^aupaca and Antigo merchant of large means. The German
National at Ripon, was organized in 1889, with L. D. Moses as Presi-
dent, and I. M. Dakin, Cashier. C. F. Schloerb was afterwards
cashier for a time, but in 1902 Mr. Moses retired and Charles Cowan
became President, with J. P. Stone, Cashier. A neat banking house
was erected on the organization of the bank, and which it still occu-
pies.
These are all the banks Ripon has ever had and no more have
been needed. The character of the men in charge of them and the
liberal and safe policy pursued, has made them sufficient for all
purposes.
CITY OF WAUPUN.
Following have been the banking institutions of Waupun from
the earliest days to the present time:
Bank of Waupun.
Organized in 1851 under the state banking law, by L. B. Hills,
who was the manager until it ceased business three years later.
Corn Exchange Bank.
Established by William Ilobkirk on the closing of the Waupun
Bank, in 1854, and continued by him until 1875, when he absconded
with most of the assets. After nearly twenty years of successful
business, Mr. Hobkirk sacrificed the bank and himself to fast horses
and other practices unsafe for a banker. David Ferguson, of Mil-
waukee, was for several years the President of this bank and it was
looked ujion as one of the leading and safe banks.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 57
C. W. Hennig's Exchange Office.
Charles W. Hennig, a former Fond du Lac boy, had been an
employe of Mr. Hobkirk many years, and he now opened an exchange
office, but continued it only a few months.
Citizens' Bank of Waupun.
This bank, organized by Almon Atwood in 1876, continued in
business only one year.
Exchange Bank of Geo. Jess & Co.
A new building was erect-ed for this bank and it did a substantial
and safe business from its organization in 1876 until 1885, when it
was sold to Geo. W. Mitchell, of Milwaukee, Geo. F. Wheeler, of
Waupun, both of them former Fond du Lac county men and both
former sheriffs of the county, and others of the stockholders, for the
purpose of organizing the First National Bank of Waupun.
First National Bank of Waupun.
Organized in 1885, with L. D. Hinckley as President, W. Cald-
well, Vice-President, and B. W. Davis, Cashier. Geo. F. Wheeler
at the time of his death was President of this bank, a position he
had held many years.
State Bank of Waupun.
Organized in 1903 with J. O. Henson as President, but S. M.
Sherman is now at its head. These two banks are solid institutions
and have the full confidence of the people.
These banks are on the side of Waupun's Main street which
puts them in Dodge county, but they are so close to Fond du Lac
and the people of our county do business with them, hence they are
entitled to space here.
Brandon. — Foster & Son have a broker's office at Brandon, and
do a legitimate banking business.
A Crooked Channel.
The belief has been acquired by many from some source that in
the meandering of the old river channel, it found its way through
the site of the new postoffice building. This is a mistake. The old
channel swept around near the northeast corner of the Lange block,
thence through the Tait wood yard, but did not touch the postoffice
site. There was a slough which ran in there, in which the small
frogs often peeped in the early spring time. The house of J. H. Clum
stood on the site of the new government building and the next east
was the Plymouth Congregational Church. Next to this was a
vacant space and then came the old Darling block. Macy street was
not opened from Forest to Second until in the sixties, and the old
channel did not swing as far east as the present corner of First and
Macy streets.
58 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Railroad Open to Chester.
The original Northwestern car shops were started in Fond du
Lac in 1854 to build cars for the operation of the road then being-
built south and opened a little later to Chester. It was expensive
and difficult to bring in cars and so it was proposed to build them
here. The shops were enlarged at different times until they cov-
ered about a block of land on Brooke street and the bank of the river.
It was long a busy place, building passenger coaches as well as
freight cars, and there was also a machinery department for the re-
pair of locomotives and other rolling stock. In 1862 the plant was
entirely dismantled and moved to a suburb of Chicago on the pre-
tense that the company had to maintain shops there and it would be
vastly cheaper to do all the work there, but the truth seemed to be
that the officers of the company had bought a large tract of land in
this suburb and there was much money to be made by the sale of
lots to employes and others. Fond du Lac lost heavily by the re-
moval of the shops and the officials gained in similar proportion.
For many years Fond du Lac heavily felt the depression consequent
on the removal of the shops. All the men were removed from their
positions, from Henry Hull as superintendent, to James Edmund as
engine stoker. Pete Jones, the engineer, made a green house bower
of the engine room, but it had to go when the removal order came.
Ben. Garvin dropped his hammer in the machinery room and the
big blowers were quiet.
Early Day Shingle Machines.
There was a time when Fond du Lac seemed to be headquarters
for shingle machines and many of them were built in the machine
shops of Peacock & White. The first kind, and the one of which
the greater number were built, was the Valentine. This machine
was patented by W. P. Valentine, for many years a resident here.
Dr. Walker brought out a machine similar in some respects to the
Valentine, and Kasson Freeman came next, but these machines were
sold mainly to northern Wisconsin and Michigan lumbermen. The
Beaudreau machine was very large and made shingles by the cut-
ting process from steamed blocks. These machines were all built
here, but they were used largely elsewhere. Occasionally other
machines were seen, but these were the standard.
A Free Will Baptist Church.
Besides the First Baptist Church, Fond du Lac had a Free Will
Baptist Church, oragnized in an early day by Elder Stanley, but as
neither had a modern baptistry, they sought the primitive method
of resort to water outside. The favorite and almost only place for
baptism was a pool below the old Bissell mill dam, near the Western
avenue bridge. All traces of tlie localty disappeared many years ago.
THE FOND DU LAC POSTOFFICE
Postmasters From 1838 to 1905. Early Day Mail Service and
Early Day Mail Carriers.
Following are the names of those who have served as post-
masters from the opening of the postoffice in 1838 to 1905:
1838— Colwert Pier. 18G7— R. M. Lewis.
1838 — John Bannister. 1869 — James Coleman.
1839 — Dr. M. C. Darling. 1873 — James Coleman.
1842— Thomas Green. 1877—1. N. Hauser.
1845 — John A. Eastman. 1877 — Thomas W. Spence.
1849— Sam Ryan. 1883— Geo. E. Sutherland.
1850— E. C. Tompkins. 1885 — Samuel M. Smead.
1852- George W. Weikert. 1889— James T. Green.
1857— George W. Weikert. 1894— Samuel M. Smead.
18G1— John C. Lewis. 1897— Frank M. Givens.
18G5— E. S. Bragg. 1901— Frank M. Givens.
18CC— J. M. Gillet. 1905— Frank M. Givens.
Four times in its history there has been crookedness in the Fond
du Lac postoffice, but not of much importance. In 1849, i" 1862,
in 1877 and in 1881 there was some trouble. Twice the office has
been robbed by burglars and considerable money and stamps taken.
In the early times the office was long located in the then Spink build-
ing, north of the Lewis House. Mr. Weikert moved the office to near
the northwest corner of Main and Division streets, where Wagen-
knecht's harness shop is now. Curt. Lewis moved it to the rear of
the First National Bank, Jim Coleman took it to Division street and
thence to its present location. By the time the new building is oc-
cupied, the office will have been thirty-three years where it is now.
Mr. L. M. W^vatt has been assistant postmaster continuouslv since
1878.
During the reconstruction troubles under President Andrew
Johnson, he being at variance with congress, there was hesitancy
about confirming appointments, and so it came about that in 1866
and 1867 that the appointments of Gen. Bragg and J. M. Gillet for
postmaster at Fond du Lac, were held up and R. ]\1. Lewis went in
on a compromise appointment.
In the fifty-seven years that Wisconsin has been a state. Fond
du Lac has had fourteen postmasters, though the terms of four of
them were very short. Geo. W. Weikert, James Coleman, S. M.
Smead and F. M. Givens held the office two terms or eight years
each. Wlien the office is moved into the new government building
now being erected, it will have been moved six times in the same
period. It is deeply regretted by all citizens, as it will no doubt be
at no distant day by government officials also, that the new building
is so small. It is said to furnish no more room than the present
60 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
quarters, while it oujT;ht to have been twice the size. It seems to
most peo])le that $65,000, the cost of this structuire, ])roperly ap-
plied, oiii2,ht to have furnished a building much larger and far more
imposing- in api)earance.
About as foolish a thing as it is possible for a jierson to do, is
to go crooked in a postoffice. They invariably get caught at it and
have to pay the penalty, which is severe.
Free postal delivery was established in Fond du Lac in 1888,
and rural free delivery in 1900, and have resulted very satisfactory
to all concerned. When free delivery was begun in 1888, there were
four carriers, but in 1905, the number has been increased to thirteen.
From 1900 to 1905 the rural delivery has increased from two to nine
routes.
Mails at Fond du Lac.
On the 8th day of February, 1838, the first mail arrived in the
settlement from Green Bay. It was brought through by Billy La-
lone, a French-Indian half-breed, traveling on foot with the mail
pouch and his supplies on his back. Billy carried the mail at first
every tw^o weeks, but a little later every week. Uncle William
Stewart was the next mail carrier. He was a Scotchman and a de-
serter from the British army, partly swimming the river at Niagara
Falls to get from Canada into the United States. He had to keep
well out of Canada to avoid arrest. He afterwards became a farmer
in the town of Byron and later in Eden, and was in every way a
first-class citizen. He w^as for nearly ten years a member of the
county board and every session was chairman of the committee on
claims. Then came a semi-weekly service on horseback from She-
boygan, and when the Milwaukee road was opened and the stage
line established in 1848, Fond du Lac had its first daily mail. From
year to year the service has been improved ever since.
Two Early Day Characters.
Two of the generally well known characters of early times at
Taycheedah was Billy Lalone and Uncle Billy Stewart. The latter
in after years became one of the most prominent and useful men on
the county board of supervisors. Uncle Billy Stewart was for three
or four years a mail carrier on foot between Green Bay and Fond
du Lac, but later on opened a farm in Byron and afterwards in
Eden, from both of which towns he was sent to the county board
many years and was always chairman of the committee on claims.
He was a deserter from the British army, escaping across the river
into the United States at Niagara Falls. He was a Scotchman.
Billy Lalone was a French and Indian half-breed and was Fond
du Lac's first mail carrier. He often prided himself on quick trips
with mail pouch and bag of grub on his back to Green Bay and re-
turn. I>car in mind that Taycheedah was in the early times a town
of far greater pretensions than it is now and Billy Lalone had some-
thing to do in making himself generally useful to the people. To
go out to the farm of Col. Conklin on errands for B. V. Moore, or to
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 61
cross the prairie to Fond du Lac on some errand, was but a little
walk for him. He was a favorite with the women as well as the
men, for he helped them in looking after small children and playing
with the larger ones. Among the boys he played marbles with, was
Harry Whinfield, and Harry says he was a good player, too. Half-
breeds of French-Indian stock could be lazy coots without difficulty,
but there was not a lazy hair in Billy's head. He died only two years
ago near Racine, and left many friends there as well as here. Uncle
Billy Stewart died a number of years ago.
Patent Right Sharpers.
At least twice in the history of Fond du Lac, some of its citizens
were badly bitten by patent right sharpers. The first time it was
with a patent fanning mill. One day when Dan Rice was exhibiting
here a man appeared on the street with a half-size fanning mill with
which he did remarkably nice work. He mixed wheat, oats and all
sorts of stufif and then ran them through his mill, separating each
into different drawers. He worked it nicely and sold a right to half
the state, claiming that he wanted to reserve the other half for him-
self. The purchasers, including E. B. Martin, a fanning mill manu-
facturer, got the material all ready in knock-down shape to put on
the market about 250 full-size fanning mills. The first ones put up
failed to work and all of the rest, so far as they were constructed,
proved utter failures. The small mill did its work well, but it ap-
peared that the larger size would not do it.
The next scheme was that of a fire-proof paint. At the Lewis
house the schemer painted dry shingles with his paint and they re-
fused to burn when put into the fire. The right to make and sell
the paint was bought, such men as Edward Beeson, Dr. T. S. Wright,
Keyes Darling, W. H. Hiner and a few others becoming interested
5n the proposition. The schemer made some of the paint to show
them what it would do and it worked beautifully. The basement of
the stone mill was fitted up for a factory and work began, but it was
a complete failure. The paint was hardly better than common white-
wash. It was ascertained afterward that the formula the sharper
gave the purchasers was very different from the one from which he
made his paint, that being altogether too expensive to be practical.
The man had disappeared and work was abandoned.
Capt. Mapes and His Text.
One of the most remarkable men in the development of the west
side of Fond du Lac county, was Capt. D. P. Mapes, in his early life
a steamboat captain. He went to Ripon, then known as Ceresco, in
1846. He became the owner of considerable land there and in 1848
began the agitation in earnest for another village. Judge Horner
also lived there and asked Capt. Mapes for the privilege of naming
the new village, and the request was granted on the conditions that
it should not be a long name, a common name or an Indian name.
62 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
The Horner family having come from Ripon, England, and that
name comph'ing with the conditions, it was chosen. An effort was
made by citizens to name the place Marengo, but Capt. Mapes would
have none of it. He was a good talker and though his speech was
not always grammatical, it possessed the merit of being effectual,
and the new town was named Ripon and prospered. In after years
and to the time of his death, if there was any public enterprise on
hand, Capt. Mapes was sure to be in the lead as a talker and worker.
He published a history of Ripon, a small book well filled with amus-
ing and interesting matter. In 1868, when Milwaukee made a vigor-
ous effort to secure better commercial relations with eastern Minne-
sota, the Milwaukee Merchants' Association sent Capt. Mapes up the
Mississippi river as a worker, but while working efffciently, he did
not forget Ripon. One evening a gentleman got off the 'bus at the
Mapes house at Ripon and made this inquiry of the proprietor:
"Who is that old gentleman whom I met at all towns along the
Mississippi river who is always preaching and his text is Ripon?"
There was no question about its being Capt. Mapes.
Sails on Lake Winnebago.
A respectable two-masted sailing vessel once stirred the waters
of Lake Winnebago, doing business in regular transportation. It
was schooner-rigged and with its sails spread looked very pretty.
"Trader" was her name and she was sailed by Capt Steve Hotaling.
Her trips were not frequent, but she put in an occasional appearance
here with lumber, shingles, farm produce and other commodities.
But getting her in and out of the rivers at the different lake ports
was slow and she was sold to John Morse, of the well known Osh-
kosh machine shops, who took out the masts and put in machinery
and she became the well known Fox river steamboat, "Diamond."
l]ut the "Trader" did not wholly end sailing vessels, for in 1877 a
vessel considerably smaller was put on the lake used to transport
farm products to market. She was also a two-masted vessel, schooner-
rigged, but she was found not to pay and was sold to Judge Pulling,
C. W. Felker, E. W. Viall and John Bauman, all of Oshkosh, by
whom she was beautifully fitted up as a pleasure yacht, and was
long known as the "Flora." Oshkosh Scandinavians occasionally
nad scows to assist in bringing in potatoes and like products from
the east shore, but the above were the only real sailing crafts, except
pleasure yachts that have in the past stirred the waters of Lake Win-
nebago and its tributaries.
A Paradise for Hoboes.
Beginning about twenty-five years ago, the old coal sheds of
the Northwestern road at the south end of Morris street, was a para-
dise for tramps and criminals, and the police picked them up almost
nightly. A good thing for all concerned is that it has entirely dis-
appeared.
PRINTING AND PRINTERS
The Job Printers in Fond du Lac From Early Days to the Present
Time. The Work They Did and How
They Did It.
Edward Beeson was the veteran and founder of job printing in
Fond du Lac. He was a printer by trade and a printing office was
a pleasure resort for him. He was connected with the trade here
from the beginning, and ceased only when age required it. During
the active part of his life it was about impossible for him to keep
out of the business. When he sold an office it was only to engage
in another, and he was never out of it long. To conduct a pioneer
newspaper was a pleasure to him, and when we think of his genial
character we cannot but wonder that in early life he delighted in
newspaper controversy. In politics he was an old time democrat
mainly on tariff issues, for he was a rock-rooted free trader. In the
war there was no copperheadism in him. He first set type at
Beaver, Pa., when he was fourteen years old and was a lifelong
printer.
Mr. Beeson sold the Fond du Lac Journal to M. J. Thomas in
1853, and for a year was out of business. The following year he
opened Beeson's Job Printing office, which very soon became one
of the prominent and prosperous business places of the town. The
building at the northeast corner of Main and Second streets had
been erected after the great fire of 1852. by Ward & Windecker, and
the second story, known as Ward & Windecker's Hall, was used for
dances, theatres, lectures, etc., and on Sundays for religious meet-
ings. But in 1856, Amory Hall was finished and the Ward & Win-
decker Hall did not pay, so it was rented to Mr. Beeson for a printing
office and continued to be so iised until in 1862, when the Reporter
was started and the hall was found too small for both and Beeson's
Job office was moved to the west side of Main street, in Warner's
block, over the store now occupied by Schleyer & Ordway, where it
remained until 1867, when the office became the nucleus of the after-
ward's widely known Star Printing Company.
Limited in capacity, with but a small amount of material and
one-half of it very much worn, and with cheap presses, yet Beeson's
Job Printing office managed to turn out some of the best work ever
seen in Fond du Lac. Specimens of it may now be seen here which
compares well with any printing of today, with all our boasted im-
provements. The only jobber the office ever had was an old Boston
Ruggles, on which the form was upside down when in use, and was
the first jobber brought to the state. The Milwaukee Sentinel
brought it from Buffalo, N. Y., in 1848, thence it went to Racine or
Kenosha, and Mr. Beeson bought it from C. L. Sholes in 1856, and
64 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
it came to Fond cki Lac overland. Besides this jobber, there were
two hand presses in the office, on which everything larger than a
note sheet was printed. Until A. C. Stow and A. T. Glaze built a
paper cutter, all paper used in the office was cut to the size for the
job, by hand with a shoe knife. Cards were bought already cut,
until a cutter was purchased about the same time. All circles were
cut in wood and much wood type was used. When some particular
line was needed for a poster, a board was planed to thickness and
size and it was cut by hand. This is done in some offices now, P. B.
Haber's for instance, but it is done on specially prepared material,
while the early times people had hardwood from the cabinet shop,
to work with. Rollers w^ere made at home of glue and molasses, now
the material may be bought ready to melt and cast, or the rollers
will be cast and sent almost as cheap as cost of the material for
them, and much better, for they will last much longer. The printer
of today has little conception of the cares and tribulations of the
early day worker. The latter had to fight his way and do the best
possible with the material he had or could make to fill the bill for
the job he had in hand. He could not send to Milwaukee or Chicago
and get what he would like to use, almost at an hour's notice. Sev-
eral days or a week was required for what can now be done in a few
hours.
During the time the Northwestern road was being built from
Fond du Lac, T. F. Strong, Sr., was superintendent, T. F. Strong, Jr.,
was the general passenger agent and D. Y. Selleck, for the last forty
years financial manager of the great McCormack business in
Chicago, was the general freight agent. Through these gentlemen,
and especially T. F. Strong, Jr., who was a veritable genius as to
printing, Beeson's Job office received orders for all the printing used,
and it was no small afifair for the facilities at hand with which to
do it. But that it was well done is shown by the fact that the work
was highly complimented by such Chicago offices as Dunlap, Sewell
& Spalding and Rand, McNally & Co. Among the heavy jobs done
was a full sel^ of through coupon tickets in blue and red color on
highly calendared forty-five pound straw colored medium paper.
Those tickets varied in length from six to forty inches and carried
from two to twenty coupons. On this job A. T. Glaze ran the press
during the days and C. H. Benton nights for several weeks. The
number of tickets printed of each form was not large, being 200 whole
tickets and fifty halves, but they had to go through the press twice.
It was the changes in the coupons that required time more than
press work. To the credit of all concerned, it may be stated here
that such experts as Mr. McNally and Mr. Spalding said these
tickets and the accompanying book of forms, was the best job of
printing in that time, seen in this country up to that time. But this
was not the only large or neat job turned out of that office — there
were many of them. Tim Strong wanted everything neat in that
line and he got it. And so, as stated in the beginning of this article,
Beeson's Job Printing office was one of the noted early day institu-
tions of Fonrl du Lac. During the most of its existence, A. T.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 65
Glaze was the foreman, and those, who worked under him at differ-
ent times were Charley Benton, Senator Dan Morrison, of Minnesota,
Web. Henry, Hi. Morley, Johnny Cortelyou, Hugh Boener, Fon.
Rockwell, Malcolm Graham, Jimmy A\^right and possibly two or
three others whose names are forgotten. All are believed to be now
dead, except Mr. Glaze and Senator Morrison.
It is not out of place to state here, that Edward Beeson was a
printer and newspaper man of the old school. He felt at home in a
newspaper office, but was not much of a job printer. Mr. Glaze
served an old fashioned apprenticeship in a printing office in Ohio.
Mr. Beeson was his uncle, his mother being a sister of Mrs. Beeson.
His delight was to do nice printing and to write for newspapers.
The first printing he ever did was with a hand stamp with movable
type, bought at a circus when a small boy. It was fifty-five years
on the 24th of August last, since he came to Fond du Lac, and he
has seen the city grow from infancy to its present proud position.
When Beeson's Job office ceased, the Star Printing Company
came into existence. Homer G. Leonard, James Russell and T. F.
Strong, Jr., were announced to the public as the owners, under the
name of Leonard, Russell & Strong, but Edward Beeson held an
interest in it. The office was in part of the second story of the
Amory building on Division street, but later was moved to the post-
office block on Macy street. At the latter location it did the print-
ing for the Sheboygan & Fond du Lac Railroad and some for the
Lake Shore & Western. This, with most of the Protection Insurance
Co. and the general orders from the city, made the office a very busy
place. After a time the railroad work went to Milwaukee and the
insurance company failed, after which the Star Printing Company
went into decline. This, with bad financial management, brought
on a reorganization of the company, but it did not work well and the
office was at last seized on chattel mortgage and landed at Marinette.
A lively lot of boys were from time to time connected with the Star
Printing Company, but nearly all have been lost to sight. Homer
Leonard is in Chicago, James Russell has been at Marquette, Mich.,
many years, and Brown Caniff is now, 1905, as he has been many
years, employed in the Reporter office.
About this time Thos. H. Bryant had a job office on Main street,
over Whittelsey's store, but never made much of a stir. The Com-
monwealth also had a job office all this time, but neither Mr.
Watrous nor Mr. Kutchin seemed to care much about pushing the
business. Their specialty was the newspaper and they gave it ex-
cellent service.
Thomas Bryant sold his job office to John Lockin, who some
time after took it to Brandon, and most of it found its way into the
office of the Brandon Times.
In 1875, Spencer Palmer, another of the old time Commonwealth
boys, started his job printing office in a very modest way. He can-
vassed the county for work, and no village escaped him. Wherever
a job of printing was desired, "Spence" was on hand to see about it,
and .this has been his policy for more than thirty years. He has
66 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
never aimed at making a big stir, but has pursued a steady business
course, increasing his facilities slowly, but all the time at work.
In 1885, Charles H. Swift and P. B. Haber started the "County
Job Printing Office," under the firm name of Swift & Haber.
Charley Swift came from the office of the former Star Printing Com-
pany and P. B. Haber from the Benjamin book agency. The firm
existed but a short time, Swift retiring and Mr. Haber becoming the
owner. In 1886 he negotiated the purchase of the Daily and Weekly
Commonwealth and organized the Commonwealth Printing Company,
which, while entirely separate as a business proposition, has yet been
in the same building and rooms of the job printing office of P. B.
Haber. With the Commonwealth came the jobbing department of
that office, at the time of the purchase practically asleep, and in these
first twenty years the business has been remarkably successful. Mr.
Haber has made a specialty of show printing and especially of
dates, and owns the local bill posting business.
Next came F. D. Edwards with the Trade Bulletin, a very mod-
erate sheet at first, for advertising purposes, but W. E. Smith joined
him and jobbing rooms were added. Like many other Fond du Lac
enterprises, the business grew slowly but steadily. Now that the
Daily Bulletin has been launched and domiciled in the same rooms,
it also has a newspaper connection.
During all of the more than forty years since 1862, the Reporter
has been doing job printing, but it was not until L. A. Lange became
the owner, that job printing was pushed, and especially after A. H.
Tuttle took charge of that side of the Reporter's business did it have
the reputation of being one of the best equipped offices here.
The office of the Nordwestlicher Courier, since W. H. Weber
has been proprietor, a period of about twenty years, has done con-
siderable job printing, in English as well as German.
Ripon, Brandon, Waupun, Campbellsport and Oakfield have job-
bing departments in connection with their local newspapers, but
there is little effort to compete with the larger city offices.
Contents of the Newspapers.
When the Saturday Reporter was started in 1862, attention was
first given to local matters. Up to that time it had been the aim of
the papers to deal with news, state and national, and to handle politics.
The Reporter was started for the express purpose of dealing with
society, personal and general local news, and it was a success. Pre-
vious to this time, if a prominent person came or went, it might be
noticed and it might not. Weddings were noted under the general
head of "Marriages," but it needed to be a big event to secure local
mention, and a write up like those of the present day, was almost un-
known. Clubs were far in the future and parties, except for dancing,
were few and far between. Let any one look into the old newspaper
files in the Public Library and note how different was the style of
newspaper writing. The change came with J. J. Beeson and the Sat-
urday Reporter. In personals it has now gone so far as to be ridiculed,
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 67
and justly so, as all who come or go expect a notice. Social functions
have so multiplied that the printer's space is monopolized. Fifty
years ago all this was unknown.
New Style of Type Stickers.
In this year of 1905 we have hardly completed the first year of
the Linotype Type setting machine. A year ago we were yet picking
up type just as the practice had come down to us from the days of
Faust and Scheffer, in the Sixteenth Century. We distributed the
loose type into the cases and picked it out again, one by one, very
much as the hen picks up corn. The case would "run out of sorts,"
that is, there would come a shortage of certain letters and figures, but
all the annoyances of the type case has passed with the coming of the
machine. Such a thing as "sorts" is unknown where it stands. If
the old time printer set five to seven thousand ems a day, it was a fair
day's work, but the machine drops that nvimber of ems every hour in
the day. The old time printer was often burdened with "pi," but
nothing of the sort is known to the machine. The ingenious German
Mergenthaler perfected this machine but a few years ago, now they
are everywhere. Fond du Lac at this date has seven of them. Little
did the type setter of even a year ago, dream of what was coming.
The Point System.
The old time printers were content to name the sizes of type, as
Nonpareil, Brevier and Long Primer, (the size used in this book) and
many others, and to speak of them as six point, eight point, or ten
point, would be Latin to him. One would have to go into an explana-
tion to make him understand that it is a system now universal, to
overcome the difficulties he used to have in the use of type from
different foundries, is now happily gone forever. Use of the point
system is a great improvement but the old time printer knew it not.
The faces of the type now differ, but the bodies are the same from all
type foundries.
Use of Plate Matter.
This is another innovation on old time printing office methods.
The old timer had to set all the matter he used in his paper, now he
may buy it in plate ready for use and in any department of newspaper
literature. There is even a daily news service from either of the many
concerns devoted to the making of plate matter. The cost to the
printer is much less, and the quality is often much improved. Thirty
years ago plate matter was almost unknown to newspaper men.
Other Innovations Come to Stay.
If the young printer of today was given the old beveled side and
foot sticks, together with wood quoins, shooting-stick and mallet,
what sort of work would he make in trying to lock a form, and what
would the old time printer have done with the mechanical quoins
now in general use.
How would the present day printer like it to "pull" a few
"tokens" on a hand press or "kick off" a few thousand impressions
on a jobber?
86 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAf
How would he enjoy cutting paper with a shoe knife or column
rule? How would he like it to make his own rollers or put a business
card or ball ticket to press on a big hand press? He would probably
not enjoy it much, but these and other like things had to be done
here in Fond du Lac in the past and it was not much more than fifty
years ago either. Some of them much less than that.
Tommy Heil, the Mechanic.
Thomas Heil was a German who resided from early times on
Brooke street, in a small house at the north end of the Gurney ware-
house. Tommy Heil was a genius as a mechanic. He was for more
than twenty-five years the designer and head pattern maker at the
machine shops of Peacock & White, afterwards Union Iron Works.
In 1874 went into the Allis shops at Milwaukee, as head of the engine
drafting rooms, where he remained until his death in 1899. As a
mechanic he had no superior.
At a state meeting of the German Turners, held here just after the
war, numerous banners "Gut Heil" (good cheer) appeared along the
streets, and the boys like Tim Strong, French Fuller, Tom Coneys
and others started out with the declaration that if they were going
to gut Heil they were there to see about it — they were not disposed
to let Heil be gutted while they were about. It was a good play
upon words and of course all laughed heartily.
Gibson Blacksmith Shop.
A blacksmith shop, doing all sorts of work in that line, once
stood on the corner of First and Marr streets, on the ground on
which the residence of J. W. Watson now stands. It was owned and
run by Mr. Gibson. He once had an old fashioned log chain brought
to his shop for a new hook which had been broken and part of it lost.
To make that hook he said was the most difficult piece of black-
smithing he ever undertook.
From Church to Opera House.
The present Crescent Opera House was the original First Con-
gregational Church, built in 1848, under the pastorate of Rev. L. C.
Spafiford. It was enlarged at the time Rev. Silas Hawley was pastor
and afterwards sold to the Laborer's Benevolent Society. The own-
ership, after a couple of changes, went to P. B. Haber, who is still in
control.
Old Time Home of A. H. Clark.
This house so familiar to all old timers, has entirely disappeared
to give place to one of modern appearance. It stood on the same
spot at the southeast corner of Marr and Fifth streets, since 1849.
Mr. Clark was one of the early pioneers of the county.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
The Sale and Use of Pianos and Organs. The Development of
Musical Talent in Fond du Lac Since 1850.
Pianos are heavy to handle, therefore difficult of transportation
into a new country over new and bad roads. And there are not many
early settlers who are prepared to invest in costly musical instru-
ments. The music of knives and forks and the rattle of farming
tools have a far deeper significance to them than the piano or organ.
In after years they got to an appreciation and ability to purchase the
latter, but in the early years they can and do appreciate the violin
that enables them to dance and at least temporarily forget about
troubles and privations. So it was with the early days of Fond du
Lac county people. They had A. H. Clark, Nat. King, Charles Bou-
ton, A. W. Chapman, George Ferris and the Windecker boys to fiddle
for them, but little was heard of the piano or organ. John F. Burger,
the old time piano teacher, who is still with us, and E. H. Hawley,
sold the first pianos here, about the year 1850. They were the
Boardman & Gray, Emerson, Bradbury and Schomer make. The
Boardman & Gray piano had the "Dolce Campana" attachment,
which sold many of the instruments, but were so objectionable that
after a little while there was hardly a writing table or desk in town
that did not have one or more of the pretty discs in use for paper
weights. The first melodeons here were those of Prince & Co., and
George W. Sawyer was the agent. Mr. Hawley introduced an in-
strument called the "Melo-Pean," but it was short lived. Mr. Soule
a little later sold various instruments, among them the Grovestein
& Co. piano, the cheapest piano ever made. It was as worthless as
it was cheap. "What becomes of all the pins?" is an old saying, and
we may wonder what becomes of all the old pianos, melodeons, melo-
peans, organs, etc. Who in many years has seen or heard one of
those old time instruments? They in some way went out of exist-
ence long ago. The cabinet organ came in some years later as a
successor to the melodeon. The first of the melodeons were portable
— that is, could be folded so you could march off with it under your
arm. But later caine music stores with everything in that line. The
early settler did not need them and the sale was slow.
In the years that have passed since Mr. Hawley sold thi Board-
man & Gray piano and Prince melodeons, and when a couple of
years later George Soule sold Grovestein pianos and melo-peans,
which began about 1851 or 1852, there have been numerous dealers
here in instruments and musical merchandise, but the stay of most
of them was short. Since Hawley's time early in the fifties, there
have probably been not less than twenty dealers whose stay ranged
from six months to three years. It was not until 1885, when B. H.
70 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Anderson came into the trade, that Fond du Lac had a permanent
dealer in musical goods. Mr. Anderson has been in the business
twenty years. J. W. Trout was the next longest in the business,
about twelve years. Mr. Voell is in the business, and two or three
others who are late comers. S. J. Sherer, Robert Crosby, Reed & Co.,
H. W. Hitchcock and W. W. Graham, were here about two to four
years. Several were here six months to a year.
John F. Burger was our first piano teacher as early as 1850.
After him came Prof. Kumleau. Prof. Knerringer and Prof. Graves,
all of them fine teachers. There were some lady teachers in later
years. The conservatories have done much to break up the teaching
by outside professors. Methods as well as the teachers have changed.
The first of Fond du Lac's noted singers was Abby Beeson Car-
rington, now with her husband, Mr. Lewis, a resident of San Fran-
cisco. She for several years sang in opera and concert. Mrs. H. C.
Moore, Mrs. L. A. Bishop, Miss Bessie Marie Mayham, Mrs. Chas.
Geisse, Miss Marlea Bishop, Miss Korrer and others. Also Herbert
Moore, Dr. D. B. Wyatt, Geo. W. Watson, J. E. Zahn, and others
among the men. H. Cumberland Wilson, one of the most accom-
plished organists and teachers in the west, came here in 1902.
Fond du Lac has never been behind the times or its neighbors
in musical culture or business. Most of the time it has taken the
lead.
The Dr. Darling Homestead.
As late as the beginning of the year 1850, the parcel of land from
Main street to the river channel and stage barn, and from First to
Forest streets, was the homestead of Dr. M. C. Darling. His house
stood in the center and was surrounded by fruit trees. During the
year 1850 the old Darling's block, on the northwest corner of Main
and First streets, was begun and finished in 1851. This was the first
break in the land, and a couple of years later the trees began to dis-
appear. The new house of Dr. Darling came, the old one was moved
away, and still later Macy street was ordered to be opened from First
to Forest streets, and the new house was moved to where it now
stands, on Macy street. In the meantime came encroachments on
the land on the Main street front, and was rapidly filled with business
structures. The trees all went as did also the high picket fence on
Forest street. One afternoon just before this fence disappeared, the
fine bay team of horses owned by George McWilliams, started from
in front of the home of Judge Flint, and ran on with great force, into
this fence and were ruined. The scene was a wicked one and made
the bystanders shudder. The horses were tenderly cared for, but
one of them had to be killed. The carriage was empty at the time
and no person was injured, but it was no doubt one of the most
startling runaways ever seen in Fond du Lac. Macy street from
First to the court house and from Forest street north, were opened
long before this, although that from First to Second was little used,
as the river slashed around in there.
\VAS A TALENTED ARTIST
Mark R. Harrison and His Dioramas. Some Noted Work of a
Fond du Lac Artist.
Few people now residing in Fond du Lac, know that one of the
noted artists of modern times resided here many years and died
only about ten years ago — 1895. He did much skillful work in his
time. He came here from Hamilton, Canada, with a brother in 1848,
to engage in navigation on Lake Winnebago and Fox River. They
owned the steamboats Manchester and D. B. Whitacre, but both
were slow tubs and remained in commission but a few years. They
were sold and Mark R. Harrison opened an artits's studio in the north
end of the old Darling's block, and remained there several years
and until he had erected one of the buildings on his Sixth street
property, about the year i860. During these years he painted some
fine pictures which he shipped to New York, where some were sold
at high prices and others taken to London, where they sold at
enormous prices. A few found their way to Paris and to other noted
capitals of Europe. Some one wronged Mr. Harrison and he never
received proper pay for these works of art.
About 1858, Thos. H. Stevenson came here and joined Mr. Har-
rison in painting pictures for an Art Union. Mr. Stevenson was an
inebriate, but a remarkably fine painter, especially of animals in
motion. A large number of paintings were perfected and Miss
Libbie Farnsworth wrote a poem for the art union, printed neatly
in book form, entitled, "Voyage of Pere Marquette and History of
Charles de Langlade." The tickets being all sold, the drawing took
place with the result that many of the best pictures remained in
Fond du Lac. "Heart of the Andes," the prize picture, went out of
town. Some of those Harrison & Stevenson Art Union pictures are
still in Fond du Lac parlors. The paintings were largely of rural
scenes and very pretty.
Stevenson's habits now became so unreliable that he was given
transportation and induced to return to his home in Cleveland, Ohio,
but in 1859 he appeared here again and joined Mr. Harrison in the
production of the noted Dioramas, one of the finest achievements in
art ever witnessed in this country. The scenes were each the size
of a theatre scene, the canvas for which was especially prepared by
the making of opaque, transparent and semi-transparent places in it,
so that by the application of colors on them and the proper placing
of lights before and behind the scene, all sorts of effects could be
produced. In the picture of Belshazzar's Feast, for instance, five
beautiful scenes, all of them different, were produced by the mere
placing of the lights. One scene would slowly fade away into dark-
ness, and another, wholly different, would immediately begin to ap-
72 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
pear with a change only of lights. Bright, sombre and middle
shades were produced readily and perfectly.
Just how the canvas was prepared and the dioramic effects se-
cured, Mr. Harrison would not tell. Even his student, Edward
Mascraft, the best friend he ever had, was kept in ignorance as to
much of it. Mr. Harrison claimed that he and a student of his at
Hamilton, Canada, named Jo. Dicey, worked it all out, but many
doubted it. It was true, however, that the grandest of the Dioramas
were painted, exhibited and destroyed there. One night while on
exhibition at the Royal Amphitheatre, a camphene lamp exploded,
starting a fire in which the pictures were destroyed and many lives
lost.
The Fond du Lac Dioramas were painted in Darling's Hall.
There were seven scenes, Belshazzar's Feast, Grand Canal of Venice,
St. Mark's Cathedral, Venice, Garden of Eden and Destruction of
Babylon and others. They were exhibited in Ward & Windecker's
hall, with splendid effect, with Rev. I. W. Bowen, a Protestant
Methodist preacher, as descriptive lecturer. Subsequently they were
taken out for exhibition by Mr. Bowen and a company, and when in
an Indiana city they took fire and were destroyed. An effort was
made to have Mr. Harrison paint another set, but he never got to it.
With the modern electric lights what magnificient dioramic effects
might be produced. The pictures here described depended upon
camphene, a very explosive article.
In the last years of his life, Mr. Harrison gave his attention to
treating Indian scenes, in which he was remarkably successful. His
"Gathering for the War Path," is one of the finest pictures of Indian
life ever seen in this country. This was the last work of his life.
A person who could not admire his "Looking for the Lost Trail,"
would be sadly deficient in the admiration of art. Of his many
portraits in oil colors, those of Dr. M. C. Darling, Perry H. Smith,
Gen. Harrison C. Hobart, and others, may be seen in the State His-
torical rooms at Madison. Among the archives in his home on
Sixth street, was a remarkable clock which he found a number of
years ago in Post's second hand store, and had repaired at a cost of
$i6. The clock was made, as shown by a brand on the back board
of the works, in England in 1769.
Mr. Stevenson became so much of an inebriate that he was sent
back to Cleveland a second time, and died there. Mr. Harrison died
in this city in 1894, and lies in Rienzi, where Mr. Powrie erected a
beautiful portrait head stone. He was unmarried.
In early times Fond du Lac had an Englishman named Spink,
who owned the property next north of the present Palmer House
and had a paint shop there. He claimed the title of "Sir Richard
Spink, artist to the Queen," and could talk fast, long and loud about
art, but was more of a carriage painter than artist. He had a few
specimens of canvas, but they were poor, very poor. The pupil and
successor of Mr. Harrison, Edward Mascraft, is doing some excellent
work. His portraiture in oil colors, is especially fine, and he treats
animal life as well as his teacher ever did. He is in everv sense a
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 73
true artist. A few individuals have w^orked oil colors in Fond du
Lac besides those engaged in teaching, but they have not been noted
or numerous. The photograph has done much to lessen the work
in portraiture in oil colors, but still much of it is done by the artists
of today.
The paintings in the art rooms of Mr. Harrison at the time of
his death, embraced some magnificent specimens of art, but have
been sold and scattered. "The Mount of the Holy Cross" is in the
library building at Oshkosh, "Gathering for the War Path,'' his great
Indian picture, is in the state library at Madison, "The Lost Trail" and
"Cleopatra's Triumph" are owned by private parties. Had electric
lighting been in use as it is today, at the time of the Dioramas,
they could have been exhibited far more effectively and without
danger equivalent almost to dynamite. But they are gone and Fond
du Lac people, among whom they were produced, have but a limited
remembrance of them.
We Had a Candle Factory,
It is now many years since Fond du Lac had a candle factory,
and remember that it is now, in this year of our Lord 1905, less than
fifty years since we knew anything about kerosene oil for lighting,
and before that oil and fluid lamps and candles had to be depended
upon. Fond du Lac had a candle factory and Francis Fritz was the
candle maker. The factory was down on Main street and made
better candles, it was said, than could be bought at the stores. They
were warranted "not to run or sputter" and to burn clearer and give
a better light than candles bought at the stores. But Mr. Fritz went
out of the business because the people had something much better
than tallow dips.
First Circuses to Come Here.
The first circus to come to Fond du Lac in the early days was
that of E. F. & J. Mabie. It was one of the old kind that made eight
to fifteen mile drives over country roads, and its stands were often
at small villages to avoid too long drives. The home of this show
was at Delavan, so it was a Wisconsin institution. E. F. & J. Mabie
gave place to Older & Co.. who came a few times, when Dan Rice
and Yankee Robinson came. By this time we had railroads in the
state and the railroad shows appeared, sometimes two or three in a
season. Soon after the war, Forepaugh, Barnum & Bailey and the
big shows came until now it must be something big to attract atten-
tion at all. And so it is with the small shows of every grade. The
W^inchell's, the Gibbs, the long bearded W^oodman, trick performers,
song singers, etc., have gone to the rear. There seems to be place now
only for big things or something very nice. In old times people
took what they could get.
74 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Henry Bush Lost His Chickens.
Many of the early day people tried hard to raise chickens, more
especially for the eggs for food, but it was about an even fight be-
tween the housewives, weazels, minks, hawks and owls. It was not
only provoking but exasperating to meet the depredations of these
"varmints." Henry Bush at one time had a beautiful flock of about
forty speckled Plymouth Rocks and fully as many more half grown
chicks, and one night they were attacked and next morning Mr. Bush
had not one left for seed. This ended Mr. Bush's efforts in that direc-
tion for several years. Others also suffered heavily, but the rule
seemed to be general among the animals to stop with the killing of a
dozen to twenty. Hawks and owls were more considerate, being
satisfied with one at a time. Tight hen houses was the applied
remedy when the settlers could get lumber.
The War Shinplasters.
At the beginning of the war of the rebellion in 1861, and after
enlistments began in April, our gold and silver coin suddenly disap-
peared as by a stroke of the magician's wand. The small change as
well as larger pieces, were all swept away within a few weeks and
dealers were at their wits end how to make change. Due bills were
used for a time, but these were very inconvenient and merchants felt
compelled to have small cards printed representing 5c, loc, 25c and
50c, which they gave out as change although a violation of law. They
had to do it and no notice was taken of it by the authorities. After
a while these change cards began to appear signed U. R. Sold, Ch.
Icken, Amos Kraut and dozens of like names, when the city took the
matter up and directed City Clerk A. H. Boardman to procure from
Milwaukee some bound books of lithographed shinplasters represent-
ing 5c, IOC, 25c and 50c. These were issued by the city on deposits.
First Cedar Blocks Used.
There are few cities in \A^isconsin that originally had as many
streets difficult of improvement, as Fond du Lac. Our Main street
at times has been almost impassible. Until the pavement was put
down, Fourth street was a hideous thoroughfare. West First street
twenty years ago, could hardly be called a street at all. Military and
Union north of Forest Avenue, were places to be dreaded for many
years. Harney street, now known as Park Avenue, was at some
seasons a tough place for vehicles and the middletown streets were
nearly all bad. But Fond du I.ac had some fairly good streets even
in a state of nature — they were not all bad. In a state of nature
Linden was one of the best streets in the city. Fifth and Sixth
streets were always fair, as also were East First and Second. She-
boygan and Division were improved early in our history with gravel
and stone, Arndt and Scott were fair streets at an early time. Forest
and West Division were the streets to the railroads and were im-
proved early. The first cedar blocks in the city were put on these
two streets.
GENUINE MISSIONARY SPIRIT
Some of the Saints Who Preached the Gospel Here in the
Pioneer Days.
Who can for a moment imagine that the early day preachers
through this section of country were not inspired with the genuine
missionary spirit. Father Anthony Godfert and Father Ruehl used
to go back and forth in canoes, in ox sleds and wagons and often walk
many miles through mud and snow to get to appointments. In 1850
Father Godfert was pastor of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in this
city, while trying to recover from frozen feet, obtained one dark
night while lost in Calumet. Feather Ruehl was the first to come here,
and he came as soon as there were people to come to. Father Bon-
seuil, a French missionary, was the first to do pastoral work, which
he did in 1840. He said mass in one of the rooms of what was so
many years known as the Giltner house, on East Second street,
opposite No. I engine house, in 1902 rebuilt. In this house Father
Bonseuil baptized the children, married the young people, heard con-
fessions and said mass for the dead. He came from below but once
in three months, and as the people waited for him he had much to do
when he did come. There are people now living here who were
baptized in this house. Father Godfert came later and was the first
settled pastor. He was succeeded by Father Dael. Isadore Snow,
father of Alfred Snow, our baker, assisted in building the old church
on the ground where St. Joseph's Church now stands.
Rev. Dana Lamb, on his farm in Springvale, Rev. S. D. Darling,
in Oakfield, and Rev. Safford, of the city, were earnest preachers in
the Congregational Church, but their experiences were far from
pleasant sometimes. They did not always have even a clean place,
for the school houses were often very dirty. These preachers often
did things that would appall the minister at this day. Tramps on
foot were most frequent and all the difficulties of early days roads
had to be met. About everybody in the county knew Mr. Lamb
and Mr. Darling personally, for they had preached in most of the
school houses. Mr. Lamb once went to the West Rosendale school
house, where he had three women, three children and one Dutchman
that couldn't understand English, for his Sunday congregation. He
laughed away disappointment by saying the weather had been bad
and the people must get in their crops. When these two men died.
Fond du Lac county lost two of its saints.
Rev. Mr. Town bought a farm in Oakfield, in 1843. He was of
the Free Will Baptist faith and was filled with remarkable missionary
zeal for the work he had in hand, as well on the farm as in the pulpit.
76 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Saturdays he walked from Oakfield to Brothertown, where he
preached on Sunday and Monday made the return trip in the same
way that he went. The other four days of the week were given to
farm work, except an occasional funeral or week day appointment.
A twenty-eight mile walk to an appointment for Sunday, and a
twenty-eight mile walk home on Monday, and farm work the balance
of the week, would probably overtax both strength and zeal of
ministers of this day. But they don't have to do it now. Rev. Mr.
Town left a son, Mr. P. E. Town, a member of the Old Settlers'
Club, who was born and still lives on the old farm in Oakfield, where
his father worked and preached.
The first Methodist preacher here was a missionary to the
Brothertowns, in June, 1838. He preached in the dooryard at the
house of Reuben Simmons, near where Calvary Cemetery is now.
Rev. H. S. Bronson was the first pastor, in 1843.
Rev. W. H. Card, of the Baptist Church, preached here as early
as 1844, but the society was reorganized a year later.
The coming of these and other early day preachers was not met
with pipe organs, trained quartet choirs or cushioned pews. Nor
were they in expectation of heavy pay, for the people had no money
and but little of anything else. They were genuine missionaries,
content to preach in private houses, in dirty school houses, in barns,
in the woocls, anywhere that they could get a hearing.
Nat. Waterbury put a pipe organ in St. Paul's Episcopal Church,
in 1850, and it was the first one here. Two or three years later ReV.
Father Dael put a small one into St. Joseph's Catholic Church, and
these were the only pipe organs here for many years.
Preceded the Lange Block.
The first structure on the land where the Lange block is now,
was a moderate size residence built by A. M. Delaware. The east
branch of the river swept around to within four or five feet of it and
the bank at that point was very steep. Mrs. Overton and Dr. Ray-
mond improved the Delaware house and made it what was so long
recognized as the Overton boarding house. It now stands at the
corner of Oak and South streets.
Hotel Brought From Taycheedah.
The date is not obtainable, but it was not far from i860, that the
building known in Fond du Lac as Knight's Hotel, had a skate on
the lake. The building was known in Taycheedah as the Weston
House, but it was wanted in Fond du Lac, and so one day was put
on skids at Taycheedah, and behind eight or ten yokes of oxen, was
brought here on the ice and placed near the corner of Scott and
Juneau streets, where it took the name of Knight's Hotel, that being
the name of the proprietor. The oxen slipped some on the ice, but
so did the building, and it came all right. It did not pay as a hotel
and after a few years it burned while empty.
A FEW OF THE FIRSTS
A Few Remembrances of First Things in the History of the City;
and County.
The first brewery in this county was a small one built by Mr.
De Hass, on the shore of Wolf Lake, in the town of Marshfield.
Ex-Sherifif Kunz knows something about it.
The first newspapers sold from a news stand in Fond du Lac,
was in 1852, by Geo. W. Weikert after he became postmaster.
The first term of court in the old court house was held by T. O.
Howe. The first term held in the new one was by N. S. Gilson.
The first stone sidewalk in Fond du Lac was laid by Joseph
Stow in front of the bank of Darling & Co., late the Wells Bank,
corner of Main and first streets.
The first farm machinery sold in Fond du Lac was by Lyman
Phillips, at the corner of Main and Forest streets, in a long shed.
H. P. Brown was afterwards in the same business at the same place.
The first type writing machine used in this county was doubt-
less the one brought to Ripon in 1864, by William Dawes. It was
made by C. L. Sholes, of Milwaukee. It was a crude affair, but Mr.
Dawes used it.
The first type set in Fond du Lac was in 1846, when Henning
& Hooker unpacked the material for the Fond du Lac Journal, by
Mood Case, an Ohio printer visiting Edward Beeson.
The first fountain pen worthy of the name, appeared here about
1883. Before this the miserable stylograph pen was used some, but
is now gone out.
The first bread baked for the public in a bakery, was by William
Chandler about 1848. He had a small bakery and pie shop on Main
street.
The first carriage and wagon blacksmithing done here and
making of steel plows, was by R. M. and Asa Pierce, who started
their shop on Division street in 1846. They had a fine shop in later
years on Macy street.
The first sale made at Curran's drug store, when it was
opened in 1847, was a box of Brandreth's pills and W. A. Dewey was
the purchaser. Dewey used to tell Curran that he opened his business
here.
The first six wheel truck passenger car on the Northwestern
road, was put out of the old car shops in Fond du Lac in 1854. The
writer of this rode in it nearly to Oakfield with Mr. Strong, Mr. Hull,
Mr. Manley and Mr. Peabody, to test its running. Previous to this
the trucks had but four wheels. Ben Garvin ran the engine.
The first news stand was started by Geo. W. Weikert, when he
was postmaster. The New York Ledger was the principal paper sold.
78 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
The first barber shop here was that of John Reilly, a negro with
an Irish name. He came in 1848. The first white man barber was
T. M. Bo wen.
The first carpenter and jobbing shop was that of Esek Dexter,
in 1848. Isaac Brown, John Beeson, the Ryders, Hurds and others,
worked in the buildings under construction, in barns or out under
the trees.
The first undertaker was Joshua Barnett, in 1847. Before his
coming, coffins were made by any woodworker, the hearse was a
farm wagon, and the funeral conductor the neighbors of the deceased.
The first weddings were in charge of John Bannister. The
services of a clergyman was seldom available, and Mr. Bannister was
the only qualified Justice of the Peace in the vicinity.
The first piano teacher was John F. Burger, and the first singing
school teacher W. W. Robinson. These men sold the first pianos.
When Edward Pier and Colwert Pier came over the Indian trail
from Green Bay in 1836, they found Jo. King as one of the French
Voyageurs at Brothertown, and he informed them that he came up
the Fox river in a batteaux as early as 1832, and that he was on the
east shore of Lake Winnebago that year. It is therefore very certain
that Jo. King came to this region pretty early. Gen. Ellis told the
writer that he ran two lines as government surveyor, through this
region, in 1828. Jo. King was with him part of the time in his
surveys.
Mr. and Mrs. Colwert Pier were the first residents of Fond du
Lac county, and the first year of their residence were here alone.
And what will timid ladies of today think of the fact that Mrs. Pier
was for some time here alone among Indians and wolves.
Mrs. Pier's death was the first in this county and hers the first
funeral. This death of Mrs. Fanny Pier was greatly lamented by
the settlers.
The marriage of Alonzo Raymond and Miss Harriet Pier was
the first marriage in Fond du Lac county.
The birth of John A. Bannister, son of John Bannister, was the
first birth in Fond du Lac county.
Miss Harriet Pier taught the first school in the county.
The first livery stable in Fond du Lac was owned by Mr. Finney,
father of Ed. Finney, for many years as now, a resident of Oshkosh.
He was for a time Steward of the Northern Hospital. The Finney
barn existed as early as 1847 '^^'^'^ ^"^^^ located near the present gas
works, with a shanty office out on Main street.
The first bridge over the west branch of the river inside the
present city of Fond du Lac, was at Western Avenue, in 1848.
Previous to that time crossings were made by fording it above the
present Wisconsin Central bridge.
The first bridge across the east branch was the bridge of the
then military road, but now Military street as far as it remains. In
1846, when the bridge was built, and until 1851, Military street was
straight from the five points to Forest and the bridge crossed the
river diagonally at the Robbins' livery property.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 79
The first resident of that part of the city east of Park Avenue
and north of Third street, was Wm. J. Ransom, who lived at the
present home of the Smead family. Old residents remember Mr.
Ransom for his ability to talk. That part of the city was the Ransom
farm in 1850.
The first bridge over the east branch at Forest Avenue was a log.
A tree had fallen across the river south of the old home of Gen.
Hamilton, and people crossed on it for about a year.
The first dancing hall was at the home of Reuben Simmons.
When he built his house, Mr. Simmons put in a movable partition,
and on occasions of dances, religious meetings, singing schools or
other gatherings, the partition was taken out and the result was a
hall 22 by 38 feet.
The first hall in the city for public use was the school house on
Fifth street, near Main, which was built for a court room, for meet-
ings of all sorts, as well as for a school house. It was built in 1848.
The first wagon shop in Fond du Lac was owned by William
Mumby.
The first harness shop was that of Lyman Bishop, at the corner
of Main and Third.
The first cabinet shop, Joshua Barnett.
The first shoe shop, Ernest Carpenter.
The first carpenter shop, Esek Dexter.
The first tailor shop, A. H. Clark.
The first stone mason, Joseph Stow.
The first insurance agent, W. T. Gibson.
The first bookbinder, Edward Sickles.
The first hatter, David Sickles.
The first milliner, Mrs. John Bonnell.
The first piano teacher, John F. Burger.
The first telegrapher, William Ellsworth.
The first singing school in this vicinity was in 1847, ^^ the house
of Reuben Simmons, in the town of Fond du Lac, and the late W.
W. Robinson, of Ripon, was the teacher. He came from Sheboygan
every two weeks for $5.00 a trip.
The first 4th July celebration in this county was in 1844, at the
home of Reuben Simmons. Settlers came many miles to attend it.
The band was Alonzo Simmons' violin. The baskets were emptied
on two long tables and the participants marched to their places to the
tune of Washington's Grand March on the violin. It all ended with
a dance and they had a big time.
The first regular preaching was by Rev. John Halsted
(Methodist), and he came around the circuit every two weeks. He
preached in school houses, dwellings, or any convenient place, re-
ceiving in payment flour, meal or anything the settlers might have.
He received no money for they didn't have any.
The first reaper used in this county is believed to have been by
J. Y, Westervelt, in Empire. It was an 1848 McCormick and was
brought from Sheboygan.
80 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
It is believed that the first threshing machine in the county was
owned by Col. Bertine Pinkney and H. G. Halsted, of Rosendale, in
1848. Previous to this time grain was threshed with flails or the
tramping of horses or oxen. It was the primative method and was
slow, but it served the purpose.
Metzgar in the Procession.
It will be remembered that in the fall election of 1858, John B.
Wilber was elected County Treasurer by a majority of one. He was
the democratic candidate and there were city and county anywhere
from 100 to 1,000 men who said they were republicans and claimed
to have cast that vote. J. J. Metzgar, then in the notion trade here,
was a violent republican, had a wagon rigged for the 4th of July after-
noon precession the next summer, on which was a giant figure of a
man labeled "the man who cast the winning vote for John B. Wilber,"
and a big whiskey barrel on a pole, labeled "the barrel of whiskey
that carried the Fifth ward for the democratic ticket." The Fifth
ward was generally republican at that time.. Another very small
dummy was labeled, "the republican that got a dollar and glass of
beer for votinpf the democratic ticket."
Koehne and the Dutch Gap.
Few propositions ever before the common council of Fond du
Lac, had a more spirited agitation than what is known as the "Dutch
Gap." The water shed of the country south of the city, is northward
over the farm of the J. H. Martin estate and the old fair grounds.
The water swept down through the south part of the city and formed
the ravine which crosses Fourth street, near Marr, goes through to
Third street opposite the Lyman Bishop property, and sweeps down
Third to Main, and across that thoroughfare, under a building north
of the Windsor House, and down past the gas works to the river.
In early days this was an open ravine and every spring a rushing
torrent swept through and under the log bridge at Main street. But
some years ago the city adopted the very sensible improvement of
stone culverts and it has given little trouble since. But the "Dutch
Gap" has helped some to dispose of the surplus water. About 1877,
when William Koehne was a member of the common council, he be-
gan the agitation of a proposition to cut a wide ditch from the so
called Martin road, westward to the river. Mr. Koehne owned
property on that road and that part of the city was largely settled by
Germans, and the ditch being styled a water gap, it came to be known
as the "Dutch Gap." The cause of opposition in the council was
mainly the cost. But after a couple of freshets, in which out-houses,
sidewalks and fences were floated about, Mr. Koehne's proposition
carried and the ditch was cut. It crosses Main street near the old
fair grounds. That part of the city has been much less bothered
with water since, and the ravine has not been wild, so it is evident
that it did some good. It has lost some of its former efficiency by
caving and needs attention. We may thank William Koehne for the
"Dutch Gap."
FIRST HOUSE IN FOND DU LAC
A House with a True Pioneer History, and Though of Primitive
Construction, was in Use Nearly Thirty Years.
Previous to 1836, the bridge on the MiHtary trail spanned the
Fond du Lac river at what is now Brooke street and the North-
western Railroad, and it may now be considered a fixed fact that
the main part of the Fond du Lac House was built previous to that
date by the soldiers for shelter. But in 1836, the Fond du Lac Com-
pany, having bought the land on which the city stands, needed shelter
for settlers, and in that and the two following years built the three
additions to it, so familiar in after years. It was long an important
point in the settlement, as it was the hotel, the store, the postoffice,
the general trading point and river crossing. The first family in it
was that of Colwert Pier in 1836, and here it was that Mrs. Pier
died and which was the first death in the county of a white settler.
Wm. Carey, father of our well known citizen, E. A. Carey and Mrs.
Laughlin and Mrs. Perry, also died in this house. At one time in the
early forties there were four families domiciled in it, besides being
a hotel, store, postoffice and general business resort. In after years
many well known families had homes in it, among them that of John
Kuicks, father of our present well known business man, H. P. Kuicks,
and Henry has many boy recollections of the old house. Mrs. A. W.
82 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Chapman passed most of her life near it and was in the place
hundreds of times. George McWilliams was a member of the Fond
du Lac Company, and as the local manager long had a room there.
Along toward the last the old house, after use of nearly thirty years,
went into decay and was torn away in 1864. The logs that were in it
may yet be seen on the garden farm of Mr. Boulay, east of the city.
For many years and to the time of the removal of the house, the
property was owned by Robert A. Baker. The location of the house
was east of the railroad track and between Johnson street and the
river.
The Fond du Lac Company, that took such a prominent part
in the early history of this region, was organized at Green Bay in
1835, the stockholders and the number of shares held by each was
as follows :
J. D. Doty, 46 shares. Henry S. Baird, 3.
Wm. Hathaway, 12. M. G. Merrill, 10.
John P. Arndt, 40. R. S. Satterlee, 20.
George McWilliams, 20. Silas Steadman, 10.
B. B. Cluney, 10. Samuel Ryan, 7.
R. B. Marcey, 4. Alex. J. Irwin, 4.
F. F. Hamilton, 35. David Jones, 15.
David Ward, 3. W. Alexander, 4.
Bush, Reese & Co., 6. E. Childs, 14.
C. C. Libbey, 12. M. Scott, 3.
William Brown, 64.
300 shares of $100 each, a total of $30,000.
James Duane Doty, President.
J. P. Arndt, Secretary and Treasurer.
David Jones, Geo. McWilliams, F. F. Hamilton, W. H. Bruce,
Directors.
Threshing and Fanning Mills.
A few of the old fashioned grain cradles are still used in the
potato regions of Waushara, Marquette and Portage counties. They
are not used to cultivate or dig potatoes, but to cut the small amount
of grain raised on the sand for food. Very few potato growers sow
enough grain to pay the interest on the money to buy a harvester.
In early days grain cradles were used in Fond du Lac county and
Uncle M. Farnsworth made hundreds of them every year, but they
do not belong to the farmer's outfit now and there are doubtless
many farmers now who do not know what they are or what they
look like. Well, they don't look like anything else on the earth or
waters under the earth, yet they serve the purpose very well in a
new country, or where the amount of grain raised is limited. The
cradle was a great improvement on the sickle, but there are people
still living who have seen grain cut with a sickle. Fanning Mills —
the early day people didn't have any. They threshed the grain out
with a flail, put it in a large pan and tossing it up, let the wind blow
out the chaff.
\VAS NOT MANY YEARS AGO
Referring to Back Dates Some of the Remarkable Years of the Past
are Noted. Many of Them Forgotten.
For the information of the young and the curious, it may be
stated :
That seventy-five years ago there was not a mile of railroad in
this country.
Sixty years ago the first telegraph line was put up in this country.
Thirty-five years ago the telephone was wholly unknown.
Twenty years ago the electric light was unknown to the people.
Twenty years ago there was not a gasoline engine in existence.
Thirty-five years ago there were no bicycles, and the first ones
had one high wheel and one little one.
Six years ago there were no automobiles running on our streets.
Fifty-five years ago the first street cars in the world were started
in London by George Francis Train.
Sixty years ago the first postage stamps were used in this
country, and they were for five and ten cents.
Sixty years ago you could prepay postage or not on your letter,
as you pleased. If the letter was to go 300 miles the postage was
ten cents.
Seventy years ago, if your letter was in two pieces, ever so
small, you must pay double postage on it
Sixty years ago postage on letters was 6^, 12^ and 25 cents.
The rate doubled if the letter went 300 miles or over.
Sixty years ago the first envelopes were used for letters. Pre-
vious to that time they were folded and sealed with a wafer.
Thirty-five years ago all letters were wrapped in the mailing
postoffice, and
Fifty years ago letters were accompanied by a way bill from
the mailing office.
Seventy years ago printers did not have rollers to ink their
forms.
Eighty years ago there was not a cylinder printing press in the
United States.
Twenty years ago all type for printing was set by hand and the
Linotype machine has been in successful use less than ten years.
Fifty-eight years ago petroleum was discovered in Pennsylvania.
Fifty-five years ago there was not a gallon of refined kerosene
or a kerosene lamp in existence.
Sixty-five years ago the only methods of domestic lighting was
candles and lard oil lamps.
Thirty-five years ago the first flour was made by the roller
process, instead of burr mill stones.
84 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Sixty-five years ago the contest was on between Fond du Lac
and Taycheedah for the location of the county seat.
Fifty years ago the pioneer business men were all here, now
they are all gone.
Fifty-five years ago ground was broken for what is now the
Northwestern road.
Thirty years ago the narrow gauge, now the St. Paul road, was
opened to Iron Ridge.
Twenty-five years ago the Wisconsin Central was built from
Neenah to Fond du Lac.
Twenty years ago the Fond du Lac Waterworks was started.
Sixty years ago the first reapers were made by the McCormicks,
the first in existence.
Forty years ago the war of the rebellion ended. Gen. Lee sur-
rendering to Gen. Grant.
Fifty-five years ago the old Darling block was the largest and
best building in Fond du Lac.
Forty years ago there wasn't a foot of pavement in Fond du
Lac, and 30 years ago there wasn't a sewer.
Thirty-five years ago the railroad was not built to Ripon, and a
stage made three trips a week.
Fifty-five years ago Ripon had no existence even in the brain of
Capt. j\lapes, or of anyone else.
Forty-eight years ago there was thick woods where the Gurney
plant is now.
Fifty-one years ago the Baptist Church took its position, corner
of Forest and Union, where it is yet.
Forty-two years ago the Presbyterian Church was moved from
Rees to its present location on Sheboygan street.
Twenty-one years ago the present court house was first occu-
pied by county officers.
Fifty-six years ago the old court house was first occupied by
county officers.
Thirty-three years ago the present jail and sheriff's residence
were occupied by prisoners and the sheriff's family.
Forty-six years ago not a pound of coal was sold in Fond du Lac
for fuel. The fuel used was wood and was sold on the streets from
wagons.
Forty-eight years ago wagons were often stuck fast in mud holes
on Main street.
Forty-eight years ago Charles R. Harrison, as the foreman, took
Fire Company No. 3 to Milwaukee and won the silver trumpet at the
State Firemen's Tournament.
Twenty-nine years ago the first Northern State Fair was held
at Oshkosh and was a success. The third attempt was almost a
failure and the northern fairs were held no more.
It was a frequent occurrence for prisoners to escape from the
old jail in the basement of the old court house, yet the Sheriffs of
later days have lost as many.
HISTORY OF ELECTIONS
Results of Village, City, County and State Elections from 1847 to
1904. Successful and Unsuccessful
Candidates.
The following compilation of election events, will pay well for
the space used. It was not always easy to secure the names of the
successful candidates in their order, but far more difficult to find and
record the names of their opponents. All this fund of information
of especial value for reference is here given and prevented from being
forever lost.
In the lists of names, the first after the date is that of the suc-
cessful candidate and the second is that of the unsuccessful candidate
for the office.
In the elections for Governor of the state, there have been at
times Prohibition, Greenback, Socialist, Labor Union and perhaps
other candidates, but it is deemed sufficient to give here the names
of those of the two leading parties.
Village of Fond du Lac.
The village of Fond du Lac, separate from the town, came in
1847, with the following officers :
President — Dr. Mason C. Darling.
Clerk — William A. Dewey.
Treasurer — Erastus W. Drury.
Justices of the Peace — J. J. Driggs, A. Raymond.
Constables— Carmi Wright, F. D. McCarty.
Trustees — John A. Eastman, W. T. Gibson, T. L. Gillet, Isaac
Brown, S. S. N. Fuller, J. J. Driggs.
The subsequent presidents of the village up to organization of
city in 1852, were George AlcWilliams, John Bannister, Isaac Brown
and D. R. Curran.
Early Day Population.
Population 1847 — 5i9- Ii"* 1850 — 1.940. In 1855 — 4.000. In
1857 — 7,000. The increase of population in 1856 was believed to be
the greatest in any one year in its history. In 1861 when the war
came on and the car shops moved away, the population of the city
was at a standstill for some years, if indeed, it did not go backward.
The votes polled in the entire county for Governor in 1848 were
for Dewey, 640; Tweedy, 389; total 1,249. The total vote in the
county in 1904 was 11,954.
86
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Following are the
from the origin of the
MAYORS.
City of Fond du Lac.
names of the Tvlayors and Clerks of the city
city government in 1852:
CLERKS.
1852—
1853—
1854—
1855—
1856—
1857-
1858-
1859—
1860-
1861-
1862-
1863-
1864-
1865-
1866-
1867-
1868-
1869-
1870-
1871-
1872-
1873-
1874-
1875-
1876-
1877-
1878-
1879-
1880-
1881-
1882-
1883-
1884-
1885-
1886
1887
1889-
1890-
1891
1892
1893-
1894-
1895-
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
M. C. Darling.
■Geo. McWilliams.
■Geo. McWilliams.
-M. C. Darling.
-D. E. Hoskins
-I. S. Sherwood.
-John Bannister.
-John Potter.
-E. H. Galloway.
-J M. Taylor.
-A. D. Bonesteel.
-A. D. Bonesteel.
-J. M. Taylor.
-J. M. Taylor.
-James Sawyer.
-W. H. Hiner.
-C. J. L. Meyer.
-John Nichols.
-T. J. Patchen.
-E. N. Foster.
-E. N. Foster.
-Alex. McDonald.
-H. H. Dodd.
-G. W. Lusk.
-G. W. Lusk.
— C. A. Galloway.
— Orin Hatch.
— S. S. Bowers.
— S. S. Bowers.
— S. S. Bowers.
— T. F. Mayham.
— T. F. Mayham
— T. F. Mayham.
— John Hughes.
— T. F. Mayham.
— C. R. Harrison.
— Alex. McDonald.
B. F. Sweet.
B. F. Sweet.
•T. F. Mayham.
-E. McLaughlin.
S. S. Bowers.
-T. F. Mayham.
-T. F. Mayham.
-E. E. Atkins.
-B. F. Sweet.
-L. A. Ehrhart.
-T. F. Mayham.
-F. B. Hoskins.
-F. B. Hoskins.
Wm. A. Dewey.
G. W. Sawyer.
G. W. Sawyer.
E. A. Brown.
S. D. Stanchfield.
S. D. Stanchfield.
A. H. Boardman.
A. H. Boardman.
C. A. Handt.
C. A. Handt.
A. H. Boardman.
A. H. Boardman.
Edward Bissell.
Geo. P. Knowles.
L. Q. Olcott.
L. Q. Olcott.
L. Q. Olcott.
G. F. Brownson.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany,. Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
E. Delany, Jr.
F. A. Bartlett.
F. A. Bartlett.
F. A. Bartlett.
F. A. Bartlett.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
87
1901— F. B. Hoskins.
1902— L. A. Bishop.
1903— L. A. Bishop
1904— John Hughes.
F. A. Bartlett.
F. A. Bartlett.
F. A. Bartlett.
F. A. Bartlett.
Sheriff.
Below are the names of the elected and defeated candidates for
Sheriff, since Wisconsin has been a state :
ELECTED
1848— F. F. Davis.
1850— F. D. McCarty.
1852 — Robt. Jenkinson.
1854 — Edward Beaver.
185C— G. W. Mitchell
1858 — Andrus Burnham.
18C0— Geo. F. Wheeler.
18G2— J. L. D. Eycleshimer.
18G4— H. A. Francis.
18CG— John Peacock.
1868- H. S. Town.
1870— M. B. Pierce.
1872— Peter Rupp.
1874— Nicholas Klotz
187G— Hazen R. Hill.
1878— Edward Colman
1880— John C. Pierron.
1882— Neil C. Bell.
1884— Fred Konz.
188G— W. E. Warren.
1888— Thos. Gale.
1890— David Whitton.
1892— Peter Brucker.
1894- Geo. W. Watson.
1896- Simon Schafer.
1898— Chas. W. Keys.
1900— B. Sheridan.
1902— T. G. Sullivan.
1904— J. C. Harcum.
DEFEATED
S. W. Baldwin.
Jonathan Dougherty.
Fayette Brown.
D. V. L. Huntington.
C. V. N. Brundage
F. D. McCarty.
A. C. Bobbins
H. T. Henten.
D. R. Curran
No opposition.
Aaron Walters.
J. L. D. Eycleshimer.
N. L. Bullis.
T. C. Lanham.
L. F. Green.
E. T. Effner.
W. A. Adamson.
G. W. Lusk.
Frank H. Bruett.
L. Manderscheid.
A. E. Austin.
Thos. Gale.
G. F. Brown.
Bernard Sheridan.
Albert Hasler.
A. H. Hobbs.
J. C. Harcum
Matt. Loehr.
Henry A. Francis died after serving a few months as Sheriff,
and his deputy, Isaac Orvis, assumed the duties of the office. It was
contended that the vacancy should be filled at the first general elec-
tion, and in the fall of 1855, John Peacock was named as a candidate.
But Isaac Orvis insisted that he, as the deputy of ]\Ir. Francis, legally
held to the end of the term, and so there was no candidate against
Mr. Peacock at the polls. It was now contended that the election
was for the full term and the courts so decided. The early days
Sheriffs lost some prisoners from the basement jail in the old court
house, but if they had had the present day slippery fellows to deal
with, it is doubtful if they could have hekf any.
88
BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
Register of Deeds.
ELECTED
1848— Nelson Wood.
1850— Nelson Wood.
1852— Rudolph Ebert.
1854— William White.
1856— N. H. Jorgensen.
1858— Solon G. Dodge.
18G0— Solon G. Dodge.
1SG2— M. W. Simmons.
1864— Dana C. Lamb.
1860- Dana C. Lamb.
1868— C. L. Encking.
1870— J. L. D. Eycleshimer.
1872— J. L. D. Eycleshimer.
1874— C. L. Pierce.
1876— C. L. Pierce.
1878— F. B. Hoskins.
1880- F. B. Hoskins.
1882— J. H. McNeel.
1884— C. B. Bartlett.
1886— C. B. Bartlett.
1888- S. G. Leland.
1890— Matt. Serwe.
1892— Matt. Serwe.
1894— P. G. VanBlarcom.
1896— John E. Holland.
1898— John E. Holland.
1900— John W. Eggert.
1902 — James T. Dana.
1904— E. T. Markle.
DEFEATED
N. T. Waterbury.
N. T. Waterbury.
G. deNeveu.
Rudolph Ebert.
S. M. Smead.
S. M. Fish.
John Boyd.
A. P. Mapes.
S. M. Fish.
D. C. Richards.
H. T. Henton.
D. C. Lamb.
0. C. Bissell.
J. L. D. Eycleshimer.
M. J. Meisen.
M. J. Meisen.
James T. Green.
H. J. Gerpheide.
S. G. Leland
J. T. Tripp.
Chris. Serwe.
S. G. Leland.
A. L. Briggs.
J. P. Stone.
P. G. VanBlarcom.
J. P. Tundall.
J. T. Dana.
J. W. Eggert.
J. T. Dana.
The record books were unsafe in the old court house, so in 1854,
the cotmty erected a small stone building north of the court house,
into which the Register's ofifice was moved and remained there until
the new court house was occupied in 1884. It was well that this
move was made, for the court house did eventually btirn.
Clerk of the Courts.
ELECTED
1848 — Isaac Brown.
1850— Fayette S. Brown.
1852— J. J. Driggs.
1854— J. J. Driggs
1856— John C. Bishop.
1858 — Edward Beaver.
1860— David Babcock.
1862— David Babcock.
1864— M. W. Simmons.
1866— Geo. W. Carter.
1868— Geo. W. Carter.
1870— M. McKenna.
1872— M. McKenna.
1874— M. McKenna.
DEFEATED
L. B. Hills.
Isaac Brown.
C. P. Hammond.
J. M. Judd.
S. D. Stanchfleld.
A. H. Boardman.
R. M. Sawyer.
Frank L. Ruggles.
A. H. Boardman.
P. S. Haner.
M. McKenna.
G. W. Carter.
G. H. Francis.
A. Maloney.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
89
ELECTED
1876 — James Russell.
1878— S. G. Leland.
1880— S. G. Leland.
1882— A. E. Richter.
1884— J. W. Watson.
1886— J. W. Watson.
1888— T. K. Gillet.
1890— T K. Gillet.
1892— J. L. Carberry.
1894 — Henry Hayes.
1896— A. E. Leonard.
1898— A. E. Leonard.
1900— D. 0. Williams.
1902— D. O. Williams.
1904— C, A. Worthing.
DEFEATED
Wm. Blair.
James Russell.
E. Blewett.
James Bannon
A. E. Richter.
Thos. Gale.
F. D. Luther.
Thos. Gale.
A. H. Bassett.
G. L. Garberry.
J. J. Stratz
Peter Schrooten.
S. B. Tredway.
N. Lange.
J. W. Pinch.
The work of the Clerk of the Court was somewhat increased
when the jurisdiction of the county court was extended, about 1878,
by making him clerk of the county as well as the circuit court. The
office of Clerk of the Courts was also moved from the stone building
in 1884.
County Clerk.
ELECTED
DEFEATED
1848-
-Eli Hooker.
P.
V.
Sang.
1850-
-G.
J.
Allen.
P.
Meiklejohn.
1852-
-A.
W
. Paine.
0.
S.
Wright.
1854-
-A.
A.
Armstrong.
Ghas.
Willard.
1856-
-G.
F.
Kalk.
J.
A.
Smith.
1858-
-J.
V.
McGall.
G.
F.
Kalk.
1860-
-A.
B.
Gary.
John
Manel.
1862-
-G.
w.
, Prescott.
A.
D,
, Bonesteel.
1864-
-G.
W
. Prescott.
Ghas.
Geisse.
1866-
-C.
H.
DeGroat.
John Wormwood.
1868-
-G.
H.
DeGroat.
E.
G.
Sherwin.
1870-
-W.
H.
F. Smith.
H.
R.
Johnson.
1872-
-W.
H
. F. Smith.
Gust.
Burghardt.
1874-
-H.
I.
Davidson.
M.
B.
Pride.
1876-
-E.
Blewett.
J.
A.
Brundage.
1878-
-E.
Blewett.
J.
W.
Oliver.
1880-
-A.
G.
Jeleff.
Oscar
Berry.
1882-
-D.
E.
Whiting.
A.
G.
Jeleff.
1884-
-Mark
Grain.
D.
E.
Whiting.
1886-
-Ma
irk
Grain.
J.
F.
Susan.
1888-
-Mark
Grain.
G.
L.
Ladwig.
1890-
-Owen
Ferguson.
G.
W.
Watson.
1892-
-Owen
Ferguson.
V.
M.
Weeks.
. 1894-
-Owen
Ferguson.
H.
Stan wood.
1896-
-G.
B.
Atkins.
Owen
Ferguson.
1898-
-A.
Schussler.
G.
E.
Atkins.
1900-
-A.
R.
Wilkinson.
A.
Schussler.
1902-
-A.
Schussler.
A.
R.
Wilkinson.
1904-
-A.
R.
Wilkinson.
A.
Schussler.
Cle
■rk of the Board of Si
npervisors
was the title
of this
office until
1874, w
'hen it was changed
to County Clerk. The
only :
irregularity
90
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
in this office in Fond du Lac county to claim mnch attention, was
during the official life of W. H. F. Smith in 1870 and 1872, and of
Owen Ferguson from 1890 to 1896.
The Commissioner System,
The commissioner system of county government was once tried
in this state, but was short lived. It was thought by many that the
county board was too much of a legislative system, and in 1866 was
changed to commissioners. This county had five and their terms
of office were so arranged that two went out each year. But it was
unsatisfactory and the people soon began to petition the legislature
for a re-enactment of the old law. D. W. Maxon, 'of Washington
county, led the revolt, and as a member of the legislature in 1876,
succeeded in retiring the commissioners. Petitions by hundreds
came from the people of the state. That the county board system
is expensive and cumbersome, had no influence, and Mr. Maxon got
his bill through by a large majority. During the time the commis-
sioner system was in force, the following named gentlemen served
on the board in this county :
A. M. Skeels, Ripon.
E. P. West, Ripon.
Wm. Hobkirk, Waupun.
E. L. Runals, Ripon.
J. Wagner, Marshfield.
ELECTED
1848— K. Gillet.
1850— P. V. Sang.
1852 — D. R. Curran.
1854 — R. Jenkinson
185G— A. J. Reid.
1858— J. B. Wilber.
1860— John Potter.
1862— C. C. L. Webster.
18G4— J. A. Smith.
1866— Thos. Bryant.
1868— Thos. Bryant.
1870— B. Beeson.
1872 — E. Beeson.
1874— John W. Hall.
1876- J. C. Perry.
1878 — L. Manderscheid.
1880 — L. Manderscheid.
1882— C. F. G. Wernicke.
1884 — Louis Muenter.
1886 — Louis Muenter.
1888 — Louis Muenter.
1890 — Louis Muenter.
1892 — Louis Muenter.
1894— F. J. Rueping.
1896 — David Thomas.
1898— H. R. Potter.
E. H. Galloway, Fond du Lac.
Aaron Walters, Eden.
C. D. Gage, Auburn.
Geo. Giddings, Empire.
County Treasurer.
DEFEATED
S. Sanborn.
Nat. Waterbury.
C. J. Case.
T. S. Brown.
J. M. Judd.
G. W. Sawyer.
J. B. Wilber.
John Potter.
J. W. Hall.
J. A. Smith.
A. Cooley.
H. C. Graffam.
John Potter.
0. H. Adams.
A. A. Loper.
A. H. Bruett.
A. H. Bassett.
Henry Bolens.
G. C. Hill.
G. C. Hill.
Ellis Whiting.
M. J. Althouse.
M. W. Simmons.
S. Simons.
G. W. Jackson.
David Thomas.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
91
ELECTED DEFEATED
1900— A. C. Dallman. H. R. Potter.
1902— E. H. Lyons. E. W. Clark.
1904— E. H. Lyons. G. H. Moore.
Irregularities have occurred twice in the history of the Treas-
urer's office of Fond du Lac county. The first during the term of
Andrew J. Reid, in 1856. The books were so badly kept, or not kept
at all, that the committee of the county board, E. S. Bragg, Capt.
Wm. Plocker and C. D. Gage, reported a specimen of bookkeeping
unsurpassed in the Fiji Islands. Fred Kalk and J. V. McCall, as
experts, worked on the books and papers, and Reid's bondsmen paid
what was said to be due.
For several years the county board levied a percentage of tax
for a court house fund. In 1880, E. L. Runals, a member of the board
from Ripon, noticed that the court house fund had disappeared from
the report of the clerk and he wanted to know where it was. He
got a resolution passed to employ a first-class expert on the books,
with the result that it was found that the lost fund had been used
for general purposes and not charged to the general fund. It had
not been stolen, but another startling fact was developed, that there
had not been a correct settlement with the County Treasurer in six-
teen years — a wrong system of figuring had been practiced bv the
inexperienced county board committees, and the county was the
loser by many thousands of dollars. The amount found due from
some of the treasurers was small and some quite large, and to their
credit be it said, they all paid promptly. The expert found that the
only correct settlements made from 1862 to 1878, was bv T- C. Perry
as the Treasurer in 1876 and 1878. It was all of wrong figuring in
settlements, not dishonesty.
District Attorney.
ELECTED
1848— S. S. N. Puller.
1850— L S. Tallmadge.
1852— W. H. Ebbets.
1854— E. S. Bragg.
1856— L S. Tallmadge.
1858— A. W. Paine.
1860 — James Coleman.
1862 — James Coleman.
1864— George Perkins.
1866 — George Perkins.
1868 — George Perkins.
1870— Geo. P. Knowles.
1872— S. L. Brasted.
1874— S. L. Brasted.
1876— N. S. Gilson.
1878— J. J. Fooote.
1880— F. F. Duffy.
1882— F. F. Duffy.
1884— F. F. Duffy.
1886— J. H. McCrory.
DEFEATED
W. C. Dodge.
J. C. Truesdell.
D. E. Wood.
Emerson Hodges.
J. J. Poote.
W. D. Conklin.
Jay Mayham.
J. Dobbs, Jr.
H. P. Rose.
A. P. Mapes.
H. F. Rose.
L H. Hauser.
J. J. Foote.
J. J. Foote.
S. L. Brasted.
W. W. D. Turner.
W. W. D. Turner.
A. E. Bovay.
H. J. Parkhill.
J. F. Ware.
92
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
1888— J. H.
1S90— J. H.
1892— J. H.
1894— H. E.
1896— H. E.
1898— M. K.
1900— R. L.
1902— R. L.
1904— B. P.
ELECTED
McCrory-
McCrory.
McCrory.
Swett.
Swett.
Reilly.
Morse.
Morse.
Worthing.
DEFEATED
J. W. Hiner.
G. W. Carter.
S. J. Morse.
J. H. McCrory.
A. B. Schuchardt.
T. J. Hoey.
M. K. Reilly.
J. G. Hardgrove.
J. G. Hardgrove.
County Surveyor.
ELECTED
1848 — H. W. Newton.
1850 — J. S. Dalman.
1852 — J. E. Tompkins.
1854 — J. E. Tompkins.
1856— H. W. Newton.
1858 — Jas. Fairbanks.
1860- Lathrop Ellis.
1862— Lathrop Ellis.
1864— Lathrop Ellis.
1866— J. DeVry.
1868— H. W. Newton.
1870 — Jos. Haessly.
1872 — Jos. Haessly.
1874 — J. W. Bowe.
1876 — Jos. Haessly.
1878 — Jos. Haessly.
1880 — Jos. Haessly.
1882— Jos. Haessly.
1884 — Jos. Haessly.
1886— Jos. Haessly.
1888— Jos. Haessly.
1890— W. H. Ferber.
1892— Jos. Haessly.
1894— B. K. Fairbanks,
1896 — B. K. Fairbanks.
1898 — B. K. Fairbanks.
1900 — B. K. Fairbanks.
1902 — J. R. Stewart.
1904 — F. L. Anders.
Joseph Haessley was
and elected ten times.
ELECTED
1848 — John Bannnister.
1850— A. Raymond.
1852 — Isaac Cooper.
1854 — Jas. Hamilton.
1856— J. Bassett.
1858— Geo. Morse.
1860 — A. Armstrong.
1862— J. W. Hall.
DEFEATED
Edward Beeson.
Lathrop Ellis.
E. Delany.
P. O'Laughlin.
P. O'Laughlin.
T. W. Coneys.
P. O'Laughlin.
J. V. DeVry.
J. V. DeVry.
P. O'Laughlin.
Jos. Haessly.
J. V. DeVry.
John Ross.
E. Radford.
E. Radford.
Jas. Fairbanks.
Jas. Fairbanks.
Jas. Fairbanks.
Jas. Fairbanks.
H. W. Newton.
H. W. Newton.
H. W. Newton.
H. W. Newton.
Jos. Haessly.
Jos. Haessly.
Jos. Haessly.
H. Van Derphide.
G. W. Michael.
No opposition,
nominated for this office fourteen times
Coroner.
DEFEATED
Carmi Wright.
Carmi Wright.
Lewis Crofoot.
Lewis Crofoot.
A. S. Meader.
Lewis Crofoot.
H. Willard.
D. C. Lamb.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
93
1864 — Isaac Tompkins.
1866— Z. L. Chapman.
1868— Z. L. Chapman.
1870— S. B. Taylor.
1872 — James O'Reily.
1874 — Jtmes O'Reily.
1876— P. V. Sang.
1878- H. W. Burnell.
1880 — F. F. Parsons.
1882— F. F. Parsons.
1884— F. F. Parsons.
1886— E. B. Pride.
1888- F. F. Parsons.
1890- F. F. Parsons.
1892— F. F. Parsons.
1894— P. K. Pickard.
1896— G. W. Worthing.
1898- G. W. Worthing.
1900— J. H. Simmons.
1902— F. F. Parsons.
1904— H. H. Beeman.
DEFEATED
Jas. O'Reily.
H. M. Fredericks.
Geo. Willett.
S. Valentine.
H. D. Parsons.
J. F. Steele.
J. F. Steele.
A. Armstrong.
H. D. Parsons.
H. D. Parsons.
H. D. Parsons.
J. T. Green.
W. E. Jones.
G. W. Watson.
John Meiklejohn.
F. F. Parsons.
F. F. Parsons.
F. F. Parsons.
F. F. Parsons.
J. H. Simmons.
G. B. McKnight.
Superintendent of Schools.
ELECTED
1864— E. Root.
1866—1. N. Cundall.
1868—1. N. Cundall.
1870— W. L. O'Conor.
1872— W. L. O'Conor.
1874— W. L. O'Conor.
1876— D. B. Lyon.
1878— E. McLoughlin.
1880— D. B. Lyon.
1882— D. B. Lyon.
1884— Thos. E. Lyons.
1886— Thos. E. Lyons.
1888— A. T. Blewett.
1890— A. T. Blewett.
1892— W. H. Ferber.
1894— Myron E. Keats.
1896— Myron E. Keats.
1898— Myron E. Keats.
1900— A. B. Adamson.
1902— A. B. Adamson.
1904— A. B. Adamson.
DEFEATED
No opposition.
J. A. Davenport.
D. B. Lyon.
I. N. Cundall.
D. B. Lyon.
H. D. Akin.
J. J. Kelly.
W. L. O'Conor.
W. L. O'Conor.
W. L. O'Conor.
Kirk Spoor.
W. W. Pattingill.
John Moran.
John Moran.
Wm. Titus.
W. H. Ferber.
J. B. Conley.
G. B. Kelly.
G. B. Kelly.
Vincent Huck.
E. P. Grain.
The county school system went into effect in 1864. Previous
to that time each town had its own Superintendent of Schools to
examine the teachers and give advice, but most of them were very
slack in the performance of their duties. To take the election of
County Superintendent out of politics as much as possible, three
years ago the law was amended making the election in the spring
instead of in the fall.
94 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
Fond du Lac Legislators.
The constitution of Wisconsin provides that the number of
Senators shall not exceed thirty-three, and Assemblymen lOO. For
some years the number provided for was less than this, but as popu-
lation increased the number was increased until the entire number
was allowed. As the state develops, especially northward, .we of the
older counties suffer a diminution in legislative representation. Be-
low is the names of the Senators from this county and their op-
ponents in the election from the beginning of the state government:
ELECTED DEFEATED
1848 — Warren Chase. J. A. Eastman.
1850— J. A. Eastman. J. M. Gillet.
1852— B. Pinkney. J. H. Powel.
1854— C. A. Eldredge. Geo. D. Curtis.
1856 — Edward Pier. John Boyd.
1858 — Edward Pier. A. C. Bobbins.
1860— E. L. Phillips. D. E. Hoskins.
1862— G. W. Mitchell. J. M. Gillet.
1864— G. F. Wheeler. G. W. Mitchell.
1866— E. S. Bragg. J. Bowen.
1868 — E. S. Bragg. Orin Hatch.
1870 — H. S. Town. J. K. Fairbanks.
1872— W. H. Hiner. J. Dobbs, Jr.
1874— W. H. Hiner. A. C. Whitng.
1876 — W. H. Hiner. James Russell.
1878— A. A. Loper. G. W. Lusk.
1880— G. E. Sutherland. T. K. Gillet.
1882 — E. Colman. David Whitton.
1884 — J. F. Ware. John Hughes.
1886— Ignatius Klotz. L. W. Thayer.
1888 — S. B. Stanchfield. James Fenelon.
1892— S. M. Smead. C. S. Lusk.
1894— L. W. Thayer. Ignatius Klotz.
1896— L. W. Thayer. B. F. Sweet.
1900 — Elmer P. Morse. L. A. Lange.
1904— C. H. Smith. O. A. Piggott.
In the legislative apportionment of 1870, three of the eastern
towns of Fond du Lac county were detached from the Eighteenth
Senate District and added to Sheboygan county to form the Twentieth
Senate District, and in 1876, Daniel Cavanaugh, of Osceola,
was elected Senator for that district. In the apportionment of 1880,
the three towns were restored to the Eighteenth District and no
change was made until 1900, when Green Lake county was added
to the Eighteenth District and Elmer P. Morse elected Senator. In
1904 C. H. Smith was chosen Senator.
Members of Assembly.
William A. Adamson, 1880. L. A. Lange, 1893-1895-1897-1899.
Frank L. Bacon, 1895. James Laferty, 1874.
Ezekiel Babcock, 1882. J. C. Lewis, 1859-1860.
John A. Baker, 1871. R. M. Lewis, 1873.
James Bannon, 1891. Querin Loehr, 1853.
S. K. Barnes, 1859. Peter Loehr, 1889.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
95
M. S. Barnett, 1851-1857.
H. C. Bottum, 1868-1869-1879.
Frank Bowe, 1891.
J. Bowen, 1871.
John Boyd, 1855-1860-1862-1870.
Thomas Boyd, 1865.
W. T. Brooks. 1860-1877.
J. H. Brinkerhoff, 1865.
Isaac Brown, 1856.
Lambert Brost, 1876-1877.
J. Carberry, 1903.
L. H. Carey, 1867.
D. Cavanaugh, 1870.
Seth A. Chase, 1868.
James Coleman, 1866-1867.
Elihu Colman, 1872.
Jerre Dobbs, Jr., 1870.
Charles Doty, 1848.
W. H. Ebbets, 1855.
Wynn Edwards, 1897.
Louis Eudemiller, 1882.
Truman M. Fay, 1871.
James Fenelon, 1901.
Geo. H. Ferris, 1887.
James Fitzgerald, 1878.
Egbert Foster, 1865.
Chas. D. Gage, 1858-1867.
E. H. Galloway, 1863-1864.
James E. Gee, 1881.
Charles Geisse, 1864.
Philip Greening, 1879.
John W. Hall, 1861.
Irenus K. Hamilton, 1869.
C. F. Hammond, 1861-1862.
John Hardgrove, 1883.
B. R. Harrington, 1855.
W. W. Hatcher, 1862.
Chester Hazen, 1885.
H. D. Hitt, 1858.
George Hunter, 1875.
Wm. T. Innis, 1877.
J. Jacobs, 1903.
R. Katz, 1901.
Charles L. Julius, 1851.
Peter Johnson, 1856.
R. C. Kelly, 1868.
Ignatius Klotz, 1880.
Nicholas Klotz, 1868.
G. A. Knapp, 1887.
Fred Konz, 1881.
A. A. Loper, 1873.
S. C. Matteson, 1859.
F. D. McCarty, 1858.
P. McGalloway, 1895.
James McElroy, 1864.
C. McLean, 1862.
John Meiklejohn, 1882.
U. D. Mihills, 1870-1871.
B. F. Moore, 1852.
Selim Newton, 1861.
M. L. Noble, 1849-1850.
S. O'Hara, 1863.
G. W. Parker, 1855-1856.
H. O. Peters, 1859.
Wm. Plocker, 1875.
B. Pinkney, 1850.
E. A. Putnam, 1876.
H. A. Ripley, 1899.
E. L. Runals, 1857.
F. W. Spence, 1877-1879.
J. M. Stock, 1893.
S. B. Stanchfield, 1885.
H. Stanton, 18G1.
Wm. Starr, 1863-1864.
A. A. Swaim, 1878.
I. S. Tallmadge, 1853-1854.
M. Thelan, 1879.
L. W. Thayer, 1893.
M. J. Thomas, 1854-1857.
G. T. Thorn, 1871.
D. D. Treleven, 1880.
W. W. D. Turner, 1883.
W. S. Tuttle, 1858.
D. C. VanOstrend, 1865.
Jos. Wagner, 1856-1858-1866-1867-1868-
1871.
Aaron Walters, 1875-1872.
J. F. Ware, 1880-1881-1883.
W. S. Warner, 1869.
J. W. Watson, 1889, 1891.
T. S. Weeks, 1874.
F. M. Wheeler, 1863.
C. A. Whiting, 1867.
W. Whiting, 1859.
D. Whitton, 1874.
J. B. Wilbor, 1857.
E. Wilcox, 1864.
M. Wirtz, 1878.
Uriah Wood, 1878.
A. J. Yorty, 1872.
1848 — Nelson Dewey.
1851 — Leonard J. Farwell.
1853— William A. Barstow
Governors of Wisconsin.
John H. Tweedy.
Don Alonzo Juan Upham.
E. D. Holton.
96
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
1855-
1855-
1855-
1857-
1859-
1861-
18G1-
1863-
1865-
1867-
1869-
1871-
1873-
1875-
1877-
1879-
1881-
1883-
1885-
1888-
1890-
1892-
1894-
1896-
1898-
1900-
1902-
1904-
-Wm. A. Barstow. Coles Bashford.
-Arthur McArthur, Lieut. Governor and Governor during lawsuit.*
-Coles Bashford, Governor after decision of the courts.
-Alex. W. Randall. James B. Cross.
-Alex. W. Randall. Harrison C. Hobart.
-Louis P. Harvey, Drowned. James Ferguson.
-Edward Salomon, Lieut. Governor and successor of Gov. Harvey.x
-James T. Lewis.
-Lucius Fairchild.
-Lucius Fairchild.
-Lucius Fairchild.
-Cadwalader C. Washburn.
-William R. Taylor.
-Harrison Ludington.
-William E. Smith.
-William E. Smith.
-Jeremiah M. Rusk.
-Jeremiah M. Rusk.
-Jeremiah M. Rusk.
-William D. Hoard.
-George W. Peck.
-George W. Peck.
-William H. Upham.
-Edward Scofield.
-Edward Scofield.
-Robert M. LaFollette.
-Robert M. LaFollette,
-Robert M. LaFollette.
Members
Following are the names of
with the years they v\^ere elected
1848— Mason C. Darling.
1850 — James Duane Doty.
1852— John B Macy.
1854 — Charles Billinghurst.
1856— Charles Billinghurst.
1858 — Charles H. Larrabee.
1860— A. Scott Sloan.
1862— Charles A. Eldredge.
1864— Charles A. Eldredge.
1866— Charles A. Eldredge.
1868— Charles A. Eldredge.
1870— Charles A. Eldredge.
1872— Charles A. Eldredge.
1874 — Samuel D. Burchard.
1876— Edward S. Bragg.
1878— Edward S. Bragg.
1880— Edward S. Bragg.
Henry L. Palmer.
Harrison C. Hobart.
J. J. Tallmadge.
Charles D. Robinson.
James R. Doolittle.
C. C. Washburn.
William R. Taylor.
J. A. Mallory.
James G. Jenkins.
N. D. Fratt.
N. D. Fratt.
J. M. Woodward.
W. B. Morgan.
William D. Hoard.
J. C. Spooner.
Geo. W. Peck.
W. C. Silverthorn.
Judge Sawyer.
J. M. Bomrich.
David S. Rose.
George W. Peck.
of Congress.
our Members of Congress together
and names of their opponents:
Henry S. Baird.
Harrison C. Hobart.
James McM. Shatter.
John B. Macy.
Harrison C. Hobart.
Charles Billinghurst.
Charles H. Larrabee.
Edward S. Bragg.
A. Scott Sloan.
Grin Hatch.
Leander F. Fresby.
Jerome A. Watrous.
Henry Baetz.
Hiram Barber.
George W. Carter.
Hiram Smith.
Elihu Colman.
•Gov. Barstow served unmolested during his first term, but the returns canvassed in the elec-
tion of 1855, were some of them so manifestly fraudulent that his re-election was contested and re-
sulted in the Beating of Gov. Bashford. Pending the contest, Lieut. Gov. McArthur was acting
governor.
X Gov. Harvev was drowned at Pittsburg Landing early in the war. Alter the great battle of
Shiloh, he was so anxious about the Wisconsin troops that he went there to look after them person-
ally, and fell from a steamboat and was drowned Lieut. Gov. Salomon completed the term.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
97
1882 — Daniel H. Sumner.
1884— Edward S. Bragg.
188G— Richard Guenther.
1888— Charles Barwig.
1890— Charles Barwig.
1892— Owen A. Wells.
1894— Samuel A. Cook.
1896 — James A. Davidson.
1898 — James A. Davidson.
1900 — James A. Davidson.
1902— Charles Weise.
1904— Charles Weise.
John S. Rowell.
Samuel S. Barney.
Arthur K. Delaney.
Edward C. McFetredge.
Daniel C. VanBrunt.
Emil Baensch.
Owen A. Wells.
William F. Gruenwald.
Frank M. Stewart.
James W. Watson.
William H. Froelich.
Roy P. Morse.
United States Senators.
1848— Isaac P. Walker.
1848 — Henry Dodge.
1849— Isaac P. Walker.
1857 — Charles Durkee.
1857— James R. Doolittle.
1861— Timothy 0. Howe.
1863— James R. Doolittle.
1867— Timothy O. Howe.
1869— Matt. H. Carpenter.
1873— Timothy O. Howe.
1875 — Angus Cameron.
1879- Math. H. Carpenter.
1881- Philetus Sawyer.
1881 — Angus Cameron.
188.5— John C. Spooner,
1887— Philetus Sawyer.
1891— William F. Vilas."
1893— John L. Mitchell.
1897 — John C. Spooner.
1899 — Joseph V. Quarles.
1903— John C. Spooner .
1905— Robert M. LaFollette.
Presidential Candidates.
1789 — George Washington.
1792 — George Washington.
1796 — John Adams.
1800— Thomas Jefferson.
1804 — Thomas Jefferson.
1808 — James Madison.
1812 — James Madison.
1816 — James Monroe.
1820 — James Monroe.
1824 — John Quincy Adams.
1828 — Andrew Jackson.
1832 — Andrew Jackson.
1836— Martin Van Buren.
1840— W. H. Harrison.
1844— James K. Polk.
1848— Zachary Taylor.
1852— Franklin Pierce.
1856 — James Buchanan.
1860 — Abraham Lincoln.
1864 — Abraham Lincoln.
1868- Ulysses S. Grant.
1872— Ulysses S. Grant.
1876— Rutherford B. Hayes.
1880— James A. Garfield.
1884— Grover Cleveland.
1888 — Benjamin Harrison.
1892— Grover Cleveland.
John Adams.
John Adams.
Thomas Jefferson.
John Adams.
Charles C. Pinckney.
Charles C. Pinckney.
De Witt Clinton.
Rufus King.
John Quincy Adams.
Andrew Jackson.
John Quincy Adams.
Henry Clay.
W. H. Harrison.
Martin Van Buren.
Henry Clay.
Lewis Cass.
Winfield Scott.'
John C. Fremont.
Stephen A. Douglas.
George B. McClellan.
Horatio Seymour.
Horace Greely.
Samuel J. Tilden.
W. S. Hancock.
James G. Blaine.
Grover Cleveland.
Benjamin Harrison.
98 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
1896— William McKinley. William J. Bryan.
1900— William McKinley. William J. Bryan.
1904 — Theodore Roosevelt. A. F. Parker.
In the early clays of the country, the number of candidates be-
fore the electoral college then were many. In 1789 there were
twelve voted for, in 1792 there were five, in 1796 no less than seven-
teen, nearly all of whom received very few votes. Again in 1844
there were seventeen. The largest number in late years was nine
in 1876.
Many of the campaigns had their noted features, but the most
exciting was that of 1876, when congress created an electoral com-
mission to settle the electoral tie. It came near plunging the country
into another war.
The peculiarities of the election of i860 are too lengthy for in-
sertion here. A history of the time is readily obtainable and may
be read with interest. The people are not allowed to know the inside
workings of politics.
Five presidents died while in office, two by disease and three by
violence. The first was W. H. Harrison, elected with the greatest
enthusiasm, in 1840, but was in office just one month after inaugura-
tion March 4, 1841. Vice-President John Tyler became president,
and as it was called at the time, "Tylerized." That is, he violated the
pledges of the whig party that elected hini.
The Alexican war made Gen. Zachary Taylor president in 1848,
but died after fifteen months, when Vice-President Millard Fillmore
became president. He signed the notorious fugitive slave law and
did other things which exasperated the whig party that elected him.
Abraham Lincoln was shot in Ford's theatre, Washington, D. C,
April 14, 1865, forty days after his second inauguration and died the
next day. Vice-President Andrew Johnson became president and kept
up a running fight with his party to the end of his term of office.
President James A. Garfield was shot in the Pennsylvania Rail-
road depot at Washington by Gitteau, July 2,-i88i, and died at Long
Branch, September 19th, six and one-half months after his inaugura-
tion. Vice-President Chester A. Arthur became president.
President William McKinley was shot by a Polish anarchist
named Czgolsz, in one of the exposition buildings at Buffalo, N. Y.,
September 6, 1901, died September 14, funeral at Canton, Ohio,
September 19th. Died six months and ten days after his second
inauguration. Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt became president.
-It is believed by some writers that the deaths of Presidents W.
H. Harrison and Gen. Taylor were intentional on the part of some
men interested in their absence, and that some sort of poison was
used. At any rate there has always been more or less of mystery
about them.
When the late M. Van Dresar was a deputy sheriff in 1858 and
kept the jail, he was struck at one evening by an escaping prisoner
with a pair of handcuffs, which missed his head but left a half moon
in the plastering of the stone wall.
TWO REMARKABLE EVENTS
Elections of 1876 and 1884 — Electoral Commission and the Rum,
Romanism and Rebellion Turning Point.
The result of the election in i860 brought a disastrous four years'
war, but the election of 1876 came very near another disaster, the
result of which all feared, but no one could foretell. The magazine
was planted, the train laid and the match ready to be struck. Lead-
ing men of all parties trembled. The question of the hour was not
what should be done, but what could be done. But the people re-
joiced then and let them rejoice now, that there was a James G.
Blaine to suggest a port of safety and a means of reaching it. There
were apparent frauds on both sides and which made the electoral
vote a tie. When the electoral votes for president and vice-president
were counted, the returns from four states were attacked — Florida,
South Carolina, Louisiana and Oregon. There was an apparent tie
vote existing between Hayes and Wheeler and Tilden and Hendricks.
The dispute could not be settled in the usual way and Congress must
be appealed to. A majority of the judges of the supreme court and
the House of Representatives were democratic, the Senate and
national administration republican. After much discussion the crea-
tion of an electoral commission was agreed to. Five members of this
commission was to come from the House, five from the Senate and
five from the supreme court, the first four from the supreme court
to choose the fifth. The commission when completed was as follows :
Supreme Court^ — Judges Clifford, Miller, Strong, Field and
Bradley.
Senate — Senators Edmunds. Morton, Frelinghuysen, Thurman
and Bayard. Sickness of Thurman put Senator Kernan in his place.
House — jNfessrs. Payne, Hunton, Abbott, Garfield and Hurd.
Lawyers present for republicans — Messrs. Evarts, Matthews,
Shallenburger and Sherman.
For democrats — Judges Black, O'Conor, Matt. Carpenter, Trum-
bull, Blair, Green, Campbell, Humphrey and Gorman.
The court so constituted, reviewed all the evidence, examined all
the papers and listened to arguments by the eminent counsel on both
sides and decided 8 to 7, that Hayes and Wheeler were legally elected.
Feeling ran high among extreme partisans, but the better sense of
the people prevailed, realizing as they did, that peace and prosperity
was worth more than four years of the presidency or the
personal pride of men or party. Here in Fond du Lac the democrats
of the time were bitter talkers but peaceful workers, and there was
no trouble. While the talk and feeling was bitter, it is pleasing to
remember how soon the matter was forgotten.
100 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
Of the members of congress from Wisconsin at this time, but
one, Judge Gate, of Stevens Point, voted against the creation of the
electoral commission.
Of the fifteen members of the commission and twelve lawyers
who appeared before it, all are now dead, although but twenty-eight
years have elapsed since the sitting. The reason for this is that they
were men well advanced in life at the time.
Who of those now living and were at all familiar with national
politics in the campaign of 1884, fail to remember the noted allitera-
tion of "Rum, Romanism and Rebellion." It had its effect on the
election in the defeat of James G. Blaine, and Fond du Lac county
was one of those that had a shaking up in consequence of it. In that
campaign the candidates were Blaine and Logan against Cleveland
and Hendricks. Cleveland had gained his prestige as Governor of
New York from the office of Sheriff at Buft'alo. Blaine had made
his world-wide reputation as a diplomat and in the halls of congress.
The campaign was a lively one and it seemed to be the general belief
that Blaine and Logan were sure of election. Near the close of the
campaign, and almost at the eve of election, a large republican meet-
ing was held in New York city, at which an old minister named
Burchard, was one of the principal speakers. Among other bitter
things said by him in this speech, was the above alliteration of "Rum,
Romanism and Rebellion." declaring these elements to be the founda-
tion and strength of the democratic party. No man of the time had
a stronger hold upon intelligent Irishmen than James G. Blaine,
and this coupling of Romanism, meaning the Roman Catholic Church,
with rum and rebellion, by a prominent speaker and at a large meet-
ing in the interests of Blaine and the republican party, produced a
most profound sensation. Thousands upon thousands of Irishmen,
who had intended to vote for Blaine, threw away their tickets and
became his active opponents. A strong effort was made to head off the
mischief, but it was too late. Burchard himself denied evil intent,
but it was ineffectual. The mischief had been done and there was
no help for it. In Fond du Lac county, as in New York and other
parts of the United States, it was looked upon as the utterance of one
foolish old' man, voted for Blaine and have since been loyal to the
republican party. As a prominent Fond du Lac democrat expressed
it, Blaine had Cleveland beaten to a finish, but at the last minute a
foolish old preacher defeated him. The result of the presidential
election depended upon New York, and it will be remembered that
the official canvass gave the state to Cleveland by only 1,200. It was
estimated by prominent politicians that but for the Burchard episode,
Blaine would have carried the state by at least 40,000.
A remarkable feature of this case was developed afterwards,
when it was found that a son played this trick upon his foolish old
father. This son was a prominent democrat and connected with a
band of New York schemers. He it was who prompted his father to
the use of the obnoxious language. Every northern state suffered
more or less on the Blaine side of the political ledger, but in New
York the great mischief was done, as it placed the republicans in the
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 101
minority column and defeated Blaine and Logan. In Fond du Lac,
no candidate for the presidency ever had a more enthusiastic follow-
ing than James G. Blaine had in that great campaign of 1884.
Coming of Salvation Army.
In 1885, with their voices and a big bass drum for music, the
Salvation Arm}' first appeared on the streets of Fond du Lac. The
movement was in charge of two Swedish women from jMinneapolis,
whose personality as well as work was most attractive, and these
with the novelty of the work, drew crowds to the meetings. Their
method of work took them out to street corners for a short prayer
and exhortation service, and thence to their hall for a preaching and
general service. Unfortunately, for the success of the meetings, the
Minneapolis women became homesick and others were sent to lead
from time to time, some of them quite noted people in the ranks of the
army, but the}^ could not succeed and the arm}- struggled along until
1894, when its efforts were abandoned here. Hall rent, fuel, lights and
other local bills had to be met from the collections and they finally
became largely insufficient, and the Salvation Army ceased its work
in Fond du Lac. Their charity boxes may be seen in most business
places and the collections in this way are understood to be largely
in excess of those received here before. These boxes appeal to the
generosity of the people in places and at times that small change is at
hand, and an empty charity box is not often seen. No one questions
the sincerity of the Salvation Army people or have serious doubts
of the good work they do among the poor and in the slums of the
large cities. They do not make the noise and stir they once did, but
who will say their work is not as efficient.
Frost Every Month in the Year.
Old timers who cultivate the soil, have not forgotten the year
that there was a frost every month. It was i860, but there have
been years besides this that came very near the same result. In
i860, however, there was a frost every month severe enough for the
people to know it. The lightest was the frost in August, but the
work of that one could be seen on the leaves of tomatoes and beans.
In June and July those who had gardens suffered unless they covered
their vegetation. Farmers suffered severely. The writer had a nice
garden in June, but not much in September. It was the year of
killing frosts every month.
Known as the Big Fountain.
The Big Fountain, so long the pride of the people of Sixth and
Marr streets. It threw nearly a full four inch stream of as clear water
as ever came out of the earth. But after a few years it began to fail
and in one year the stream decreased nearly one-half. In 1872 the
stream was lowered three feet, and a few years later two feet more,
and about 1890 it ceased to flow altogether and was filled. Not a
drop of water has come from it since.
102 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
One of the Railroad Engineers.
One of the earliest of the locomotive engineers on the north end
of the Northwestern road, and who stuck to the throttle until age
and infirmity compelled him to retire, was L. S. Smith. He began
the work when the track was completed to Minnesota Junction, and
was on duty nearly thirty-five years. When the Wisconsin Division
was the through line to Chicago, for nearly thirty years Mr. Smith
made the run every day between Janesville and Green Bay, and used
to say he had made the personal acquaintance of every hill and
hollow, every stone, tree and stump between those points. In all
this time he never had an accident to cause loss of life. It is well
remembered by those familiar with the locality, that the grade north
of the Sheboygan Junction was very narrow and at one place the
weeds and high grass came to within two or three feet of the rails.
One beautiful morning in the summer of 1875, coming over from
Oshkosh on the fireman's side of the engine, something white was
noticed to flash and Smith stopped and backed the train to find a
dead woman horribly mangled. The body was placed in the baggage
car and brought up town to the depot, where an inquest was. held
aad it was found from relatives of the woman that it was suicide.
She had hidden in the high grass and when the engine wheels were
nearest, threw herself under them. This was the only person Smith's
engine ever killed, and it worried him greatly.
One morning as he approached Minnesota Junction, he found
a St. Paul freight train across the track and as his brakes failed to
hold he ran into it and made something of a wreck. Two days after,
being summoned before the superintendent, he was asked if the
result would have been the same if .it had been a passenger train
Well, not exactly, said Smith. If it had been a passenger train. I
should have shouldered my lantern and left for the woods and you
would not have seen me here today. This reply so amused the
superintendent that Smith got out of the trouble very easy.
Lucien S. Smith was a very efficient and faithful employe of the
Northwestern road, and Fond du Lac frequenters of the station were
lost when he ceased his work and his face was seen there no more.
When he retired he bought a farm near Milton Junction, where he
died a few years ago. He possessed a considerable degree of literary
ability and wrote a number of poems of much merit while standing
on his engine at the throttle.
The Old Home of Mrs. Arnold.
This old ])lace at the northeast corner of Marr and Fourth
streets, so familiar to all old time residents of h^ond du Lac for more
than half a century, of late the property of Geo. W. Denniston, a
pioneer of the county, has lately dropped from sight on its old time
location, by being turned and moved to the north end of the lot. The
familiar house will be missed by old residents.
STREET RAILWAY AND LIGHTING
The Ups and Downs of Street Railroads in Fond du Lac. Early
Efforts and Present Success. Electric
Lighting Has Troubles.
In 1888 an Indiana man, Mr. J. P. Burkholder, appeared in Fond
du Lac and proposed to put down a first-class street railway line. He
secured a franchise and laid a line with light tee rail, from the landing
to the old fair ground on upper Main street, and on Fourth street to
near the gates of the Kite park fair grounds. At the terminus of the
latter line was the barn or power house, the power consisting of thirty
Missouri rat mules. There was a long controversy about the rail used,
but the tee rail got there and ruined the block pavement and many
wagons and carriages. The quickest succession of the little bob-tail
cars during each day was about every half hour. The line was not
a success and i\^r. Burkholder disappeared near the end of the first
year. An eccentric Hollander here at this time, named Count Louis
Nepeiu, bought up the indebtedness to the amount of $18,000, and
took possession. At the end of a few months he retired with an old
white horse and big sorrel dog to show for his money. W. G. DeCelle
next appeared in control of the street car franchise, but his means
were not sufficient to equip the road as he had started out to do, nor
could he raise money on his bonds. Mr. DeCelle had put electricity
into use in place of mules and purchased new cars and was heavily
in debt, as he had also acquired two electric lighting plants. It had
become a load of debt too heavy for Mr. DeCelle and Elihu Colman
signed his paper, but finding it unprofitable, organized a company
under the name of Fond du Lac Light and Power Company, which
took possession. The line did not pay and the compnay became the
Fond du Lac Electric Company, which continued the lighting plant
but took up the railway line and sold the rails for old iron. The city
was now without street cars and the outlook was not very encourag-
ing. But now came H. F. Whitcomb, who believed a street car line
properly equipped and backed with sufficient capital, could be made
to pay well, and through his influence the present Fond du Lac Street
Railway and Light Company was organized. In 1899 the road was
built and equipped in splendid shape and the following year extended
to North Fond du Lac and to Lakeside Park. The power house was
greatly enlarged and an ample supply of the best machinery that
money could buy, was installed. And so it is that today we have
one of the best street railways in the state. In 1903 the Fond du Lac
and Oshkosh line, known as the interurban, was built, and we now
have a service every hour over it. llie same year the Eastern Wis-
consin Railway and Light Company was organized to construct a
line on the east shore of the lake. The late death of Frank B.
104 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Hoskins, its president, may to some extent retard the work, but the
time is not distant that its plans will be carried out.
Such have been the ups and downs of street railroads in Fond du
Lac. At the beginning electricity for street car propulsion can
hardly be said to have been in use anywhere, and the large cities
also had the small Missouri mules. Mr. DeCelle's use of electricity
was about as early as any. Since then the machinery for such use
has been vastly improved. All citizens will rejoice that there was a
man like H. F. Whitcomb, having faith in Fond du Lac and ready
to come to the front with money and influence.
Electric Lighting.
Aurora, 111., was the first and Fond du Lac, Wis., second in the
entire west to adopt electric lighting. It was mainly through the-
efforts of Lafayette Bond, then a member of the common council,
that the poor man's light, as he termed it, was adopted by the city.
Five lighting towers were erected on Main street in front of court
house, on First, Division, Forest and Arndt streets, but were not
fully completed in September, 1882, when the county fair was held
and electric lights first appeared here. The towers were not com-
pleted until 1883 and the lamp trimmer had to climb. In 1886 the
wind of a thunder storm played havoc v/ith the towers, two being
wrecked and all injured seriously, but they were rebuilt at a less
height. For a long time the light was quite unsatisfactory. Then
came the masts, holding one light each, and then suspended lamps.
To make it effective here, was a struggle. For several years one
quick motion engine was all the power the plant had to run its
dynamos, and so it was not until the present ownership that there
was ample power for even lighting purposes. Since the use of
electric motors has become so general immense power is needed.
Four quick motion engines and four large engines, with twelve
dynamos, ranging from two to ten feet diameter to generate the
electricity for railway, lighting and general purposes. W. G. DeCelle
in 1 891, tried to improve the plant but without much success. Of
late years there has been little complaint of the quality of the light,
the only trouble seeming to be the cost.
They Were Noisy Preachers.
In 1857, there was a Methodist Church on Arndt street, near
Brooke, and for a time Rev. Mr. Robbins was the pastor. Not far
from the same time Rev. Mr. Hollister was pastor of the up town
church, then at the northeast corner of Marr and Third streets. It
is well remembered by old settlers, that these men were the noisiest
preachers Fond du Lac ever had. It was not uncommon to hear them
a couple of blocks, and Mr. Hollister's family prayers could be heard
nearly as far. Their physicians tried to stop the use of so much
force, but they continued it and both died prematurely. These noisy
preachers are not common now, and it is doubtful if the people would
tolerate them.
GREAT WORK OF BISHOP GRAFTON
St. Paul's Cathedral One of the Finest in the Country. Grafton Hall
Has No Superior. The Great Work Done in
Sixteen Years.
In 1872, the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac was taken from
the diocese of Wisconsin, now Milwaukee, and at the preliminary
council in 1873, Bishop Welles presiding, Rev. Leighton Coleman,
of Toledo, Ohio, now Bishop of Delaware, was elected for the first
Bishop of Fond du Lac. He came here and looked over the field
and believing the work too much for his strength, declined. Subse-
quently Rev. Dr. Shipman, of New York, was elected and declined.
At the third council. Rev. J. H. Hobart Brown was chosen. After
serving twelve years, the lamented Bishop Brown died May 2, 1888,
and Rev. C. C. Grafton, of Boston^ became his successor. He was
consecrated on St. Mark's Day, April 25, 1889. Comparatively few
people have a proper conception of the enormous amount of work
done by Bishop Grafton in the sixteen years of his presence as
Bishop of this diocese. One has but to step over to the location of
the Cathedral and Grafton Hall, to see at once that he has not been
idle. When he came to the diocese he found an unfinished cathedral
church, burdened with a heavy debt. Besides this, St. Monica school,
under the management of the Sisters of St. Monica, was in need of
assistance and apparently plenty of work to do in all directions.
Bishop Grafton went at the work with determination, and it is only
needful now for those having knowledge of the conditions sixteen
years ago, to recall them in comparison with those of the present,
to appreciate the work he has done. But the work most appreciated
by the Bishop himself, can be seen in buildings, as it is in a spiritual
sense that he has sought for improvement in the entire diocese and
has achieved it. He has expended no less than $150,000 in the im-
provement of churches and church property in tjie diocese outside of
Fond du Lac. He built a church at North Fond du Lac at a cost of
$4,000, together with other expenditures. But let us look at Grafton
Hall. The home of the Bishop, on Division street, one of the finest
in the city, together with the Mother House of the Sisters of the
Holy Nativity, immediately north of it, has already become suffi-
ciently noted to attract strangers in the city to view it. The Mother
House, built in this year of 1905, will cost $60,000. It is perfect in
every detail. The former rectory on Bannister street, was overhauled
for dormitories and other purposes of a choir school, at a cost of
$12,000, is perfect in every detail. The Cathedral rectory, now occu-
pied by Bishop Weller, represents a cost of $5,000. An expenditure
of $11,000 for land for Grafton Hall and $4,000 for the Cathedral,
the cost of retaining wall along the river, the garth wall, sidewalks,
etc., all represent large expenditures of money.
106 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
St. Monica school was started by the Sisters of St. Monica and
under direction of Bishop Brown. Mother Caroline Delano was in
charge. The school was in a large wood building then on the site
of the present Grafton Hall, but a part of it is now the Waukesha
Hotel, corner of Forest Avenue and Sophia street. The only Sister
of St. Monica remaining here is Sister Anna Hobart, widow of
Bishop Brown, in charge of the altars, and custodian of the vestments
and silver in the Cathedral. Bishop Grafton came in 1889. The
people had much sympathy for St. Monica School and its weakness
being wholly of a financial character, talk for reorganization soon
began in earnest. At a full meeting of the board of trustees early in
1893, it was determined to reorganize the school and to name it
Grafton Hall. The old building was quite unsatisfactory and a new
one was decided upon. In 1895 the new structure was begun and
in 1897 the north half of it, together with power house, heating and
electric light plants, went into use. But the work did not stop here,
and two years later, 1900, the present magnificent structure was
fully occupied by the school. The cost of it in round numbers was
$50,000, and the equipment and furnishing cost $20,000 more. In
1894, when St. Monica School was formally transferred to Grafton
Hall, Rev. B. T. Rogers was placed in charge and has been there
ever since and has made it a school worthy of the beautiful building
and surroundings ; and an honor to the diocese and to the state. It
has been the desire of the Bishop, of Warden Rogers and the board
of trustees, to make this school for young ladies the equal of any like
institution in this country, and they have succeeded. Those in con-
trol have had to face a great many difficulties, but they seem to have
triumphed over all of them, and today the city of Fond du Lac and
the diocese are able to boast of one of the best schools with the
handsomest buildings and finest equipments in the entire northwest.
One of the early achievements of Bishop Grafton and showing
his foresight, was the Parish House, at the Cathedral. This was built
in 1892 at a cost of $15,000, and it has been remarkably useful alike
to the Cathedral parish and to the diocese. Its uses are numerous
and in many directions. It may now be wondered how it would
have been possible to get along without it.
The structure which will be remembered as the old parish school
house, in which church services were held after the burning of the
old Cathedral, was remodeled in 1899 at a cost of $10,000, and named
St. Andrew's Hall. It is a most useful place, especially for the
clergy of the diocese who may be here temporarily. In the old time
it was an eye sore — now it is a handsome building and a useful one.
The choir school building at Follett and Bannister streets, was re-
modeled at a cost of $12,000.
When Bishop Brown died, the Cathedral was not completed.
Some of the furnishings were but temporary. After making visita-
tions and posting himself more thoroughly in the affairs of his
diocese. Bishop Grafton began to look more closely to work on the
Cathedral. First of all the porch was to be built and the tower
completed. The chancel was an architectural defect and was
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT , ] 07
changed, the cloister was built between the robing rooms and St,
Andrew's Hall, the garth wall was constructed, new sidewalks put
down and a great deal of other work done. As time went on new
furnishings appeared, including the finest font and canopy in this
country, carvings of St. Paul and the twelve apostles, pulpit in stone,
one of the finest polished brass lecturns made, mounted on a Scotch
granite column and supported by stone base, a fine rood screen, the
furnishings of the two chapels adjoining the main portion of the
church, and a great deal more that cannot be here mentioned in detail.
The reredos at the altar in St. Augustine chapel is hardly surpassed
in this country. Among the memorials are :
White Marble Altar in the chancel, presented by Mrs. M. H.
Galloway in memory of her husband, Edwin H. Galloway.
Chalice and Paten, made of material in the pastoral staff and old
family plate of Bishop Brown, presented by Mrs. Ijrown in memory
of her husband.
Sanctuary Rail in Bedford stone, presented by ]\lrs. H. K.
Laughlin in memory of her daughter.
Choir Screen in Bedford stone, presented by Mrs. W. W. Clark
in memory of her parents.
West granite column in chancel, by Racine College in memory
of Rev. Dr. DeKoven.
East granite column in chancel, by Air. E. A. Carey in memory
of his wife, Mrs. Mary A. Carey.
Font, presented by C. A. Galloway in memory of his wife, Mrs.
Mary Galloway.
Five chancel windows, by Mrs. H. H. Rose, in memory of her
father, Mr. A. G. Ruggles.
Three windows at south end of the nave, presented by Mr. B.
Wild, Sr. Window at west entrance in memor}- of Mrs. B. Wild, Sr.
Porch at main entrance of Cathedral, erected through the eft'orts
of Mrs. Mary Waterbury to the memory of Bishop Brown.
St. Augustine Chapel, equipped by Mrs. Mary Waterbury in
memory of the Brown family, including the father and mother of the
Bishop.
Window presented by Mr. Ed. Ewen, to the memory of his
father and mother.
Two windows presented by Mrs. Laughlin, to the memory of her
husband, H. K. Laughlin.
Two windows presented by Mrs. Wiley, to the memory of her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Henning, and a sister.
Window presented by Mr. Geo. P. Lee, to the memory of a
daughter, Mrs. Jenny Coleman.
Altar in St. Ambrose Chapel, presented by Rev. Mr. Batterson,
to the memory of Bishop Knight, of the diocese of Milwaukee.
In the mortuary chapel has been placed a beautiful trefoil
window to the memory of James Ewen McCall, son of Capt. J. V.
McCall, killed in an accident at Milwaukee at the age of seven years.
108 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
In the same chapel is a memorial tablet from historical \Vestminster
Abbey.
Besides these memorials there have been many presentations to
Bishop Grafton and gifts by the Bishop to the Cathedral for beauti-
fying- the place and making the services more imposing. Among
these are the Bishop's Chair, windows in the nave representing
scenes in the life of St. Paul, one of the most beautiful Lecturns
made ; the Rood Screen ; the grand new organ and motor ; Litany
Desk; Pulpit in Bedford stone, from friends in the Church of the
Advent, Boston; Brass Lecturn in St. Ambrose Chapel, from the
vestry of St. Ann's Church, Brooklyn, through Mrs. Waterbury ;
Bust of Bishop Kemper, from R. Powrie ; Statue of St. Margaret
and the Dragon, or Victory of the Cross over the Dragon, one of the
grandest pieces of marble statuary in this country, presented by Miss
Grant, of London, the artist; Tubular Bells in the tower, from Mr.
Clapp, of Providence, R. L ; Paintings in chancels, by Lawrence Kent
and Miss Upjohn, on the frieze; white marble lining of chancel.
St. Paul's Church, Fond du Lac, was designated as the Cathedral
church soon after the coming of Bishop Brown, and since then there
have been a number of noted events connected with it. On the cold
morning of St. Paul's Day, January 25, 1883, the Cathedral was
burned, and it was on fire again in 1895, but escaped serious injury.
The consecration of Bishop Grafton on St. Mark's Day, March 25,
i88q, and the consecration of Bishop Coadjutor Weller, on November
8, 1900. The funeral of Bishop Brown took place from the Cathedral
on I\Iay 4, 1888. The erection of the large building on Amory street,
north of the Bishop's house, and its consecration to the use of the
Sisters of the Holy Nativity as the Mother House, on September 8,
1905, may be looked upon as a marked event in the history of the
Cathedral and of the diocese of Fond du Lac as well.
There are few citizens wdio can fully realize the significance of
the coming to Fond du Lac of Bishop Grafton. In him we have not
only an estimable and Godly man, of eminent social qualities, but one
of remarkable activity and generosity in promoting the growth of
the city. The amount of money he has brought here in various ways
can never be known, but it is estimated to exceed $600,000, and a
large proportion of it has been expended in the employment of labor.
The Cathedral debt of $16,000 is not only wiped out but has an en-
dowment that provides for the diocesan assessment. Missions and
weak churches throughout the diocese have been aided to an amount
that would be surprising to most people if it could be known. This
is why it may be truthfully said that the full significance of Bishop
Grafton's coming to Fond du Lac, can never be known.
Bakery Bread in Fond du Lac.
It was not until some time after Mr. !>. Wild went into business
here and began making the round cottage loaves, that bakery bread
secured much patronage. People generally made their own bread,
but the cottage loaves were so near like home made bread that
hundreds of families gave up home baking.
PIONEER FARMERS AND SETTLERS
Some of the People Who Came to This County Early and Helped
to Develop It. List of Names.
Among the most remarkable men who entered upon this goodly
land in the pioneer days were the seekers for homes — the men who
did not fear to enter upon the work of developing farms. The fame
of the country had gone back east and honest work only was needed
to enable them to realize their expectations. The landscape was as
attractive as had ever been seen by man and the soil most productive.
Beautifid surroundings and abundant harvests for the industrious
seemed to be sure. And so they came here, selected their farms and
went at the work of developing them, with the result as we see it
today. As a rule the owners were industrious, successful and happy,
and they were able to turn over to their successors as fine an agricul-
tural region as there is in the state. While it is true that this county
possessed great natural advantages, it is also true that its attractive-
ness is in a very large measure due to the good judgment and hard
work of the early owners. It was their good fortune that they en-
tered upon a section of country possessed of a good soil and healthy
climate, hence healthfulness and general prosperity.
The kindness and generosity of these people was proverbial. Re-
fusal of neighborly courtesies was almost unknown and people over-
taken by night or storm, were never denied shelter as long as there
was room inside the house. The selfish and exclusive spirit, so often
met today, was very seldom found. If a settler killed an animal for
food, it was distributed in pieces among the neighbors and kindness
was the rule everywhere. If the settler had a heavy job of work in
the development of his property and needed the assistance of his
neighbors, he was sure to get it, though some of those neighbors
came several miles on foot. Mr. John Folts. a well known pioneer
of the town of Byron, in 1844 had assistance come ten miles to help
roll up the logs of a log house he was building. How many men
could be obtained from half the distance now to assist in such work
as an act of kindness only and without pay? Similar acts were by no
means rare in Fond du Lac county at that time. A poor widow in
the town of Forest, Mrs. Sanford, whose husband died and left her
with three children, in 1848, had her crop harvested and cared for by
her neighbors. That was pioneer Christianity. How seldom it is
found in our day.
During the eight years, from 1828 to 1836, there was a military
post at Fort Howard and Gen. Ellis, Capt. Follett and a few citizens
were there and Gen. Ellis started the Green Bay Intelligencer, the
first Wisconsin newspaper. By 1836 the timber of the Fox and Wolf
river country, the peninsula of Door and Kewaunee counties and the
110 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Green Ba}' region, were becoming rapidly known and the magnificent
agricultural lands to the south were beginning to be entered and
farms opened. The years 1840 to 1848 brought a vast number of
people from the east, in pursuit of homes and whose eyes were fixed
upon this region. Until 1851 the railroads could not be used, not
being completed, and water transportation to Wisconsin was com-
pulsory. Every respectable vessel on the lakes, steam or sail, came
loaded down during these years, with emigrants and their belongings.
Most of these sought a landing at Sheboygan, some at jMilwaukee
and Green Bay, a few at Racine and Kenosha, then known as South-
port. The stream of humanity landing at Sheboygan and Green Bay
spread over the timber lands reaching from the lake and bay shores
to the imsurpassed prairie and openings of Rosendale, Ripon and
Green Lake, into Marquette county. Those who came first, while
they doubtless got their choice of homes, assuredly did not get the
best, as later comers, many of them, got as nice and valuable farms
as any who preceded them. There was an occasional piece of land
that was "a little ofif color," as the ladies sometimes say of dress
goods, but such neglected land, oftener than otherwise, fell into the
hands of the ingenious and expert farmer and was made to "blossom
as the rose" and in after years to be as valuable as those with pros-
pects more promising at the start. A section of country with a more
productive soil cannot be found and barring occasional vicissitudes
of weather, common to all agricultural regions, has and will abun-
dantly reward the industrious and intelligent farmer.
Wheat in Ohio, corn in Iowa, cotton in Mississippi, peanuts in
Tennessee and celery in Michigan, are specialties in the regions
named, but for dairying, stock growing and average all round
agriculture, Wisconsin is among the states at the head of the list,
and the time is coming and it is not far distant, when Wisconsin will
lead the world in dairying. The full figures pertaining to these in-
terests it is not necessary to reproduce here. They will be found in
detail in the annual report of the dairy and food commissioner, and
will surprise many who examine them for the first time. The full
figures with reference to other products of the farm, may be found
in the report of Prof. Henry, of the agricultural department of our
state university, and should be studied by every intelligent farmer.
The state provides these reports at heavy cost, for the benefit of its
citizens, and they ought not to neglect them. All now realize the
fact that the times demand intelligent, educated farmers rather than
plodders. To this end the state provides university education to all
who will avail themselves of it. This is what the present seeks, what
the future demands. The light was not as bright as this for the
pioneer who preceded us and settled this region of country. The
prospect was often dark, sometimes very dark, but they were intelli-
gent men and how gloriously they worked out their destiny!
But it was not alone the agricultural region that so attracted
emigration to Wisconsin from 1836 onward into the century for ten
or twelve years, but our splendid pine and hardwood timber brought
the lumberman from even as far east as Maine and as early as 1838
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT HI
at least two mills were cutting lumber on the bay shore, and one in
1840, built by Elisha and John Beeson, brothers of the late Edward
Beeson. of this city, while some even more venturesome, about the
same dates, had penetrated westward from Green Bay to the Wolf
river country, were cutting lumber and floating it down in rafts, some
of which taken from the river, was used in Fond du Lac. Such was
the lumber, dried in the sun, that Dr. Walker put into his house
which he built and occupied, several years, at the southeast corner
of Main and Fifth streets, now used for a hotel. The lumber industry
developed rapidly and by 1848, the puff of steam could be seen from
mills at almost every town. As we approached the middle of the
century, lumber was abundant for all purposes and at reasonable
prices. In the next ten years the rivers had been vastly improved
with booms, to the end that logs came down by millions to be cut
into lumber and shingles, lath, pickets, etc., and manufactured into
sash, doors and blinds, to the extent that it began to be felt that our
forests were being depleted, and sure enough, long before the end of
the century, after the railroads had taken the mills to the logs, instead
of bringing the logs to the mills, our lumber industries practically
ceased. Such was one of the vicissitudes of business here in about
half a century.
But the farmer, he who went to work with a will on his land, dug
out a comfortable living and found an anxious market for all he had
to sell. They had their contentions, of course, and he might be
troubled a little sometimes, to make both ends meet, but in the end
he triumphed over all obstacles. Lumber may have been so scarce
and high priced when he first came that a board shanty for his family
was impossible and he had to be content with a hovel constructed of
logs or poles, with a trough roof and puncheon floor, the logs
chinked with split sticks and plastered with mud to make it habitable
in winter. One of these early houses would be a marvel to the
present generation, but they served their purpose. The material in
these houses was not always of the best and often hauled long dis-
tances. Relative to the shanty of John Folts, in Byron, Martin
Mitchell says:
"In the summer of 1844, Mr. John Folts, with his wife and four
children, removed from the state of New York to Byron. He set up
crotches, upon which he laid long poles, and covered it over with
prairie grass, and having blankets at the sides, for his domicil, lived
until he could build a log house, obtaining hands from about ten
miles distant to help him roll up the logs."
In the pioneer days of the county and up to about i860, compara-
tively little attention was given to dairying. Some stock was raised
but the attention of the farmers was given largely to the small grains,
wheat, oats, barley and rye. The exclusiveness of these crops is
shown by the fact that Ripon had six large elevators and Fond du
Lac had the same number, and as the railroads were built elevators
appeared at almost every station, while mills increased in number
and capacity and no inconsiderable portion of the annual crop was
shipped as flour, the output of the mills being larger than the people
112
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
consumed. What a remarkable change in fifteen years ! The crop
season without frost was found to be too short for successful corn
raising, but while much is planted, mainly for home consumption,
it is not looked upon as a profitable crop.
During and immediately following the war, farmers began to
realize the value of this part of the state for dairying and stock rais-
ing, and these have largely taken the place of the other crops.
Below will be found about 150 names of the oldest pioneer
farmer settlers of Fond du Lac county. Their names will be familiar
to all old settlers and it will be a pleasure to them to have their
memory renewed and hundreds of incidents of the past called to
mind. Wliile most of them have now passed away, the old people
have pleasure in their memory, recalling incidents in their lives and
remembering what they achieved. All of them are well remembered,
many of them became noted men in politics, religion, law and general
business, while scarcely one failed in his work as a farmer. Speaking
of individuals, let it be said with pride, that in the legislative investi-
gation of the railroad land grant bribery of 1856, Fond du Lac
county had the only two men, Edward Pier in the senate and Isaac
Brown in the assembly, who came through it all without taint.
Here are the 150 pioneer hero farmers of Fond du Lac county.
Take off your hat in their honor as you read their names :
Edward Pier.
Colwert Pier.
Calvin Pier.
Norman Pier.
C. N. Kendall.
A. N. Kendall.
John C. Bishop.
John H. Martin.
Selim Newton.
J. J. Brayton.
Isaac Crofoot.
Francis McCai'ty.
Pat. Kelly.
Henry Conklin.
B. Nightengale.
Jasper Clark.
O. J. Soper.
Matt. Butler.
Russell Wilkinson.
Robert Wilkinson.
John Wilkinson.
S. Botsford.
C. Tunison.
Isaac Orvis.
W. W. Wheeler.
B. J. Gilbert.
Henry Bush.
A. Raymond.
Reuben Simmons.
Jay Roblee.
Edward Beeson.
Daniel Sabin.
Almon Osborn.
A. B. Beardsley.
Hiram Morris.
Dr. Cruthers.
Alfred Bliss.
Jeff. Brayman
Paddy Miles.
George Parker.
Pat. Lyons.
P. Borderman.
Michael Horey.
Peter Calahan.
Pat. Maloney.
Harry Sears.
R. M. Harwood.
Sumner Sweet.
Daniel Brooks.
Emerson Fay.
Hiram Walker.
Daniel Eggleston.
R. Jenkinson.
H. C. Eggleston.
Joseph Scribner.
Warren Whiting.
William Hayes.
Warren Florida.
W. C. Dodge.
B. H. Bettis.
John Beirne.
Arthur H. Steen.
John Beeson.
Joseph Stow.
Henry Spofford.
Alfred Ward.
John Case.
W. Hall.
John Hall.
J. R. Fisher.
Dan Trelevan.
Theodore Trelevan.
John Trelevan.
James Wright.
L. B. Hills.
N. M. Donaldson.
W. J. Ripley.
H. W. Hubbard.
Henry Halsted.
I. N. Woodruff.
H. W. Wolcott.
Wm. Blocker.
Edwin Reynolds.
Peter "V. Sang.
H. D. Hitt.
A. H. Clark.
Robt. Estabrooks.
Col. H. Tryon.
G. D. Ruggles.
H. R. Colman.
Chas. Colman.
John Fancher.
James Hersey.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
113
S. N. McCrea.
F. Pelton.
Fayette Brown.
Dr. Elliott Brown.
John Bannister.
G. de Neveu-.
Harry Giltner.
John Boyd.
T. I. Burhyte.
Wm. Boehner.
John Taylor.
Aaron Walters.
William Stewart.
Charles D. Gage.
A. T. Germond.
Seth Sylvester, Sr.
Seth Sylvester, Jr.
James Sylvester.
John Parsons.
Joseph Kinsman.
William Styles
David Lyons.
John Hobbs.
John Balsam.
D. P. Mapes.
David Dunham.
Eben Norton.
Henry Barnett.
William Pool.
Dr. S. G. Pickett.
G. W. Sexmith.
James McElroy.
W. R. Tallmadge.
M. S. Barnett.
Harvey Wheeler.
S. N. Hawes.
Joseph Wagner.
Edward Ensign.
G. W. Parker.
Dana Lamb.
Geo. D. Curtis.
Jerome Yates.
Wm. Denniston.
F. A. Kimball.
John Irving.
C. F. Hammond.
E. P. West.
Abram Thomas.
Jacob Cartel".
Egbert Foster.
Abner Baker.
Leonard Baker.
C. D. Higley.
Chas. Bouton.
William Light.
C. P. Phelps.
Asher Armstrong.
David Worthing.
Wm. Worthing.
Thos. Worthing.
Henry Willard.
Put Mason.
Norman Mason.
Nathan Hunter.
A. C. Whiting.
Salmon Wedge.
J. C. Wedge.
Lorenzo Hazen.
Chester Hazen.
Sanford Hazen.
Loren Hazen.
John Hazen.
Calvin Hazen.
Sewel Hazen.
T. F. Mayham.
A. S. Wilkinson.
Thomas Price.
Almon Atwood.
Mary C. Towns.
Frank Furman.
Mrs. Wilson.
Leonard Bissell.
Betsey Howard.
Sarah Rogers.
John Jackson.
Geo. Jackson.
F. W. Wells.
P. E. Town.
Geo. C. White.
Henry Friday.
Thomas McCoy.
John Leaiy.
B. F. Strong.
J. J. Gray.
Gerrit Romain.
Colwert and Edward Pier were settlers who cotild tell all about
the real hardships of pioneer life. From bitter experience they could
tell of the unpleasant character of Indians and wolves as neighbors —
how difificult it was to prevent the stealing of what they brought in
and raised for food. Edward Pier's hardest experience was when the
Indians stole and killed his cow on which he mainly depended for the
support of his family during the winter.
The old Fond du Lac Company entered this land at the govern-
ment land office at Green Bay, in 1835, and the following spring built
the old log house. In June, 1836. Colwert Pier and wife went into
it to live and were the only residents in the county. It was in
February, 1836, that Edward and Colwert Pier first came here, and
they slept on the ground on the banks of the river. Edward and his
brother selected their land and Edward went to Green Bay for his
family, returning in June, when he immediately began work on his
farm south of the city, so well known to us all. In June, 1837, Miss
Harriet Pier came from Vermont, and the following September
Calvin Pier, with his wife and son, Oliver W., came from the same
place, making a female circle of three and three families in the entire
county. In March, 1838, John Bannister appeared with his family
and the first year he was holding so many offices that one is reminded
114 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
on reading- about it, of Pee Boo in the opera of Mikado. Among his
offices was that of justice of the peace, and as such married Mr.
Alonzo Raymond and Miss Harriet Pier, the first marriage in this
county. In March, 1838, Mrs. Fanny, wife of Colwert Pier, died,
which was^the first funeral in the county. John A. Bannister, son of
John Bannister, was born in June, 1838, and was the first birth in the
county. He died in 1857, just as he was entering manhood.
When the pioneer settler of fifty years ago reached his land, his
first obstacles were lack of shelter and of food. Lumber was scarce
with which to erect shanties, and food very high in price. Our
pioneers often went to Watertown and Sheboygan Falls with ox
teams, to get grinding done, and over roads not much better than
Indian trails. The streams had to be depended upon largely for
power, as steam engines with accompanying boilers were heavy,
cumbersome and difficult of transportation into a new country.
Kerosene oil was unknown until well into the fifties and gasoline for
power was more than a half century in the future. When his land
was broken and his crop raised, it was no small job to gather and get
it ready for use with the rude appliances then obtainable. Hay had
to be cut with a scythe and small grain with the cradle, the latter an
implement which many farmers in this day have never seen, but they
were made in large numbers in Fond du Lac by M. Farnsworth,
whose shop stood upon the ground now occupied by Mr. Chenej-'s
stove store, on East First street. The pioneer threshed his grain by
tramping it out with horses or pounding it out with flails, and when
ready for the mill, the question was, where is the mill? To raise
pigs, sheep or chickens, constant vigilance was required to saVe them
from the Indians, wolves, dogs and other animals. And so the
pioneer had a struggle for food. To obtain clothes for himself and
family often required self-denial of the most rigid order and very
close calculation from one year to another. They had little use for
the silks, feathers and finery of our day, and tailor made clothing was
not dreamed of.
The following exciting incidents in pioneer life, occurring in the
town of Oakfield in 1840, two years after Dr. Darling had settled at
Fond du Lac, are copied from Martin Mitchell's History of Fond du
Lac County, printed in 1854:
"The first settlement was attempted in this town in 1840, by Mr.
Russel Wilkinson, about one mile south of the present village of
Avoca, at a place called the Wilkinson settlement. He purchased
land, and removed his family from the county of Rensalaer in New
York. The Indians had relinquished their title to the land, but still
remained in the neighborhood, and were often committing various
depredations upon Mr. Wilkinson, they finally burned his house,
in the absence of the inmates; with his furniture and provisions. He
concluded to abandon his farm for a season, got a pair of oxen and
stoneboat (his wife in very delicate health) and removed his family
to the house of Mr. Edward Pier in Fond du Lac. He remained in
Fond du Lac until October, 1843, when he returned, accompanied by
his brother Robert.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 115
"They for a short time, were the only citizens of the town, but
were soon followed by Mr. Botsford, Mr. Silvernail, Mr. Tanner and
Mr. Hazen. The next year Mr. Hubbard, Mr. Ripley, Mr. Sykes
and Mr. Westfall became their neighbors. There were no roads;
Indian trails were the only thoroughfares, and the few settlers on
many occasions, became acquainted with the hardships and privations
of pioneer life. Provisions and groceries were only obtained at Green
Bay, about seventy miles distant.
"Families were sometimes destitute of any kind of food, but
potatoes, for four weeks in succession, and while the men were gone
to Green Bay for provisions, women were frequently left entirely
alone for three or four days and nights, surroundeed by wolves and
Indians.
"Mrs. Westfall was once left, not only alone, but destitute of
any kind of food, but such berries or roots as the woods afforded,
for three days and nights ; and to make her condition more unpleas-
ant, her fire became extinct, she had no means of rekindling it, and
thus surrounded by wolves, Indians and innumerable mosquitos, she
passed the night in total darkness. Mr. Westfall and his wife endured
many hardships and suffered many privations ; he was once lost in the
woods forty-eight hours without food, in a severe rain storm; he
finally reached his home with his clothes torn, his limbs swollen and
lacerated, in a state of great exhaustion. He with his wife, endured
the pinchings of poverty and misfortune, until January, 1847, when
he was found frozen to death near what is now^ the village of Avoca,
the first hamlet and postoffice in the town of Oakfield. When the
railroad passed through Oakfield the site of the village was moved
one mile west and called Oakfield. His widow was afterward married
to Mr. Sherman Botsford, with whom she now lives, surrounded with
all the comforts of life.
"Mr. John Wilkinson, who came into this town soon after his
brothers Russell and Robert, was killed by the fall of a tree, about
eighteen months after his arrival. He left a widow and four children.
He had taken up forty acres of land, but had not paid for it. The
neighbors, with that noble benevolence which is a peculiar character-
istic of pioneers, in the midst of their own poverty and privations,
raised the money, paid for the land and gave it to the bereaved
family.
"Mr. Russell Wilkinson died suddenly of fever May 4th, 1847.
His w^idow was afterward married to Mr. C. Tunison, with whom she
now lives, on the same farm where they first lived in an Indian wig-
wam, till Mr. Wilkinson built a log house."
Hon. H. D. Hitt was also one of the pioneers of the town of
Oakfield and knows of the struggles of the settlers by experience.
And he knows the lay of the land from Milwaukee to Fond du Lac,
having passed over the country more than once on foot.
The Sylvester family also know^ of country hardships by bitter
experience. Meeting with misfortune, three dollars was the total
family capital on arrival at Milwaukee. This was pooled for imme-
diate use and nine months of hard work enabled them to start for
116 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Pond du Lac, and on their arrival a shanty was erected on the well
known Sylvester farm in Byron. They dug potatoes for Pat Kelly
for one bushel in ten, and did other work for their neighbors to make
both ends meet.
William Adams, wdio died recently at his home in the town of
Eden, was one of the early pioneers of this county, and his face was
familiar to most people of this city. He came to Fond du Lac county
in 1847 ^nd settled in the town of Forest, but afterwards moved to
Empire, then to Eden where his home was for many years. Besides
the homestead in Eden, he had long owned a farm in Eldorado. Mr.
Adams was in many respects a remarkable man, capable, idustrious,
honest, he never failed in his undertakings. In his intercourse with
his friends, he tried always to do his whole duty and few indeed will
say he did not succeed. He was an honored member of the Old
Settlers' Club and his death is greatly lamented.
At the beginning of this twentieth century, the pioneer of the
west has but a slight realization of the obstacles encountered b}' the
early settlers of Fond du Lac county. Railroad transportation is now
obtainable to within a few miles of almost any point, while we had
but miserable trails and not a rod of railroad in the state. All sorts
of machinery and tools, including mills, may be had in a few days —
they were not in existence when our pioneers struggled. All sorts
of building material is now readily obtained, our pioneers were com-
pelled to resort to logs and poles to build hovels to cover their heads
from the storm. The western pioneer of today, of course meets with
privations and annoyances, but the world in general has progressed
too far for him to duplicate the experiences in Fond du Lac county,
Wisconsin. A half century has brought remarkable changes. Will
another half century leave any pioneers — will we have any frontier
left for settlement — doubtful. The rapid rate of settlement the past
few years, indicates an absorption of the country by settlers, long
before the end of another fifty years.
The First City Directory.
The first city directory of Fond du Lac, that for the year 1857,
was compiled by Bingham & Co., and printed in the office of the Fond
du Lac Union. The entire book consists of 104 pages, forty-one of
the pages being given to names of residents and sixty-three to sum-
maries, notices and advertisements. The book contains about 1,700
names, indicating a total population of about 2,400. A. T. Glaze
printed the book, assisted by two brothers by the name of Brown,
who worked in the Union office. The copy now owned by Mr. Glaze,
was found in the attic of the residence of Dr. T. S. Wright, on Forest
Avenue, thirty-five years after it was printed. The ink used in print-
ing the book holds its color and now, though nearly half a century
has elapsed since it was issued, the book is in every respect as solid
and perfect as when first given to the people forty-eight years ago.
The condition and appearance indicate that it may last another half
century if properly housed and cared for.
EARLY DAYS FLOURING MILLS
How They Were Built and Managed and Difficulties Encountered
by Settlers in Getting Grinding Done,
When the pioneers arrived in Fond du Lac county, among the
first things inquired was, "Where can I get grinding done to
feed myself and family, and where can I get lumber to cover our-
selves from the storm?" The most important thing was food, for we
must remember that the situation then was very different from that
of the present time. Then the farmer's own wheat and corn as a
grist must be taken to the mill and be ground by the miller, now the
grain is sold readily and there is no waiting upon the motion of the
miller or for the dam to fill with water to give power to his mill.
Flour, meal and feed for stock may now be had from dealers in
extreme frontier towns. Our pioneers had to go to the mill, but
where was the mill? Up to 1846 it was no uncommon thing to start
out with oxen and wagon for Watertown and Sheboygan Falls with
grists. The late Lyman F. Stow, J. C. Wedge, Seth Sylvester, Sr.,
E. A. Carey and others have been over these roads for this purpose.
Cheap power except water, was many years in the future and steam
engines and boilers are heavy and difficult of transportation into a
new country.
The first mill within reasonable distance of Fond du Lac, how-
ever, was one driven by steam at Ball's Corners, Calumet, built in
1843, primarily for the Brothertown people by George W. Feather-
stonhaugh. It was located on a small brook, but the water was in-
sufficient to drive it, so a small steam engine was obtained for it. It
was of limited capacity, but was in use a number of years and when
it burned, mills were more numerous and it was not rebuilt.
The experience of E. A. Carey at this mill may be related here.
One morning in 1846, Ed. (as we all called him then) loaded his
grist into his wagon and bright and early started for the mill. Get-
ting there at noon the mill was silent and cold and no wood to get
up steam. He helped to chop the wood and hauled it to the mill and
got up steam, but his grist was completed so late he concluded to
stay all night. In the morning his oxen were gone and he scoured
the country looking for them, but not until in the afternoon did he
find them leisurely pasturing on the prairie at Taycheedah. Driving
them back to the wagon and the yoke, he loaded his grist and started
for home at 10 o'clock at night. But soon another bitter experience
came to him. At the foot of JMcClure's hill, this side of what is now
Winnebago Park, the tire of one of the wheels of the wagon came
off. He got it on in the darkness and managed to keep it on with a
big stone in each hand, until he arrived home at 3 o'clock in the
morning, without having had anything to eat since the morning be-
118 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
fore. Ed. says he was tired and hungry, for he had his boy appetite
along with him. One can well imagine he would be very hungry
and verj-' tired, but to use a modern expression, "he got there just
the same."
The Conklin mill in Empire was built in 1845, ^^^ did very good
service for the settlers. It was of limited capacity, of course like
all early day mills on small streams.
Next came the Seymour mill, on the west branch of the Fond
du Eac river, near where Seymour street now crosses that stream.
It was also limited in its capacity for work and during most of its
existence was little more than a corn cracker and feed mill. It came
into existence in 1848.
Capt. Soper originated his scheme for a mill on the east branch
of the Fond du Lac river, just south of this city in 1849. O^ course
the water supply for power was small. It did very good work but
was able to run only in the spring and fall when there was plenty of
w^ater. It has been out of existence many years.
The year 1850 brought a number of mills to this vicinity. The
Ike Orvis mill at Avoca, near Oakfield. and the Conklin mill at Oak-
field are still in use, but being located on a very small stream, are of
limited capacity. The Allen mill, located on a small spring brook
a short distance south of Winnebago Park, had the tremendous head
of about sixty feet, but the water supply was so small that it never
did much work. The Geisse mill at Taycheedah, was a steam mill,
and the best and most reliable of its time. It was burned in 1854
and w^as not rebuilt. In 1857 T. S. Henry built a mill near the corner
of Arndt and Brooke streets. It was run by steam, but was burned
after a few years. In 1850 John Beeson, a brother of Edward Beeson,
started a sawmill and turning factory at Waucousta, and in 1856
added a flouring mill to his plant there. Some later a mill was built
at Dundee. Eater on steam mills appeared at various places, but
those had no part or lot in the pioneer days' experiences.
The Stone mill of Allen & Aldrich and Allen & Treleven had its
origin at a much later period and for a long time was principally em-
ployed in grinding corn for Boyle Brothers' yeast factory. The
Helmer mills came still later.
Silver Creek at Ripon, in the early days, was a fine .stream for
mills, and at one time there were no less than five flouring mills and
one woolen factory on it within a distance of two and a half miles.
Most of these long since disappeared and those left have steam for
power much of the year. The water in the stream is now but about
one-fourth of its former volume.
Waupun has had a water mill from about 1850, and like so many
others was a very good one at first, l)ut the water decreased in quan-
tity to the extent that it became necessary to add steam.
In 1848 "it was proposed to erect a first-class three-story flour-
ing mill in this city," and Messrs. Wheeler, Snow, Driggs and one
or two others were interested in it. The timber for it was hewed and
the frame erected at the corner of Macy and Court streets north of
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 119
the court house. That frame stood there many years and until
tveather beaten^ when the structure was deemed unsafe and the city
authorities ordered it removed. Just why the work was not pro-
ceeded with could not be ascertained, but it was believed to be due
to a lack of the necessary capital.
Such were the mills of the early times and such the experience
of the pioneers. After 1852 there was little trouble in getting grind-
ing done and along toward i860 an entirely new era set in, when the
Minneapolis and other big millers began the work of distributing
their product and it has pretty much wiped out the small mills ; they
being used now, if used at all, as mere corn crackers and feed mills.
The railroads have reached out to even the small villages and the
product of the large mills is thus distributed so readily that prac-
tically M^e have no frontier to need mills. The days of privation such
as our pioneers experienced, have passed away forever.
Let the people of today try to realize the situation here in the
winter of i847-'48, when wheat, corn, buckwheat and rye were
pounded in a big mortar made of wood instead of being ground in a
mill. People now find fault with roller made flour if not in the per-
fection of milling and obtained at an hour's notice. Fifty years ago
our predecessors Avere glad to get anything for bread — grain pounded
in a mortar and unbolted was gladly accepted. Ask B. J. Gilbert,
Jay Roblee, James and Seth Sylvester and others of that period,
who experienced it. It is said of good natured Jo. Hall, that during
that winter when everything was frozen and the mills could not run
because of scarcity of water, Jo. went to Sheboygan Falls with a grist
and the miller told him he could not get it in less than four weeks
unless it rained or thawed. Jo. told him he did not dare to go home
for his wife would kill him if he returned without the grist, and
when supper time came Jo. ofifered to pay the miller a quarter to go
into his house and see them eat bread, which would be a real curiosity
to him. Jo.'s humor induced the miller to tell him if he would keep
out of sight until after dark and would leave for home at two o'clock
in the morning, he would run his grist through for him. Jo.'s fund
of humor was used to some purpose that time.
Edward Beeson was at Geisse's mill at Taycheedah, the day his
son, J. J. Beeson, founder of the Reporter, was supposed to be stolen
by the Indians, but was asleep in a hen's nest behind a board leaning
against a tree.
The old mills have now nearl}^ all passed from existence and
reading about them here is all the knowledge some people will have
that they ever were here. People now living or in the future to come,
will not have experiences such as our ancestors had in this important
matter. The conditions are different, the way of doing things is
different. Let us therefore read and reflect on what those pioneers
did for us ; how they endured privations and suiTered for us and left
this grand and beautiful country in shape for us to enjoy. Let us
cherish their memory and give them at least an occasional thought.
120 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
Forgot His Wife at Oshkosh.
During- one of the winters of many years ago, a musical conven-
tion was held at Oshkosh, and many Fond du Lac people attended.
Among the musical notables was Emerson Hawley, who assisted in
conducting the convention. When ready to return home, two large
sleighs and one cutter carried the party. They came over on the ice,
and as they neared the mouth of the river, Mr. Hawley discovered
that he had forgotten something — his wife. She was in that city and
alone, so the only thing to be done was to go back after her, so the
cutter was headed north and the balance of the party came on home.
Annoying as the forced return was to Mr. Hawley, the annoyance
by his friends for months about forgetting his wife, was much more
so. It was a lono- time before he heard the last of it.
Council Wants Circus Tickets.
In 1858 the common council of Fond du Lac passed a resolution
that in future all circuses must pay a license and furnish tickets for
members of the council and city officers. When Yankee Robinson's
show came there was a kick and the show put up its tent on Rahte's
farm, south of the city and just outside the city limits. An old
wagon and a pair of sorry looking horses now appeared on the streets
with fife and drum and a large man with tremendous voice, declaring
readiness to pay the license but stopped at the tickets. Between
each of the announcements came rattling of the fife and drum that
would scare an Indian out of town. The scene provoked much
laughter and for ridicule it was a great success and no more was
ever heard about circus tickets. In after years it delighted Jo.
Serwe to tell of the affair.
An Albino Barber.
M. Wagner & Son now have a fine dry goods store at the north-
west corner of Ivlain and ^^'est Second streets, but there was a time
that a small wood building stood on that ground and Horace Durand
had a harness shop in it. In the rear for a long time stood the old
building known as the Exchange Hotel, now a part of the Lewis
House. For a long time one of the occupants of the old Exchange,
was a full Albino, pink eyes, florid complexion and light hair, named
Mitchell, who carried on a barber shop there. His wife was a negro
of considerable ability and drew many a customer to the shop by
story telling. Her use of the language was fine, but her husband
was remarkable for the use of big words. He constantly kept in use
the most remarkable words in the dictionary, without reference to
meaning or place. He would work in several big words in succession
and to the extent that his talk was unintelligible. The longer the
word or the more infretjuent in use, the better for him. His talk was
laughable for the intelligent and perplexing for the ignorant. He
was most remarkable and his peculiarity besides his wife's story tell-
ing, brouirht him customers.
DRUGS AND MEDICINES
Those Who Sold Medicines in Early Days and Who are Selling
Them Now — Apothecary — Druggist — Pharmacist.
Wonderful Developments in the Business.
The business man now known as a "pharmacist." a few years
back was universally known as a "druggist," but aged people now
living remember that "apothecary" was the familiar name applied
to the business of keeping medicines in a store. And how different
the practice! The apothecary of former times was expected to
gather and prepare domestic remedies for use. His sphere embraced
the refining of crude articles, coming sometimes from foreign
countries. He compounded and put up Godfrey's Cordial, Bateman's
Drops, Macassar Oil, Golden Tincture and many other like articles,
then generally used. He steeped, percolated and filtered his own
roots and herbs and made pills. He was a busy man, though he had
very few or no prescriptions to prepare, and found little time for
"sitting around." He knew nothing of the alkaloids, tablets, sugar
coated pills and fine tinctures now prepared in every desirable form
at the city pharmacies, supplied with every known appliance for such
work, and where these articles are furnished in almost endless variety
and in doses sized to suit the physician. The crude remedy and big-
dose, so familiar to the apothecary, are now almost unknown. The
prescription business now so common, is the growth of comparatively
few years, and was almost unknown to the apothecary. In his day
the physician bought his medicines and appliances at the store and
dispensed them at his ofiice or from his saddlebags.
The modern methods became known to some extent when the
druggist was recognized. The name, as well as the improved medical
methods, was a matter of growth. The druggist was supplied with
many of the refined articles and the physicians gladly adopted them.
New discoveries were constantly being made in the treatment of
diseases as well as in the remedies used. In this as in most things,
the march of improvement was onward.
But about the year 1880 the word pharmacist was recognized, and
in 1882, when the Wisconsin legislature authorized the first pharma-
ceutical board, the word pharmacist came into use. The young
practitioner of pharmacy today, has little conception of the work of
the apothecary, though the druggist is not an entire stranger. The
pharmacist of our day has everything in the highest degree profes-
sional and useful. His medicines come from pharmacies and drug
mills known everywhere for the perfection of their product, hence
prescriptions are put up with the greatest confidence as to efficacy
and cleanliness. Errors are practically eliminated by the pharma-
ceutical law. There mav be found in these stores a few articles
122
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
known to the trade as "commercial," but they are not used for medical
prescriptions. The complaint that is heard most is that of a lack of
cleanliness, something that should be practiced above all else by the
pharmacist. The prescription case should be kept scrupulously clean,
and graduated measures, knives, mortars, slabs and all appliances
are carefully washed by the pharmacist every time they are used.
Complaints are sometimes heard of in the matter, but it is pleasing
to note that it is not often. Remedy this and there will be little to
complain of in modern pharmacy.
Dr. T. B. Brigham, it is said by some, was the first Fond du Lac
druggist, but the truth seems to be that he was hardly doctor or
druggist. He was a missionary preacher, stopping on his periodical
journeyings from Green Bay to Fond du Lac, at Stockbridge, Brother-
town and other hamlets, to doctor the natives and preach to them.
He had in one corner of Clock & Weikert's store, in the Fond du Lac
house in 1846, a few bottles, boxes and bundles containing often
used medicines, and this was styled a "drug store."
Dr. O. S. Wright established the first real drug store in Fond du
Lac in 1847, ^^^ continued until 1851, when he sold out.
D. R. Curran came here the same year, 1847, ^^^d opened his drug
store, which he continued many years. The store was located in the
building of the New York store of A. P. & G. N. Lyman, in charge
of Wm. A. Dewey, on the east side of Main street, between First
and Second. The drug store was in the- south end, on the land on
which the Fonda restaurant now stands. Burned out with the whole
block in 1852, it was re-opened on the west side of the street, where
it remained many years.
Root & Partridge opened the next drug store in Fond du Lac,
in the middle room of the old Darling block and it was the first
business in that memorable structure, though the stores of Brownson
& Laughlin in the south end and T. & B. Mason in the north end,
opened close to the same time. J. R. & J. W. Partridge continued
the business until 1856, when it was sold.
Wright, 0. S.
Curran, D. R.
Partridge, J. R. & J. W.
Wright, T. S.
Krembs, Morritz.
Blinkenburg, F.
Brown, M. A.
Baumbach & Jacobi.
Curran & Kalk.
Curran & Son.
Ditter, John.
Ditter & Mitchell.
Huber, J. C.
Here Since 1846.
Kent & Durand.
Krumme, F.
Lowell, J. C.
Miner, Jay.
Marshall & Dana.
Marshall, C. H.
Mitchell & Pfeil.
Moulton & Griffith.
Root & Partridge.
Rupp, L. & O.
Spence, S. B.
Stiles & Givens.
Wright & Tucker.
Stiles, S. B.
Wright & Hiner.
Kalk & Kent.
Kendall & Co.
Lange, Ed.
Wright & Hamilton.
Wallichs & Dilts.
Dana, James T.
Breed, Geo. N.
Geisse, Chas.
Geisse & Taugher.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 12:i
In Business Here Now.
The Huber Bros. Reeves & Son. Pfeil & Kramer.
Remington Drug Co. Frank V. Masilko. B. Buchholz Co.
W. R. Plank Drug Co. W. W. Breister. Utter Drug Co,
Schleyer & Ordway. Sallade & Ruh.
The longest contintiotis business in this line in Fond du Lac, is
that of the Hubers established in 1864, and it has been in the same
store from the beginning, all the time in charge of Mr. J. C. Huber.
His advancing age and poor health has caused him of late to put the
business in the hands of his son, E. J. Huber.
J. R. & J. W. Partridge had what was doubtless the handsomest
drug store Fond du Lac has ever had. The fixtures and furniture
was a nice imitation of rosewood, the shelf furnishings were remark-
ably neat and the entire store was always kept clean and in order.
Mr. J. W. Partridge, who was in charge, took great pride in the neat-
ness of the store.
D. R. Curran and his son, Ed. S. Curran. when he came to man-
hood, were popular in the community and their store was always a
prominent resort, and it was seldom during business hours that their
store was empty of callers. Prominent men from out of town were
sure to call at Curran's before leaving for home, and it was the place
of all others in Fond du Lac to leave requests. Fred Kalk learned
the business in this store and he and Mr. Curran were probably
known personally to almost everybody in the county.
S. B. Spence, so well known here as "Sammy," was a graduate
of the Philadelphia School of Pharmacy, and. his store was a popular
resort for young men. He possessed a remarkably genial disposition,
but tuberculosis of the lungs brought him to an early grave.
Dr. T. S. Wright was for some years the only surgeon here for
capital operations and he was a conscientious druggist, refusing to
sell anything from his store on Sundays except medicine for the sick
or to a physician.
Eleven drug stores now doing business in Fond du Lac, seems
to be an abundant supply, but there was a time that we had fourteen
and the population of the city was not as large as it is now. The
number of physicians in practice here previous to 1850, was greater
in proportion to population than it has ever been since. The number
of physicians now here is believed by many to be large in proportion
to population, but as near as can be ascertained the proportion has
not varied much since 1850. The number of drug stores is now a
little below the average. The proportion of drug stores to people
in the state, is said to be less now than it was twenty years ago, and
the reason for it probably lies in the pharmaceutical law which re-
quires the employment of a licentiate in pharmacy, a registered
pharmacist or a graduated physician to conduct the business, which
many cannot afford. There are many general and village stores that
keep a few articles on sale, together with patent medicines, but
nothing of the nature of poisons and are not drug stores. We have
in the villages of this county, some such stores.
124 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
In the early days when the apothecaries ruled in these things,
many very useful articles were sold in large quantities that are
seldom or never heard of now. The apothecary bought dye-stuffs
by the barrel, such as madder, fustic, logwood, etc., and sold them to
the housewives by the pound, but they are seldom heard of now.
If home dyeing is done at all, it is with packet dyes. If the crude
dj'es are now kept by the pharmacist, it is in very small quantities,
not by the barrel as required by the apothecary.
Another disappearance from the sales of the pharmacist, is the
dry colors for paints. In former times dr}^ white lead, chrome yellow
and green, rose-pink, lampblack, etc., had a regular demand, but how
changed is the situation in the sales of dry colors ! Paints are pre-
pared now at paint mills, ready for the brush and put up in kegs and
cans.
It is not much more than a half century since varnish factories
put in an appearance and the apothecary made his own copal and
Japan varnish for the use of cabinet shops that had an existence.
Many of the coach, carriage and piano makers bought the gums and
made their own varnish. All this is now changed and all the varnish
comes from factories.
But who that was familiar with the drug store of fifty or even
twenty-five years ago, and looks at the contents of the show cases
in a pharmacy of today, does not recognize the enormous increase
in what is known as "druggists' sundries." These articles have in-
creased at least ten fold and new ones constantly appearing. And
patent medicines, known as "propietary articles," have increased in
about the same proportion. When we notice the fact that the book
and stationery stores have all disappeared, and frequent attempts to
re-establish such stores met with failure, we realize that it is due to
the fact that the drug stores deal extensively in stationery and many
of them in books. And so changes are constantly going on, not only
in the drug stores, but in many other lines of business.
The pioneers of this county went to the cabinet shop for furniture,
to the harness shop for harness, to the shoe shop for boots and shoes,
to the plow shop for plows, to the wagon shop for wagons, to the
fanning mill shop for fanning mills and so on, for such shops were
here then, but all this is changed now. These articles are now made
at factories, the mechanic with his shop has no show and has been
compelled to abandon the field. The mechanic cannot compete with
the factory.
City of Ripen.
Following are the names of the pharmacists who have occupied
the field at Ripon. David Greenway being the first:
David Greenway. Sherwood & Kessler. Wright & Brayton.
Isaac Cooper. Sherwood & Marshal. Brayton & Co.
De Frees & Esl<ew. Frank Uhrlein. O. U. Akin.
Wm. Gale. J. R. Hunter. E. J. Burnside.
Burdett Phelps. F. R. Hanchett. Ottmer Schallern.
F. D. Booth. Jones & Brayton. Cook & Hubbard.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 125
Now in the Business.
E. J. Burnside. Ottmer Schallein. Cook & Hubbard.
The above is beheved to be a complete list, though there may
have been one or two overlooked. There is a less number of drug-
gists there now than there were for many years, and it is noticeable
that all the old occupants of the field have disappeared. Mr. Burn-
side and Dr. Schallern have been in the business there some years
but do not belong to the old school. The druggist in the longest
continuous business there was DeFrees & Eskew, but their firm dis-
appeared some years ago. ^Ir. Eskew never resided in Ripon and Mr.
DeFrees is dead. And so the older ones continue to disappear and
new ones take their places.
City of Waupun.
The following is a complete list of those who have been in the
drug business at Waupun from the beginning:
W. C. Griffis. E. B. Patton. D. J. Tinner.
Robert Hobkirk. J. V. Preston. R. W. Wells.
F. S. Keech. H. McCourchis
In Business There Now.
E. B. Patton. D. J. Turner. H. McCourchis
Brandon — W. A. Turner.
Campbellsport — Wm. Reinhart, Paas & Hendricks.
Eairwater — Oliver M. Layton.
North Fond du Lac — J. E, Koepenick.
Oakfield — Burns Bros.
Rosendale — McKnight & Co.
R. M. Wells, now dead, was the pioneer druggist at Waupun,
and it is proper here to say, that in his lifetime, he was one of the
most popular business men in that place. It was a noteworthy fact
there, that Mr. Wells never refused medicine to any one because of
inability to pay for it, and it would be furnished at any time, night
or day. His widow still resides in Waupun.
But one of the above druggists belonged to Fond du Lac county
— all the rest were in Dodge county.
Most of the villages in the county are without drug stores, for
the reason that the pharmacy law requires that they be cared for by
a graduated physician, a registered pharmacist or a licentiate in
pharmacy, and the expense is too heavy. General stores often keep
a few of the common domestic articles, but nothing in the nature of
poisons can be lawfully sold without the above supervision. This
has been the law since 1882.
Two horse thieves who escaped from the county jail in 1857,
when Geo. W^ Mitchell was sheriff, were followed so close that they
hid in the flues of a brick kiln near the present Bowen factory, when
they were yet so hot that it was wondered how they ever stood it.
126 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Stone Yard Experiment.
Many years ago a stone yard was started in Fond du Lac and
much of the stone to be seen in our buildings was dressed there.
Most of the stone used was from quarries in the ledge below Tay-
cheedah. The 3^ard was not in existence very long, but it was
demonstrated while it w^as here, that Fond du Lac has near at hand
any quantity of splendid building stone, and all that is needed to
make it available is capital. The ledge is twenty miles long and the
stone is absolutely inexhaustible. The stone yard was located on
the bank of the river and north of Division street to the grounds of
the present malt house. The Bullis livery barn was put there since,
but the place was far too small for the business. The place seemed
more like a lot where stone was being made ready for a building than
a yard for the preparation of a general stock. The stone was fine,
but in the absence of proper machinery to dress it, the hand work
gave it a rough look. In short, the work was not as neat and finished
in appearance. Among the builders at that time and since, the im-
pression was general that stone from the ledge, properly cut and
finished, could be readily sold. To do this work as it ought to be
done, machinery must be used, but to put it up and dress the stone
in the city or at the quarries, is an important question. All these
things belong to practical men to consider. Fond du Lac has at
hand some of the best building stone in the state, and the only ques-
tion is how to utilize it. That the one attempt made was a failure,
ought not to hinder others and more practical men with capital.
Transportation of stone is an important item by rail or team, and
this was doubtless the reason for cutting the stone here by Henry
Bannister in old times. With all this fine material at our doors, why
should Fond du Lac not have a stone yard of modern appliances.
Amory Hall and the Peak Family.
When Amory block, opposite the Palmer House, was completed
in 1856, the people of Fond du Lac were proud of the structure, the
largest and best in the city, and were especially proud of Amory Hall.
The dome was very neat and the brackets of the side walls were
beautiful. They are yet, except that they are dingy from neglect and
non-use of the hall. It has been suggested many times that it would
not be a difficult or expensive undertaking to make that building into
a beautiful modern opera house, but it more than filled the bill of
wants in that line, for the people of Fond du Lac, at the time. The
Peak Family of bell ringers are well remembered by all old timers,
as they have been here many times, but they opened Amory Hall.
They gave the first performance in it and the crowd present was very
large — every nook and corner was crowded. They introduced the
songs "Pretty Little Polly Perkins" and "Johnny Schmoker," so
much sung here for many years.
INDIANS AND INDIAN PAYMENTS
Some Interesting Information Relative to the Indians and the Ways
of Government Officials in Paying Annuities.
Up to 1852 the Menomonee Indians roamed over this section
of country at will. Between Milwaukee, Theresa and Shawano, their
visits were frequent. They were not as troublesome as were the
Winnebagos, but all were glad when they were gone. The Menom-
onees were the last of the Indians here, and since they were moved
to their reservation at Keshena. in 1852, an Indian in blanket has
been a curiosity in Fond du Lac. Solomon Juneau was the guiding
star of the Menomonees. They depended upon him for counsel and
he settled their disputes. His home was in Milwaukee and they fre-
quently traveled long distances to get his advice. He sometimes
came to Fond du Lac and Oshkosh to set things right, and at such
times these places had more Indians than they desired. At the time
of the trial before the county judge at Oshkosh, relative to the own-
ership of a child claimed by the Partridges to have been stolen from
them by the Indians while at work in a sugar camp, nearly the whole
of the tribe was there and the feeling was bitter. Solomon Juneau
was there and old Chief Oshkosh was there, holding the Indians in
check and trouble was avoided.
The two years immediately preceding the removal of the Menom-
onees to Keshena, the camp for the payment of annuities by the
United States government, was on the south shore of Lake Poygan
and we are telling the story of the payments for the information of
people who now know little about Indians from actual observation.
The government Indian agent always had one or two companies of
soldiers present to insure order. The tribe is divided into bands,
each band having a leader. When ready to pay them, the Indian
agent and clerk counts out the money on a table in equal piles for
each man, woman and child of the band. This table is placed be-
tween two doors on opposite sides of the cabin, then as the names
are called, each marches through alone and without stopping, hold-
ing up the corner of his blanket, into which the agent drops his share
of the money. After all have been paid, and it includes all, children
as well as older ones, the band is marched away to a vacant spot,
where all are seated on the ground in a circle. The share of the band
payable in supplies such as salt pork and beef, flour, salt, etc.. is
rolled to the center of the circle each Indian having bags receives his
share under direction of the leader of the band. As the writer of
this watched this part of the work, he w'as impressed that some re-
ceived more than their share — possibly favorites — but there was no
trouble visible. Implements for gardening and working patches of
corn were not given to the individuals but bestowed upon the whole
128 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
of the band. Each band of the whole tribe went through this pro-
cess. The payment was a rather slow process for the reason that
the roll was verified and signed by each band separately as such
before another was paid. The evident object of the agent was to have
the work satisfactory as it progressed and not leave it to the end.
At the door of the cabin where the Indians came out with their
money in the corner of their blankets, is where the agents of the
traders got in their work on dishonest Indians who did not want to
pay their debts. If one showed a disposition not to pay, the agents
would seize him and take from him enough to pay the debt. To
take more than this was not allowed by law. Once in a while an
Indian would jump from the door and run and there would be an
exciting chase, but the agents generally managed to capture him.
The camps generally lasted about ten days, and as the steam-
boats ran there every day and there were temporary hotels, a great
many people went to see what w^as going on. But gambling was
the great attraction. Every sort of game was played with cards,
and there was keno, dice, wheels and all sorts of devices. The
gambling tables were crowded every night and all night. The hotel
men often had to drive the gamblers out to set the tables for break-
fast. Few of the Indians seemed to gamble, so that feature of the
Indian payments must have been brought there by others. There
were several shows there including a theatre. The Indians had pet
bears and other petted wild animals, some of them very interesting.
In the evening the tom-tom playing and dancing and Indian flute
playing attracted crowds of people at the camp. But all this long
since passed away and interest in the red man belongs only to
history. A wild Indian in paint and blanket is a curiosity in Fond
du Lac now, but at the time of which we write, they w6re to be
seen loafing around almost every day, sometimes singly, but oftener
in companies of three to twenty. A favorite place for their wigwams
was among the small trees and brush then existing plentifully east*
of Main street and between Merrill street and the lake shore. The
wigwams were generally found in groups of two to five. The Indian
boys were sometimes seen on the streets with bows and arrows to
shoot at pennies set up by the curious on split sticks stuck in the
ground, but candor -compels the assertion that their marksmanship
w^as poor. They would often shoot at a penny many times before
bringing it down, though the distance was not great. The proverbial
skill of the noble red man with his bow and arrow was seldom seen
here.
It was fortunate for early settlers in Fond du Lac county, that
the Winnebago Indians were moved to the Wisconsin river region
before they came, but some stragglers would return, and sometimes
in stifficient numbers to make trouble. It was undoubtedly these
fellows who did the mischief in Oakfield at the Wilkinson settlement,
for no one who knew the Menomonees believe they were guilty of
such an atrocity. After some years these Winnebagos began to be
troublesome to the people at Stevens Point, Grand Rapids and other
places along the Wisconsin river, and the general government again
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 129
removed them, this time west of the Mississippi river. But Col.
Moore, of LaCrosse, who had them in charge, could not make them
stay there and most of them straggled back to the region of Black
River Falls, and have since behaved themselves very well. In pur-
suing his work on Indian legends. Col. R. G. Thewaltz, of the Wis-
consin State Historical Society, spent some weeks among them, and
regards them as having made at least some progress in general civili-
zation since they were here.
Wandering bands of Pottonwalomies and Chippewas were
occasionally in Fond du Lac in early days, but were generally simply
passing on their way and their stay was short.
The Brothertowns were civilized when they were brought from
the east to settle on their lands on the east shore of Lake \Vinnebago,
and soon after arriving here were made citizens by an act of congress.
But as has been shown by other experiments, Indian blood cannot
stand civilization and the Brothertowns have become almost extinct.
An "Indian party" and a "citizens' party" divided the Stockbridge
tribe when it was brought here from the east to settle upon land on
the east side of Lake Winnebago, immediately north of the Brother-
towns. John W. Quinney. leader of the Indian party, and Mr. Adams,
leader of the citizens' part}', spent much time at Washington,
harrassing congress and the government officials for relief from the
annoyances of the situation. After some years the Indian adherents
were moved north to Shawano county, and the citizen adherents
remained here. But it was a mere matter of time with them and few
are now left to tell the tale of the once great Stockbridge nation.
John W. Quinney plead at Washington for the lives of his people
whom he said would perish amid scenes of farm life, but they also
died ofif in the woods and wilds of Shawano county.
These are the Indians that Fond du Lac county people were
familiar with in early days, and whether good or bad Indians, no
one cares to see them here aeain.
First Harness Made Here.
The first harness made in Fond du Lac county was by Lyman
Bishop. He drove stage to Milwaukee to buy the material and
brought it back with him. He worked in an attic room at Peebles,
below Taycheedah. and sold them so readily that he continued there
about a year. At this time one could not go to Milwaukee or Chicago
and buy ready made harness, this practice not coming in until war
time when the demand was great and harness makers hard to find.
The demand by the blockade runners was so heavy that immense
shops were started at the east and harness makers not in the arm}^,
went there. There was one shop at Newark, N. J., that worked 450
men on harness for the south, ordered by blockade runners, and this
shop was but one of many. The price of harness leather was very
high. ]\ir. Bishop mo\-ed his appliances to Fond du Lac in 1850,
after building his shop at Main and Third streets, and continued it
until his death.
130 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Early Theatre Methods.
Theatre methods were quite different in early times when
theatres played in Darling's and Ward & Windecker's hall. A one
night or even a one week stand would have been looked upon as
ridiculous. Langrische & Atwater, G. J. Adams and others came to
stay as long as they could make it pay, which was generally two
weeks to a month. The plays presented were seldom new ones, the
people being satisfied with Shakespeare. Scott, Kalzefal and other
old timers, and a farce must always end the night's performance. Mid-
night was the hour for people to get home from the theatre. And
the Yankee character was quite dift'erent from the "Josh Whitcomb"
of today. The Yankee drawl and the Yankee trick belonged to the
specialist like "Yankee Miller," "Yankee Robinson," etc., the balance
of the company having little to do. The Yankee character of that
day is not here now. And the minstrel show was different. At that
time the minstrel show was mainly minstrelsy. Singing and dancing,
banjo playing and repartee by the end men, made up the performance.
Dick Sliter, Tom Emerson, Tom Baker and others of the old timers,
would have scorned the foolish attempts at fun in the negro per-
formance of today.
A Holland Dutch Windmill.
Fond du Lac at one time had a windmill, not of the modern
species, but one of the old Holland Dutch sort, with long arms and
sails such as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza fought for the honor
of Don's Dukina del Tobaso. The Fond du Lac specimen was never
fought much even by the grain it was expected to grind. It may
have run some but very few ever saw it going. It was located at the
southwest corner of Western Avenue and Oak streets, and near the
Western Avenue bridge. It was built and equipped by John Cava-
nagh, but not being efficient it was soon taken down and the premises
used by him as a general cooper shop. Mr. Cavanagh is still with us
and makes cisterns at his shop on upper Main street. He once had
a shop on West Second street, where he bought pork for two or three
cents a pound, some of which was packed, some tried into lard, spare
ribs sold for one-half cent a pound and the rough grease made into
soap.
Injury of Edward Pier.
It has probably been forgotten by the older people and not
known to the younger, that Edward Pier met with a painful accident
three years before his death, and it was believed by the family that
it hastened his death. Riding in a two seat buggy on Western
Avenue, near the five points, the rear seat of the buggy seems not to
have been fastened, tipped over backward and threw Mr. Pier into
the street, seriously injuring his spine and shoulders. He was laid
up with the injury a long time, but finally got around though not as
active as before.
PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS
Doctors Who Came to the County in Early Days and Those Here
Now, with Personal Characteristics of Some
of Them.
People generally expect much of the physician. Who has not
heard the remark that if the doctor understood his business he could
cure all ailments of his suffering patients. These people, many of
them quite intelligent, seem not to remember that the human system
is an exceedingly complicated machine ; one far more intricate than
anything human hands can build or the mind contrive, and subject to
complications beyond the most active imagination. The physician
himself is often unable to understand results largely because he is
left in the dark relative to the private or inner life of his patient. He
cannot penetrate the private character and discover the many little
things hidden there, any one of which may give activity to numerous
lesions, wholly different in different individuals. In other words,
no two persons are exactly alike, nor do the same troubles run
exactly the same course in any two patients, or who need the same
remedies in the treatment of their maladies. One class of patients
may be of strong bilious temperament, another class the opposite in
lymphatic and still another in the sanguine or nervous. Some are
nervous and flighty, others are peaceful and quiet, with peculiarities
of disposition and inherited troubles almost numberless.
These are a few of the conditions which no one, not even the
physician can always understand or successfully combat. Many
things which the doctor ought to know are hidden from him bv the
patient and he must get at the truth as best he can, if he gets it at all.
And besides these many complications is the fact that the patient
is not always loyal to the doctor. Too often orders are not obeyed,
resulting in probable injury to the patient and disgust and disappoint-
ment to his physician.
Medicine is not an exact science and never can be, and the
physician can only make use of the best means at his disposal, based
upon his best judgment. Friends of the different schools of practice
claim a great deal for them, yet those who indorse them must all meet
the same physical and professional tangles. The doctor's treatment
niay result quite satisfactorily and it may result disastrously, with
little knowledge on his part of why it is so, in either event. He can
only use the best means his school or his best judgment gives him
and abide results.
Experience a Wonderful School.
Experience is a wonderful school and in the last half century the
physicians and surgeons have learned some interesting and important
132 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
lessons. They have becoir.e familiar with diseases and pathological
conditions and learned methods of treatment that were practically
unknown fifty years ago. Bright's disease of the kidneys, diphtheria,
appendicitis, tuberculosis except as recognized in consumption of
the lungs, and operation for tumors, now so frequently resorted to,
were almost unknown and if the old physicians and surgeons of fifty
years ago could return to their practice now they would be almost
powerless to combat the new conditions they would meet.
Wonderful progress has been made in surgery, and the remedies used
in the treatment of diseases are now in the forms of alkaloids, tablets
and refined tinctures, minimizing the dose to the extent that it is no
longer necessary to use a tablespoon or teacup in the administration
of a remedy. Bleeding, blisters, cupping, vomits and some other old
heathen methods are almost wholly eliminated from the doctor's
modes of cure. Homeopathic, hydropathic and electric systems have
made great progress, while osteopathy and christian science have been
known and practiced, but a very few years. The text books used in
the medical colleges fifty years ago are now curiosities and the
modern doctor, glancing through them, wonders at the crude methods
of cure.
What of the Next Half Century.
The advancement made especially in materia medica and diag-
nosis, which the practicing physician notes almost every day, causes
him to wonder what the situation will be at the end of another half
century. With the four years' course of training now required by all
reputable medical schools, the remarkable chemical knowledge dis-
played in the preparation of remedies, the great care and discrimina-
tion in the use of them, and the acuteness of perception in diagnosis,
ought at least to shorten the suffering and delay the ravages of death
in a marked degree as compared with the present. Fifty years more
added to the past, ought to bring wonderful results and be a lasting
benefit to the race.
Physicians of Fifty Years Ago.
Of the physicians here fifty years ago, all are dead. In fact the
list seems not to have been made up of long lived rhen. Dr. Darling,
Dr. Adams, Dr. Walker and possibly Dr. T. S. Wright, may have
reached 70 years, but not much beyond the three score and ten of the
Scriptures. Following is the list of Fond du Lac doctors from the
earliest arrival to the present time. Only those who have compiled
such lists can realize the difficulties to be encountered. There may
be a few names omitted, but the list is as complete as it is possible
to get it at this time :
Resident Physicians in 1850.
Dr. Adams. Dr. Howard. Dr. H. L. Wilklns.
Dr. Babcock. Dr. Pantillon. Dr. T. S. Wright.
Dr. Darling. Dr. Tallmadge. Dr. O. S. Wright.
Dr. Galloway. Di-. Walker.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
133
Dr. J. O. Ackerman.
Dr. E. C. Allard.
Dr. E. E. Atkins.
Dr. P. M. Baker.
Dr. E. B. Beeson.
Dr. C. A. Beebe.
Dr. F. H. Bell.
Dr. L. A. Bishop.
Dr. G. C. Bowe.
Dr. G. T. Boyd.
Dr. S. S. Bowers.
Dr. G. N. Brazeau.
Dr. E. J. Breitzman.
Dr. Elliott Brown.
Dr. Cantillon.
Dr. Amazi Gary.
Di'. Carolin.
Dr. J. P. Connell.
Dr. F. E. Donaldson.
Dr. H. B. Dale.
Dr. K. L. DeSombre.
Dr. A. F. Deveraux.
Dr. Dixon.
Dr. E. F. Dodge.
Dr. L. Eudemiller.
From 1848 to the Present Time.
Dr. F. L. Foster.
Dr. B. E. Gifford.
Dr. A. C. Gibson.
Dr. S. E. Gavin.
Dr. E. L. Griffin.
Dr. E. Gray.
Dr. L. P. Hinn.
Dr. Hancker.
Dr. B. Holmes.
Dr. W. B. Hendricks.
Dr. W. H. Jenny.
Dr. Morritz Krembs.
Dr. S. A. Krumme.
Dr. Lilly.
Dr. H. B. Lindley.
Dr. A. Linsenmeyer.
Dr. P. E. Langdon.
Dr. G. B. McKnight.
Dr. G. T. McDoiigall.
Dr. J. H McNeef*
Dr. T. F. Mayham.
Dr. S. L. Marston.
Dr. J. G. Miller.
Dr. G. V. Mears.
Dr. Wm. Minahan.
Dr. J.
Dr. E.
Dr. E.
Dr. F.
Dr. C.
Dr. L.
Dr. G.
Dr. G.
Dr. G.
Dr. E.
Dr. F.
0. Ackerman.
C. Allard.
E. Atkins.
M. Baker.
A. Beebe.
A. Bishop.
C. Bowe.
T. Boyd.
N. Brazeau.
J. Breitzman,
L. Foster.
Now in Practice Here,
Dr. .J. P. Connell.
Dr. S. E. Gavin.
Dr. L. P. Hinn.
Dr. B. Holmes.
Dr. S. A. Krumme.
Dr. G. B. McKnight.
Dr. Kehl.
Dr. G. T. McDougall.
Dr. J. H. McNeel.
Dr. T. F. Mayham.
Dr. G. V. Mears.
Dr.
F. H. Moll.
Dr.
Nye.
Dr.
C. C. Olmsted.
Dr.
Ogden.
Dr.
T. J. Patchen.
Dr.
U. R. Patchen.
Dr.
R. A. Palmer.
Dr.
S. G. Pickett.
Dr.
A. J. Pullen.
Dr.
D. A. Raymond,
Dr.
Flora A. Read.
Dr.
F. J. Richter.
Dr.
M. T. Richie.
Dr.
R. W. Root.
Dr.
G. T. Scheib.
Dr.
T. J. Scheube.
Dr.
A. Smead.
Dr.
S. S. Stack.
Dr.
Henry Twohig.
Dr.
Wm. Wiley.
Dr.
F. S. Wiley.
Dr.
W. B. Wilson.
Dr.
F. A. Wright.
Dr.
D. B. Wyatt.
Dr.
John D. Wyatt.
Dr. Wm. Minahan.
Dr. R. A. Palmer.
Dr. Flora A. Read.
Dr. Pillsbury.
Dr. L. J. Rhoades.
Dr. G. F. Scheib.
Dr. Henry Twohig.
Dr. F. S. Wiley.
Dr. F. A. Wright.
Dr. D. B. Wyatt.
Dr. Mason C. Darling.
Dr. Mason C. Darling is conceded by all who knew him personally
and by reputation, to have been a man above the average. Politically
he served the people in every grade of usefulness from ditch digger
to the halls of congress. Professionally his work showed he had few
superiors in medicine and surgery, and' as a manager of public enter-
prises he was a genius. Fond du Lac owes so much to Dr. Darling
for the proud position it holds in the state that its people would be
in one sense justified in canonizing his memory. We speak of that
which we know from a long personal acquaintance, when we say he
was a good man, an honest, honorable man. His ability to adapt
himself to circumstances is shown by an incident in his surgical ex-
perience.
134 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
While on his way from Sheboygan in 1838, while coming here,
he found a man badly frozen, and gangrene having set in it became
necessary to amputate a hand or foot, it is not now remembered
which, and no amputating instruments or even a proper knife being
obtainable, he directed a blacksmith how to make a suitable knife and
sharpened it on a grindstone, whetstone and razor strop. A tendon
hook was made of a table fork, common saw was used for a surgical
saw, and after the amputation was complete the wound was closed
with a common needle and thread and the patient made a rapid re-
covery. The knife used is now in possession of Dr. John Darling,
of St. Paul, grandson of Dr. Darling.
He was a native of Amherst, Mass., and came west in 1838 in
pursuit of health, being an invalid on a mattress when he started.
He gained rapidly, stayed here and became a well man. Besides being
a graduate in medicine and surgery. Dr. Darling had more than the
ordinary capacity of men in politics and the general affairs of life.
He was our first member of congress under the state government,
and at different times was sought for by his fellow citizens for official
positions of almost every grade. He left here in 1864, it is said
against his will, to reside in Chicago, but had he lived he w^ould have
returned. He died in December, 1866, and his remains were brought
back for interment in Rienzi.
Dr. W. H. Walker.
Dr. W. H. Walker was the next in the line of physicians to
locate in Fond du Lac. In March of 1847, ^^- Walker graduated from
the Cleveland Medical College, Cleveland, Ohio, and immediately
started for Wisconsin, landing at Sheboygan, thence to Fond du Lac.
The first nights in their new home Mrs. Walker bunked in the old
Fond du Lac House and the doctor sought sleeping quarters in sheds
on hay. These were poor prospects for a newly graduated and wedded
doctor, but bravery and hard work gave success.* The building at the
southeast corner of Main and Fifth streets, now a hotel, was erected
by Dr. Walker, the lumber for it being taken from a raft in the river
and dried by turning the boards over in the sun from day to day. At
this date, March, 1905, Mrs. Walker is still a resident of the city, at the
corner of West Second and Union streets. Dr. Walker died some
years ago.
Doctor, Druggist and Missionary.
Dr. T. P. Bingham was said by some to be the first doctor and
the first druggist as well as being among the early missionary preach-
ers in Fond du Lac. He opened an office at Green Bay in 1842, and
found his way to Fond du Lac in 1846. He made periodical journeys
from Green Bay to Fond du Lac, stopping on the way at Stockbridge,
Brothertown, Ball's corners, Pequot Village and Taycheedah, where
the Indians and white folks were doctored soul and body. Dr. Bing-
ham had a corner in Clock & Weikert's store in one of the rooms of
the old Fond du Lac House, in which he kept a few bottles, boxes
*It may be interesting to many to know that Dr. Walker officiated at tlie boruing of our
present Dr. Burns of Oakfield.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT, 135
and packages, containing turpentine, camphor, castor oil, opodildoc,
soda, salts, pills, etc., styled the drug store. What became of Dr.
Bingham's drug store will be told when we come to speak of that
part of business. The fact seems to be that the doctor preferred
preaching to doctoring, the cure of souls to the cure of bodies and
therefore never became noted in the profession. That he was a regu-
larly graduated physician seems to be doubted.
A Noted Doctor.
Dr. D. A. Raymond was doubtless the most noted physician
located in Fond du Lac since the half century period. He came from
northern New York and was pretty well known in that state. His
genial temperament and mirth provoking disposition, together with
fine ability as a physician and surgeon, made him very popular and
his office was seldom empty of people during business hours. When
Dr. Raymond retired a few years ago, he was literally worn out by
professional work. He died at the home of a daughter in Portland,
Oregon, a few years ago, and his remains were brought here and laid
to rest in Rienzi.
A Popular Physician.
Dr. E. L. Griffin was another of the energetic and popular
physicians of Fond du Lac. Few faces were more familiar in the
street than his. He was noted for promptness in responding to calls,
for his earnestness in the care of his patients and for his efforts in
promoting any good and moral work. Dr. Griffin seemingly never
skipped an opportunity to do good. When Dr. Wiley went to Ripon
during the war, Dr. Griffin was his successor here in Fond du Lac.
Physican, Druggist, Banker.
Dr. T. S. Wright came to Fond du Lac in 1848, not only as a
physician and surgeon, but as a druggist, banker and agent for his
father-in-law. Gen. Warner, whose investments in property here at
that time were large. Most of the long row of brick buildings on
the west side of Main street, between First and Second streets, were
among the buildings erected by Gen. Warner and Dr. Wright. The
surgeon mainly relied upon for some years after his arrival here was
Dr. T. S. Wright. He had a drug store for some years before his
return to the east about 1882 and died a few years later. The bank
of Darling, Wright & Co., was the principal bank here from 1849
until the opening of the Bank of the Northwest, now the First Na-
tional Bank, in 1855.
Dr. O. S. ^^^right was also a physician and druggist, but was not
a relative of Dr. T. S. Wright. He was popular in the community,
but remained here only a few years. The store was on nearly the
same ground that the Huber Bros.' store of today is located, so there
has been a drug store there almost from the beginning.
Dr. Patchen a Remarkable Physician.
Dr. T. J. Patchen was in some respects the most remarkable
physician Fond du Lac has ever had. Coming here in 1855, he found
136 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
the homeopathic field ahiiost wholly uncultivated. He lectured,
taught, talked and drilled the people in the principles of his school of
medicine. He was a teacher and wanted the people to know things,
not guess at them, and so built up and for many years sustained a
remarkably large practice. His manner was so cherry that he was
always welcomed to the sick room. He was a thorough temperance
man and never failed to take hold vigorously of any movement that
promised to help the cause. He died in Florida but his remains were
brought home and lie in Rienzi.
Other Noted Doctors.
Dr. Wm. Wiley, Dr. S. S. Bowers, Dr. E. F. Dodge and Dr. E.
Gray, were all noted doctors of their time. They were highly educated
in the profession and were frequently called in consultations in
dangerous cases. Dr. Wiley was in Ripon ,a few years but returned
to Fond du Lac and died here. Drs. Bowers and Dodge also died
here. Dr. Gray died in Colorado.
Dr. Babcock was an early arrival here, coming from Ohio, coming
so soon after Dr. Darling as to be held as the first, but this was an
error. He seems to have been a bright, active man, one to whom
Dr. Darling took a special liking and was a sort of protege. When
Dr. Darling found it difficult to attend a case, which he sometimes
did because of his manifold duties. Dr. Babcock was sent with con-
fidence. He was a pioneer doctor, second only to Dr. DarHng, but
by no means a quack. He remained here but two or three years and
then disappeared and left no remembrance that has come down to
our time. The cause of his going is unknown, as he was well liked
by the settlers.
Dr. John Pantillon was the first homeopathic physician here,
and of course had difficult work to make the people of this frontier
town believe in the efficacy of the little pills then generally used by
practitioners of his school. He was a man of considerable force of
character and worked hard to introduce his system. He left here
after a few years and soon after died.
Ripon Physicians.
From the beginning Ripon has had its full share of noted and
successful doctors, but not one has reached the half century of prac-
tice. Following is the list of those located there from 1853 to 1903:
Dr. H. L. Barnes. Dr. Phelps. Dr. Taylor.
Dr. E. C. Barnes. Dr. J. Rogers.* Dr. J. S. Foat.
Dr. Butler. Dr. Reynolds.* Dr. W. A. Gorden. —
Dr. Carnahan.* Dr. B. Seliallern. Dr. Storrs Hall.*
Dr. A. Everhard.* Dr. 0. Schallern. Dr. S. S. Hall.
Dr. F. A. Everhard. Dr. R. Schallern.* Dr. A. W. Hewitt.*
Dr. Hendricks.— Dr. G. R. Shaw.* Dr. Wm. Wiley.*
Dr. A. Mitchell. Dr. F. L. Shepard.—
*Dead. —Moved away.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 137
Of the twenty-two located there during the half century, nine
have died and but few moved away, which indicates that it is a
satisfactory place to stay when one gets there.
Ripon did not have a graduated physician practicing there until
1853. So the half century of medicine in that city carries it to 1903,
but during the years since 1853 Ripon has had some remarkably able
and popular doctors.
Dr. J. Rodgers was the first graduated physician and surgeon
to locate there, which was in 1853. He continued in active and suc-
cessful practice until his death a few years ago.
Dr. Aaron Everhard was one of the most successful physicians
and popular citizens yet located at Ripon, having been nine times
elected mayor of the city between the years 1871 and 1885. He was
postmaster under Cleveland's administration and his advice was often
sought in public affairs. He located at St. Marie, near Princeton, in
1850, and in Ripon in 1856 and continued there until his death in 1892.
Dr. Henry L. Barnes has from the beginning of his professional
career been one of the bright, active and successful ph3'sicians and
surgeons at Ripon. He came to Wisconsin in 1846, settled at Ripon,
was graduated from the Cleveland Medical College in 1858. He
served with distinction in the war as surgeon in the Twenty-first
Wisconsin. He began practice in Ripon in 1858 and was the fourth
physician to locate there. He is also an active and valued citizen in
public affairs.
Dr. W. A. Gordon was one of the war surgeons and located at
Ripon in 1866, but on account of poor health went to California after
a few 5^ears, leaving a large circle of friends.
Dr. A. W. Hewitt settled in Ripon in 1855 ^^^^ was the third
physician to locate there. Some years later he went to Minnesota,
where he died a few years ago.
Dr. Rainer Schallern, father of Drs. Bruno and Ottmar Schallern,
two of Ripon's popular physicians, was a Belgian, noted in his native
country as well as this, for his great scientific attainments. In nau-
tical science he had few equals.
Dr. Storrs Hall from 185 1 was a resident of Rosendale, but
retired from practice at the age of 90 and became a member of the
household of his son. Dr. Sidney Storrs Hall, in Ripon. He was a
graduate of the medical department of Yale. For more than fifty
years Dr. Hall was prominent not only in the practice of his profes-
sion, but also in public affairs of the county and especially of Ripon
College. He died a few months ago.
Rosendale Physicians.
Dr. A. H. Bowe was the pioneer doctor at Rosendale, locating
there in 1847. He was born in 1813 and graduated in medicine at
Baltimore, Md. He continued in active practice until his death a
few years ago.
Dr. Storrs Hall was another pioneer. Graduated from the
medical department of Yale, located at Rosendale in 1854. S. S. Hall,
138
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
how practicing at Ripon, first located at Rosendale. The full list of
Rosendale doctors from the beginning- has been as follows :
Dr. A. H. Bowe.* Dr. Storrs Hall.* Dr. G. B. McKnight. —
Dr. De Voe. Dr. S. S. Hall.— Dr. J. W. Powell.
Dr. Dunning. — Dr. J. C. LePevre. — Dr. Palmer. —
Dr. Hughes. —
Dr. Jones. —
Eldorado Mills.
Dr. Randall.—
Dr. Morse. —
Dr. Peterson.-
Oakfield — Resident Physicians.
Dr. J. W. Burns. Dr. Sherman Edwards. Dr. Chas. H. Moore.
Dr. W. S. Alexander.
Oakfield — Former Resident Doctors.
Dr. C. E. Armstrong.
Dr. Henry S. Beeson.
Dr. S. S. Bishop.
Dr. Brice Dille.
Dr. W. C. Duncan.
Dr. G. B. Durand.
Dr. W. H. Fisher.
Dr. Gibson.
Dr. Hunter.
Dr. Wm. Moore.
Dr. Wm. W. Moore.
Dr. E. J. Orvis.
Brandon.
Dr. S. G. Pickett.
Dr. Geo. Pickett.
Dr. J. F. Pritchard.
Dr. C. W. Voorus.
Dr. Weaver.
Dr. J. D. Root. Dr. Thayer. Dr. Cody.
Dr. C. D. Shuart. Dr. Gee. Dr. Safford.
Dr. Dyer. Dr. Turner. Dr. F. E. Shaykatt.
Dr. Root has been in Brandon nearly twenty years, Dr.
Shaykatt nearly as long. '
Waupun City.
The physicians who have resided in that part of Waupun in
Fond du Lac county from the beginning are :
Dr. P. D. Moore. Dr. Eypers.* Dr. Fisher and wife. —
Dr. Randall. — Dr. Osmun.*
Dr. Took.* Dr. Osborne.
Dr. M. W. Larrabee, Dr. M. P. Smith and Dr. W. S. Blunt are
the physicians now residing there, in Fond du Lac county.
Dr. D. W. Moore.
Dr. Bowman.*
Dr. Hersha.*
Dr. J. W. Brown.*
Dr. Swayne.*
Dr. Butterfield.*
Dr. Moore is the
physicians of Waupun.
strong.
Dr. Eudemiller.*
Dr. P. A. Hoffman.
Dr. M. A. T. Hoffman.
In Dodge County.
Dr. Wadsworth.*
Dr. Harvey.*
Dr. Messer. —
Dr. Reed.—
Dr. W. P. Smith.
Dr. G. B. Durand.
Dr. G. T. von Henzel.
Dr. D. H. Ballmeyer.
Dr. F. T. Clark.
Dr. J. F. Brown.
only surviving member of the pioneer
He is not in practice now, but is rugged and
Campbellsport.
Dr. S. L. Marston. —
Dr. Orvis. —
Dr. Russell.
Dr. Weld.
Dr. Zimmerman.
*Dead. — Moved away.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 139
Dr. S. L. Marston was the first physician to locate at Campbells-
port. He went there in the early fifties, afterwards moving to
Waucousta, thence to Fond du Lac and finally to Hartford, where
he now resides.
Dr. Eudemiller died several years ago. He was a student from
the office of Drs. Gray & Wyatt.
Lamartine.
Dr. Elliott Brown was the first doctor in Lamartine, coming
there in 1848. He moved to the city in 1877 and died in 1883.
North Fond du Lac.
Dr. A. J. Pullen. Dr. P. J. Calvy. Dr. J. E. Heraty.—
St. Cloud— Dr. E. P. Crosy, Dr. C. W. Leonard, Dr. J. Wald-
schmidt.
Calumet Harbor— Dr. E. J. Bumker, Dr. Vander Horst.
Empire — Dr. Hanners,* Dr. Lyons.
Eden — Dr. P. J. Oliver, Dr. Vandervoort.*
Dotyville — Dr. Judson Morse.
Dundee — Dr. John O'Neill.
Mt. Calvary — Dr. John A. Bassen.
Johnsburg — Dr. John J. Shoofs.
Lamartine — Dr. Emile Roy, Dr. Elliott Brown.*
Fairwater — Dr. Oliver M. Layton.
Taycheedah— Dr. Tallmadge,* Dr. Wm. Wiley,* Dr. E. J. Breitz-
man.
New Cassel — Dr. R. Zimmerman.
Ladoga — Dr. S. R. Randall (not in practice.)
Van Dyne — Dr. A. B. Hambeck.*
Elmore — Dr. Wm. Hausman.
Marytown — Dr. L. H. Baldwin.*
South Byron — Dr. W. H. Wilson (retired).
Medical Organizations in Fond du Lac County.
RY DR. J. W. BURNS, OAKFIELD.
The first Medical Society in this county was organized about the
year 1844 or 1845, while Wisconsin was yet a territory. The exact
date cannot be ascertained. It embraced the territory now covered by
the counties of Fond du Lac, Sheboygan and Calumet. It was or-
ganized in Fond du Lac, then only a settlement. Its members are
all dead. Dr. Brainard, of Sheboygan county, was president, and
Dr. Blodgett, of Calumet county, was secretary. This society was
short lived. Embracing but few members scattered over a wide and
unsettled territory, removals and deaths soon disintegrated it.
The next medical organization in the county was effected in the
year 1853. Just fifteen years before this date, in 1838, the first medical
gentleman settled in the county, the late Dr. Mason C. Darling.
The medical organization of 1853 was called the "Medical Association
•Dead. — Moved away.
140 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
of the County of Fond du Lac." Its by-laws and constitution are
the only records of its existence which are now extant so far as is
known. From these we learn that the object of the society was to
"elevate the standard of the profession by the diffusion of medical
knowledge, and to promote unanimity of feeling and concert of
action among the members thereof." The by-laws provided for two
meetings a year. This association after the lapse of a year or two, is
found to disappear from history. 1 he cause of its going out and the
manner of its extinction is mostly conjectural.
The third medical society in the county was organized at
Waupun in 1866 and was known as the "Northwestern Medical
Society," and embraced the eastern part of Green Lake county, the
western part of Fond du Lac county, and it also had a few members
from Dodge county. Its membership reached a maximum of fifteen
or twenty. It held its meetings twice a year. Dr. Storrs Hall, of
Rosendale, was elected president and regular meetings were held at
Ripon, Berlin and Waupun. This society flourished for a little over
a year when it also became extinct. The cause of its demise appears
to have been the failure of its members to attend its meetings.
The fourth medical society in the county, known as the "Fond
du Lac County Medical Society," was organized in 1868 and flour-
ished for a number of years. Its membership was large and included
nearly every regular practitioner in the county, and for many years
it was considered one of the best county medical societies in the
state. Owing to lack of interest and small attendance, it too, like
its predecessors, became extinct.
The fifth and present county medical society, which is an affllia-
tion with the Wisconsin and American Medical Associations, was
organized about two years ago, and includes in its membership a
large majority of the legal practitioners of medicine in the county.
Its meetings are held bi-monthly in the city of Fond du Lac, unless
otherwise agreed upon at a regular meeting. The officers for the
present year are :
Flora A. Read, secretary and treasurer.
Several times in the past, the last time the last of March, 1905,
the local physicians have organized to promote their interests in
various ways, but the organizations were of brief duration, some of
them the first meeting beinsf the last.
The First National Hotel.
The wood building in which the First National Bank first did
business at the corner of Main street and Forest avenue, is still in
existence. When the bank decided to erect its present building, the
old one was sold to M. Van Dresar, who moved it to the southwest
corner of Marr and Fourth streets and it became the main part of the
First National Hotel. Since then the name has been changed several
times, being now the Tobin House. It is an old house, one of the
oldest in the city. John Sewell had a store in it at its original location
in 1850.
DENTISTS AND DENTISTRY
Dentists Who Have Practiced Here from the Beginning. Wonder-
ful Progress Since the Days of Turnkeys
and Gold Plate.
Dentistry as practiced now differs materially from that in the
days of the pioneers. In their time sets of teeth were wholly upon
gold plate and the teeth were soldered on it. The old turnkeys were
mostly used for drawing teeth and many of the appliances now so
handy in the dental office were wholly unknown. Impressions were
taken of the mouth and the gold plate for the base was swedged upon
it, a good fit, such as we now get, being rarely obtained. W hen artisans
discovered how to work hard rubber, it was soon adopted as a base
for teeth and it is still in use. The vulcanizer melts the rubber into
the mold and a misfit is rare. Some years later porcelain was intro-
duced as a base for teeth but was not a success and is now rarely seen.
It was too heavy and noisy for such use and too easily broken. In
the march of discovery some other material may be found for this
use, but it is likely to be long before rubber is displaced. The use of
anaesthetics in dentistry has been a matter of growth. First
chloroform seemed to be the only article, but the danger attending
its use frightened the people and it was abandoned. Then came
ether, much of the same nature but far less dangerous, and then gas
was introduced. These continued in use until cocaine appeared as a
local anaesthetic, twenty-five years ago, and the muriate of cocaine
has been in use ever since. Today it is about the only agent used for
this purpose in dentistry.
In the olden time people had to bear their burden of pain as best
they could ; today they may have teeth drawn and not know it.
The discoveries in dental science have been constant. New methods
and new applications of the science have come rapidly.
Dr. L. Kellogg was the first regular dentist in Fond du Lac. He
came here in 1848 and returned to Boston some time in the fifties.
While here he erected the house on Main street opposite Fifth, now
owned and occupied by Mrs. DeSombre, and established his office
in the front room up stairs.
Dr. A. L. Hoyt was the next dentist in Fond du Lac, and follow-
ing him came Dr. J. R. Cole. Both these men remained here many
years.
Could the dentists of the olden times return here now, they
would be surprised as to processes as well as material now in use.
Thy would hardly know the uses of some of the instruments and
appliances. They would doubtless gaze in astonishment at the bridge
work, inlaid work and caps now in use. If informed that modern
dentists had taken out teeth, filled the cavities and put them back to
142
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Stay, they would regard it as a prevarication of the deepest dye.
Should Dr. Kellogg return to Fond du Lac now and take an order
for work such as he had sometimes taken in former times, he would
be handicapped in attempting to do it in a modern dental office by
not knowing how to use the instruments and appliances he would
find there, so great is the change.
The number of dentists in practice has largely increased in the
last twenty-five years, due mainly to the fact it is now so easy to
acquire a proper mental and mechanical equipment. The number of
dental colleges has largely increased and departments added to all
the universities. There is also a much greater demand for dental
work. In former times most people went to the dentists only when
the pain was no longer bearable, but now the teeth are closely
watched and cared for to the end that they may be retained as long
as possible. An increase in the number of dentists was needed and
the demand has been met.
Dentists who have been located in Fond du Lac since 1850:
C. W. Barnes.
Henry Bennett.
J. L. Blish.
C. A. Cheney.
W. A. Chamberlain.
L. P. Coleman.
C. E. Dickinson.
W. F. Doyle.
Jesse Garvin.
Alliene Gillet.
H. E. Graves.
T. A. Hardgrove.
G. A. Hildreth.
W. W. Johnson.
J. W. Madden.
Geo. M. Moon\
Andrew Patchen.
Will Patchen.
James J. Perry.
J. H. Ridgeway.
H. T. Sackett.
R. J. Serwe.
R. W. Sessions.
Arthur K. Steen.
W. T. Taylor.
W. E. Tennant.
C. C. Trowbridge.
M. E. Underwood.
J. B. Wade.
S. E. Wade.
W. C. Wise.
In Practice Here Now.
G. A. Hildreth.
J. W. Madden.
Geo. M. Moore.
J. H. Ridgeway.
H. T. Sackett.
R. J. Serwe.
Arthur K. Steen.
W. T. Taylor.
W. E. Tennant.
C. C. Trowbridge.
W. E. Underwood.
W. C. Wise.
J. L. Blish.
C. A. Cheney.
W. A. Chamberlain.
L. P. Coleman.
Alliene Gillet.
T. A. Hardgrove.
Dr. H. C. Meusel.
Dr. H. T. Sackett is now the senior practitioner in dentistry in
Fond du Lac and has what is no doubt the largest, neatest and best
equipped dental offices in this part of the state.
Dr. G. A. Hildreth is next in order of seniority among Fond du
Lac dentists. He also has fine rooms and a large practice.
Next in seniority are Drs. Wise. Blish, Trowbridge, Gillett and
Cheney, but they have not been here many years.
City of Ripen.
The earliest dentists in Ripon, all of them since 1852, were Drs.
J. H. Callendar, C. B. Staples and Ed. Dodge. Following is the full
list:
F. F. Barnes. Luther & Lynch. G. B. Shepherd.
H.* H. Bush. T. G. Luther. C. B. Staples.
J. H. Callender. Storrs A. Hall. Well & Marshall.
L. M. Cleveland. Patton & Clapp. P. A. Well.
Ed. Doage. W. B. Safford.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 143
Now in Practice There.
F. F. Barnes. L. M. Cleveland. W. B. Safford.
H. H. Bush. Stons A. Hall. P. A. Well.
Dr. T. G. Luther was in practice in Ripon many years and in
length of time might be called a veteran. He was a fixture there.
City of Waupun,
Following is the full list of dentists 'who located in Waupun
since the advent there of Dr. J. B. Wade, afterwards in Fond du Lac:
C. Gage. J. Palmer. H. A. Stiles.
A. H. Johnston. J. Loomans. Dr. Thorp.
E. Jones. Dr. Perry. J. B. Wade.
M. Lewis. L. C. Stewart T. M. Welch
In Practice There Now.
A. H. Johnston. J. Loomans. T. M. Welch.
J. Palmer. L. C. Stewart.
Brandon — H. F. Grantveldt.
Campbellsport — J. C. Huecker, P. E. Helmer.
North Fond du Lac — N. W. Emory.
Oakfield— M. B. SpafTord.
People in the villages of the county frequently have the services
of city dentists as they sometimes visit them to take and fill orders
for dental work.
In the early days of Fond du Lac, before the coming of Dr.
Kellogg, it is said that Dr. Darling, Dr. Walker, Dr. Babcock and
others raised aching teeth by using the old fashioned turnkeys, by
the application of which the tooth or the head must come. The only
dentistry they did was to ease pain by lifting out the aching teeth.
The work done now is somewhat different.
Francisco on a Slab.
One morning while making his trip north on Lake Winnebago
with the steamer Menasha, Peter Hotaling overtook a man on a raft,
and taking him on board found the man to be the Spanish barber
named Miguel Francisco de Paula, whom everybody at Fond du Lac
knew as Francisco, and his raft was a pine slab. When asked where
he was going and what he meant by venturing out on a slab, he said
he was bound for Oshkosh and that the whiskey suggested the means
of getting there. His pint flask was nearly empty of whiskey and
Francisco was full. Most of his life had been spent on shipboard,
so the water had few terrors for him, and the difference between a
slab and a boat as a method of travel, was of small consequence.
The truth no doubt was that the whiskey had made him a greater
fool than he was generally. Francisco was none too smart at any
time.
144 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
First Job Press Here.
The Boston Rnggles Job Press, used in Beeson's Job Printing
office in Fond du Lac in early times, had a curious history and a
provoking end. It was brought from Buffalo, N. Y., by the Mil-
waukee Sentinel and was the first job press brought to Wisconsin.
It was a reversible form affair and a sorry thing compared to present
day presses. A 9 by 12 form could be locked on it, but the press was
not strong enough to print anything larger than a note sheet, yet in
its day was a useful press. Mr. Beeson sold it to Freeman Sackett,
who took it to Weyauwega. Sackett traded it to Judge Ogden, of
Waupaca. Judge Ogden was afterward a partner in a foundry and
machine shop at that place, and one day in 1880, A. T. Glaze was
wandering through the premises and discovered that press standing
under a shed among old iron to be melted down, which was its fate
finally. It could probably have been bought at that time for $5, and
why it did not come into Mr. Glaze's mind to buy it and place it in
the rooms of the State Historical Society, surpasses his comprehen-
sion. To use a modern expression, he has felt scores of times like
"kicking himself;" that he did not think of it. When it did enter his
mind it was too late. As the old press stood there it was intact, and
Mr. Glaze felt as if he could put on a form and start it up as of old.
Surely was it a reminder of past printing office days.
Making Sheet Iron Stoves.
The first stoves used in Fond du Lac were brought here over-
land, ready for use and it was not until we had through railroad
transportation to Milwaukee in 1857, that the castings were brought
and sheet iron stoves were put up here. In the fall of this year,
Stephen Oberreich, working for Kirkland Gillet, known then to
everybody as "Deacon" Gillet, put up some of the old Acorn stoves,
the best stove of its class ever made here or elsewhere. The writer
bought one of them and used it with great satisfaction for nearly
twenty years. An improved Acorn came into market some years
later, but they were an improvement in the wrong direction — they
were inferior to the old. But the old Acorn was the first stove with
cast top and bottom and sheet iron between, that were put up here.
They were for wood, as we did not have coal here then except at a
very high price.
The Wide Awakes of i860.
This political organization in the campaign of i860, was the
brightest and most efficient in the political history of this country.
It sprung into existence as if by magic. It developed without effort.
It did not need to be pushed — it pushed itself. The Wide Awakes for
Lincoln and Hamlin were wide awake. Almost every cross roads
village had its turnout and the boys were in it for business as well as
fun. The republican votes could be ascertained in a locality by
counting the Wide Awakes enrolled.
THE BENCH AND BAR
The Lawyers and Judges of Early Days and Those Here Now.
The Peculiarities of Some of Them.
Personal Notes.
It is doubtful if any other class of men in a community, in pro-
portion to numbers, have as much influence in shaping public affairs,
in bringing about business results or even in settling social conflicts
as the lawyers. They are usually depended upon as public speakers
on general topics and they are always on the move when politics
rage ; they come to the rostrum to discuss national, state, county and
municipal affairs, and to their credit be it said, sometimes religion.
The power of the legal profession is not alone in the court room or
law ofiice. This has become more noticeable of late years, since
lawyers are employed in shaping private as well as public affairs
and bringing about results between individuals and communities. If
one wishes something done that he does not wish to do himself, he
seeks the lawyers to do it for him, with the result that there are many
attorneys whose business is largely of this nature and who seldom
appear in the court room, but wdio do a large and profitable business.
That some leading lawyers decline such business is by no means an
indication that it is not legitimate ; and that a lawyer's name does
not appear frequently on the court calendar is not an indication that
he is not a successful attorney in the court room.
Four Veteran Survivors.
The writer has carefully looked up matters pertaining to the bar
of Fond du Lac county during the half century from 1850 to 1900.
The lawyers residing here during this period were all personally
known to me, and I find that but four of those here in 1850 remain
alive. They are Edward S. Bragg, now United States consul general
at Hong Kong, China. Jerre Dobbs, of Ripon, James Coleman, of
Washington, and E. L. Browne, of AA^aupaca. All the rest have
passed to the other shore.
Alex. W. Stow, the first chief justice of our state supreme court,
lived near Taycheedah. and Lieut. Gov. S. W. Beall lived in that
village, but both had their offices in the city. The first lawyer who
located in Fond du Lac was doubtless John A. Eastman, son-in-law
of Dr. M. C. Darling, but S. S. N. Fuller, from the best information
obtainable, was a close second. John S. Horner was the first lawyer
at Ripon and Eli Hooker the first of Waupun.
146
BUSINESS HISTORY. OF FOND DU LAC
Bragg, Edward S.
Bissell, E. H.
Beall, Samuel W.
Brown, Edward L.
Brown, Edwin A.
Chapel, Jerod.
Coleman, James.
Davis, Alex. B.
Dodge, William C.
Drury, Erastus W.
Reed, Amos.
Stow, Judge A. W.
Stanchfield, S. D.
Swett, John J.
Tallmadge, I. S.
Tompkins, Judge C. M.
Truesdell, John C.
Tyler, O. B.
Waite, Judge F. H.
Wood, Judge David E.
The Lawyers of 1850.
Following are the names of the lawyers who lived in Fond du
Lac in 1850:
Eastman, John A.
Eaton. Myron C.
Ebbetts. William H.
Eldredge, Charles A.
Flint, Judge Robert.
Fuller, S. S. N.
Gillet, J. M.
Graham, Carson.
Hodges, E.
Paine, Albert W.
A Strong and Able Bar.
The bar of the county at this period was one of more than ordi-
nary ability for a frontier town of less than 25,000 inhabitants. Judge
T. O. Howe, circuit judge here in 1850, highly complimented the bar
of Fond du Lac by declaring it one of the best in the state, not ex-
cepting Milwaukee. Of the early bar members E. S. Bragg, Charles''
A. Eldredge, J. M. Gillet, William H. Ebbets, E. L. Browne, William
C. Dodge and John C. Truesdell gained national reputation. And it
is a notable fact that in the early fifties were tried here some of the
most important and exciting cases ever tried in Fond du Lac county.
There are few attorneys on the list now who were not fully up to
the average in ability. Since 1850 we have had some noted lawyers
and judges, btit none to surpass the men of fifty years ago.
The lawyers at Ripon in 1853 were:
Bovay, Alvin E. Hamilton, A. B.
Dobbs, Jerre. Horner, John S.
The Ripon lawyers of 1900 were :
Carter, Geo, W. Foote, J. J.
Dobbs, Jerre. Pedrick, S. M.
Dunlap, A. E, Reed, Louis E.
These lawyers were at Waupun in 1850:
Butterfield, Wm. H. Hills, L. B. Hooker, Eli.
. The lawyers in that part of Waupun in Fond du Lac county at
the present time are :
Beach, E. M.
Hooker, C. E.
David Whitton is the Brandon lawyer and Rufus P. Eaton was
a lawyer at Pipe village in 1850.
Comers Since 1850.
During the half century from 1850 to 1900, the lawyers who
located at Fond du Lac were :
Bass, James W. x Babcock, David.* Blewett, E.
Baxter, C. M. x Brasted, S. L,* Blewett, D. F.
Bissell, Edward. Boland, W. T. x Chadbourne, F. W.
Those marked * are dead and those marked x left Pond du Lac, most of tbiem many years ago.
Those without reference mark, with seven at Ripon, five at Waupun and one at Brandon, fifty in
all, constituted the bar of Fond du Lac County in 1900.
Runals, E. L.
Rountree, J. S.
Murray, James.
Oliver, R. L.
liilotson, Roy D.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
147
Conklin, W. D.*
Colman, Elihu.*
Daly, C. E. x
DeLaney, E. T. x
Doyle, T. L.
Drury, Horton H. x
Duffy, F. F.
Eastman, H. B^ x
Ecke, O. H.
Eldredge, W. A. x
Eldredge, Arch B. x
Everdell, L. B. x
Francis, Geo. H. x
Gerpheide, H. J.*
Giffln, Judge N. C.
Gilson, Judge N. S.
Gillet, M. M. X
Glaze, A. T.
Gooding, J. M.
Griswold, W. E.
Hammond, Sam. H.*
Hayford, J. H. x
Hauser, I. H. x
Hiner, J. W. x
Hoey, T. J. *
Hurley, W. H. x
Kelly, A. A.*
Knowles, Geo. P. x
Libby, Hiram H. x
Mayham, Judge Jay*
Martin, P. H.
Matthews, J R.*
Matteson, C. S. x
Morse, R. L.
McLean, Judge C. x
McCrory, John H.
McKenna Maurice.
McKenna, D. W. x
Perkins, Judge Geo.
Phelps, E. W.
Pier, Colwert K.*
Pier, Kate Hamilton.
Pier Kate, x
Priest, D. W. C.
Reilly, M. K.
Reilly, J. P.
Richter, Judge A. E.
Rose, Henry F.
Rose, H. H. x
Sallade, N. W.
Sawyer, Roswell M.*
Schuchardt, A. B.
Shepard, Chas. E. x
Seely, Z. W.*
Smith, Chas. D.
Spence, Thos. W. x
Stow, Judge M. K.*
Sutherland, D. D.
Sutherland, Judge G. E.*
Swett, H. E.
Taylor, Judge David.*
Thompson, John I.
Thorn, Gerret T.*
Thorp, Fred 0.*
Turner, W. W. D. x
Ware, J. F. x
Watson, J. W.
Waters, John E. x
Wells, Owen A.
Williams, L. A.
Williams, 0. T. x
Wilson, A. A. x
Worthing, E P.
Did Not Increase With Population.
The singular fact will be noted that in 1850, with a population
of less than 2,500, Fond du Lac had thirty resident lawyers, thirty-
nine in the comity, and in 1900, with a population of more than
15,000 in the city and 50,000 in the county, there were but thirty-
seven residing here and fifty in the county. During the half century
there were iii lawyers who located here, of whom forty-three have
died and thirty-one have moved away, making a gain of but seven
in the city and eleven in the county in fifty years. With these re-
markable figures before us we may ask what has become of all the
young lawyers turned out of the law schools and law offices in that
time. The answer must be : "Gone west, sir, gone west."
• Many Noted Men.
In the list of Fond du Lac lawyers are many noted names, Alex.
W. Stow, first chief justice and judge of the Fourth circuit, was an
eccentric man and many stories are yet told of his peculiarities. He
was an able lawyer and a careful judge. He died in 1854 in Mil-
waukee.
After being on the circuit bench several years, David Taylor
became an associate justice of the supreme court, taking that position
in 1878 and serving until he died in 1891. When he came to this
city he associated himself with J- M. Gillet and afterward with
Georg-e E. Sutherland.
Those marked * are dead and those marked x left Fond du Lac, most of them many years ago-
Those without reference mark, with seTen at Ripon, five at Waupun and one at Brandon, fifty in
all, constituted the bar of Fond du Lac County in 1900.
148 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
George E. Sutherland was at the time of his death, judge of the
superior court of Milwaukee and was held in the highest esteem by
the lawyers and business men of that city.
Campbell McLean and Norman S. Gilson were Fond du Lac
lawyers upon the bench of the circuit court and their ability is shown
by the fact that each held the position many years.
Came Since igoo.
The following lawyers have become members of the Fond du Lac
bar since 1900:
Downs, T. C. Husting, B. J. Reed, Louis B.
Fairbanks, R. C. Husting, B. A. Reed, Roy.
Fellenz, Henry M. Kinney, G. F. Spitzer, Frank.
Hardgrove, J. G. McKesson, J. C.
The following have ceased to be members of the Fond du Lac
Baxter, C. M. Matthews, J. E. Spitzer, Frank.
Kinney, G. F. Reed, Louis B.
The Pioneer Court.
Henry S. Baird was the pioneer lawyer of Wisconsin, coming
to Green Bay in 1823, when he was appointed attorney general of this
part of Michigan Territory. James Duane Doty was the judge, and
the court being migratory, they for four years made trips between
Green Bay and Prairie du Chien in a bark canoe to hold court. The
lawyers were Henry S. Baird, Morgan L. Martin, James H. Lock-
wood and Thomas P. Burnett. A law library about this time con-
sisted of one book of 140 pages, in which it was stated that it con-
tained " a compilation of the titles, a digest or copy of all the laws
of the territory which could be ascertained to be in force."
First Supreme Court.
In 1836, when the territory of Wisconsin was organized, a
supreme court was created with Charles Dunn as chief justice and
David Irwin and William C. Frazier as associate justices and they
held their first term at Belmont in December, 1836. In July, 1838,
Judge Frazier died and Andrew G. Miller became judge, holding the
place until the state government was formed when he was made
United States district judge.
In 1827 congress passed a peculiar law for this territory and for
the government of the court presided over by Judge Doty. This
court was not to entertain suits against persons for conjuration, witch-
craft, sorcery or enchantment. Negroes, Indians or mulattoes could
be punished for ofifenses corporally, not extending to life or limb.
It may not be known to many of our citizens that Fond du Lac
was one of the applicants for the location of the state capital at the
time Madison was chosen in 1836, and escaped by a no means large
margin.
Military Records.
The patriotism and military ability of the members of the bar of
Fond du Lac is shown by their record in the war of the rebellion.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 149
Edward S. Bragg entered the army as captain of Company E,
Sixth Wisconsin, and became brigadier general in command of the
famous Iron Brigade.
D. E. Wood was colonel of the Fourteenth Wisconsin and a good
officer. After the battle of Shiloh, where he was in command of his
regiment, he came home ill and died.
George W. Carter was a lieutenant in the Fourth Wisconsin,
and was seriously wounded at Port Hudson, the effects of which he
will carry to his grave. He subsequently entered the service again
as a captain in the Relief Corps under General Halbert E. Paine and
served to the end of the war.
Colwert K. Pier was lieutenant colonel of the Thirty-eighth
Wisconsin. He was seriously wounded at Petersburg, Va.
Norman S. Gilson was lieutenant colonel of the Fifty-second
regiment of United States volunteers.
Colonel Roswell M. Sawyer was a lieutenant in the First Wis-
consin, but was soon transferred to the staff of General Sherman,
where he served until the close of the war. dying a few years later,
A. E. Bovay was major of the Nineteenth Wisconsin and became
quite noted as provost marshal of Norfolk, Va.
Edwin A. Brown was captain of Company E, Sixth Wisconsin,
and was killed at the battle of Antietam. His death was much la-
mented at home and in the army. The local Grand Army Post is
named after him. He was a son of Isaac Brown, a son-in-law of
Edward Pier, and the father of Mrs. Hattie Sackett.
George E. Sutherland was captain of Company B, Thirteenth
United States volunteers.
Sumner L. Brasted was a lieutenant in the Thirty-second Wis-
consin.
Elihu Colman was a member of the First Wisconsin cavalry.
Circuit Court Judges.
Alex. W. Stow was the first judge of the Fourth judicial circuit,
being elected in 1848 over Erastus VV. Drury. When the circuit
judges of the state drew lots for terms, Judge Stow drew the short
term of two years.
Timothy O. Howe, of Green Bay, was elected in 1850 over
Erastus W. Drury. He resigned in 1855, when he was elected United
States senator and Governor Barstow appointed William R. Gorse-
line, of Sheboygan county, to the vacancy.
William R. Gorseline was elected in 1856 without opposition,
but resigned in 1858 to go to Colorado.
David Taylor was appointed to the vacancy on the bench in 1858
by Governor Randall, was elected in 1859 ^o^ the unexpired term and
again in 1862 for the full term without opposition.
Campbell McLean was nominated by a democratic convention
in 1868 and defeated Judge Taylor. The latter went on the supreme
bench in 1878 and died in i8()i. Judge McLean was re-elected in
1874 without opposition.
150 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Norman S. Gilson received the democratic nomination in i88o
and was elected over Campbell McLean, also in 1886, and in 1892 was
re-elected without opposition. In 1898 Judge Gilson declined a fourth
term, having served eighteen years with distinguished success.
Michael Kirwan, of Manitowoc, was elected in 1898 over A. C.
Prescott, of Sheboygan, and was re-elected in 1904 without opposi-
tion.
Succession of County Judges.
Dr. Mason C. Darling was probate judge in the territorial days.
John Bannister was elected county judge for one year in 1848
over John A. Eastman.
C. M. Tompkins was elected in 1849 ^^^ ^^""^ ^^^^^ term of four
years over M. C. Eaton and Alex. B. Davis.
David E. Wood was elected in 1853 over S. D. Stanchfield.
Robert Flint was elected in 1857 and again in 1861 over A. W.
Paine.
M. K. Stow was elected in 1865 over Robert Flint.
Jay Mayham was elected in 1869 over William D. Conklin, but
resigned six months before the close of his term on account of ill
health.
N. C. Giffin, who had been elected to the office to succeed Judge
Mayham, was appointed to All the vacancy by Governor Washburn,
and was elected again in 1873 over H. F. Rose.
George Perkins was elected in 1877 and again in 1881 over N. C.
Giffin and in 1885 over W. D. Conklin.
A. E. Richter was elected in 1889 over F. F. Duffy and re-elected
in 1893 and 1897 without opposition. In 1901 he was elected for a
fourth term over O. H. Ecke, and at the end of the present term will
have served sixteen years.
In the years that have passed the bar of Fond du Lac county has
been composed of learned, energetic and courteous men, and let us
hope that the lawyers of the future will be like them.
Marshall and His Liniment.
It was in i860 that J. W. Marshall began the manufacture of
Marshall's Liniment and two or three other articles. He was putting
up bottled soda water at the time, but being a good and loud talker,
he quit that business to introduce the liniment. He died soon after
and his son, C. H. Marshall continued the business until his death
a few years ago.
About Some Old Houses. *
As the old resident stands on the L. F. Stow premises, south-
west corner of Marr and Sixth streets, and looks at the other three
corners, he may wonder if we really have passed into the twentieth
century. The Dexter, the McCarty and Jo. Olmsted homes look to
him as if he had not drifted far from i860. They have been fairly
well cared for and are not in dilapidation but they appear very much
as they did at that period of forty-five years ago.
GAS ^VORKS AND GAS MEN
The Beginning of Our Gas Works and Who Has Been Identified
With the Business.
The Fond du Lac Gas Works had their start in 1859, the fran-
chise being- procured that year from the city by John P. Hayes. The
works were located where they are now, but under strong protest
from the people who believed the smell from them would be offensive.
Mr. Hayes did not push the work vigorously, and in a couple of years
sold out to A. D. Bonesteel and James G. Miller, and the firm of
Bonesteel & ]\Iiller went at the work vigorously, but while the plant
was not large it was probably large enough for the place.
After an ownership of four years, both proprietors desiring to go
to other fields, sold the works in 1865 to Jesse Beekeley, who con-
tinued in possession eleven years, during which time the works were
extended but little. It was during this time that Thomas Murphy
became connected with the works and was superintendent about
twenty-five years, though handicapped much of this time by refusals
to put money enough into them to make them efficient and what he
thought they ought to be. In 1876 a syndicate composed of Joseph
Andrews and his father-in-law, and three brothers of Mr. Andrews,
acquired a title to the wo!rks, and held them more than twenty years.
At first things moved smoothly and many improvements were made,
but after a time difficulties and dissatisfaction crept in and by the
time a sale was effected to the present owners, headed by President
Whitcomb, of the Wisconsin Central railroad, the works were almost
worn out.
The death of Joseph Andrews brought new difficulties and in the
adjustment of affairs, and of course things were more than ever
neglected. The present owners found it necessary to make improve-
ments at once. New retorts, engine, pvimps, purifying apparatus and
a fine new gas holder double the capacity of the old one, were put in.
The buildings were also much improved and a new floor put into the
retort room. For more than thirty years there had been a manifest
hesitation to put money into the works for improvement, or even for
repairs imless absolute necessity compelled it. But a more liberal
policy is manifested now and the Fond du Lac Gas Works are in
more presentable shape than they have been in many years, and will
be still further improved and extended.
The first gas holder of the Fond du Las Gas Works is still in
existence and it will surprise many people to know that it is in its
old pit under the floor of the gas building on West Second street. It
is disconnected by removal of piping, but when the building was
erected the old gas holder was left in- its place and is there yet. It
was in a pit by the side of this gas holder, that James Miller had the
152 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
explosion in which he so nearly lost his life. Miller was an English-
man and claimed to be a regularly educated gas engineer, but if so
he must have been very careless, for he had a number of accidents
of various kinds while in charge of the works here. In at least one
of them it is a wonder that he was not killed.
The Fond du L.ac Gas Works until now have not had a fair
chance. They were cheaply put in at the start and when in need of
repairs and improvements, the money to pay the cost was not forth-
coming. The owners were too poor or too stingy to do the work
needed, and the result has been that the works were not satisfactory
to the people. The present owners are believed to have ample capital
and that the gas works will be greatly improved and made what they
ought to be.
When the gas works were started, gas was used for lighting
purposes only, now the use has extended to heating and cooking, and
who can tell to what other purposes it may be applied in the not
distant future? The scientific genius may soon find other uses for
it. At dififerent times efforts have been made to cheapen the product
at the works by the use of rosin, petroleum and even wood. At one
time hundreds of cords of tamarack wood was used annually to
adulterate or cheapen the product to the manufacturer but were
abandoned. Gas can be made from such articles, but after all is but
an adulteration and is satisfying to neither manufacturer nor con-
sumer. Straight coal gas properly made, is the only product that is
satisfactory to all concerned. That which is now made at the Fond
du Lac Gas Works is understood to be of this character and the coal
used is of a high grade. There is some complaint about the gas
furnished consumers, but such complaints will come at times though
the best material is used.
In this connection it is appropriate to speak of the lights in use
when the gas works came into existence. Fifty years ago the people
were using lights of which the present generation has no knowledge.
The people now do know a little about candles, but what do they
know about lard oil lamps, fluid lamps and camphene lamps? Prac-
tically nothing. Camphene was made of alcohol, turpentine and gum
camphor, and fluid the same without the turpentine. Both were very
explosive but generally used. The first kerosene oil brought to Fond
du Lac was by J. R. and J. W. Partridge, the druggists, about 1855.
They brought lamps to burn it which were very dilferent from those
of today. It was liked very much but after the first invoice of oil
was sold, no more could be obtained for several months. Crude
petroleum would not work in the lamps and Mr. Partridge could not
get refined oil and the old lamps had to be brought into use again.
Finally some refined oil was obtained along in the spring of 1856,
and since then the refiners kept up with the demand.
The lamps given to us to burn the first kerosene, were as crude
. as was the oil, and would be amusing to the modern consumers, but
after all were so much of air improvement in methods of lighting
then in use, that they were gladly accepted. And the oil — well, it was
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 153
often straw colored, but was used because it was the best to be had.
It was in this as in many other things of early times, it was accepted
as all right because there was nothing better to be had.
First Yacht on These Waters.
The first yacht on Fond du Lac waters was named after the great
hunter in Bible times, "Nimrod." It was of the Lake Michigan class
of fishing and hunting boats, was about thirty feet long and five or six
feet wide, sloop rigged. It was owned by M. J. Thomas, son-in-law
of John B. Macy. It was first put into the water at the landing, but
afterwards taken to Lake deNeveu, where Mr. Thomas built a neat
boat house, but both were wrecked in a storm. One night a wind
storm of great violence moved the house and partly turned it over,
resulting in a general wreck.
Weather on January i, 1854.
On the 1st day of January, 1854, Willard Edson, father of Solon
W. Edson, of the five points shops, was working at the bench in the
shop of William Mumby, on West Second street, and Solon was
there and knows it to be a fact that the day was as bright and warm
as a day in June. It was just ten years later, on January ist, 1864,
that we had the memorable cold New Year. It was just half way
between these years, on May 15, 1859, that we had snow six inches
deep. Five years after the cold New Year, in 1869, we had the hot
summer. One day in July the mercury went to 104 in the shade, in
Ripon, and business was suspended. 95 to 100 was not unusual.
The Edson shop at the five points is the veteran wood working
shop, if indeed it is not the oldest continuously working shop of any
sort in the entire city. The Amory gun shop was started in 1848,
but the name has been changed three times — S. B. & J. Amory
to T. S. Weeks, he to Weeks & Hurlbut, and they to Hurlbut &
Harris. The Edson shop was moved to its present location in 1854,
and has been in charge of Willard Edson and his son, Solon W.
Edson, ever since. A son of the latter, Eugene Edson, was with his
father a short time, but died in 1895. This shop has not been out of
the hands of the Edson family from its beginning in 1854, therefore
has been in continuous existence at this date of 1905, more than half
a century.
Western Avenue Bridge.
The first bridge across the west branch of the river at Western
Avenue, was built of logs and logs it has been much of the time since.
A resident who has crossed and re-crossed that bridge frequently
during the past forty years, says he thinks it is about time that the
city had a decent bridge there and few people will dispute his state-
ment. It has been tinkered and repaired many times, but never has
it resulted in a bridge that at all compared with others in the city.
Once or twice it broke down, but fortunatelv no one was hurt.
154 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
A Cat Ready to Fight.
C. L. Ailing was one of the early grocerymen of Fond du Lac.
It was in Case & Alling's store that the fire started in 1852, that
burned the east side of Main street, between First and Second. The
year that he began business here is not known, but old residents
know he was here some time before this fire and that he continued
in it almost to the date of his death in 1890. After he had built the
store now occupied by Robbins grocery store, some amusing events
took place in which a cat played a conspicuous part. Mr. Alling's
son-in-law, Wesley G. Curtis, clerked in the store and a large and
powerful cat held a place there to look after the rats and mice, but
he assumed the responsibility of looking after dogs also. This large
and powerful store cat seemed to dislike dogs, at least would not
allow them to rest in peace in the store. Jay Hall knew of this and
one day borrowed a neighbor's large dog to shake the cat. On his
way to town Jay had doubtless stopped at the Four Mile House, as
he was well filled with booze. He slowly marched into Alling's store,
the dog at his heels. Tommy was squatted on the counter, near the
cheese box, apparently half asleep. Suddenly there was a scrabbling
and commotion, the dog headed for the door, the cat on his neck and
shoulders clawing, biting and squalling as only a cat can claw, bite
and squall. Curtis threw the door open and the dog made a leap of
eight or ten feet into the street, while small tufts of dog hair were
wafted along the floor by the gentle breeze. Jay was not pleased
that his borrowed dog was so quickly and easily cleaned out. To
smooth his lacerated feelings and fasten the joke on some one besides
himself, he told Hi Lindsley that Ailing had a store cat that he be-
lieved coukl whip his brindle bull dog, and told him how to work it
to get a fight. A few days later Hi went leisurely into the store with
his brindle purp at his heels. Tommy was not on the counter, but
he got there quick enough when he saw the dog, and in less than
half a minute a lively and noisy fight was in active progress, with a
result worse than in Jay Hall's case, for this time the dog broke one
of the glasses in the doors, in his anxiety to get out. In a fight on the
ground or floor, either of these dogs could have vanquished the cat,
but he set up his fights in his own way and was always the victor.
"Bowser," (that was Tommy's name), was a grand cat for what he
was there for. Curtis used to say the stay of a rat or mouse in that
store was very short. The stay of dogs seems to have been short
also, hence Tommy in his lifetime was well cared for. What became
of him finally, no one knew. He simply disappeared and was no
more seen. It was a long time before Hi Lindsley ceased to hear
about his fighting bull dog being whipped by a cat.
Up to about i860, the County Treasurer's tax list in the spring,
filled one to two pages of the Journal, and the Clerk's list in the fall,
about half as much. One has to look close now to find them in
the paper at all. People pay their taxes and the newspapers get less
revenue.
DRY HOP YEAST BUSINESS
Henry Boyle and John T. Boyle Have Remarkable Success in the
Manufacture of Yeast in Fond du Lac.
In the comparatively short business period of twenty years,
Henry Boyle and John T. Boyle had the most successful career ever
known in a manufacturing enterprise in this city. And their success
was not reached through good luck, but was the result of hard
work and constant mental effort. Night and day their business was
looked to carefully and promptly.
Henry Boyle and John T. Boyle were born at Waterloo, N. Y.,
and at that place, in the employ of the Western Yeast Company,
manufacturers of the National and Twin Brothers Yeast at that
place, gained their first knowledge of the yeast business. In 1872
the brothers talked over the matter of locating at some other place
and founding a business of their own. With this in view they went
first to Pittsburg, but found rents and other expenditures so high as
to be prohibitory, and came west to Milwaukee. While looking the
ground over, they resolved to make a short visit to an uncle, Mr.
Crosby, who resided a short distance west of Ripon, and it was during
this short visit near Ripon, that their destiny was fixed. A man from
Fond du Lac was there and when he learned of their search for a
location suggested Fond du Lac. They came and arriving in the
evening stayed all night at one of the small, lowertown hotels. In
the morning the two young micn wandered up town, looking and
speculating as they went. At the corner of Main and Johnson streets
they found the old Squire's building with broken windows and in a
general condition of dilapidation. But they were not long in decid-
ing what they would do, and rented the Squire's shop for $8 a month.
As soon as the building could be got ready they went into the manu-
facture of dry hop yeast, under the name of Yeast Foam, the name
it has borne ever since. A little later they started a grocery store at
the same place, and in two or three years had built up a trade not
surpassed, if indeed equaled, by any store in the city except perhaps
the Zinke Brothers.
But now came a marked period in the business experience of
Boyle Brothers and of the manufacture of yeast in Fond du Lac.
Up to 1877 all yeast was put up in ten cent packages. There were a
dozen cakes in a package and few families could use them all before
becoming unfit for use. There was too much yeast and too high a
price, hence the sale was slow. Boyle Brothers now resolved to cut
quantity and price in the middle and for the first time in the history
of yeast making, there was a five cent package in the market. Reid,
Murdock & Fisher, then the heaviest wholesale grocery house in
Chicago, soon had large orders and the demand from country dealers
156 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
compelled other wholesale houses to buy it, and the result was that
in 1886 the large factory on Main street was built, and which was
largely increased from year to year, in size and capacity, until 1898,
when it had become the largest factory of its kind in the United
States or the world. Henry Boyle and John T. Boyle, associated
with their uncle, Peter T. Crosby, in their spheres in the factory,
made a business association unsurpassed for the work in hand. At
first the name was American Dry Hop Yeast Co., but in 1877 the
business name became the Northwestern Yeast Co., the title it still
bears. The product is known as Yeast Foam.
In 1893 ^ consolidation took place, which brought together in
one plant, two of the heaviest yeast concerns in this country, and
since the consolidation the product has tripled. They have 150 men
on the road and employ 400 in the factory. Since the consolidation,
Mr. Henry Boyle has continued Vice-President and Director of the
company and gives it much of his attention. In 1893 ^1^^ factory here
was using twelve tons of cornmeal per day in the manufacture of
yeast cakes, but nearly five times that amount is now used.
Such has been the" marked success of the Boyle Brothers in the
manufacture and sale of Dry Hop Yeast, since their coming to Fond
du Lac in 1873. Since the consolidation in 1893 they have shown
an abiding faith in Fond du Lac and its business by investing large
sums of money in almost every enterprise coming to public notice.
In charitable work they have taken the lead. Henry Boyle built
and equipped the Catholic Old Folks* Home at a cost of $30,000 and
endowed it at a cost of $45,000 more. John T. Boyle bought the
land, built and fully equipped the Sanitarium under the ledge east
of the city. The surroundings of this place, especially the grand
spring, makes it an ideal location which Mr. Boyle was willing to
invest about $40,000. The Public Library, the Commercial Bank
building, the new Opera House and other enterprises represent the
liberality and public spirit of the Boyle Brothers.
The remarkable success of Boyle Brothers induced others to
engage in the yeast business here, but all of them ceased after a
time. The most successful of these was the Diamond Yeast Co.,
under the management of T. H. Hastings. This was sold to the
consolidated company, in 1894. The Wafer Yeast Company, of
which Col. C. H. DeGroat was the leader, ceased business in 1895.
Yeast Flakes was the name given to a product made on upper Main
street by C. W. Pinkham, but was never a formidable competitor in
the market. It lingered along until 1895, when it dropped out of the
market. There were three or four other attempts at yeast making
in Fond du Lac, but they were so weak and existed for so short a
time that the names of the makers and their product cannot now be
recalled. What is known as compressed yeast was never made here,
as it comes from the settling pans and tubs in the manufacture of
high wines. As no high wines are distilled here no compressed yeast
is made. The Boyle Brothers and their product, Yeast Foam, are the
names and distinctive features of yeast making in Fond du Lac.
They originated the business and made a marked success of it.
CLOTHING. JEWELRY, GROCERIES, ETC.
Various Kinds of Business Begun in Early Days, Brought Down
to the Present Dates and Names Also
Remembered.
The Clothing Trade.
This line of business was ahnost wholly in the general stores
until 1850. We had some tailors, John B. Wilbor, Kasson Freeman,
A. H. Clark, Albert Becker, John Hecht, John Weber and a little
later S. A. Dudley and others. As early as 1849 ^^^ old Jewish gentle-
man named S. Maddevitch, opened a stock of clothing here and
others followed him for short periods of time. It was in 1857 that
Seligman & Bro. opened the first large clothing store in Fond du Lac.
They had a large stock and did a very large business for some years.
M. Rehm was an early day clothier. He died in New York city a
few years ago. H. Altpass Avas a dealer in hats, caps and gents'
furnishing goods. Gielow & Son were also early day dealers. The
coming of the war changed business methods and the clothing trade
changed with others until things developed as we have them now.
Watches and Jewelry.-
Philo Smith was Fond du Lac's first watch repairer and jeweler.
He was here in 1847. Then we had in 1849, Philip Odenbrett. In
1854 G. Scherzinger came, and in 1856 A. Kuenne and H. G. De
Sombre. Charles Trowbridge & Bro. came a little later and were
here many years. A. H. Furstnow has been the successor of Mr.
Kuenne, with whom he served an apprenticeship at the business.
Mr. Scherzinger and Mr. DeSombre have stayed with us. From the
old times down to the present, we have had many others for greater
or less periods of time.
The Grocery Stores.
In 1850, Jason Wilkins started a store in which only groceries
and garden products was kept, and it was the first grocery in Fond
du Lac. Before this all the general stores kept groceries. The earli-
est grocers following Jason Wilkins, were J. W. Carpenter, T. & B.
Mason, A. Pogiie, C. L. Ailing, R. A. & K.'O. Baker, Case & Ailing,
Valentine & Olmsted, Smith .& Chandler, and a little later E. H.
Jones, Davis & Co., W. W. Clark, N. L. Bullis, J. E. Peabody, J. W.
Conley, Robert Wyat and many others. No line of business increased
so rapidly after 1870, as the grocery, until now they are to be found
in every part of the city and their number is legion. The methods of
doing business by the grocers has very much changed since the early
days. Should an old timer be able to return now to do business with
his grocer, he would be very much surprised to find the delivery
fc>
158 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
wagon at the door, with a boy to deliver his purchase if not of greater
value than a nickle. and many other innovations. The old time
grocery store was a very different place from one of today. Articles
put up in glass, tin and paper were almost unknown and bakery
goods, except crackers, were not kept. Bread was sold at the
bakeries and vegetables were sold from the gardener's wagon.
Milliners and Dressmakers.
In the early times ladies were content if they could obtain the
material of which to build a bonnet or construct a dress. They could
arrange it for themselves, or find some neighbor to do it if they could
get the material. Their ideas of style were not as elaborate as in
later years, yet they got along very well. It is only since the war
that there were several styles of hats and bonnets at the same time,
as one or two styles would fill the bill in earlier years, and it is since
the coming of many kinds and the active sale of sewing machines,
that ladies" dresses required as much planning and as elaborate work
as the construction of a modern printing press. Fifty years ago the
Singer, the Wheeler & Wilson and Grover & Baker sewing machines
had but just got into use to a very limited extent. Most families
were confined largely to hard work and the modern dress was some
years in the future. Mrs. Wilber, Mrs. Bonnell, the Giltner girls and
others of the early milliners, dil not have the troubles of their sisters
of the present, in keeping up with the styles.
Florists and Gardeners.
In early days the people were concerned about things more sub-
stantial than flowers and house plants. Something eatable, some-
thing wearable, something usable, was needed most. The French
Gardens and Zickerick's were here early and easily furnished all the
flowers desired for funerals and social functions. The use of flowers
and plants for funerals was not so common then as now, and parties
where flowers were appropriate or desired, were few and far be-
tween. Something far more substantial than posies was looked for
on such occasions. In war times the use of flowers became more
general and Mr. Haentze came and soon became leader in the business,
which has continued to this time. Most of the flowers now used
here are grown at home, but on special occasions heavy drafts are
made upon Chicago and Milwaukee florists. Others at times have
grown flowers here in a small way, but Lallier, or the French Gardens,
and Haentze have been the principal ones for many years. W. C.
Green was the early vegetable peddler, Lallier also came early and at
all times there have been private gardeners to distribute vegetables.
Tobacco and Cigar Trade.
To the younger people, meaning those who had not reached the
stage of business activity at the time of the war, it is well to say
here that it was not until 1862 that the government tax was levied
upon liquor and tobacco. To that time the sale of these was free in
every form. But the tax came and came heavy. Every manufacturer
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 159
must use stamps on his packages and every dealer must have a
license. Such is the law now, though the rate is some lower. In old
times the stamps and license were never seen.. Fifty years ago fine-
cut chewing tobacco was sold in three cent packages, and smoking
by the pound from barrels. Older citizens will remember the tobacco
store of Fromm & \\''olf, the first of its kind in Fond du Lac. During
its entire existence from 1849 ^o 1887, a period of thirty-eight years,
the store occupied the place where Sun Woh's Chinese laundry is
now. Mr. Fromm died in 1869 and Joseph Wolf in 1885, when L. A.
Ehrhart bought the stock but discontinued the store after two
years. There have been numerous such stores since, but From &
Wolf was the only one for many vears.
Draying and Parcel Delivery.
Teaming in the earliest days of Fond du Lac was done by Ed.
Carey, Ben Gilbert and his father and one or two others, with their
oxen. A little later Steve Buckland, John Denny, Jo. King and J. W.
Oliver had horse teams ready to do this work when not on the road
freighting to and from Milwaukee and Sheboygan. A wagon maker
named Griswold, early in the fifties, put the first dray on the streets.
Then came John Monahan, J. A¥. Hodges, Tom Toomy, Oliver
Tompkins, John Dana, John Hale, Bob Atkinson, William Druth,
Henry Schlicher and several others. In 1870 all the old style dray-
men disappeared and the work was done with wagoias. In the
eighties A. Tait organized the first heavy freight line to the rail-
roads, in late years so successfully managed by Petrie and O'Connor.
Tait sold the business to go into coal and wood. In 1890 came a
revelation in the street business by the appearance of Orson Mcll-
vaine and his innocent appearing parcel delivery wagon. To this
time the price had been 25 cents for all work, no matter how light.
But now came a 10 cent price and ere long all the old draymen left
the street and were seen no more. Some of them had become old
men in the work, but the price for services was a knock out. The
heavy freight lines remain because there is a necessity for them, but
the old liners were all off the street within a year after the coming
of the parcel delivery. Mr. Mcllvaine, the originator of the parcel
delivery, had a paralytic stroke in 1896, but recovered and went on
the street again, but in the spring of 1905 had become so infirm that
he went to the Soldiers' Home, at Milwaukee, where he died in
August last. Such has been the evolution of the street teaming service
in Fond du Lac from the beginning. W^hat the future of it may be
no one can tell.
T. S. Henry began the free delivery of goods from stores, from
his flour and feed store. E. C. Tompkins, under firm name of Davis
& Co., was the first grocery to take up free delivery.
It was by giving the heavy bonds for County Treasurers elect
and saving them this annoyance, that Robert A. Baker secured the
control of county money so many years.
160 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
Passenger Transportation.
The railroads, the number of them, running in every direction,
has so stimulated travel that people of early times can only think
and wonder. Fifty years ago with a population of about 6,000, the
ordinary passenger business of Fond du Lac was easily managed by
a small steamboat on Lake Winnebago, one stage coach a day to
Sheboygan and a mud wagon stage to Milwaukee. The steamboat
was never crowded, the Sheboygan stage might have six passengers
but often one or two, while the normal condition of the Milwaukee
stage was emptiness. A total of twenty passengers a day would
be the average. There were occasions and seasons when the travel
was much greater, but this was not far from the average up to the
time that the railroads came. People of the present time may ask,
what did the people do? The answer is they stayed at home or
traveled with horses and ox teams. How enormous has been the
increase by the coming of the railroads. In this year of 1905 we have
twenty-three passenger trains going north and twenty-three going
south, a total of forty-six passenger trains every day over our rail-
roads. These trains have two to eight passenger cars each and the
cars have seats for thirty-two to seventy-two passengers. A gentle-
man of this city connected with the railroads, estimates that 800
people are carried into and out of Fond du Lac every day in the
local traffic alone. The trains carry many thousands. Fifty years
ago two stages managed the entire passenger business between
Green Bay, Fond du Lac and Milwaukee. How many would be re-
quired now? In 1850 the stages between Milwaukee and Fond du
Lac, consumed twelve to twenty-four hours. Fifty years later the
time required between the two cities was reduced to less than two
hours. The fare has been reduced about one-third. To Milwaukee
it was $3.50, now it is $1.90. The time used to be uncertain, now it
is almost to the tick of the watch.
A Cow That Walked In.
Up to nearly i860, all domestic animals were allowed to run at
large, including pigs, and it was a cow owned by J. C. Clunn that
started the agitation that resulted in the passage of an ordinance re-
quiring them to be kept off the streets. This cow owned by Mr.
Clunn was a genius at opening gates, large or small, hooked or
latched. She would patiently work at a gate with her horns until
she opened it, no matter how fastened. She was seldom or never
known to abandon a job when once undertaken, no matter how many
hours it required. She had seen the fine pasture and garden truck
inside the enclosure and she was determined to get to it. Driving her
away was not effectual, for she promptly returned when the coast
was clear, and went at it again as calmly as before. During the days
she pastured along the streets and at night in the yards and gardens,
and as the owner would do nothing, relief came only by the passage
of the ordinance, ever since in force.
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY
A Fond du Lac Institution Established in 1876, Now Occupies Its
Own Beautiful Building and is the
Pride of the City.
The presentation of $30,000 to the Fond du Lac Public Library
by Andrew Carnegie in 1902, the raising of $6,000 from citizens by
the Woman's Club for the purchase of the Eldredge property at the
corner of Sheboygan and Portland streets as a site for the building,
the laying of the corner stone in June, 1903. in which the Woman's
Club took conspicuous part, the completion of the building and
moving the library into it in November, 1904, the dedication in
January, 1905, and an address by Reuben G. Thwaites, are all inter-
esting and important events in the history of Fond du Lac. During
the time that the building was being erected, the library board con-
sisted of F. B. Hoskins, President; John Heath, Vice-President; J.
W. Watson, Secretary; C. A. Galloway, Treasurer, and E. R. Herren,
O. H. Ecke, L. A. Williams, AVilliam Wilson, Miss Elizabeth Waters
and Mrs. L. A. Bishop. The committee that had the work in charge
162 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
during the construction of the building, consisted of Maj. E. R.
Herren, John Heath and C. A. Galloway. Mr. Hoskins is dead and
five of the above named members having resigned, the library board
at this date, October 15, 1905, is as follows: E. R. Herren, President;
O. H. Ecke, Vice-President ; William Wilson, Secretary ; J. C. Whit-
telsey, Dr. G. T. jMcDougall, Harvey Durand, Maurice Fitz-
simons, Jr., Miss Elizabeth Waters, Mrs. Waldo Sweet. Since
organization in its present form as a Public Library in 1876, there
have been but two librarians, the first Miss Augusta Ball and since
1882, Miss Emma Rose. The present operating force or employes
are, Miss Emma Rose, Librarian, Miss Mamie Lamb, Miss Jean
Dodd and Miss Mamie E. Bechaud, Assistants, John Preiss, Janitor.
A. T. Glaze has quarters in the public document room, in behalf of
the old settlers. Besides the $36,000 above mentioned as contributed
for building and site, the city added $13,000, making the total cost
$49,000.
Exclusive of magazines and books with paper covers, the library
now has 22,000 volumes on its shelves, and the number is constantly
increasing. Every department of literature is represented and new
books of interest are secured as fast as published. Currant magazines
and many leading papers are to be found on the tables of the large
reading room. Few libraries are as well supplied with books for
reference. In the second story of the building is a very nice assembly
room, well furnished, for meetings, and on the Portland street front
is an interesting museum in which is displayed the many curios col-
lected by Mrs. Bass and others. In this year of 1905, the Public
Library has become a place of great interest as well to outsiders as
to citizens. It is open every day, except Sunday, from 9 a. m. to
9 p. m, and during the winter months is open Sunday afternoons from
3 to 5 :30.
Since its organization, the library has had rooms in four places,
but it is now anchored where it is hoped it will stay. In 1875 the
Young Men's Association and the Neocasmian Society having seem-
ingly tired of responsibility if not of existence, transferred their
libraries to the city for a free public library. The Neocasmians gave
up their lease of what is now known as P. C. A. Hall, and the library
continued there a short time, when the rooms over Plank's drug
store were fitted up for the library and it continued there seven years.
Early in 1884, the library was moved to the rooms lately occupied
on Main street. The building, now owned by Wm. McDermott, was
erected in 1883 by Mr. John McDonald and Gen. Black, of Chicago,
with the understanding that the entire second floor should be fitted
up for library purposes. Here it remained just twenty years, when
it was moved into the present building owned by the city^and one of
the best of its class in the state.
The death of Mr. Frank B. Hoskins, September 18, 1905, is a
great loss to the Public Library. He was long president of the
library board and took an active interest in all its affairs. His in-
fluence was great and his judgment reliable.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 163
The first attempt at a reading room in Fond du Lac was by
Edward Beeson, Van B. Smead. Wesley Curtis, A. T. Glaze and
Misses Fidelia Boardman and Delphina Cortelyou, and was in the
upper room of the old John Marshall building, about where Cheg-
win's furniture store is now, on East Second street. Mr, IMarshall
gave the use of the room and newspapers, magazines and other
reading matter were carried there from the Journal ofHce. Books
were lent by citizens. There was no librarian, but the door Avas open
at all times for people to come and go as they pleased. Reading
matter was by no means as plentiful then as now. and for a long
time this cosy reading room was frequented by readers. The rooms
were used two summers, but the people failing to contribute for
fuel and lights, it was closed in winter and finally dropped or rather
died from lack of interest in it by the people whose duty it was to
help it.
A Few Remarkable Years.
The }ears 1851, 1867, 1885 and the present year 1905, were re-
markable for rain and wet. In 1851 it was so wet that only oats was
got into the ground successfully, and that fall oats was sold in Fond
du Lac for eight and ten cents a bushel. There was an over supply.
1867 was very wet and in the fall stacking was so delayed that
shocks of wheat were green with sprouts. The corn was drowned
out and barley and oats rviined. In 1885 corn was planted two or
three times but yet failed. Small grain also failed. The present year
of 1905 we all know about. Floods and storms have ruled. There
has been but very few weeks without storms. During these fifty
years there have been other wet seasons, but these are on record.
The deep snows were in 1864 and 1882. In 1864, Ripon was at
one time thirteen days without a mail. Fond du Lac had a like ex-
perience but not so long. In 1882 the snow was often banked twelve
to fifteen feet high and railroad trains were stopped for days at a
time.
In 1852, 1864 and 1897 we had the intense cold. The cold of
1852 had its worst demonstration at the time of the big fire between
First and Second streets. There was not a thermometer in the town
that could measure its intensity. The cold New Years was January
I, 1864. Garden shrubberv and grapes were frozen to the ground in
The "vyinter of long sleighing was 1869. Beautiful sleighing
lasted from the middle of November to the middle of March. In
1883 there was no sleighing at all. Mr. Alfred Robbins, then in
livery business, said he did not hitch a horse to a cutter during the
, entire winter. It is remarkable that this came the next winter after
the deep snows.
We have had a number of years of drouths, some of them serious.
The worst was probably that of 1877, when almost everything dried
out.
164 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Billy Ford, the Stage Man.
William F"ord, known to everybody in town and immediate
vicinity as Billy Ford, when the stage company was here, was the
"barn man" and looked after everything connected with the barn.
He had a number of workers, but Billy was responsible for every-
thing. He was a very small man but could carry all the responsi-
bility the company and M. D. Henry, the agent, could pile on him.
He bought and traded horses, bought all supplies, gave out tickets
to the men for meals, looked after repairs, etc., but would never
handle a cent of money of the company. He sent all bills to Mr,
Henry to be paid. He used to say he could stand almost anything
except to handle other folk's money. And he seldom had a cent of
his own, for he always sent it away as soon as received, so the boys
could not borrow it. Yet the boys all stood by Billy every time and
all the time.
First Jobs Printed.
The first job of printing Edward Beeson did in Fond du Lac was
of tax certificates in 1848. The first job A. T. Glaze did was a pros-
pectus for the Wisconsin Pinery started at Stevens Point in 1851,
by Gen. Ellis. The first pamphlet job printed in Fond du Lac was
the proceedings of the Wisconsin Conference of the M. E. Church in
1852. A. T. Glaze and Walworth Chapel did the work, binding as
well as the printing. The first colored job was for the Globe Hotel
in 1853. It was a fancy card eleven by fourteen inches in size.
Old Marr Street Cottage.
At this date, June ist, 1905, the old cottage at the southeast
corner of Marr and Third streets is disappearing to give place to a
new residence. It was built by E. W. Drury in 1849 ^^^ occupied
by him until he moved to the west side, on Western Avenue about
1865. It has stood there fifty-six years, and like all old things, has
had to pass away and give place to something new. Through its
fifty-six years it has been known as "The Cottage." It had been on
fire twice but was not injured beyond repair, though each time be-
came smaller in size.
Astor Hall as a Saloon.
The place kept in the earl}- time in Fond du Lac by Charley
Johnson and known as Astor Hall, was the first of the saloons of
modern style. It was a billiard saloon with a bar, and a back room
for cards. The name Astor Hall had no significance except to locate
the place. Johnson was a negro and himself had little to do in run-
ning the saloon. It was managed by a little German whom all
residents knew as "Gottleib." This German afterward had a saloon
of his own, but was unsuccessful and finally left town to reside in
Calumet, where he ended his life later with a revolver.
PIONEERS IN 1874 AND 1904
What Has Been Done and What It Is Aimed To Do by the Work
of the Club. All May Take Part In It.
On March 19, 1904, a meeting was held in the Supervisor's room
at the court house for the purpose of organizing an Old Settlers'
Club. Dr. J. W. Burns, of Oakfleld, was elected chairman, and A. T.
Glaze, secretary. F. B. Hoskins, with the president and secretary,
were made a committee on constitution and by-laws. After this com-
mittee had reported, the following officers were elected :
President — H. D. Hitt, of Oaktield.
Vice-Presidents — F. B. Hoskins, S. M. Ingalls.
Recording Secretary — A. T. Glaze.
Corresponding Secretary — Dr. J. W. Burns.
Treasurer — W. A. Meiklejohn.
Executive Committee — Dr. T. F. Mayham, O. F. Lewis, G. N.
Mihills and the President and Recording Secretary, ex-officio.
The next meeting was held April 16, in the court room at
the court house. The constitution of the club was reported and
adopted. There were many pleasing talks from members of the club
and it was resolved to hold a midsummer picnic meeting in June, the
date to be fixed by the executive committee, but subsequently the
committee adjourned the meeting to September 2. The weather was
unfavorable but the meeting was well attended and very interesting.
It was held in the fine arts building at the fair grounds. Besides
some talks by old settlers, there was an address by H. E. Swett, a
paper by Miss Alice Stearns, recitations by Miss Marlea Bishop and
Mrs. A. E. Lindsley, and music by Mrs. Bishop, Miss Bishop and
Messrs. Pope and Magnussen. The occasion was very interesting.
The first annual meeting was held in the council rooms March
18, 1905, all of the officers present. All of the old officers of the club
were re-elected unanimously.
Again it was determined to hold the midsummer picnic meeting
in Jvtne and again the executive committee, on account of storms,
floods and bad roads, adjourned it, this time to August 30, 1905.
This meeting was held at the Kite park fair grounds and was a grand
success in every way. A fine address was given by Col. J. A.
Watrous. a beautiful paper by Mrs. Wilcox, of Oakfield, recitations
by Miss Susie Hall, Miss Barbara Sweet and Mrs. A. E. Lindsley.
]\Iemorial notices were read of William Adams, prepared by Franklin
Swett, of R. K. Satterfield bv William Stearns, J. J. Lurvey and M.
W. Merrill by Dr. J. W. Burns, and of C. R. Harrison, B. F. Moore,
L. F. Stow, C. H. DeGroat and Mrs. Lyman Bishop by A. T. Glaze.
The managers of the Kite track put on a couple of races in the
afternoon for the amusement of those present. This, with visiting,
filled out the afternoon to the great enjoyment of all concerned.
166 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
An Old Settler's Club of this county was formed as long ago
as 1874, and it is deeply regretted that it was not kept at work from
that day to this. The work is most important, not to the old settlers
only, but especially to those who follow them. The cost is
trifling. It is .to be deeply regretted that the club work of the
members of 1874, could not have been effectively continued
to the present and that the need of the present organization would
not have been felt. At that time were living many of the old settlers
who had personal knowledge of people, places and events that are
now lost. Their memories reached back to the earliest periods of
settlement which it is not now possible for us to reach. Suppose
that we had the personal presence of Edward Pier, John H. Martin,
Reuben Simmons, Edward Beeson, Henry Bush, Joseph Kinsman,
Robert Estabrooks, Isaac Orvis, Peter V. Sang and others. They
were all and more here in 1874, but are all gone now. The few that
are left will soon be gone — there are left not exceeding fiftv,
all told.
Although we cannot now" get at facts within the personal knowl-
edge of these older settlers, we can and must perpetuate their
memory. We must not allow all trace of these brave people to fade
out. We as their successors, are reaping the benefits of their labors
and privations and it were the vilest of ingratitude to allow them to
sink in to forgetfulness when it is within our power to prevent it.
To perpetuate their memory and show our gratitude is exactly the
object of the Old Settlers' Club of 1904.
Will you help in the work?
Wheel and Seeder Company.
AMio of the old residents does not well remember the manufac-
turing plant at the west end of Forest street bridge and known as the
Wheel and Seeder Company. After the sawmill had disappeared,
the location was too valuable to remain idle, so Milo Bushnell, D.
Y. Sabin and others erected a building for the purpose and began
the manufacture of the Fountain City seeder. Two or three years
later, in 1861, they began the manufacture of a wagon wheel, which it
was believed would supersede the Sarven and all other patent
wheels in the market. But like many other patents, it proved a failure
and the manufacture soon ceased. It was made long enough to give
the plant part of its name of Wheel and Seeder Company, which it
has borne ever since. In 1874, C. H. Weston bought the plant and it
was thought would be a heavy concern. James H. Farnsworth was
made secretary and manager of the company, but Mr. Weston was
unable to command the necessary capital to run it successfully, and
it maintained a sort of risky life until 1891, when it was sold to a
LaCrosse company and soon after moved away. A new company
was formed with James H. Smith at the head and known as the Fond
du Lac Implement Company, which has since continued,
E. A. BRO^VN POST No. 130, G. A. R.
History of Edwin A. Brown Post No. 130, Grand Army of the
Republic and of the Woman's ReHef Corps
From Their Organization.
We are told by reliable historians of the war of the rebellion,
that the organization known to us as the Grand Army of the Republic,
had its earliest conception in the United States Senate, in the brain
of Gen. John A. Logan. He was able to inspire others with an idea
of its value in caring for the interests and shaping the social destiny
of the old soldiers. They were a class of men who held the grateful
homage of the people and had claims against a saved nation. A four
years" and a half war, one of the most terrible in all history, left a
vast body of men whose claims must be recognized, social as well as
financial. What could do this better than a society formed upon
the plan of the Grand Army of the Republic. And so it came into
existence in 1869, and as predicted, has been a power in the land.'
There is some dispute as to where the first Post was organized, but
it is quite generally conceded now that it was at Springfield, 111.,
with Gen. Logan present.
Years ago there was some dispute about the organization of the
first Post in Wisconsin, but it was settled that the first was organized
by Grifif Thomas, at Berlin, Green Lake County, but it was allowed
to lapse and when started again had to take No. 4, which it still holds.
While the Berlin Post was sleeping, E. B. Woolcott Post, at Mil-
waukee, was organized as No. i. There have been 279 Posts in the
state, but 33 have become extinct, leaving 246 now in existence.
One day in November, 1883, the late Ira P. Meisner appeared
in the law office of Geo. E. Sutherland with a request that he draw
up a petition to be signed by such soldiers as were willing to join in
the organization of a Post of the G. A. R. The request was complied
with and Mr. Meisner started out on his mission of getting signers.
The first name on the petition was that of Geo. E. Sutherland. On
the 19th of January. 1884, there were just fifty signers and the Post
was organized. Following are the names of the charter members :
E. S. Bragg.
Elihu Colman.
W. M. Moore.
S. L. Brasted.
Frank Derusha.
James McMahon.
I. L. Hunt.
A. Demorras
J. M. Marsh.
K. M. Adams.
David Dougherty.
George Perkins.
J. B. Tripp.
.John Dougherty.
J. G. B. Palmer.
Wm. Zickerick
John Doud.
G. S. Rock.
S. E. Wade.
A. Fleischman.
David Pitcher.
Robert Powrie
Prank Gonia.
G. F. Stannard.
Frank N. Fox.
G. W. Hines.
A. A. Shepherd.
G. S. Stanton.
D. H. Henderson.
C. N. Skinner.
168 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
N. Boardman. S. S. Johnson. Geo. E. Sutherland.
Casper Buechner. H. Jones. S. W. Townsend.
H. M. Bullock. M. B. Killam. L. C. Trowbridge.
Max Brugger. John Luhm. Jacob Tautges.
D. S. Cole. Michael Mangan. Ferd. Meyer.
J. M. Crippen. Ira P. Meisner.
H. Chilcote. J. M. Meyers.
The charter is signed by Phil. Cheek, Department Commander,
and J. H. Whitley as Assistant Adjutant General, and the Post is
given the name of Edwin A. Brown Post No. 130, G. A. R. The
meetings were held for a few years in the postoffice block, corner of
Forest avenue and Macy street, but moved to more suitable rooms
at the corner of Main and West Second streets. In 1899 ^^^ second
story of the fine block, corner of Main and Fourth streets, was
secured and fitted up at a cost of about $700 and giving the Post
most comfortable (juarters and among the best for the purpose in the
whole state. There is a fine hall, banquet rooms, kitchen, parlor,
card room and storage room, all handsomely furnished. Here the
veterans of the war and intimate friends meet every day and spend
their leisure time visiting and playing cards. The Woman's Relief
Corps takes charge of the banquets and socials, with frequent enter-
tainments. A janitor looks after the rooms and it is always a neat
and comfortable place for all uses intended.
The first Commander of this Post was Gen. E. S. Bragg, and he
has been succeeded by Col. C. K. Pier, Robert Powrie, Isaac L. Hunt,
S. E. Wade, Michaef Mangan, Silas H. Cole, W. A. Reader, William
DeSteese, E. D. Allen, Rev. H. W. Thompson, Hiram P. Thompson,
J. F. Wegner and Dr. J. O. Ackerman. This Post has now on its
rolls a total of 127 members in good standing Since its organization
in 1884, the Post has had a total of 409 members. Many of them
have gone away, but the belief of those well posted in its affairs is,
that fully over half of them have died. Of the charter members here
in 1884, ^^^^ fifteen are members now, twenty-seven have died and
eight ha\'e gone away. What the changes will be in these figures
in another ten years it is impossible to determine further than to say
that there will be a far greater proportion of deaths. In this year of
1905 it is forty-four years since the war of the rebellion began and
forty-eight years since it ended. Of those who took part in it, very
few are less than 65 years of age, most of them have passed the three
score and ten limit.
There was another and very similar organization brought here
in 1892, known as the Union Veteran Legion, but it had a brief ex-
istence. It was believed by many to be more of a political than social
side, and like all organizations of that nature could not last long.
Its membership was never large.
Woman's Relief Corps.
Only those who for special reasons have become familiar with
it, have anything like a proper conception of the work done by this
organization. Its charitable work alone gives it high standing in the
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 169
community. It is at work all the time in some part of the field
covered by the G. A. R. While it gives aid to the Grand Army, its
main effort is in charity and old soldiers and their families are the
special objects of it. No matter how much labor is involved, the
members are at all times ready to meet it. On April 28. 1886, Edwin
A. Brown Corps No. 35, Woman's Relief Corps, was organized with
the following charter members :
Ruth R. Harvey. Lillie J. Killam. Emeline L. Perkins.
Ella L. Adams. Hattie B. Sackett. Ellen Mangan.
Susie M. Dodge. Alice M. Burrows. Elizabeth Powrie.
Emma C. Wade. Ellen F. Adamson. Sedate S. McEwen.
Mary R. Fox. Lottie H. Everett.
Josephine DeGroat. Theodosia A. Brasted.
The Corps was instituted by Mrs. Ellen Rogers, Department
President, and Mrs. Sophia Nelson, Department Secretary. Mrs.
Ruth R. Harvey was the first President and at two different times
held the office four years. Mrs. Josephine DeGroat came second and
held the position seven years at two different periods. Then came
Mrs. Helen P. Phelps, Mrs. Martha Hurlbut and Mrs. Amanda C.
Wheeler with terms of two years each, and Mrs. Hannah Coffman
will have served two years as President, on completion of the present
year. The Corps has one important officer that the general public
knows almost nothing about. This office is known to the members
of the Corps as "Patriotic Instructor," and it is her special work to
see that the United States Flag is placed in every schoolroom and
to talk to the children about the flag, abotit our wars and the part
taken in them by the old soldiers. In short her mission is to awaken
a patriotic spirit in the minds of the young. Mrs. Helen Clock now
holds that position and has done much work in the schools. It is
the desire of the Corps to so familiarize the young with the flag that
it shall be venerated more in the future than it has been in the past.
The Corps seems to be composed of women not only willing but
anxious to work in every corner of the field of patriotic endeavor,
and on the tenth anniversary of the Corps' a detailed report was made
showing the charity work done up to that time, and it was a most
creditable showing, but the relief work has materially increased since
that report was made. This is but one item, however, in the work
of this band of noble women. They have raised the money, bought
and paid for the furnishings of their parlor, including a $500 piano
for use at entertainments, have put into the clipboards all the
crockery and silver needed for their tables, furnished the kitchen
with every appliance needed, besides much miscellaneous work and
bearing the responsibility and expense in decorations every year.
All this they have raised the money and paid for by their own efforts.
This is what the W. R. C. has done and is doing almost without
the knowledge of the people generally. The organization is
auxiliary to the G. A. R. and nobly does it work to carry out its
objects. The members of the G. A. R. and W. R. C. are now rapidly
passing away. W^ill their children come to the front and keep their
memorv g-reen? Onlv the future can tell.
170 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
The Railroad Was Extended.
When the proposition was made to extend the Sheboygan &
Fond dn Lac Railroad from Fond du Lac to Princeton in i869-'70,
it produced considerable commotion, especially at Ripon, because
$30,000 in city bonds was asked for and it was foreseen that Ripon
would also have its share to pay of endorsed county orders demanded
of the county, to double that amount. A number of prominent
citizens of that city, among them G. N. Lyman, E. L. Northrup, J.
C. Lightburn, Wm. Workman, D. F. Shepard, K. Lindsley, Wm.
Starr and others opposed the proposition on the ground that it would
ruin the western business of the city and their contention was cor-
rect as shown by subsequent experience. The proposition carried
and in six months all could see the effect. Five elevators, all of them
busy, were locked and windows boarded up six months after the
road was extended. The effect produced was, that nearly all the
produce that Ripon had before, from as far west as Germania, in
Green Lake and Marquette counties, was now shipped at Princeton,
St. Marie and Dartford, and Ripon saw none of it. All the buyers
were out of the market but one or two. The vast amount of grain,
wool, pork and other produce were no longer marketed at Ripon,
and buyers of goods went to Fond du Lac or Oshkosh, where there
were larger stocks to select from and possibly cheaper prices. It is
certain that Ripon felt the effect for some years, until matters were
adjusted by a sort of cause and effect. Before the extension an old
gentleman named Card, a shoemaker, had his shop on the brow of
the hill and all teams from the west must pass it. On his shoe bench
he had little boxes into which he would drop a shoe peg for each
load "of grain, wool, pork, etc., from which Mr. Glaze each week
gathered a local item for the Commonwealth. After the extension
there was no further use for Mr. Card's boxes. No produce worth
while, came up that hill from the west — it was all inside of cars on
the railroad. No doubt the time was coming that this would have
been the result anyhow, but it was tough on Ripon to have it come
at that time. The "I told you so" gentlemen were correct for the
time, but not for all time.
Princeton. Dartford and Fond du Lac of course profited at the
time and for all time. The road could not be stopped at Ripon, as
so many desired. It must go on west and the inevitable was just
where it did go. It was not in the order of things to do anything
else. One of the things for Ripon to be proud of is the settlement
of all the bonded debts. Not only the $30,000 of the Sheboygan road,
the $15,000 of the Oshkosh line, known at the time it was built as the
Oshkosh & Mississippi, and the readjusted bonds of the St. Paul
road. ]\Ir. Geo. L. Field was early appointed financial agent of the
city, and by good management wiped them out almost at the begin-
ning and the annoyance ceased. Few cities in the state had their
bonded debts so thoroughly and so smoothly wiped out as Ripon,
The only feature more desirable would have been never to have had
them at all.
A FEW MURDERS
A Few of the Noted Murders in the Past. Not Many Deeds of
Violence Here, But Maybe Our Share.
The murders here and in this vicinity in the earlier years were
mostly perpetrated by Indians, but all through the years there were
occasional crimes which John A. Eastman called "civilized murders."
About 1868 a body was found on the then Lyman Phillips farm,
now the sanitarium, east of the city, and a little later, one on the
present Ingalls farm, but the perpetrator was never found. In 1870,
a riverman named Nathan Young, was on his way north to assist in
running logs on Wolf River. One morning his body was found in
the Ingram woods near Linden street. The crime was traced to a
colored man then here, named Fred Williams. He was tried in cir-
cuit court before Judge McLean, was found guilty and sentenced
to life imprisonment. J. W. Bass was the District Attorney and
Williams was defended by Col. C. K. Pier. The case went to the
supreme court, resulting in a discharge, on the ground that the
court in the information did not declare the offense to be against the
peace and dignity of the state of Wisconsin, as directed in the con-
stitution. Few doubted the guilt of Williams, and many charged the
two previously mentioned mvirders to him. The body of a man with
■one wooden leg, was found in the west branch near the present St.
Pavd railroad bridge, but he may have been drowned. ^'Villiams
froze his feet, it was thought, in pursuit of another crime, gangrene
set in and he died from it.
But the murder to arouse the most feeling of any in this com-
munity, was the Prinslow murder in 1897. Mr. Prinslow was a
policeman and was shot by a fleeing tramp, while he was on the
railroad track west of the Buell Anderson machinery warehouse, on
West Second street. On the afternoon of the murder, George Seitz,
then proprietor of the Forest avenue livery barn, had indiscreetly
exhibited a roll of money which three tramps resolved to get posses-
sion of. In the evening they assaulted Seitz near his office at the
west end of Forest avenue bridge. Before the tramps could do
effective work, he made so much noise and jumped the railing to
the bank of the river so he could not be reached, and they ran south
on the track without the money or any part of it. Officer Prinslow,
on his way to the police station to go on duty, saw the running
tramps and called a halt, but one of them fired a heavy revolver and
the officer fell and died before morning. The most active efiforts
failed to capture the tramps, but a man named Lonergan was taken
at Jefferson Junction and District Attorney Reilly succeeded in con-
victing him of the crime. He was sent to prison by Judge Kirwan,
but in a subsequent revival of the case by the supreme court, it was
172 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
held that the evidence was insufficient and the prisoner was dis-
charged. This was doubtless the most exciting murder in the
history of Fond du Lac, and it is to be deplored that no one was
punished for it. And it was all caused by a very foolish exhibition
of a roll of money.
An event took place here in the early times which gave rise to
much talk among old settlers. Two men came here with considerable
money which they wished to invest in pine land. One of them went
to Eau Claire, the other went north from here accompanied by a well
known citizen. The skeleton and clothes of the one from here were
found between Waupaca and Stevens Point, being recognized by a
paper written for him by Judge Flint, before leaving here. The man
who went with him was able to show that he left him at Weyauwega
and went to New London, but of course there was much talk. The
murderer, no matter who, got but little money, as he left most of it
here in charge of Judge Flint. It was afterwards learned that the
man who went to Eau Claire, lost his life in the woods of Chippewa
county, at the hands of some one unknown.
In the past we have had several more murders, but not of much
notoriety. In cuttings and slashings with knives and razors, we have
had our full share and which bring the average to as high a mark as
that of our neighbors. And of domestic troubles ending in poison
and other quiet means, we have had our share. In the country, that
is in the towns, there has been a singular freedom from violence.
The most noted shooting the city has had and that which produced
the most feeling, was that in which Robert Baker shot Gen. C. S.
Hamilton, in 1864. It was on the occasion of the election of officers
of the Young Men's Association, at their rooms on the east side of
Main street, between Second and Third, and occurred in the stair-
way. The men had not been friends for a long time, and tantalizing
remarks were exchanged as they met. Baker said that Hamilton
made a motion of reaching for his revolver and he did not propose
to let him get the drop on him, and pulled his gun quickly and fired.
Gen. Hamilton was laid up several months, so it is presumed Baker
meant more than a scare. This is one of the Fond du Lac events that
it was always difficult to get truth. Legal proceedings were begun
but finally dropped.
In the presidential election of 1872, it was not generally known
and there has been no occasion for it to be known since, that United
States Senator Matt. H. Carpenter and the late Geo. F. Wheeler
were bitter personal enemies. On the occasion of a big republican
meeting in Fond du Lac, Carpenter was one of the speakers and the
constant efforts of Dana C. Lamb, H. S. Town, Geo. D. Curtis and
others were required to keep the men from meeting face to face. It
was known that both were armed and trouble was feared. To the
credit of both be it said, that in after years they became reconciled.
But there was trouble in the air on the day above alluded to. The
late B. H. Bettis had much to do in bringing this about.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 173
Success in Politics.
In times past Fond du Lac county has had many men noted for
success in politics. Among them were :
M. C. Darling. A. M. Skeels. James Coleman.
John Bannister. H. S. Town. G. E. Sutherland.
Warren Chase. T. W. Spence. J. C. Lewis.
William Starr. Joseph Wagner. B. Pinkney.
Peter V. Sang. F. D. McCarty. G. W. Carter.
Geo. F. Wheeler. Edward S. Bragg. N. W. Thayer.
A. C. Whiting. S. M. Smead. E. H. Galloway.
B. H. Bettis. H. C. Batterson. F. B. Hoskins.
Dana C. Lamb. David Whitton. Chas. Bartlett.
Samuel W. Beal. Elihu Colman. E. Colman.
C. D. Gage. Owen A. Wells. C. K. Pier.
Jerre Dobbs. Chas. A. Eldredge.
These men all had much to do with state, congressional and
county politics. The only state officer this county has had was Geo.
F. Wheeler as State Prison Commissioner.
Dr. M. C. Darling was not a politician, but his position in the
community caused him to hold many offices and to go to the legis-
lature and to congress.
John Bannister was a good writer and very active, hence was
often pushed into office by the early settlers, often holding many
offices at the same time. It is said of him that he never refused an
office.
Charles A. Eldredge held the distinction of serving six terms, or
twelve years, in congress, and Gen. Bragg four terms, or eight years.
Both had been members of the state senate and district attorney of
the county. Gen. Bragg was Minister to Mexico and is now Constil
General at Hong Kong, China.
S. M. Smead seldom went before the people himself, but he was
distinguished for being the most sagacious politician and manager
the county ever had. In a convention he generally managed to
carry his point, and if defeat was likely he could smell it afar ofif.
He was truly a political genius.
Hiram S. Town, Dana C. Lamb, James Coleman, Owen A.
Wells, Jerre Dobbs and Jo. Wagner were recognized political bosses.
That is, they took caucuses and conventions under their wings and
flew away with them.
Foncl du Lac has always had many strong and worthy men who
could not be induced to take part in politics. Among them were such
men as C. R. Harrison, B. F. Moore, H. K. Laughlin, J. C. Whittelsey,
C. J. Pettibone and others.
There was another class of men who, though prominent in the
community, seldom or never were seen at caucuses or conventions,
and were not office seekers. Such men as these were Edward Beeson,
J. A. Smith, Royal Buck, George Swift, Charles Blankenburg, Esek
Dexter, Kirkland Gillet, J. H. Spencer, Benj. Wild, Mark R. Har-
rison, James Ewen and others.
174 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Trouble About Type.
In early times Eli Hooker had a small job printing office at
Waupun, and as showing how important a few type are when diffi-
cult to obtain, it may be stated here that A, T. Glaze drove over to
Waupun one night from Fond du Lac, to obtain a few figure ones,
fives and ciphers of the size known to printers as brevier, with which
to complete the setting of a tax list. We could now get those figures
in two hours from Milwaukee and in five hours from Chicago, but
time cut no figure then, as they were not on sale there then and
could not be obtained at all. But worst of all, the Hooker figures
were from another type foundry and not being cast in the same mold,
did not, what printers call "justify," and had to be lined with card
board and paper. Present day type setters might not know how to
meet such an emergency, but the old timers were ready for almost any-
thing. They could and did manage to meet emergencies of all sorts
successfully. They just had to do it.
Not Anxious for Office.
The three men most difficult in the history of Fond du Lac to
get to accept office were B. F. Moore, C. R. Harrison and H. K.
Laughlin. Mr. Moore accepted the office of Member of Assembly in
1852, to beat Jo. Wagner, but could not be induced to run for any
office after that. Mr. Harrison, after much solicitation, consented to
allow his name to be used for Mayor in 1887 and was elected, but
went back on office holding after that, and came near resigning as
mayor before the end of his term. In the council and fire depart-
ment he served once or twice in early times only because of local
interests. Mr. Laughlin could not be induced at any period or for
any reason to be a candidate for office. James B. Perry is another
man who never allowed his name to be used in connection with office.
Many people believe that every citizen should do his full share of the
work in governing city, county and state, but there are more than
enough anxious to assume the duties which are distasteful to others.
Edward Beeson as an Editor.
During all the years that he was the editor and writer for the
Fond du Lac Journal, Edward Beeson was a democrat, but this does
not mean that he was a copperhead or a defender of slavery. He
did not object to a tarifif for revenue, but a protective tariff he believed
to be wrong in principle and bad in results. His democracy did not
carry him into extremes and those nearest to him believed that he
voted for Abraham Lincoln in i860 and again in 1864, because he be-
lieved him to be a man possessed of common sense. Although a tariff
defender, Lincoln was regarded as a safer man for the country in the
then pending emergency. Mr, Beeson was a great admirer of
Stephen A. Douglas, but he was not a safe man although in some
respects a brilliant one.
THE LITERARY FIELD
The Noted Early Days' Writers and Their Field of Mental Effort.
Some Fine Productions.
In the early days of this county there was a far greater demand
for something to eat and wear than for poetry or fine writing of any
sort, yet there were a few people here with the mental capacity equiv-
alent to real genius. With his weekly newspaper of very limited
circulation in a new country, there was little to develop editorial
genius, but the old files in the public library show some clever work.
In the files of a court of record may be thought a queer place to look
for literary ability, but it may be often found with pleadings on file
before the adoption of the code practice in Wisconsin in 1856. Pre-
vious to that year Wisconsin had the old common law practice,
which means a proceedure and system of laws to which the memory
of living men runneth not to the contrary. While the common law
pleadings were often remarkably verbose and tiresome, they often
possessed a high degree of literary merit. Some of the pleadings by
Charles A. Eldredge, David E. Wood, Carson Graham, J. M. Gillet,
W. C. Dodge, Erastus W. Drury and others, may be spoken of as of
this character.
Joseph Stow was the first person known to have indulged in
verse in Fond du Lac. He had a wonderful faculty for rhyming and
could grind out verse after verse on almost any subject. It could
hardly be called poetry — it was doggerel, though occasionally he pro-
duced pieces of some merit. If he became deeply interested in any
local matter, doggerel poetry was pretty sure to follow.
Miss Libbie Farnsworth, under the non de plume of Nellie
Wildwood, was first to produce verse here possessed of genuine
poetical merit. She wrote many short poems of merit, her
"Nil Desperandum" (never despair), being far above the average.
Her "Voyage of Pere Marquette and History of Charles de Langlade,"
written for distribution to the patrons of Harrison & Stevenson's
Art Union, and printed and bound in a neat book of one hundred
pages, at Beeson's Job office, a copy of which the writer has, was her
most pretentious work. She possessed poetical talent in a high de-
gree and would have made her mark in the literary field had she
continued in it. She married Mr. John Mears, of Oshkosh, and is
now his widow, with two talented daughters in the field of sculpture
and art. She was a daughter of M. Farnsworth and resided in Fond
du Lac many years.
Miss Allie Arnold, (Mrs. Cranford), was one of the brightest
minds of Fond du Lac, and her writings are possessed of more than
ordinary merit — they are many of them brilliant. Unfortunately she
was never strong physically and died at an early age, leaving a vast
number of admirers and personal friends. She was the daughter of
176 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Mrs. L. M. Arnold, who lived many years at the corner of Marr and
Fourth streets and is remembered by old citizens.
Mrs. Van Dresar, wife of the late M. Van Dresar, did consider-
able literary work in Fond du Lac, in the years preceding the war.
She used several assumed names and all of her work that she cared
to print, found its way into the magazines and newspapers. She
never printed a book. That her work was meritorious is shown by
the fact that so much of it found its way into the magazines.
Mr. Maurice McKenna, Fond du Lac's well known able and
genial lawyer, a number of years ago produced one of the most read-
able books ever seen here, but the crowding of his large law practice,
prevents any continuation of the work. Mr. M'cKenna possesses
true poetical talent and it is regretted that business prevents the
use of it.
Rev. H. McNeal, a Universalist minister here in war times, wrote
many patriotic poems of much merit. Some were printed and many
read from his pulpit. One of them took the time of an entire Svinday
evening service. He died a few years ago at jMarkesan.
Van B. Smead, killed in the great Northwestern railroad ac-
cident in 1858, and brother of the late Postmaster S. M. Smead, had
one of the strong minds of Fond du Lac, in literary work. As editor
of the Democratic Press, he did much editorial writing, but he found
time to gratify his inclinations for other work. He wrote one poem
of just one thousand lines, after the style of Byron's "Child Harold,"
but the title of it is forgotten. Besides many poems he wrote a
number of stories which he printed in his paper. Had he lived, he
would doubtless have become one of the noted literary men of his
time.
Albert W. Paine was a Fond du Lac lawyer in the fifties, and
while here did much writing for the press, principally in essays and
stories, though some poetry was also produced. He went to Wash-
ington, D. C, from here, and resided there many years.
Spencer Palmer, our well known job printer, some years ago
indulged in his fancy for rhyming and ground out some local hits
which were not always as pleasing to those hit as to himself. But
in late years "Spence" has not had time to indulge his fancy in that
direction.
There are many others who have at times taken to obituary
poetry and to the production of local hits in rhyme, to dining room
stanzas, card party notings, etc., but the above are those possessed of
literary talent.
If editorial work on a newspaper may be considered to possess
literary character, we have had many worthy to rank high. Most of
the editors were mere sticks, editing their papers mostly with shears
and paste pot. Some have been educated men and possessed of
natural ability and tact, but put down too much drink to succeed or
were too lazy for anything. Among the newspaper editors in the
past vears worthy of the name, have been Edward Beeson. J. A.
Smith. C. J. Allen, James Russell, Van B. Smead, H. M. Kutchin,
J. A. Watrous, J. L. Thwing, L. A. Lange. A. T. Glaze, G. W. Peck.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 177
About twenty years ago an Englishman possessed of much in-
genuity and tact in writing frontier and Indian stories, came to
Fond du Lac and remained a few years. He seems to have come to
this country to familiarize himself with such scenes and wrote pro-
fusely, some poetry as well as stories. His name is not now ob-
tainable. Most of his writings went to England, but some were
printed at the east. How it was that he came here was unknown,
but it was well known that he was in indigent circumstances and he
and his family were assisted by the ladies of the city and especially
of the Episcopal Church. In his line of work he was really a genius,
and pursued it for the money that was in it.
Peculiar Political Contest.
Previous to the formation of the republican party in 1865, John
J. Metzgar, an early day Fond du Lac dealer in notions and fancy
goods, was what was then known as a free soiler, that is, was opposed
to any more slave territory, and making free some that was already
devoted to slavery. In 1856 he became one of the most violent re-
publicans the town contained. In his judgment nothing politically
good could possibly come from the democratic party. His extreme
opinions often brought him into political quarrels and he would talk
long and loud. One day he quarreled with ex-Sheriff F. D. McCarty
and in the fight that followed, John tore Frank's clothes badly, re-
sulting of course in a law suit before Squire Driggs, whose judgment
was that Frank apologize and John pay for mending the clothes.
Frank said he had the worst of it, for it was dreadful humiliating to
apologize to John Metzgar.
Freedom from Storms.
Meteorologists tell us that the freedom of Fond du Lac from
heavy winds and devastating storms is due to the limestone ledge
east of the city which causes the clouds to rise high in the atmosphere
and so pass over us. In the past we have had heavy rains and winds
to break branches off trees, but a tornado to lift roofs, throw over
chimneys and destroy trees, has occurred but once in our history.
This was in 1858, when the Northwestern railroad was being com-
pleted to Appleton. The heaviest part of this storm passed over the
town of Friendship and Lake Winnebago, north of what . is now
North Fond du Lac. The railroad track was so covered with blown
down trees that a crew of men was sent down there to chop the way
through for trains. In the city, sawmill property and barns were much
damaged. Large store boxes were picked up by the wind and sent
sailing — one of them crashed into the store window of K. Freeman,
at that time three or four doors north of the present Commercial
National Bank. This is believed to have been the nearest to a
genuine tornado that Fond du Lac has ever -had, yet it did not do
a great amount of damage. Anything approaching a cyclone has
never been known in Fond du Lac historv.
178 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
Greenbackers and Grangers.
These two noted movements were before the people at abont the
same time, 1868 to 1878. The Patrons of Husbandry, known as the
Grangers, began some earlier, but was at its height in the early
seventies. In 1873, William R. Taylor was elected governor of the
state by the power of the grangers. A. P. Allis ran for governor as
a greenbacker in 1876, but while there was much talk on the subject,
no one could be elected on that issue. After 1878 both of these
political fads began to fade from the public mind and nearly dis-
appeared. There are a few localities yet where the granger work is
kept up, but they are seldom found. Many of the bright financiers
of the country, Peter Cooper, Sam Carey, J. H. Weaver, A. P. Allis,
became advocates of the greenback doctrines, but after all the move-
ment was short lived. Like the free silver theories of Wm. J. Bryan
in 1896 and 1900, there is much to talk about but not much bottom.
W. J. Bryan would flood the country with silver regardless of its
real value, but the greenbackers wanted paper. In their judgment,
if the government was behind the issue and declared a piece of silver
or a piece of paper to be a dollar, that was all that was necessary to
send that dollar afloat. Bryan had something of an advantage over
Cooper, as the silver was worth something, but the paper was prac-
ticallv valueless.
Water for a Horn Blower.
The sax horn was a band instrument with the bell standing up-
ward and was used in early times where the cornet is now. When
Mumford & Tanner occupied the store corner of Main and Second
streets, Mr. Tanner was learning to play a sax horn, and evenings
after the store was closed, he would seat himself in the side door, on
Second street and exercise his wind until midnight, much to the an-
noyance of the boys of Beeson's Job Printing office and the
Democratic Press oflice, up stairs. The boys protested but Tanner
continued to blow, so one dark night when the boys were all away,
Fon. Rockwell emptied a pail of water on him from a window and
ran out and hid. In some way Tanner found out who did it and
layed for Rockwell in the dark, but unfortunately encountered Dr.
Jesse Beeson, a brother of Edward Beeson, a tall and powerful man
and something of an athlete, who could handle Tanner without
trouble, and the result was bad for Tanner. The joke as well as
the water was on him and nothing more was heard about it and the
horn blowing was also ended. But what annoyed Tanner most was
that the boys about town found out about it.
In most of the states the office known with us as County Clerk,
is known as County Auditor, and in many states our Register of
Deeds is County Recorder and our District Attorney is "Prosecuting
Attorney and in some states, Public Prosecutor.
A VERY EXCITING DAY
Were Not Experts in Telegraphing, But Were Required To Take
the News From a Disastrous Wreck.
At the time the Northwestern road was completed to Chicago
and the opening brought the terrible accident to the excursion train
at Johnson's Creek, then known as Belleville, Jerome Mason was' the
express agent and telegraph operator at Fond du Lac. ^Ir. Mason
desired to be one of the excursion party and arranged with Charles
H. Benton to take charge of the office in his absence. Mr. Benton
and A. T. Glaze had arranged a telegraph in Beeson's Printing office
on which they sometimes practiced for recreation, and on that terrible
September day, 1858, were so far as known, the only telegraph
operators in the city. Paper was used on a recorder and under
ordinary circumstances either could take a message, but under. the
excitement of that afternoon they became confused and sweat like
butchers under the strain. It was about i 130 p. m., that ]\Jr. Benton
came running into the printing office with the news of the accident
and to get Mr. Glaze to go to the office and help him. So many had
friends and relatives on the wrecked train, that the news spread with
great rapidity and in half an hour the street in front of the office was
crowded with people. All the news we could get had to be put on
the line at Watertown, and had to be brought a distance of about four
miles from the midst of the excitement, at the scene of the wreck,
and the operator at Watertown, being a blind and very rapid writer
of the telegraph code, the errors were not all at the Fond du Lac
end of the line. Everything was new and the telegraph had not yet
been installed at Johnson's Creek. It was but natural, perhaps, under
the excitement, that the boys should be blamed for inefficiency, but
they got all the news there was and presumably correct. The office
was where G. A. Finger's store is now, and being crowded to si^ffoca-
tion from the start had to be cleared and the news sent out or posted
on the windows. It was after four o'clock when the crowd in the
street began to thin out, but hundreds remained there until six.
Just before dusk in the evening, the relief train arrived, bringing such
of the Fond du Lac, wounded as could be brought, and the crowd
of people was transferred to the railroad station, then at the corner
of Division and Brooke streets. Benton and Glaze got through the
day alive, but inexperienced as they were, it was a hard one. Jerome
Mason did not return alive. He was thrown on a hot stove in the
express car and was burned to death.
For the information of those who do not know about the accident,
it may be well here to state that it was occasioned by the engine,
drawing a train of eleven coaches and two baggage cars, running
over an ox, about four miles south of Watertown, near the station
180 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
now known as Johnson's Creek, then called Belleville. The south
end of the Northwestern road had for some years been working
north and the north end going south, until a junction was made in
September, 1858, and through trains were put on to Chicago. In the
meantime the road had been also extended northward from Fond du
Lac to Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha and Appleton. The ill fated train
was an excursion to celebrate the opening of the road, and was
crowded with excursionists from these places. Fond du Lac had a
large number on board, a few of whom were killed and many injured.
Among the Fond du Lac killed were T. L. Gillet, M. J. Thomas,
Jerome Mason and Ed. Sickles. Van B. Smead died six weeks later
at Watertown. Judge Flint and his daughter, Miss Lillie Flint, and
Mrs. R. M. Lewis were among the wounded. A most singular fact is,
that about a year later, the mate to the ox that produced this disaster,
was killed at nearly the same place by the same locomotive.
Founder of the Commonwealth.
Only those who were associated with J. A. Smith and knew him
personally, could appreciate the integrity, candor and general worth
of the man. He was never sought by his friends for brilliant social
qualities, but because of his reliability and honesty. He never knew
what equivocation meant in business or even in politics. He meant
just what he said, in speech or in the columns of his newspaper.
The sterling honesty of his Quaker ancestry was with him every day
and to the day of his death. His father, a fine old Quaker gentleman,
was a blacksmith by trade and at a very early day established a fac-
tory at Sheboygan Falls for the manufacture of steel traps, for which
the quest for furs caused a large demand. All sizes of traps were
made from the large bear and wolf traps to those for rats. His three
sons, Hiram, Joseph and Paxton, worked in the factory with the
father, but the time came that Joseph aspired to mental activity and
he started a small abolitionist newspaper which after a time was
moved to a larger field at Fond du Lac. In 1854 he bought the
Fountain City Herald, which for three years had maintained a
sickly existence under Royal Buck, and the Commonwealth was the
result. A book bindery was added and the office was prosperous.
In 1872 he sold out and went to Clinton, Iowa, where he had a news-
paper, but drifted into the hotel business, which resulted unsatisfac-
torily and he sold out. A cheese factory was his next venture, but
later went into the office of ex-Gov. Hoard at Fort Atkinson, as an
editorial writer, where he died in 1892. His remains were brought
to Fond du Lac and laid away in Rienzi. Mr. Smith was twice
married, the first time before coming to Fond du Lac, and the last
time to Miss Merrille, whom so many Fond du Lac people pleasantly
remember as the founder of the Merrille Institute for young ladies.
Mr. Smith's only child was Miss Kate, now Mrs. Spencer, wife of a
Racine druggist.
BIRTH OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
This Great Event Took Place in This County and is Entitled to a
Place Here. Some of the Men Identified with It.
The first organized attempt to form what is now the Republican
party, was made in Ripon. The gathering was held in the 0I4
Congregational Church, on College Hill. x\t this gathering held on
the last day of February, 1854, and of which William Dunham was
moderator and W. N. Martin, secretary, a preamble and resolutions
were presented and unanimously sanctioned, condemning the
Nebraska slavery bill.
March 20 following, in response to a call issued in a Ripon paper
and signed by fifty-four citizens, comprising AVhigs, Democrats and
Free Soilers. a second gathering was held and by formal ballot the
former committee was dissolved and another appointed consisting of
A. E. Bovay, A. Loper, A. Thomas, J. Bowen and J. A\^oodruiT.
Fathers of the Party.
Without a questionable doubt these three Whigs, one Democrat
and a Free Soiler were fathers of the Republican party. Other cities
have laid claim to this honor, but when tested, their pretensions have
invariably been found to contain too liberal qualities of emptiness.
Ripon's claim, on the other hand, has ample proof.
The new political party was fathered by A. E. Bovay, who
selected the name Republican party. His mind originally conceived
the ideas which he afterwards promulgated and issued to the world.
In his Rise and Fall of the Slave Power, Henry Wilson says:
"One of the earliest, if not the very earliest, of the movements that
contemplated definite action and the formation of a new party, was
made in Ripon, Fond du Lac county. Wis., in the early months of
1854. In consequence of a very thorough canvass, conference and
general comparison of views, inaugurated by A. E. Bovay, a promi-
nent member of Ripon, to remonstrate against the Nebraska
Swindle. Come all.
(Signed) MANY CITIZENS."
In the following week's issue apears the preamble and resolutions
adopted at the meeting held on the night mentioned. At that gather-
ing, which was largely attended by persons of both sexes living in
the village and surrounding country, it was virtually agreed that in
the event that the Nebraskan bill was adopted, old parties would be
cast aside and an entirely new organization should be given birth.
At the second meeting, March 20. which was held in the little
school house, since converted into a dwelling, Mr. Bovay spoke to
the efifect that the new party should, and in all probability would,
be assigned the name Republican, but he advised against so naming
it iust then. He did, however, write to the New York Tribune's
182 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
editor, assigning reasons for adopting the name Republican, and
solicited his aid in establishing such a name by liberal advocation
in the columns of that paper.
Unquestionably to Mr. Bovay is due the credit of forming and de-
veloping the idea of the new political party. As early as the latter
part of January, 1854, he called upon Jehdiah Bowen, seeking an
interview relative to an article published in the local paper, which
contained some strictures upon the course of Senator Douglas. In
the movement which followed Air. Bowen was his chief helper. The
latter was a merchant of high standing and superior learning. He
was one of the first to lend himself to the new organization, but it
is understood that his sympathies only extended to the slavery prin-
ciple. He died in that city nearly three years ago.
Mr. A. E. Bovay, who deserves the name "father" insofar as
that word applies to political organization, was in many ways a most
remarkable man. All of the prime movers in the new organization
have passed away.
Sole Survivor at Ripen.
A. A. Loper, a son of A. Loper, one of the committee men ap-
pointed at the meeting forty-two years ago March 20 next, is the
only surviving resident of Ripon, who attended that meeting. He was
then a young man and he attended out of curiosity. Said he, in refer-
ring to the gathering :
"The predominant idea existing at that time in the minds of the
prime movers was to prevent the farther extension of slavery. The
matter was then quite favorably discussed, but no really genuine
organization was formed ; it was simply vigorously recommended.
As I recall it, the evening was a severe one, a furious snowstorm
raging at the time and the thermometer registering something below
zero.
"So far as my knowledge goes, in Ripon was made the first move
toward giving the Republican party life, and I believe this truth has
been acknowledged by historians, who have looked into the facts. I
have seen it stated that a town in Michigan has set claim to having
taken the initial step, but this, so far as my knowledge goes, was
incapable of proof."
Michigan's Claim to the Honor.
Michigan's claim was held for years, but as Mr. Loper says, was
not prol)able. Now, it is understood, that it would seem more natural
that the movement originated in the east and that the New York
Tribune set the idea a rolling in its columns. Admitted.
That paper, however, might have been, and without a shadow of
doubt was, urged to lend its influence to the movement after fairly
well-defined action had been taken in Ripon. There are quite a
number of old settlers there who were living there at that time, who
then thought the proposed plan of action too inconsequential to lend
themselves to it. They, however, express themselves as holding the
knowledge thai Ripon's claim is ])ositively correct.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 183
Until it can be proven that the Republican party was organized
longer ago than 1854. Ripon claims the honor of being its birthplace.
As a National Party,
While the weight of the testimony is in favor of Ripon as the
birthplace of the Republican party, it was not until Wisconsin had
sent a delegation to congress made up of a majority of the new party,
and the state itself had sent Charles Durkee as a Republican to repre-
sent her in the United States senate, that the Republican party gained
national recognition. On February 26, 1856, two years after the
Ripon meeting, a national convention was called to meet at Pittsburg,
Pa. The issuance of this call was the immediate result of a conference
between Salmon P. Chase and David N. White, the latter being at the
time the editor of the Pittsburg Gazette. The call was as follows :
"To the Republicans of the United States : In accordance with
what appears to be the general desire of the Republican party, and at
the suggestion of a large portion of the Republican press, the under-
signed, chairmen of the state Republican committees of Maine, Ver-
mont, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Mich-
igan and Wisconsin, hereby invite the Republicans of the union to
meet in informal convention at Pittsburg on February 22, 1856, for the
purpose of perfecting the national organization and providing for
national delegate convention of the Republican party, at some subse-
quent day, to nominate candidates for the presidency and vice-pres-
idency to be supported at the election in November, 1856."
This was signed by A. P. Stone, of Ohio; J. G. Z. Goodrich,
Massachusetts ; David Wilmot, Pennsylvania : Lawrence Brainard,
Vermont ; Wm. A. White, Wisconsin.
A Preliminary Meeting of Leaders.
A meeting of the Republican editors of the country was held in
Pittsburg, February 20, for the purpose of consultation.
At the convention twenty-four states and the District of Columbia
were represented. Lawrence Brainard, of Vermont, called the con-
vention to order and John x\. King, of New York, was chosen tem-
porary chairman. The Rev. Owen Lovejoy, afterward killed by a
mob at Quincy, 111., on account of his anti-slavery principles, opened
the proceedings with prayer, in which he modestly implored the Ruler
of the Universe to "remove the present administration from power,
that its unholy designs on the liberties of the free might be
thwarted." Joshua R. Giddings and Horace Greeley had a tilt over
the plan of procedure, the latter opposing the calling of a nominating
convention and advocating that the matter be referred to a strong
committee to act as their judgment should dictate, and the former
ridiculing all attempts at delay.
Men Who Became Prominent.
Zach Chandler, of Michigan. John A. Foote, of Ohio, the Rev.
Joshua Brewer, of Connecticut. Mr. Hawthorne, of Iowa. George W.
Julian, of Indiana, David Ripley, the saw-log and anti-rum man from
184 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Jersey, took part in the proceedings, the last keeping the convention
in a roar of laughter. A long discussion followed on the manner of
nominating presidential candidates, and a national convention was
finally agreed upon, to meet in Philadelphia, June 17, 1856. E. D.
Morgan, of New York, was made chairman of the national executive
committee. i\.n address to the people was adopted which closed with
the prophetic words, "If the government, by any authority it may
assume, shall shed but one drop of blood in Kansas, that shall mark
the beginning of the end of human slavery." This declaration caused
so much applause that it had to be repeated, the convention rose to
its feet, gave three times three cheers for the address, and the new
party adjourned.
The first national convention was held June 17, 1856, and John
C. Freemont was nominated for president and William L. Dayton for
vice-president, and they would have been elected had not Pennsyl-
vania stood aloof from the other northern states and given her vote
to her own son, James Buchanan, which secured his election. The
next nominee of the party, Abraham Lincoln, was elected.
Watrous and Kutchin as Writers.
J. A. Smith founded the Fond du Lac Commonwealth in 1854,
and A. T. Glaze made up the forms and helped to print the first
edition on a hand press. Since then, ]\Iartin Mitchell, Tom Bryant,
Ed. McGlachlin, Jimmv Lightbody, Mvron Orvis, j. A. Watrous,
Tom Reid, Sam Fifield', W.^ W. D. Turner, H. M. Kutchin, O. C.
Steenberg, P. B. Haber, Col. Smith and two or three others have
been part owners for a greater or less length of time. Of the men
who have done editorial work on the Commonwealth, it must be
conceded that H. M. Kutchin was the most prolific, able and polished
writer who ever wielded pen or pencil for its columns. For variety
of editorial work, J. A. Watrous has not been surpassed on its
columns. His brain could grasp greater variety and his fingers jot
it down on paper, than any of its editors. Turning over the files of
the Commonwealth back in the seventies when Watrous and
Kutchin were both there, and one can readily find as smooth and
polished articles as ever appeared in a Wisconsin newspaper and as
great variety. Others have managed to do the work, but they were
not geniuses, as these were. Mr. Kutchin began his newspaper work
on the columns of the Fort Atkinson Union, which he sold to ex-Gov.
Hoard, and Col. Watrous began on the Black River Falls Banner,
but both aspired to larger things and got there, before many years.
When Rev. W. L. Mather was the pastor of the old Plymouth
Church, which once stood on West First street, on the grounds of
the new postoffice, it was not customary to print notices of special
services in the newsj)apers, as is done now, and so Mr. Mather, when
he had something special, would go up and down the streets and
notify personally. It would be thought undignified now to do this,
but it wasn't then. He was a most industrious advertiser too, and
his steps were by no means slow.
NAVIGATION ON THE LAKE
When, Where and By Whom Early Days' Steamboats Were Built
and Run and What Became of Them.
Previous to 1848, navigation on Lake Winnebago was by barge,
flat boat and canoe, but in this year came the first steamboat on the
lake. In 1847, ^- D. Patchen, the great steamboat owner on the
lakes, gave to Peter Hotaling at Buffalo, an engine and boiler taken
from an Erie canal boat. This he brought to Green Bay and trans-
ported overland to Brothertown, where he built in the winter and
spring, the steamboat which he named Manchester. It proved so slow
and unsatisfactory that it was abandoned, the engine sold and the
hull made into a barge. At about the same time the late Capt. Ole
Olson, long postmaster at Oshkosh in late years, put a horse power
on a barge and used it as a tug to transport rafts of logs and lumber
on Wolf river and the lake. These two boats came out so near to-
gether that it is itncertain which was first to stir the water of the
lake with wheels. In 1849 ^ steamboat called the D. B. Whitacre,
was built at Menasha. This was the boat partly owned by the late
Mark R. Harrison, and in the running of which he became disgusted
with western lake navigation, and qviit it forever. After running one
season, this boat was pulled out of the water at Fond du Lac and
overhauled by Truman Shepard, originator of the Union Iron Works,
and David Harris, when she was named Oshkosh. Still the boat was
unsatisfactory and disappeared a year or two later. The next steam-
boat was the Peytona, built at Menasha by Capt. Estes, and was
powerful and speedy. She could make the run from Fond du Lac
to Menasha and return, from 7 a. m. to 6 p. m., if the weather favored.
This was regarded as speedy and the Peytona was a favorite. She
ran four years, from 1850 to 1854, wdien she was snagged and sunk
in Lake Poygan and was abandoned. Her fine machinery went into
the Tigress, one of the Nefif boats on Wolf river. In 1851, Capt.
Hotaling built the steamer Menasha, the largest and finest boat on
the lake. She ran three years and was sold to Sam NefT, when she
became the Wolf river boat Northwestern. Now came the steamer
Badger State, Capt. W. A. Knapp, the best boat up to this time. She
was not large, but was handsome as she sat on the water like a duck.
After the railroad was running and there was no further use for boats
on the lake, the Badger State went to the Fox river line and ran a
number of years between Oshkosh and Berlin. After this Sam and
Ed. Nefif had several boats but they seldom came to Fond du Lac.
Twice there have been efforts of our merchants to establish lines to
the east shore landings, but the}* were failures. Our early boats were
very slow and in later years they were not needed. All through the
186 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
years Oshkosh has had steamboats but Fond du Lac has had none,
because there is no use for them. The above is the history of steam-
boating on Lake Winnebago so far as Fond du Lac is concerned.
In 1855, the Fox and ^Visconsin Improvement Co. had so far
progressed that two steamboats, the Appleton Belle and Aquilla, was
brought to Fond du Lac from Lake Huron for the avowed purpose
of running them between Green Bay and our lake ports, but the
scheme did not work and in a year or two the boats were taken
through to the Mississippi. Some of our soldiers in the early days
of the war saw the Appleton Belle at New Madrid. Those boats
could hardly be taken through to the Mississippi now.
Sails on Lake Winnebago.
A respectable two-masted sailing vessel once stirred the waters
of Lake Winnebago, doing business in regular transportation. It
was schooner-rigged and with its sails spread looked very pretty.
"Trader" was her name and she was sailed by Capt Steve Hotaling.
Her trips were not frequent, but she put in an occasional appearance
here with lumber, shingles, farm produce and other commodities.
But getting her in and out of the rivers at the different lake ports
was slow and she was sold to John Morse, of the well known Osh-
kosh machine shops, who took out the masts and put in machinery
and she became the well known Fox river steamboat, "Diamond."
But the "Trader" did not wholly end sailing vessels, for in 1877 a
vessel considerably smaller was put on the lake, used to transport
farm products to market. She was also a two-masted vessel, schooner-
rigged, but she was found not to pay and was sold to Judge Pulling,
C. W. Felker, E. W. Viall and John Bauman, all of Oshkosh, by
whom she was beautifully fitted up as a pleasure yacht, and was
long known as the "Flora." Oshkosh Scandinavians occasionally
had scows to assist in bringing in potatoes and like products from
the east shore, but the above were the only real sailing crafts, except
pleasure yachts that have in the past stirred the waters of Lake Win-
nebago and its tributaries.
Transportation on Wheels.
Previous to 1848 the only means of transportation to and from
Fond du Lac city and county, now teeming with railroads, was by
horses and ox teams, largely the latter. Lake Winnebago had not yet
been stirred by the wheels of a steamboat. Davis & Moore's stages,
known as the Wisconsin Stage Co., had hardly more than begun to
wallow through the mud of timber and prairie. Leaving Milwaukee
at 4 a. m. with the only mail for this region, arrived here at any time
between 6 p. m. and 3. a. m. next morning. Distance sixty-one miles,
time fourteen to twenty-three hours. Sheboygan stages came through
when they could. Distance forty miles, time not counted. Stages
north on both sides of the lake, via Pipe Village, Brothertown, Stock-
bridge and Wrightstown to Green Bay and via Oshkosh, Neenah and
Menasha to Wrightstown. Distance sixty-eight miles, time whatever
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 187
it happened to be. twelve to twenty-four hours. Appleton did not then
exist, except as the hamlet of Grand Chute. Most of the emigrants
of that time came with their own teams via Watertown and Green
Bay.
Crook in Main Street.
Very few of old time residents of Fond du Lac have failed of
being asked at some time about the crook in Main street. Standing
at Scott street or Twelfth, the crook is seen most effectively, and
observing strangers are pretty sure to ask about it. Maybe they will
get a correct answer, but more than likely nothing satisfactory, as few
citizens including old settlers, know much about it. The crook is
there, but how it came to be there, few know. Here is the correct
explanation : The village plat of the Fond du Lac Company was
made first and became a part of the records with reference to section
and quarter section lines. When Dr. Darling platted his land he did
it to suit himself and without reference to the close following of the
Fond du Lac Company's plat. Instead of making the west line of
Main street coincide with the other plat, he followed the old Milwau-
kee road and the south end was thrown too far to the west for a
straight street. It was simply a matter of convenience and I don't
care, on the part of Dr. Darling.
Annual M. E. Conference.
The Wisconsin Annual Conference of the M. E. Church, was
held in the old church torn away two years ago to give place to the
fine brick building now at the corner of Marr and Third streets.
Bishop Ames presided and when the -conference closed the job of
printing the proceedings was given to the Journal ofifice. With the
small amount of type and its well worn condition, Mr. Glaze hesitated
about it. but he and Walworth Chapel went at it and did all the
work, including binding, and comparing it with the same proceedings
now, it appears as well as any of them. It shows what can be done
if one goes at a thing and tries. Surely the best efforts were put on
that job with that old material.
Teachers in the High School.
Most of the time that O. C. Steenberg was principal of the Fond
du Lac High school, the rooms occupied by the school were up stairs
over the stores now occupied by Geo. P. Dana and the Wilkie hard-
ware stores. Prof. Johnson was the first principal of the Fond du
Lac High school and it was located in the building at the corner of
Main and Johnson streets. Prof. Peabody, for many years since he
was here, principal of a Chicago High school, succeeded Prof. John-
son here, and Prof. Steenberg was third, then Prof Hutchins, Prof.
Mitchell, Dr. McLaughlin, Prof. Williams and Miss Waters. Miss
Everdell has been connected with the school the greater number of
years, having been there nearly forty years as teacher.
188 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
A Country Grindstone That Was Used.
G. W. Denniston, who now resides at the corner of Marr and
Fourth streets, is one of the early pioneers of this county. He went
into the town of Empire in 1846, and was a mechanic as well as
farmer. He and his family saw much of the Indians and his grind-
stone under a tree was a favorite resort for them to sharpen their
knives. Their association with them was far from pleasant.
He Had a Peculiar Habit.
W. C. Kellogg, of the early day dealers in boots and shoes,
McBride & Kellogg, had the queer habit of swinging a foot rule.
AVhen not asleep or eating, that rule was generally in his hand and
on the swing. He had learned every motion of which it was capable.
He was a brother-in-law of Commodore Paulding, of the U. S. Navy,
and on shipboard with him as his clerk, had visited most of the
countries of the world, and being a good talker, Kellogg's presence
was generally pleasing. During a trip east to visit his relatives in
Brooklyn, N. Y., something occurred to upset his mind and he com-
mitted suicide. The firm then sold out, and closed the business here.
A Low Down Whiskey Shop.
Probably the worst whiskey dive ever in Fond du Lac. was that
of Harry Jones on the west side of Main street, four doors south of
Second. He was an old soak and people used to wonder where and
how he got his handsome young wife. His bar was slovenly and
the room always dirty. It was a tough place every day in the week
and nights too.
Fay Brown, of Lamartine.
Fayette Brown was one of the early pioneers of Lamartine. He
was a brother of E. L. Brown, for so many years and still a resident
of Waupaca in 1905. Fay Brown was a politician of great activity,
and few elections passed without his name on a ballot. He and Peter
V. Sang used to have lively tussels. especially for town offices. Both
were generally on the political war path, and generally stirred up a
lively time. Pete Sang used to say that Fay Brown always wanted
office and "wanted it the d dest worst kind."
Some Queer Descriptions.
When H. W. Newton made the new survey and replatted Ripon
in 1870, he found some queer descriptions in land and lots deeded by
Judge Horner. For instance, one point was a notch in a log in a mill
dam, which might have been obliterated in one minute with an axe.
Another point was a pile of stones, which might have been moved
in five minutes with a wheelbarrow. Another was the end of a ditch,
and so on were others quite ridiculous.
MEMORIES OF THE PAST
Interesting and Amusing, of What Took Place in the Early Times
of This County and are Worthy of Being
Recalled Now.
Great Fire of 1852,
The great fire in December, 1852, that burned out the whole east
side of Main street frontage, from First to Second streets, except the
Keyes-Darling bank corner, was a serious afifair. The concerns
burned out were : Case & Alling's grocery, where the fire originated ;
M. Sasse's shoe shop, E. Perkins' tin and stove store, A. P. & G. N.
Lyman's general store, D. R. Curran's drug store, Nate Lepper's paint
shops, Carswell & Dee's dry goods store and the residences of W. A.
Dewey and D. R. Curran, around the corner on Second street. It
was Sunday evening and so cold that John Case came up to the store,
filled the big stove full of grubs, rolled the barrels of vegetables up
near the stove to prevent freezing, locked the door and went away.
A few days before, the Davis block, located just north of where the
Lauenstein store is now, was burned, and the city being wholly with-
out fire apparatus, except a few leather buckets, it was necessary to
watch the smouldering ruins to prevent it breaking out anew. Five
or six young men. with headquarters in the Journal office, on the
ground where Mason's crockery store is now, were on watch and at
about one o'clock discovered a light reflected on the street and found
the Case & Ailing store was ablaze. The grubs, the stove and the
vegetable barrels did the business. The weather was dreadful cold
and all that could be done was to carry goods out of the stores and to
a safe distance ; much of it to be stolen. So cold was it that an empty
pail from the stores, after going on top of a building a couple of times
with water, would come thundering down into the street half full of
ice. Men dipping water from the reservoir at the corner of Main
and Second streets, would burn the backs out of their coats and freeze
their cheeks, noses and ears, without knowing it. The cylinder of the
pumps of fire engines and the hose w^ould have frozen if the city had
had fire apparatus and tried to use it. Next day fully one-half the
men in town had peeling cheek bones and noses, from the frost. It
was a night of dreadful experiences, as to the fire, the only thing that
could be done, as George Weikert said, was to "let her burn." There
was considerable wind and blazing shingles and boards were carried
to roofs, and long distances away people had to work on their roofs
to save their homes. What has for years been known as the "Giltner
House" on Second street, opposite No. i engine house, repaired and
altered last year, was on fire six times from those flying shingles, but
was saved, Ed. Farnsworth staying on the roof until he froze his
190 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
hands. Soon after this fire a move was made toward procuring fire
apparatus, and old No. i was bought in Milwaukee.
They Were Strong Men.
Edward Beeson, C. R. Harrison and T. S. Henry were as strong
men in their personality as Fond du Lac has ever held as citizens.
Always truthful and generous, they could be depended upon at all
times. Edward Beeson was a printer by trade, an editor from prac-
tice, politician from force of circumstances, and in every respect a
first-class citizen, because he wanted to be. In his more than forty
vears as a newspaper man in Fond du Lac, he was never once tricky,
even in politics. Unlike the politicians of today, if he promised to do
a thing it could be depended upon. No matter what the service was,
in politics or business, his promise was reliable. Mr. Beeson was
uncle to the writer, who was an employe in his of^ce many years,
therefore knew him thoroughly. Mrs. Beeson was practically the only
mother he ever knew. Mr. Beeson enjoyed a joke, but the prac-
tical joke he abhorred. He bore the reputation among pioneer settlers
as being one of the most generous and self-sacrificing men in the
country.
Charles R. Harrison has always been known in Fond du Lac as
a man very much of the same characteristics. He had no enemies,
the entire community was his friends. As a sawmill expert he had
few equals, and when he went into the railway mail service, he was
soon known to all the leading men in the service. The old distribu-
tion case in the mail cars and postoffices were a fright to Charley
Harrison, and being a good mechanic he soon devised the Harrison
Postal Bag Rack, the manufacture of which long since became one of
the leading industries of Fond du Lac, and are used on railway cars
and in postoffices not only in this country and Canada, but many have
been shipped to Europe and Australia.
T. S. Henry was in personal characteristics very much like
Messrs. Beeson and Harrison. He was a peculiar man in some things,
one in particular, that what he set out to do he did for all there was in
it. He also was an expert mechanic and few men ever did more to
build up and help along the early day industries of Fond du Lac.
When Tom Henry took hold of a piece of work it had to go. He was
a strong and valual)le man to the city.
They Were Disappointed.
When the Third and Fourteenth regiments, Wisconsin infantry,
went into camp in Fond du Lac for drill and to learn camp life, war
w^as a new thing, and the men imagined they could have rations pre-
pared much as they were accustomed to have their food at home and
have better arrangements in camp. They changed their ideas after a
while, especially after they got down south. Both these regiments
were under command of colonels from this city, the Third under Col.
C. S. Hamilton (later Gen. Hamilton), and the Fourteenth under Col.
D. E. Wood. The camp extended north and south from Forest
avenue to the marsh and east and west from Hickory street to the
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 191
city limits. Col. Hamilton was a graduate of West Point and drilled
the Third, and Major John Hancock drilled the Fourteenth. It was
beautiful summer weather when the Third w^as here, but the Four-
teenth came in the fall, and sometimes the field was covered with snow
and slush, but there was scarcely a day that Major Hancock did not
assemble the regiment and put the boys through at least a portion
of the manual. At this time there were long open spaces on Forest
Avenue, and the drill ground north. was almost without a building.
Probably these two regiments were the best drilled of any of the
Wisconsin troops at the time of leaving the state for the seat of war,
as they had good drill masters, and once, often tw^ice, a day were
assembled and the men put through the manual. The people of Fond
du Lac took great pleasure in witnessing the work, and every fine day
appeared at camp in large numbers.
Rev. Air. Robertson, at that time pastor of the Presbyterian
Church, took much pleasure in preaching to the men, and while he
often preached to the whole regiment at camp, he seemed anxious
that the men should have church privileges, and influenced the colonel
to have them marched down town. But as there was neither church
nor hall large enough to seat all of them, one-half the regiment was
brought at a time. There were many very amusing incidents at these
camps, some of which may be mentioned hereafter.
The Beet Sugar Factory.
That there was once a beet sugar factory in Fond du Lac is
probably known to few people now. But there was such a factory
here, of which A. D. Bonesteel was principal owner, and it was located
in the basement of what was the stone mill, now a cold storage ware-
house, on Forest Avenue. One day Mr. Bonesteel was offered induce-
ments which took the factory to California, where it is said to still
remain, but is much enlarged and improved. It was here in 1859, and
remained a couple of years, making very nice sugar. But there was
found to be one drawback here. Our black soil is not well adapted
to raising sugar beets, and it required too much water and too much
time to wash them in the preliminary process for sugar making. At
Grand Island, Neb., and through the northwestern part of that state,
especially along the Platte river, are many large sugar factories. The
land is somewhat sandy and is said to be the best in the United States
for sugar beets.
Too Cold to Work.
In the morning of the cold New Year's day of 1864, A. T. Glaze
went from Sixth street to the Commonwealth office, in the north end
of the old Darling block, to complete the printing of the enrollment
lists for the last draft of the war. He was compelled to stop on the
way to warm himself, and when he arrived at the Commonwealth
office, he and Mr. Bryant, his assistant, crowded wood into the large
office stove all the forenoon, but could not get it warm enough to
work, and were compelled to give it up, although the type cases were
moved up close to the stove. In the morning the mercury froze in
thermometers.
192 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
A Very Popular Family.
It was in 1847 ^^^^^ John B. Alacy came here from Buffalo, New
York, and settled on what is now known as the Giddings farm, at
Lake de Neveu. John Dana, who is yet living in this city at an
advanced age, came with him and lived in the family until after Mr.
Mac3'"s death. The Macy home was long a society center, and many
large parties were given there. In the summer of 1856 the grand
steamer Niagara was burned off Port Washington, and Mr. Macy
was drowned. He was a very large man, and while trying to board
a boat already overloaded, he swamped it and most of those on it lost
their lives. M. J. Thomas, son-in-law of Mr. Macy, lost his « life at
what is now known as Johnson's Creek, on the old line of the North-
western road in 1858, at the time of the excursion on completion of
the road through to Chicago. Mr. Thomas was thrown from the
baggage car into a ditch at the side of the track. He built the first
boat house at Lake de Neveu and put the first boat for pleasure on
its waters.
Here we may appropriately give particulars of a peculiar incident
connected with the death of Mr. Macy. On the afternoon that he was
drowned, his daughter, Mrs. Thomas, suddenly became frantic, said
that her father was dead and she could see his face. She was so
distressed that she had the carriage brought out and she came to the
city and sought out friends for information. The telegraph line to
Sheboygan, the only one we had then, was not working and informa-
tion of the disaster was not received until next morning. How did
Mrs. Thomas get her first impression? Many would like to know
about it.
The First Wood Yard.
The first wood yard in Fond du Lac was owned by Hiram Linds-
ley, familiarly known as "Hi" Lindsley. Coal was not used here at
that time in our history — the fifties. The wood supply came mostly
from the country by teams and from the sawmills. Almost every day
Main street was lined by wagons loaded with wood. But "Hi" sold
considerable wood, especially when the roads were bad. One day
he sold some to H. Olds, of the United States Cottage, now
Windsor House. It was early in the fall of the year, when evenings
were sometimes a little cool and a moderate fire in the office stove
was desirable. "Late" Ellsworth was the hotel clerk and looked
after things very well, so in the afternoon filled the wood box ; at
supper time started a fire. When the boarders came from the dining
room and began to gather near the stove it was discovered that the
wood box, floor and wall were alive with large black ants. Of course
the boys got out of there. "Jack" Cole ran out doors with about a
hundred of the insects on him, which he got from being seated with
one arm on the wood box. The next thing was to rid the office of
them, and in the search for where they came from, a half rotted
stick of wood was found in the box that was alive with them. The
fire had warmed them sufficient to send the black fellows out in search
of fresh air. The stick of wood went into the stove and a couple of
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 193
brooms vigorously wielded, killed off the loose ones after a while.
While this was in progress, "Hi" Lindsley came in and learning the
situation, remarked to Olds that ants' nests in the wood were extra
and he didn't charge him a cent for this one. Olds was not inclined to
joke, but "Hi" ventured to remark as he left, "If you want any more
live stock, come and see me."
Are All Gone Now.
When we think of how plentiful the prairie chickens were here
in early times, and how they were slaughtered without interference
of law, we are reminded of the slaughter of the buffalo on our western
plains without interference, until they are almost extinct. In both
these cases it is like the old adage of locking the barn door after the
horse is stolen. That magnificent game bird, the prairie chicken,
was slaughtered and the state legislature gave it no attention until
the mischief was done, and prohibitory legislation could do no good.
After there were no more prairie chickens to kill, laws were passed pro-
tecting them. There was a time that a good hunter could find them
within half a mile or mile of the city, and very seldom returned from
a hunt empty handed. Many a time the writer has seen coveys of them
inside the city limits.
Clown and Trunk Maker.
Alonzo Blake was a performer and a couple of seasons also clown
in Older's circus. He was a trunk and harness maker by trade and
came to Fond du Lac to work for Lyman Bishop, when the circus
was laid up for winter. Next door north of the harness shop, at that
time was Bowen's barber shop. Mr. Bowen being a cripple, kept a
dog team which he drove back and forth, between his home and the
shop. Those dogs were noisy and cross, and being kept all day at the
rear of the shop, were a great annoyance to Blake, who played ali
sorts of tricks on them. This made Bowen mad, but Blake didn't
care for that. One day "Lon" melted a lot of shoemaker's wax in the
sun and with a long paddle through a window, plastered it on the sides
of the dogs. This the animals gnawed until they had removed most
of the hair with the wax. Mr. Bowen was very mad, of course, and
sought to sue "Lon" for damages, but Squire Williams thought he
had better treat it as a joke, for he couldn't get anything from Blake
if he secured a judgment. Soon after that the dogs disappeared.
Elected by One Vote.
The canvassing board that went through the returns of the
county election in 1858, consisted of Carlos A. Rider and J. J. Driggs,
justices of the peace, and N. H. Jorgenson, register of deeds, and
Fred Kalk, county clerk, and James V. McCall, clerk. Wlien the
returns had all been read, Fred Kalk got his figures added first and
began dancing around the room in his excited way, declaring that
John B. Wilbor was elected county treasurer by one majority, the
figures being J. B. Wilbor, 2689 ; George W. Sawyer, 2688. Soon
after McCall's figures gave the same result. The vote being so close,
194 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
the canvassing board determined to go over it all again, but the result
was the same. Mr. Sawyer was urged by some of his republican
friends to contest the election on the ground of irregularities in one
or two eastern towns, but he said one majority was as good as a
thousand, and refused. So John B. Wilbor held the office of county
treasurer by virtue of a decided majority of one, Sawyer receiving
2688 votes and Wilbor 2689.
A Big Pair of Boots.
One day in 1851, while passing the shoe shop of Peter Servatius,
on Main street, near the Journal office, the writer was called in to see
a pair of boots that were being built for a man living in the town of
Friendship. Astonishment ruled the day on looking at them. To
say that they were large does not meet the case — they were enormous.
A measurement was made of the length and width, but a stateiiient of
the result is not made for fear that some one would say it was a
d d lie. He furnished his own lasts as no shoe shop had them big
enough. The work was in the hands of a good natured German,
named Miese, who suggested that the only remedy for those feet was
to get a doctor to "gut 'em." Preposterous as it was, Miese built
those boots on his knees, though Uncle David Knitel suggested that he
fasten them on a bench, trim the edges with a hatchet and drive the
pegs with a sledge haimmer. When they were done, Mr. Servatius
said they would make a couple of good fiddleboxes by cutting the
tops ofif.
A Reaper and Mower Trial.
If farmers of today could see such a reaper and mower trial as
that at Ripon in 1869, they would doubtless be much amused. At
that trial was the J. P. Manny, J. H. Manny, Cayuga Chief, Johnson
Sweepstakes, Esterly, Wood and other reapers, all of them hand
rakes — that is, the grain was raked ofif by hand and left behind for the
binders. The Marsh harvester, in 1870, was the first of the binders,
though the grain was bound by men who rode on the machine. A
couple of years later the McCormicks brought out the self-binder
which we still have, though very much improved. The agents for
those early day machines were a noisy set of fellows and their com-
peting trials were exciting. All this has passed away now.
Could Not Be Changed.
It was about 1856 that a few Fond du Lac men got it into their
heads that the steamboat landing could be changed from Scott street
to Forest Avenue, where the Gurney Refrigerator plant is now located
and Capt. Estes of the Leytona, was influenced to run his boat up the
river to that point, but that one trip was the only one made. The
flag stafT was broken, some boards torn ofT one wheelhouse and the
boat otherwise damaged. Some thought Capt Estes ran into a tree
and did the damage on purpose. At any rate no further efforts were
made to transfer the landing from lower town. It was one of those
early day schemes that were constantly coming into men's minds.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 195
Was a Great Wrestler.
The great wrestler, Homer Lane, was long a resident of Fond du
Lac. He was possessed of a remarkable peculiarity in that he
seemed to have no bones to give stiffness by which a purchase might
be obtained by an opponent, and his joints seemed to turn all ways
alike. The writer took hold of him a few times but he might as well
have taken hold of a suspended blanket, expecting to throw it. He
became noted east and west as a wrestler and had bouts with the most
noted men of the country in that line. My recollection is that he was
beaten but once and that was after an illness from which he had not
fully recovered.
Was Not a Favorite.
A man named AVarner, a carpenter and joiner, at one time in the
early days, boarded at the Cottage. He was a very loud talker and
a great boaster, and the boys getting down on him, set themselves
to playing tricks on him, which became so annoying that he had to
leave. One time they dusted a little cayenne pepper on his clothes,
which set him to sneezing as if he would sneeze his head off. Another
time one of the boys managed to slip some shoemaker's Avax on his
chair as he was sitting down, and when he got up he took the chair
along with him. The boys said they had got rid of a nuisance.
Were Not Fast Boats.
Suppose you were a new comer to such a town as Fond du Lac
was in 1849, ^^^^ going to the steamboat landing should find there
two such steamboats as the Oshkosh and Manchester. Then suppose
you undertook a trip as a passenger on either of them, to find that it
took two hours to make the run to Taycheedah, seven to get to Osh-
kosh and twelve to fourteen hours to reach Neenah and Menasha.
Wouldn't your opinion of Lake Winnebago navigation be rather poor?
That was the situation, yet some people would imagine that a light-
house was needed at the mouth of the river.
Were in Favor of Seward.
Great was the disgust of Fond du Lac republicans one beautiful
day in June, i860, when news came from the historical "wigwam" in
Chicago, that Abraham Lincoln was the nominee for president of the
United States. The republicans of Fond du Lac were for William
H. Seward, first, last and all the time. About all they knew of
Lincoln was the notoriety gained in his debates with Stephen A.
Douglas, while Seward's work in the United States senate stamped
him as the man for the times. But they soon recovered from the
disappointment.
Once a Lively Place.
There was a time that Taycheedah was quite an important point.
There was a pier there, where all boats stopped, and much freight was
shipped north, coming from Sheboygan and saving the hauling to
Fond du Lac. The Smiths had quite an extensive store, B. F. Moore
196 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
had his Indian supply depot there, Charles Qeisse had a mill, Mr.
Perry kept a hotel, and there were many shops. Such citizens as
Lieut. Gov. Beall, J. W. Whinfield, Henry Conklin and others resided
there.
Was Soon Abandoned.
The fire steamer, Alex. White, when first brought here, was a
self-propeller, and the first run it made to a fire was on Portland
street, when it went into a mud hole opposite the residence of F.
Sander, so tight that it required four horses to pull it out. As a self-
propeller it was not a success, and its greatest merit seems to have
been that it could throw a vast amount of water in a given time. It
has not been used as a self-propeller in many years.
Was a Popular Man.
During his married life and up to the time that he went to the
war in the Sixth Wisconsin, Capt. Edwin A. Brown was one of the
most popular men of his age in Fond du Lac. He was sought for by
his fellow citizens for all sorts of positions, and in public movements,
if Ed. Brown was not there something seemed to be left out. Just
why this was so, no one could tell but that it was so, was well under-
stood by everybody. Poor Ed. fell at Antietam.
Was Sometimes Abrupt.
Col. James Ewen was sometimes quite abrupt. One morning
a guest at the hotel told a highly improbable story which it did not
take Col. Ewen long to style a "d d lie." The guest was indignant
but the affair was soon settled by a proposition that he tell the story
again in presence of a jury of six men, who should pass upon it.
Nothing more was said. Col. Ewen was peculiar, but as honest a man
as ever lived.
The First Gunsmith Shop.
In 1853, S. B. and J. Amory had a gun shop on Main street, where
the Amory block now stands, and Tom Weeks worked for them.
They made hunting rifles and did all sorts of repairing. The shop was
down stairs and Mr. Amory lived up stairs. The building now stands
second south of the public library, but has been much changed in
looks since it was on Main street, fifty-five years ago.
Much Cheaper Then Than Now.
In the fifties board with room was readily obtained for $2.00 a
week and most of the boarders at the Lewis house paid but $2.50 a
week. When Ketchum appeared as proprietor of the Globe Hotel,
now the Windsor, he vastly improved the board and raised the price
to $2.50, the boys thought it very high ; compare these rates with
today.
Has Been Changed.
The present end of Military street at Union and West Second,
was not the original terminus. It continued through the block to
Forest street and crossed the river with a bridge. The bridge was
taken out at an early date and the street vacated from its present
terminus — a very sensible work.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 197
Was a Useful Building.
There was a time that the old Marr street schoolhouse was used
for many purposes. Schools, lectures, debating clubs, and the
Methodist, Free Will Baptist and Universalist Churches all met there,
and occasionally teachers' institutes and club meetings were held
there. It was a very useful place for some years.
Presbyterian Church Steeple.
When the Presbyterian Church was built in 1859, at corner of
]\Iain and Rees streets, it had a well proportioned and very pretty
steeple. The spire was a cone high and graceful. After the building
had been moved to Sheboygan street, it was found that the timbers
were weak when it was built, or had been racked in the moving, and
the graceful spire was unsafe, especially in high winds, and the only
thing to do was to cut it down. The steeple was then put in the
condition we now see it. It is by no means lacking in neatness now,
but originally it was very pretty.
The Brewery at the Spring.
People who have passed through Taycheedah and up the ledge
on the Sheboygan road, have not failed to notice the ruins of a stone
building near the road. The structure was erected for a brewery by
Hauser & Dix, of Fond du Lac, with intent to use the water from
a beautiful spring across the road, and was named the "Spring
Brewery." The buildings now used by the Harrison Postal Bag
Rack Co., at Sheboygan and Portland streets, were erected by the
same firm as a place to store and handle the beer. But this business
venture proved a failure, as the spring water at Taycheedah could
not compete with the fountain water in Fond du Lac in making and
sellingf beer.
Sam Ryan was Here.
Sam Ryan, identified with the press of Wisconsin since 1845,
and continuously with the Appleton Crescent since 1853, was a resi-
dent of Fond du Lac in 1848 and was postmaster here at the time
of the robbery for which Ambrose Barnard was convicted in the
United States District Court at Milwaukee in 1850, before Judge
Miller, and sentenced to ten years in prison, but was pardoned after
two years. He was not the only guilty party but was the only one
prosecuted. Sam Ryan returned to Green Bay and a little later settled
in Appleton. He was an old school whig and the Crescent being
democratic, the name of Rolla A. Law fof a long time appeared as the
editor. James Ryan, a brother of Sam, has been business manager
of the Crescent, through all these years which number more than half
a century. We speak here of Sam Ryan particularly, as he was a
Fond du Lac pioneer.
198 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Our War Shinplasters.
At the beginning of the war of the rebellion, in 1861, and after
enlistments began in April, our gold and silver coin suddenly disap-
peared as by a stroke of the magician's wand. The small change as
well as larger pieces, was all swept away within a few weeks and
dealers were at their wits' end, how to make change. Due bills were
used for a time, but these were very inconvenient and merchants felt
compelled to have small cards printed, representing 5c, loc, 25c and
50c, which they gave out as change, although in violation of
law. They had to do it and no notice was taken of it by the authori-
ties. After a while those cards began to appear signed W. R. Gold,
Ch. Token, Amos Kraut and dozens of like names, when the city took
the matter up and directed city clerk, A. H. Boardman, to procure
from Milwaukee some bound books of lithographed shinplasters,
representing 5c, loc, 25c and 50c. These were issued by the city on
deposits of even dollars. But in 1863 the United States government
began the issue of the fractional currency of the same denominations
and the situation was relieved. In the redemption of the city's shin-
plaster currency, a large percentage was never presented and the city
gained while the people lost by the scheme. Some was kept as
souvenirs, but of that unredeemed, most of it was destroyed or lost.
Of the cards afloat, no one could give a reasonable guess of the
amount and of those issued by dealers, as near as could be ascer-
tained, not one-half were ever redeemed. One dealer admitted that
he was ahead over $2,000. The cards were printed on poor board,
the sizing peeled off, taking the names with it, so that the cards soon
became so nearly worn out that no one could tell who they belonged
to. It was a peculiar experience, but Fond du Lac was not alone in it.
The premium on gold and silver had so completely retired the
silver change that along toward the close of the war, ladies bought the
pieces at the bank and wore them for earrings, breastpins and sleeve
buttons, as curiosities, at the time the change disappeared, much of
that in circulation was of Mexican coinage, but none of it was ever
seen again. By the time silver came to the front again, our silver
mines had been developed, silver was plentiful and this Mexican
coinage might possibly have been worth thirty cents on the dollar.
Wisconsin people did not want it at any price. The United States
treasury reports show that upwards of seventeen millions of the
fractional currency remains unredeemed, but it is thought that nearly
one-half of this is in the hands of the people as keepsakes, the balance
was lost and destroved.
No Residences Located There.
The nearest approach to a residence ever located on West
Second street, from Main street to the bridge, was the old City Hotel
that was once near the corner where Wagner's store is now. That
street or part of a street, has always been the abode of shops and is
yet. Lepper & Morse's big wagon shops were on it. West of the
bridge the nature of the occupations has been very different.
WHAT WAS SAID AND DONE
What Pioneer Settlers of Fond du Lac County Did and What They
Thought and Talked About at Home and
Elsewhere.
Old Time Joke.
Darius Hooker was a moulder in the foundry of Peacock &
White in the early fifties. He was generally known as "Dri" Hooker
and among his peculiarities was a seeming constant desire to play
tricks or jokes on his associates, and sometimes he got one from them.
A moulder in the foundry, who got the nick name "Chub" fastened
on him, was taken sick and his malady developed into a very severe
case of inflammation of the bowels. He was a small man, quite
popular with his associates, and when they were informed that
"Chub" was in a very dangerous condition, the boys were active in
caring for him. The doctor told them that the application of leeches
was the only thing that could save him, and so some leeches were
ordered at once from Chicago. The night that the leeches came and
were applied, three of the men, one of whom was "Dri," were staying
with "Chub." During the night "Dri" became very sleepy and the
two others thought it a good chance for a joke ; so took one of the
leeches out of the jar and applied it to the back of "Dri's" neck.
About the time the leech got well down to business, "Dri" awakened
enough to realize that there was something on his neck, and began
some active clawing. The boys looked to see what was the matter,
and when they declared it was only a big bed bug, "Dri" declared it
was a "d d lie." But the boys got the vinegar on pretence of
easing the sting, but really to make the leech "let go," which it did
and was thrown out of doors without "Dri" seeing it. Sick as he
was, "Chub" could not help laughing to see the success of the joke
and afterwards declared he believed it was the turning point in his
recovery. In later years Hooker became a prominent citizen of Mil-
waukee and was three or four times elected to the state legislature.
A Fond du Lac Cannon.
Alex White manufactured a cannon at the machine shops of
Peacock & White, in Fond du Lac, in the early da3's of the war, after
the model of the Atwater rifle, which was said to have a penetrating
power of twelve inches of solid pine at the distance of ten rods. The
special feature of the Atwater rifle was, that one-third of the distance
from the breech to the muzzle, there were six grooves and six lands,
to give rotary motion to the projectile, and the remaining two-thirds
had but three lands, to avoid friction. The cannon was a breech-
loader and it required much experimenting to overcome windage in
200 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
the plan of the breech-pin. This was finally overcome and one cold
day, after a snow fall, the cannon was taken to the lake shore, at
what is now Lakeside Park, and fired, I think twice, when the breech-
pin stuck and could not be removed to fire again. This trouble could
not be overcome and Dr. Wolcott, of Milwaukee, who was the finan-
cial man of the affair, finally abandoned it. After the firing on the
lake shore, a tramp of about two and one-half miles, revealed where
the ball struck the snow and bounded. The gun carried well in
distance, but the projectile went considerable to the left of a straight
line. I was present at the test, and these are the results as I remem-
ber them. I think the carinon was about five and one-half feet long,
and had a two and one-half inch bore. It was said here that the cannon
was afterwards experimented with at the arsenal in Pittsburg, but
nothing more was known of it in Fond du Lac ; nor has the Atwater
rifle been heard of in late years.
They Got Drunk There.
John Reilly, a darkey with an Irish name, had the first barber
shop in Fond du Lac, in 1848. His shop was a small frame building,
with a wood house in the rear, and stood on the ground where the
Reeves building now stands, on Main street. Next, south, was a one
and a half story building on the ground now occupied by the Mason
crockery store, in which was the office of the Fond du Lac Journal.
Between the two was an alley, leading to Luther Swineford's black-
smith shop. Reilly's wife was an Indian and the wood house in the
rear of the shop was a favorite place for pow-wows of the Indians.
To get fire-water for these pow-wows, the law being very severe
against selling liquor to Indians, Reilly or his wife would sneak out
and get it for them. In about an hour after getting the liquor, all
but two or three of the Indians who remained sober to look after the
others, there would be as noisy a drunk as one often hears. The
noise was very annoying to us, who worked in the Journal office, but
we had to stand it until five or six o'clock, when the Indians would
leave for their wigwams. One day Forbes Homiston, as constable,
was influenced by us to go into the woodhouse and see if he could
stop the outrageous noise. In less than one minute after going in,
he came out on a dead run, and went out of the alley as fast as his
short legs would carry him. He said afterwards, that there were too
many bright butcher knives in there to suit him. Others might play
with those fellows if they wanted to — he wouldn't.
A Pigeon Hunter.
Some years ago, in the months of April and May, wild pigeons
in flocks of thousands and in rapid succession passed over the heads
of Fond du Lac people. Hardly a flock is now seen from one year's
end to another. If we ask what has become of all these pigeons, who
can answer? "Black Davis" was the Fond du Lac pigeon hunter.
He used a net and caught them by hundreds, sometimes perhaps
thousands. To thus catch pigeons, the net, about eight by sixteen
feet in size, is set with a spring at one side of a raked-off patch of
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 201
ground, with some feed scattered over it. The hunter is at one end
of the ground, hid in a booth of green boughs, with two "flyers,"
and a string, reaching to the "stool pigeon,"" on the other end. When
a large flock is coming, the "flyers," with a string to their legs, are
thrown up, and pulling the string of the stool, it goes up and down
and the "stool pigeon"' moves. This calls down the flock, and when
they are on the ground the net is sprung and before the wild birds
can rise they are forced back to the ground and captured. The hunter
now kills them at his leisure by pinching their heads. The process
is a cruel one, as the "flyers" and "stool pigeon" are made blind by
having their eyes sewed shut with a needle and thread. Few men
care to see it more than once or twice, but to "Black Davis"' it was
a delight.
He Got Stung.
W. M. Lee, of Rosendale, about forty years ago, patented a
movable frame bee hive, with which he made a considerable stir
among bee keepers for a time, but the agitation ceased when the patent
expired. A. T. Glaze was at this time one of the Commonwealth
force, under J. A. Smith, where Mr. Lee had his printing done. Al-
ways anxious to show off his bee hive, he insisted that Mr. Glaze
should go with him to J. C. Spencer's, next east of the laundry on East
First street, and see how nicely he could change a swarm of bees
from an old hive to one of his new ones. Mr. Glaze demurred on the
ground that bees always stung him if they got a chance. But he went
and was placed by ]\Ir. Lee. at the corner of the house, where he
would be safe. Mr. Lee was only well begun with the change, when
a bee struck Mr. Glaze on the forehead, and he whirled and began a
fair exhibition as a sprinter, when another bee became entangled in
his hair at the back of his neck, and his speed was increased and kept
up until he reached Curran's drug store and had ammonia applied.
It is sufficient to say that Mr. Glaze did not return to see Mr. Lee
complete the change of bee hives.
Trouble Among Clerks.
After C. J. Pettibone and W. C. Pettibone had established the
Pettibone store in Fond du Lac, near the beginning of the war, there
was a lively bunch of clerks there. Among them was one of the
political tribe, known as "Copperhead;" in other words a violent
secessionist. One morning he was talking unpleasantly, when one of
the other clerks told him he was "a traitor to his country." This
brought on trouble with fists, but W. C. Pettibone coming in, put a
stop to it. Not long after, C. J. Pettibone appeared and learning of
the affair, told W. C. that as the young man was getting what he
deserved, he ought to have let them alone. This again aroused the
ire of the Copperhead and he threatened to give C. J. a trouncing.
This, of course, the clerks resented. C. J. replied that if the young
man was anxious for trouble, he would give him a chance. This
raised a laugh and the young man left the store and the city about
the same time. Mr. Pettibone said afterwards that his talk was what
the boys call a "bluff."
202 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
He Presided Well.
John A. Eastman, known to old residents as "J'^ck" Eastman,
son-in-law of Dr. Darling, was in one respect at least, a genius. He
had the faculty of maintaining a grave countenance under the most
trying circumstances. This and his ready wit, made him one of the
best presiding officers in the state for meetings of the gay humorous
society, known as "The Thousand and One." The meetings were
usually held at the opening of terms of circuit court, when lawyers
and prominent men could be present. The court room was the place
and the length of the session depended upon the capacity of the officers
for fun and the willingness of the candidate to bear the burden of
fun without a light. Through it all, Eastman would maintain the
gravity of a judge. Not a smile was detected on his countenance
when he told "Little" Eaton that it had been discovered lately that
soft soap was the best thing to grease boots, melted sugar and tur-
pentine for a hair dressing and fish oil as a perfume for ladies' use.
This ended the scene, for "Little" Eaton bolted.
Bony Always There.
In the days of the old Fond du Lac fire department, when Nos. i,
2 and 3 contended for supremacy, W. T. Gibson owned a large New
Foundland dog named Bonaparte, but became known to all citizens
as "Bony." He was a very faithful and prompt fireman, being always
on hand when the fire bells rang or when the machines were out for
practice. He was a general favorite, and when he was hungry and
appeared at kitchen doors, he always got something if the people were
at home, or knew he was there. He did mischief just once at the
residence of John Hale, on Fourth street, when he took the remnants
of a beef roast, left near the door, and marched oiif with it. But
"Bony" had a remarkable habit of looking for gloves, mittens, hand-
kerchiefs, rubbers or anything lost on the streets and carrying them
to one of the engine houses ,and so paid for all he got. And woe to
any dog that showed a disposition to molest a child. He was injured
while on fire duty and died from the effects. "Bony" was truly a re-
markable dog.
Was a Crude Affair.
Many people are not aware of the fact that there is a bridge
across Main street at the head of Third, but there is. Until 185 1 it
was a crude log affair, and the ravine to the eastward was open and a
mire of mud. It is now a covered stone ditch, which no one sees.
The postoffice was robbed in 1849, when Sam Ryan, now of Appleton,
was postmaster, and the money hidden among the logs of this old
bridge. The young man who committed the robbery was sent to
prison, but pardoned after a year or two. After his return here the
mud of the old ravine, under the bridge, was stirred a number of times
when all was quiet, in quest of a portion of the money, which he
believed was still there somewhere. He told the writer that
he believed that the money went down in the mud and water when
the logs of the old bridge were torn out, but it was believed generally
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 203
that his partner in the crime, who escaped conviction, found and took
the money while the young man was away in prison.
Was a Great Whittler.
George Henning, father of John O. Henning. one of the founders
of the Fond du Lac Journal in 1846, Benj. S. Henning, the noted civil
engineer, and Mrs. Wm. Wiley, for a great many years had his boot,
shoe and fur store at the southeast corner of Main and Second
streets, now graced by a bill board. George Henning had his pecu-
liarities. He was a great talker, a great joker and a great whittler.
It was his custom to find some good whittling timber and lay up a
stock of it in his store for the use of himself and friends. It was not
an uncommon thing on a bright, nice day, in passing his store, to be
able to kick the whittling shavings ahead of you. Everybody knew
and everybody liked "Uncle George Henning." He died in this city
in March, 1864.
The Davis Tribe.
In early times Fond du Lac had a number of people by the name
of Davis, whose peculiar first names came to them by peculiar adapta-
tion from the people, and as none of them resented the names, but
seemed to respond when so addressed, they became generally recog-
nized. There was Pigsfoot Davis, Soapy Davis, Stoneboat Davis,
Whiskey Davis, Black Davis, Grocery Davis, Sawmill Davis and
Steamboat Davis. Because of business habits or looks the names were
recognized. Pigsfoot Davis sold pigsfeet; Soapy Davis made and
sold soap about town ; Steamboat Davis w^orked on a steamboat for
B. F. Moore ; Whiskey Davis was noted for drinking his own whiskey
freely and never treated anyone or allowed anyone to treat him ;
Black Davis was pretty dark in complexion : Stoneboat Davis used
that implement as a vehicle ; Grocery Davis had a grocery, and Saw-
mill Davis a sawmill. Only eight Davis' with peculiar names.
Some Heavy Moving.
Many people who are now residents of Fond du Lac, do not know
that when the Midland railroad track, now the St. Paul, came down
through the city, it became necessary to do some quite unpleasant
moving of buildings. When Fond du Lac was an important point of
the Wisconsin Stage Company, the stage barn stood on the bank of
the river where Tait's coal yard now is, and Robbin's livery barn was
on the ground where the St. Paul passenger depot now is, and the
Crippen residence stood on the ground of the present cheese ware-
house, south of the Zinke store. All of those structures had to be
moved across the river. It was not an easy job, but it was done and
the barns placed as w^e see them now, and Post has made the Crippen
house into dwellings on Sophia street.
A Mutual Barber Shop.
In the fifties Horace Durand had a harness shop in Fond du Lac
which became quite a resort and place for much fun, for nearly twenty
young men of the town, who needed barbering done, but would not
204 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
go to either of the two low down barber shops then here. They
barbered each other, but paid for it just the same as at the shops
and the money thus obtained was used at intervals for a good time.
Most of the boys became pretty good barbers, but K. Gillet, who
recently died at Rosendale, was the best man with the razor, and
"Hank" Swdft the hair cutter. The shop was opened Sunday morn-
ings at 6:30. If a man wanted a shave during the week he had to do
it himself or pay double price for lights and fuel.
Won the Silver Trumpet.
C. R. Harrison was foreman of Winnebago Fire Company No. 3,
in 1857, and took his machine and men down to Milwaukee to the
state fair and firemen's tournament, to win the big silver trumpet, and
they did it handsomely. Of course the boys were jubilant and in-
clined to be noisy, but Mr. Harrison cautioned them that on their
return home, of all things, not to give Fond du Lac people an impres-
sion that they were drunk. Result, a more gentlemanly or dignified
lot of men were never seen than they were, when they unloaded their
machine.
There Was Lively Times. *
Playing over the flagstaff of Amory block on heighth and down
Sheboygan street on distance, old No. i fire company could beat
No. 3, although the latter won the silver trumpet at the state fair in
1857. No. 2, under Gen. Bragg as foreman, put in no claims. No. i
was a little larger than No. 3, and worked six more men.
A Crooked Stream.
A person not familiar with the scenes of crookedness in the east
branch of Fond du Lac river, between Western Avenue and Forest
Avenue, before the straightening process was applied, can hardly
imagine how outlandish it was. After making all sorts of twists and
turns south of Second street, it took a sweep to the eastward, passing
under the rear end of what is now Haas' wagon shop, swept by the
corner of the Lange block and reached its present location through
Tait's wood yard. At Forest Avenue it took a turn westward, to the
Howie boarding house, and then to the east again. The straightening
was done in the latter part of the sixties and w^as a fine piece of work.
It was not necessary to molest the west branch at any point.
Need of a Lighthouse.
There was a time that it was thought navigation on Lake Winne-
bago was sufficient to justify the erection and maintenance by the
United States government, of lighthouses at the mouth of the Fond
du Lac river and at Blackbird Island, near the entrance to the Neenah
and Menasha channels. The gravity of the situation is shown by the
fact that a bill for this purpose was introduced and gravely discussed
in congress, but did not pass, of course. In the light of transportation
at the present time, we cannot restrain at least a smile. There never
was a time that more than one or two boats a year sought these chan-
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 205
nels in the night, and now we have scarcely more than this number,
night or day. It was one of the early flights of fancy.
The Signs Were Out.
When the big Main street sewer was put in, the contractor got
far behind his contract time. A rainy season came on, the ditch
caved in at many places and the street was next to impassable. Busi-
ness men on the street were mad, but this did not restrain many of
them from being funny and cards were stuck on the bank, throughout
the length of the ditch. Some of them were quite laughable then and
would be now if one could remember and print them. They made
the contractor mad, but that is what they were intended to do.
Largest Lodge in State.
At the time the Good Templars were a power in the temperance
work in Wisconsin, Fond du Lac had a lodge of more than two
hundred and fifty members and was the largest in the state. One
lodge night, two well known men were to be initiated, and one of
them suggested that they go over to Harry Ely's and take a last
drink. They went, and when the time came for them to go to the
,lodge room, both were full of booze. They were not cast aside as
unfit, but at the next meeting were initiated and made good working
members.
An Old Time Theatre.
Do you remember the hall in the old Darling block? If you do
not, try to imagine a hall of moderate dimensions, without stage or
scenery, yet used for the presentation of Shakespeare, and other heavy
plays. Langrische & Atwater, and G. J. Adams used to come here
with their companies and stay two or three weeks. Theatres, concerts,
lectures, churches, all used Darling's hall and for some years were
satisfied.
The First 'Bus Line.
E. A. Carey, in 1846, hauled the logs from their farm to the Clark
mill, where the lumber was cut for the house on Main street, opposite
the court house, long used by Mrs. Carey as a boarding house
This house was afterward moved south and is now the home of Mr.
Furstnow. Ed.'s oxen did a large amount of similar hard work about
this time.
It may be a matter of interest to many to know that E. A. Carey
started the first 'bus line in Fond du Lac. It was in 1854 and his
route was between the old Badger Hotel, corner of ]\Iain street and
Western avenue and the steamboat landing. He had three 'buses
and made the trip every hour. It was a good business and Mr. Carey
says he made money at it.
Could Not Defeat Him.
As long as J. J. Driggs wanted the office of justice of the peace
during his life time in Fond du Lac, he could get it. Organized
elTorts were made many times to defeat him, but he always came out
ahead. He seemed to hold a lasting claim on the office which was
surprising.
206 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Came in Flying,
On a beautiful Ala}" morning, in i860, at 6:30, George Bentley,
then an engineer of a passenger train rvmning on the Northwestern
between Janesville and Fond du Lac, wa,s bringing his train into
Fond du Lac late, and was running so fast that when the old fash-
ioned brakes were applied, they gave off sparks like unto streaks
of fire. Few trains have ever crossed Alilitary street and Western
avenue at a higher rate of speed. Near the Western avenue crossing
the train encountered some horses owned by Mr. Goss and killed
some of them. A long law suit followed, but the railroad company
finally paid a heavy judgment. On the trial the facts as to speed of
the train were testified to by several who saw the train come in. The
engine was blowing off steam at the time and running with all the
power in it.
George Bentley was always popular on the railroad and when
the company of railroad boys was formed for the Twenty-first regi-
ment, he was chosen captain. The Twenty-first went into camp at
Oshkosh, but did not have a fair show in drill. They did not get
their guns after being ordered south, until they reached Cincinnati,
and two days later were put into the fight at Perryville, Ky., where
Capt. Bentley fell dead almost at the first fire. It was rank injustice
to the men of the Twenty-first, who had seen very little drill and had
no knowledge practically of the use of their guns in war.
Occupied for Church Purposes.
Lots occupied for church purposes from early times and still
occupied by church buildings are not numerous. St. Joseph's Catholic
Church is still on land owned by the congregation since 1847. The
church of the Evangelical Association, at Marr and Third, is on land
occupied in 1849 by the Methodists. The Baptist Church went to
Forest and Union streets in 1852. The location of St. Patrick's
Catholic and St. Louis' Catholic, date from the latter part of the
fifties. The Crescent Opera House stands on ground occupied by
the Congregational Church in 1848 and until well along in the sixties.
The Baptist is the oldest church building in the city but it will soon
be the newest.
Six Stage Lines in 1849.
Advertisements of the Wisconsin Stage Company in the Fond
du Lac Journal in 1849, indicate that the company at that time had
six lines leading from here. They were as follows :
Fond du Lac to Portage via Waupun and Fox Lake.
Fond du Lac to Oconomowoc.
Fond du Lac to Milwaukee.
Fond du Lac to Sheboygan.
Fond du Lac to Green Bay.
Fond du Lac to Ceresco and St. Marie.
The latter, if advertised now, would be Ripon and Princeton.
HAPPENINGS HERE AND THERE
Matters Which Were Talked About in the Pioneer Days. Some of
Then Interesting, Some Valuable from a Business
Point of View.
Early Days' Ice Business.
It was not until 1858 that Fond du Lac people had ice delivered
at their houses from a Avagon, and the first man to do this work here
was A. W. Chapman, who lives on West Johnson street. He deliv-
ered ice the first two years from an open, one horse wagon, and during
the first year there was not an ice box or refrigerator in Fond du Lac.
The first ice boxes he saw were made of two store boxes, one a little
smaller than the other, put inside and the space filled with sawdust.
The second year L S. Sherwood, the hardware dealer, got a few
refrigerators from the east and a German cabinet maker made a few
here. The second year Mr. Chapman had a competitor, who bought
him out at the end of the next year, paying him $800 simply to keep
off the street with ice.
His first year's sales were $250 and the last year $3,500. In 1857
M. Van Dresar had a meat market and C. B. Bartlett worked for him.
In this market was the first ice box used for keeping meat in a market
in hot weather. It was a very crude arrangement compared with the
present, but it was not very long after this that Mr. Murphy, still a
resident here, began to manufacture a sensible meat market ice box,
and is making them yet. He has put some into markets in the Lake
Superior country, that cost several thousand dollars. His ice boxes
for this purpose have proven remarkably successful. The wonderful
success of the Gurney and Bowen refrigerators in Fond du Lac is well
known. The North Pole refrigerator, made here many years ago in
large numbers, by E. Perkins, failed onh' because it Jiad to give place
to more profitable manufactures.
It is not regarded now as a difficult undertaking to keep ice
through the summer, but fifty years ago it was thought necessary to
excavate a resting place for it in the side of a hill, or resort to some
other equally expensive method to preserve it from melting. Now
a barn or shed and a little sawdust is all that is needed. Lake Winne-
bago and Lake de Neveu give us an abundant supply of pure ice and
thousands of tons are cut here some winters by Chicago and Milwau-
kee dealers.
Disobedience of Orders.
It is remembered by many who now reside here, that some years
ago when Conductor DePue ran the passenger train daily between
Fond du Lac and Milwaukee, his two children and servant girl were
208 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Stricken and died of black diphtheria. The children were promptly
buried, but a brother of the servant girl was here and very anxious
that her body be taken to her home near Kewaskum. The law pro-
hibited its shipment by rail. Undertaker Reader prepared it and put
on the box plain directions that it was not to be removed from the
sleigh until ready to put into the ground. Under no circumstances
was a funeral to be held. With this freight Jesse Ribble, from Paine's
livery, started for Kewaskum. So bad were the drifts that he did not
reach Eden until noon. Stuck in a drift soon after at the home of the
pathmaster, that official summoned a gang of men and shoveled Jess
through to the end of his road district. The next pathmaster, with
another gang, shoveled him through to Kewaskum. Here he was met
by the father and brothers, who took the box three miles into the
country, under strict injunctions as to funeral and having their atten-
tion called to the directions on the box. But it was afterwards learned
that not only were the remains taken into a church, but the casket
was opened there, with the result that at least three persons took the
disease and died, one of them a brother. Possibly more may have
taken the disease, but those are known. Great credit is due to the
pathmasters but some sort of punishment ought to have been given
to the family of the girl. Ribble came back to Fond du Lac on the
cars after the father took the box, but so bad were the roads that he
did not get his team here for three days.
We Forget About It.
Lapse of time causes us to forget things that made strong im-
pressions on our minds at the time. Unless w^e have some record or
something tangible to couple with them, we are liable to forget what
we most desire to remember. For instance, it was but four years ago
that we had a steady rain of seven days and the water in the river
was very high — not quite so high as in our late experience, but high
enough to flood Forest Avenue and run down Sophia street, yet very
few people remember about it. At least twice before this, once in the
fifties, once in the eighties, we had freshets at least equal to this last
one. About 1875, the Saturday Reporter, then under the proprietor-
ship of Thwing & Farnum, was driven out of the basement of the
present postoffice building by high water. Alex White will have a
lively remembrance of trouble by water in his foundry and machine
shop, when the machinery was four days under water and the foundry
floor flooded. Rob. Zinke can tell you of a time that out houses and
fences floated in the streets but he don't know the year. In the early
days a flood was expected every spring. Less water runs ofif into the
streams now because more land is broken and cultivated and the
ground absorbs more water. Had we memorandum records to go to
for information, we should be surprised to find how many freshets
there have been in the past. Without records we forget.
There was probably never a time in our history that so much
water fell in so short a time as on one day in June, 1905. On the brick
pavement of Main street it looked like waves and 2.57 inches of
rainfall in twelve hours may be regarded as unprecedented.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 209
A Distressing Event.
It was in 1857 that a distressing event took place in the house now
the third east of the Congregational Church and occupied by C. D.
Smith. At that time George Smith, a millwright, occupied the house.
His work often took him out of town and he would be away for a
week or two. A man boarder slept up stairs and the servant girl in
another part of the house. Mrs. Smith had a baby in bed with her,
and left a lard oil lamp of the times, burning on a stand near the front
of the bed. About midnight Mrs. Smith awakened by the bed being
on fire. She tossed the baby out on the floor, fortunately without
hurting it, and her cries brought the hired girl and boarder to her
assistance. A\'hen the fire was extinguished and Dr. Adams had come,
it was found that Mrs. Smith's back was burned to a blister from her
neck to her heels. It happened in the early spring and Mrs. Smith
lingered along until one morning in September, three women of the
city called to see her and in their ignorance of the depressing effect
of discouragement, told her how bad she looked and with many long
sighs left the house and Mrs. Smith died that night. Of course the
doctor was mad, as he had a right to be, when the hired girl and Mr.
Smith told him about it, and there was great indignation among
Mrs. Smith's many friends. She had been lingering a long time with
that terrible burn, but Dr. Adams thought she had a fair chance for
recovery until the coming in of those foolish women with their de-
pressing talk and manner. How the fire originated Mrs. Smith could
not tell, but it must have been from the lamp.
Practice of Delivering Goods.
The practice of delivering goods at the homes of customers by
dealers of whom they were purchased, is of comparatively modern
date. It came about i860, with the flour and feed men and the ship-
ping in of their product by the big mills outside. People tired of
taking along a wheelbarrow or sled when they ordered flour or feed,
and to carry it home was dusty and unpleasant. And so it came
about that the dealers in flour and feed delivered their goods, T. S.
Henry being one of the first to do just what his two sons are ^oing
now and in the same place. E. C. Thompkins, the grocery man, in
business here under the name of Davis & Co., from 1854 until 1896,
extended the delivery to groceries and from that time on it spread
until now the practice is recognized by pretty much all sorts of busi-
ness. Even the drug stores now keep delivery boys. Since the
coming in of the telephone a few years ago, the parcel, delivery man
has been called into existence, and the streets are filled with them.
The old fashioned drayman of twenty-five years ago, is now almost
unknown. We now have a half dozen or so of freighters but no old
time draymen. Before the introduction of the delivery system the
purchaser had to carry home his goods or pay a drayman twenty-five
cents to do it for him.
An Old Time Fourth of July.
At one of the old time Fourth of July celebrations, it was deter-
mined to have a fun parade in the afternoon and Mr. Dormer, of the
210 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
firm of Dormer & Green, dealers in dry goods, was placed at the head
of a committee to prepare a program. He was a man of infinite
humor, and if one had a few of the half sheet programs now as Mr.
Glaze printed them, they could be readily sold for a dollar each. The
equal of it was never seen here or anywhere else. They called them-
selves Rifif Raffs. Many of the most prominent men in the city took
part in this parade and enjoyed it. Mr. D. E. Hoskins, father of
F. B. Hoskins, was the commander-in-chief and Dormer gave him a
name suggestive of those we now get daily from Russia. Here is the
name : Gen. Dolgorustnogrudnogorehakoffruffemoffpluffemoffheade-
moft'pushemoft'knockemoffprowsbiprisbiskisgi. Among the aides to
Commander-in-Chief Hoskins were D. R. Curran, Thos. H. Green,
-Vlex White, Ed. Farnsworth, A. H. Boardman and others, all of whom
had startling names on the program. Tim Strong gave the address
and D. W. C. Wright tried to sing a song. Fun was laying around
loose everywhere that afternoon, and such a Fourth of July celebra-
tion as that, was never witnessed before or since, here or elsewhere.
Storm in a Printing Office.
When Beeson's Job Printing office was doing the printing for
the northern division of the Northwestern road in 1857 and 1858, an
order was received for 100,000 dodgers, known to printers as one-
twelfth sheets, or six by twelve inches in size. Such dodgers were all
the rage among railroad men at that time. The office was far short
of the facilities of today and Web. Henry was put to work on them
on a Cincinnati hand press, which piece of machinery had but one
recommendation for its existence — it was cheap. Web. worked about
six weeks steady on the press work of that job. One day when the
hands in the office went to dinner they left about 25,000 of these
dodgers on the table, plain and printed, and without weights on the
piles. During the noon hour a thunder storm came up, preceded as
usual by wind, and when the boys returned they found the office in
places about knee deep with those bits of paper, and it required the
time of the afternoon to recover what had not been spoiled. The
washing trough, lye kettle, ink slabs and rollers got fully their share
of the ruined paper. But Web. Henry finally got the job completed,
all the same. A modern office would print that job now in two days
or less.
Cruelly Shot Down.
When the Thirty-second Wisconsin regiment was called to the
war, Ike Stirison was a printer in the Commonwealth office in the
employ of J. A. Smith. Charley Jewell, of Eldorado was an employe
there at the same time. Miss Mary Lawrence, wife of Edward
McGlachlin, of the Stevens Point Journal, and Miss Emma Farr, were
type-setters in the office. Mr. Smith had a job on his hands to keep
the boys from annoying the girls and when the Thirty-second regi-
ment was called to the field. Ike was encouraged to enlist. He went
to the war and one morning early when the regiment was at Memphis,
Ike had just come off duty, and was walking along a street, when
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 211
some one at an upper window of a business building shot him dead
in his tracks. A rush was made for the coward who fired the shot,
but he was not found. The confederate soldiers and people of
Memphis denounced the cowardly act. Ike Stinson was naturally full
of jollity from crown to toe and was the life of the company, wherever
he was. Of the Fond du Lac boys who lost their lives in the war,
none were more sincerely mourned by his friends than was Ike
Stinson.
Quickly Taken Up.
When Dr. Darling offered lots free to those who would build on
them, and for $25 to others, free as to location, the corner lots from
First to Fifth streets, the lots on Main street, were quickly taken.
Southeast corner of First and Main was taken by Keyes A. Darling;
northeast corner of Second and Main, Col. Tryon ; southeast
corner of Second and Main, George Henning; northeast corner
pf Third and Main, Lyman Bishop ; southeast corner of Third
and Main, J. L. Ault; northeast corner of Fourth and Main, John
Bannister ; southeast corner Fourth and Main, Isaac Brown ; northeast
corner Fifth and Main, Airs. Carey and the southeast corner, Dr. W.
H. W^alker. The lots between these were largely and almost immedi-
ately taken by builders for business purposes. When the county seat
was fixed here and the location of the court house determined, these
lots so near the court house were deemed very valuable, but Dr.
Darling did not change his policy in disposing of them.
Oats in a Church.
The old St. Paul's Episcopal Church, located on Follett and Ban-
nister streets, was a neat and comfortable place of worship, but it was
so far north that it was felt that a great mistake was made when it was
built there. Some of the attendants frequently remarked that they
were going to "Oshkosh to church," yet the Rev. Joshua Sweet and
the Rev. G. B. Eastman held regular services there many years and
J. H. Burger, the well known music teacher, was long the organist
with an always excellent choir. But a change had to be made in the
location of a church and the place decided upon was that of the
present Cathedral. A Sunday school was for some time held in the
old church, but finally it was left alone, even the old cushions in some
of the pews remaining untouched and when the writer attended the
funeral of Mrs. Ferris, which was held there, green oats six or eight
inches high, had sprung up through some of the cushions from seed
in the straw.
Died in His Chair.
In 1858 there was a small man in Fond du Lac who went by the
name of Danty Martin. He had a jewelry store and watchmaker's
shop on the east side of Main street, three doors south of First street.
He was a very pleasant old gentleman and all seemed to like him.
One cold night he was at a church social on the west side. He slept
in his store and took his meals at Charles Olmsted's. He left the
social for home at about 11 o'clock, and as he did not come to
212 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
breakfast next morning, Mr. Olmsted went to the store and found him
sitting in a chair dead. The surroundings showed that he had come
in, lit his lamp, started a fire and sat down to read. The lamp was
still burning and he W^s sitting apparently very comfortable in his
chair. Little was known about him here, but a nephew or some
relative turned up to claim what property he had, which was not
much. His peculiar death, discovered at about 8 o'clock in the morn-
ing, made much stir on the street.
Early Lecture Course.
It was in September of 1856, that A. O'Leary made his first ap-
pearance in Fond du Lac as a lecturer. He was here several times
since and always drew a crowd. His first lectures were given in
Darling's hall and were mainly on phrenology. His subsequent
lectures were mainly on physiology and hygiene, probably because
it paid better to doctor people than it did to read characters. He was
a Boston Yankee with an Irish name, was a very good talker and a
good reader of character. The last time he was here he seemed to
ignore phrenology, but would read characters on the stage when re-
quested. He talked what he thought, therefore at times made enemies.
Yet it was a remarkable fact that every time O'Lary appeared here,
he drew crowds to his lectures, even on nights when he charged an
admission fee. He died a few years ago.
He Forgot Himself. >
In early times it was not an uncommon thing to see a wagon fast
in the mud of Main street in Fond du Lac. Mud holes were frequent
and some of them deep. One morning in about 1851, a farmer's
wagon loaded with bags of grain, suddenly went down in a chuk-
hole south of Forest avenue, and stuck there. After vainly trying
to pull the wagon out, the farmer began carrying the bags of grain
to the sidewalk to lighten the load. Standing among the men, looking
on, was a young man who had been about town a week or two begging
by playing the deaf mute trick. Advice and suggestions about what
to do, were flying about, when suddenly becoming excited, our deaf
and dumb friend began to tell what he would do. He had betrayed
himself and left the scene suddenly.
A Captive Bird.
It is said that the robin is not a desirable cage bird for the reason
that he will not sing in captivity and is short lived. But in i860. Miss
Libbie Farnsworth, now Mrs. Mears, of Oshkosh, had one in a cage
at her home in Fond du Lac, northeast corner of M'arr and Fifth
streets, that was a loud and beautiful singer. How long he lived in
captivity is not now remembered with certainty, but it was more than
two years. He certainly was a good singer and his voice could be
plainly heard a block distant. They are migratory birds and it is
very likely that they would not live very long in captivity. The one
here spoken of was much admired by everybody in the neighborhood.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 213
It Was a Surprise.
The telephone was first introduced to Fond du Lac people only
twenty-seven years ago. In 1878, Mr. Haskins and another gentleman
came from Milwaukee to show us the new wonder, and with a tem-
porary cross town wire, showed us that a message could be talked
over it and the voice could also be recognized. How we all stared
with wonder as we listened. But it was three years later, or twenty-
four years ago, that the telephone came into practical use by an ex-
change. It was a new thing then, now it is old and we can well
wonder how we could get along without it. But we did up to
twenty-four years ago, and pretty well too.
Darling's Gap, Oakfield.
What is known as "Darling's Gap," Oakfield. is entitled to at
least historical remembrance of its early day condition. A gap at an
angle north and south of about thirty degrees, occurs at a high point
in the ledge and for many years was about the only place at which the
ascent could be made without great danger. It was not a wagon road,
yet wagons had been through it. It was a rough place but it served
its purpose for the people to get up and down the ledge.
Some White Indians.
Edward Beeson. A. H. Clark, Capt. Soper, J. B. Clock, C. N.
Kendall, John Hale and Darius Hooker made up into as perfect a
band of tom-tom beating and dancing Indians as one might wish to
see. They were at the first masquerade of the German and English
academy and at other entertainments after that, and a crowd was sure
to surround them when they appeared.
Lawsuit for a Calf.
When David Babcock was Clerk of the Court, a lawsuit was be-
gun involving the value of a calf less than a year old, but which was
three years old when the suit ended and the two men had nearly
sacrificed their farms in costs and expenses. Both men claimed the
calf and brought proof so positive that it was difficult to get a jury
to agree. The suit came from the southwest part of the county, and
as Dave used to tell about it, was an exciting suit. It was first tried
in justice court and came to the circuit court on appeal, where it was
tried several times. On the last trial the jury disagreed and Judge
Taylor, then on the circuit court bench, told the parties they must
settle it themselves or he would settle it if ever it appeared on the
calendar again. It did not come to trial again and few knew how it
was settled. It was known, however, that the farmer in possession
had long before sold the animal to the butcher but was responsible
for its value. The case was one showing how persistent some men
are in a lawsuit.
214 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Some of the Railroad Men.
Those people who have come to manhood and womanhood in
the last forty years, have little conception of the tribulations incident
to handling railroad trains in early times. Forty years ago the
locomotive engineer had the sides of his boiler cumbered with pumps
and the appliances for operating them, and in winter had to be on the
alert constantly to keep them from freezing, and his method of oiling
cylinders was quite different from what it is now. The pump had to
be used to supply the boiler with water, now the injector is used so
easy, quiet and sure that no trouble or anxiety is felt about it. To
watch the water gauge is about all the engineer has to do.
And the brakeman, well that railroad employe as old timers
knew him, is now wholly unknown. The air brake has left him out.
Until well along in the sixties we were accustomed to see a brake-
man rush out of the passenger coaches obeying the signal of the
engineer to turn tighter or loosen the little brake wheels. The
brakeman played a very important part in bringing the train to a
stop at a station. Now the engineer does it all with his air brake.
And on freight trains in old times, one could see a lot of men running
about on top of the cars, stopping now and then to give the brake
wheels a turn. We now see these brakemen only in switching yards
and in making up of trains. The brakeman of today has little of the
duties and responsibilities of the brakeman of early times.
This has been brought about by the air brake, the invention of
which is credited by some to the Wisconsin state prison. In 1866,
when Alex. P. Hodges was state prison commissioner, the writer one
day while on a visit to that institution, was shown the drawings of
a proposed air brake for railroad cars, made by a prisoner. It was
ingenious, but at the time seemed wild, and little was heard about
it, but in a year or two the ingenious Westinghouse people were
announced to have applied air to the braking of trains on railroads.
It was subsequently insisted by employes at the prison, that not only
the idea but the principles of its application were obtained there by
those in the Westinghouse interests. The idea at this time was air
by pressure, but it was soon found that the vacuum principle could
be made more effective and safer and was first applied by Westing-
house. The patent on it long since expired and is now used on all
railroads. But Fond du Lac had an air brake inventor in Jo. Irwin,
at the time rnaster mechanic of the Sheboygan road. His patent was
for the use of direct pressure, and for that principle is believed to be
the best ever brought out. He applied it to cars on his road, most
effectively, but the vacuum idea displaced it. The railroads still have
brakemen but their duties are quite different from the early day
brakeman.
There have been close votes in Fond du Lac county a number of
times in the election of county officers, but none quite so close as
that of John B. Wilbor over George W. Sawyer in 1858, for County
Treas\irer, by a majority of i.
THINKING, TALKING. ACTING
How the Pioneer Settlers and Business Men Thought, Talked and
Acted in Pursuit of Business and in
Social Life.
Franklin Fire Insurance Company.
The Franklin Fire Insurance Company was a Fond du Lac insti-
tution, organized in 1850, and for some years was quite prosperous,
the officers were N. M. Donaldson, President; H. W. Wolcott, Vice-
President ; W. T. Gibson, Secretary ; Allen Gibson, Actuary ; E.
Perkins, Treasurer. The company might be yet one of the strong
financial institutions of Fond du Lac, if it had been properly managed.
It was running along smoothly, when suddenly and to the surprise of
all, it collapsed. The Gibsons were experienced insurance men and
it was apparently their aim to build up a strong and popular company,
but after a few years, like so many other men under like circum-
stances, they overstepped the boundaries of financial prudence in the
hope of piling up assets more rapidly and failed. They began taking
risks on hazardous property that was promptly refused at the begin-
ning, but most disastrous of all, they began writing policies on mills,
the rate on which had long been so high as to be almost prohibitory.
For a long time it seemed that almost every mill the Franklin
touched was burned and the pressure of losses became more than the
company could stand. This was the great mistake in the manage-
ment of the Franklin Fire Insurance Company. Had the same con-
servative management been continued that marked its beginning, who
can tell what it might have grown to be in the business of Fond du
Lac. W. T. Gibson also conducted an insurance agency and had a
long list of the best companies, but abandoned it all after the collapse
of the Franklin, and established himself in the insurance business at
Indianapolis, Ind., where he continued to reside until his death, a
few months ago. Allen Gibson died at Rockford, 111., many years
ago. He was the manager, if indeed he was not the organizer of the
old Rock River Mutual Insurance Company that went up the spout
after a limited career.
Fooled Away His Money.
In the fall of 1855, a man well advanced in life, named Stephen
Ferine, appeared in Fond du Lac. He had plenty of money and re-
tained S, D. Stanchfield as his attorney. He bought a couple of city
lots but said he wanted to buy property that he could turn over
rapidly and make money. He soon became known to the sharpers
about town and those who had any old truck that they wished to get
rid of, they were sure to work it ofif on Uncle Ferine, and so in a
few months he was loaded with moth-eaten furs, shoddy cloth, shop
216 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
worn boots and shoes, worthless groceries, dilapidated store fixtures,
and so on ad infinitum. Mr.' Stanchfield tried to stop him, but it was
no use. In a couple of years his money was all gone, and all he had
to show for it, besides the two city lots, was a lot of old truck that
he could hardly give away. Mr. Stanchfield succeeded in getting his
history and it was found that he had a family in Ohio that was wealthy
and had sent him west to stay. In early life he was an active man and
accumulated much money in handling, feeding and driving cattle, but
in after life he became a burden, fooling away his money and doing
many foolish things. His wife managed to get things into her own
hands and finally told him if he would go west, where he said there
were such grand chances for investments, and stay there, she would
give him $20,000 in cash. He accepted the ofTer and this was the
money he brought to Fond du Lac and squandered so quickly. When
it was gone, he importuned her for more, and she came here on his
representation of the good chance for investment, but after looking
the ground over, went back to Ohio without leaving a dollar. To
cap the climax of absurdity, he now sold his city lots and married a
little woman crippled with rheumatism, and he lived in a small house,
a little better than a shanty, on Fourth street. He was soon compelled
to do little jobs like sawing wood, hoeing gardens, cleaning cellars,
etc., to the end of his life in 1863. He had very little education and
the last years of his life little judgment in business matters. He said
his family in Ohio had $75,000 of his money, but he could not get any
of it. Mr. Stanchfield tried hard to save for him some of his $20,000,
but he was so stubborn that he could do nothing and gave it up,
leaving the old man to die a pauper.
R. R. V. U. Railroad Company.
The first ground broken on the Fond du Lac end of what is now
the Northwestern railroad, was on July 4th, 185 1, and took place at
lowertown. John B. Macy was there and made a speech. Waiting
for the iron for the road to come from England, little was done for a
couple of years. Robert J. Walker, then secretary of the treasury
in Buchanan's cabinet, and Mr. Macy, were the chief promoters.
The company was first known as the Rock River Valley Union Rail-
road Company, then changed to the Chicago, St. Paul 8z Fond du Lac,
and on the re-organization was named the Chicago & Northwestern,
the name it has borne ever since. The line was first built to Chester,
and to operate it, a switch engine named Winnebago, was loaded at
Sheboygan and brought across the country to Fond du Lac. The
car shops were started here and built the cars used. In a couple of
years the line was extended to Minnesota Junction to connect with
the Milwaukee & La Crosse road and we had a through railroad line
to Milwaukee. Fond du Lac people then felt that they were truly
out of the woods. During this time two passenger engines, the
Fountain City and Rock River, were brought from Sheboygan, and
virtually wrecked the plank road. The road had a gauge of six feet,
but to secure best results at junction points it became necessary to
change the gauge of the road and rolling stock to the standard gauge
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 217
of four feet, eight and one-half inches, which was done quickly when
all was ready. The line was now extended south from Minnesota
Junction and the south end was built on northward from Woodstock,
until in 1858 the two met and we had a through line to Chicago. The
line was being also pushed north and Oshkosh, Appleton and Green
Bay became near neighbors.
Early Days of Spiritualism.
Spiritualism had its start in what was called the "Rochester
Knockings" of the Fox sisters, in 1848. The phenomena brought in-
vestigation by some of the brightest minds of the country, including
Judge Edmunds, A. J. Davis, Horace Mann and many others. Many
able and interesting books were issued in its support, among them
"Nature's Divine Revelations," by Andrew J. Davis, a most ingenious
and attractive writer. The doctrines spread and between 1852 and
i860, Fond du Lac had its full share in the movement. In the midst
of it, in 1857, circles were held almost nightly at the homes of citizens.
Lectures were arranged for by eminent speakers, including Emma
Frances Jay, Cora L. V. Hatch and Messrs. Finney, Wilson,
Tallmadge and many others. It was in 1857 that the discussion took
place in Amory hall between T. G. Kutchin and Mr. Finney, which
occasioned much excitement. The following year the hall was built
that is now the Division Street Methodist Church. As the feeling
subsided over spiritualism, the hall was transferred first to the Uni-
tarians, then to the Universalists, and finally to the ^Methodists, who
changed it to what it is now.
The origin of spiritualism in Fond du Lac was at the home of
Mrs. Fisher, in Empire, who produced the phenomena of a writing
medium. Then a number of local mediums of varying powers were
developed in rapid succession, including Mrs. Stow, Van Vleck, Holt,
Fairchild, the Potter children, and others, test circles were held,
socials arranged, services held Sundays and the faith seemed to be
strong in all parts of the spiritualist work. But eventually nature's
law, that "an excess is always followed by a corresponding reaction,"
prevailed and the faith took a downward turn, possibly aided by the
excitements of the war, and slowly subsided and in two years little
was heard of it. This condition of things has continued to the present
and it is seldom heard of now. There are still some spiritualists, but
they seem not to be demonstrative.
A Well Known Pioneer.
Who of the early settlers fails to remember Jo. King, father of
Mrs. A. \\\ Chapman, the latter still with us and an honored member
of the Old Settlers' Club. Jo. King was one of the characters of early
days. He was a Frenchman and came here in 1846. He was a natural
born trader and was always ready to swap anything he possessed,
from a jack knife to a house and lot. It was said of him that he could
see the defects in a horse at a glance, therefore took delight in buying,
selling and trading horses. He was very quick on his feet and would
get a deal finished and be gone in the time many men would be getting
218 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
ready. He was also a good judge of the characters of men, and no
doubt here was his great advantage in dealing with them. He was
so well known to all classes of citizens and through so many years,
that a history of Fond du Lac without a notice of Jo. King would be
incomplete. #
Louis Russell was another of the peculiar Frenchmen of Fond du
Lac, whom everybody knew. He and Jo. King were as near alike as
two eggs and it was a joke to get them together for a horse trade.
They were sharp in any sort of a deal and each pretty sure not to let
the other fellow get the better of him. Once Peter V. Sang fixed up a
horse in good shape and beat Louis bad. He said nothing, however,
and "laid for" Sang and caught him for what Sang said was the
worst thing of his life.
Brought a Bear to Market.
One day in the early fifties, a German, speaking very little
English, appeared on the streets of Fond du Lac with a cart and a
yoke of oxen, and in the cart was the carcass of the largest black bear
ever seen here. The afternoon before, the bear came into a clearing
where the German was at work, in the town of Calumet. He coolly
picked up his smooth-bore gun and gave the bear a slug that disabled,
but did not kill him, then deliberately loaded the gun again and gave
him another dose, which also failed and the job was completed with
an ax. Few men would have dared to do what that German did and
it was very amusing to hear him in broken English, tell about it.
The size of that bear's feet and the length of his claws made one feel
that he would like to keep out of the way when the owner was out
on a foraging scout. J. W. Partridge, the druggist, bought the bear
for $4.50 and the German went home well satisfied with his trip,
although the skin alone was worth more. There was considerable oil
which Mr. Partridge tried out and sold at a high price to H. Bosworth
& Sons, the Milwaukee wholesale druggists. There were a few bears
in the timbered regions in an early day, but they were never numerous
in this part of the state. The Indians killed ofif many, as they also
did the deer.
A Prominent Farmer.
Another of the pioneer men whose acquaintance extended over
the entire country was John H. Martin, whose farm south of the city
is now partly within the city limits. Mr. Martin was an expert in
handling stock, especially cattle, and buying, selling and holding so
many, came to be known as "the cattle drover." The butchers bought
most of their stock of him and so accurate was his knowledge of
cattle that when a sale was made they were not weighed, as he could
estimate the weight by sight within a very few pounds. He once
estimated the weight of eight head of beef cattle, sold by Elisha Hall,
Lamartine, to D. D. Cooper, the butcher, but Cooper, believing he
estimated too high, had them weighed and Mr. Martin's figures were
seven pounds too low. He possessed another peculiar faculty ; he
could correctly count a flock of sheep out in the field without the
trouble of running them through a gap, as is generally done. It was
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 219
said of him that while he knew all the tricks of stockmen, he never
practiced them. In business he was strictly honest, in social life
genial and pleasant. All old settlers of the country remember J. H.
Martin as a reliable and honorable citizen. He was born in Pennsyl-
vania on the last day of the year 1806, came to Fond du Lac in 1846
and died in 1883. Before coming west he was for six years in charge
of the great stock farm of Gen. Wadsworth, in the state of New York,
and handled stock in Chicago and Racine before coming here. He
was a director of the First National Bank from the time of its organi-
zation until his death.
Elder Rogers and the Contrabands.
Elder Rogers, pastor of the Fond du Lac Baptist Church in 1862,
was appointed chaplain of the Fourteenth regiment. When the regi-
ment arrived with other troops at Island No. 10, the question was
under discussion what to do with the great number of negroes there,
known as "contrabands." They were yet property at that time and
were held by the government as contraband of war. So many of the
younger men having gone to the war. Elder Rogers thought labor
was very much needed here and proposed bringing some of the
negroes here, thus relieving the government of the care of them and
furnishing labor at the same time. He was given about three hundred
of them and brought them to Fond du Lac, Beaver Dam and Fox
Lake. This, as all know, is where our stock of negroes came from.
Before this there were but about five or six colored people in Fond du
Lac, and often less than that number. The habitat of the negro is a
warmer country than this and it is not healthful for him here and
never will be.
Thought High Ceilings a Mistake.
Charles Chandler, who died a few years ago, was a well known cit-
izen and with Daniel W. Smith composed the early day firm of Smith
& Chandler, who conducted a general store in Fond du Lac many
years. At one time Mr. Chandler built three houses and himself lived
in the one on Fifth street. He told the writer that in all three of his
houses there was the same mistake that is so often found in buildings,
that of making them so high between joints that it is difficult to warm
them in winter. One of his houses was fourteen feet high in the first
story and it was very difficult, without burning a large amount of fuel,
to keep warm in cold weather. A family moved out of it because
they could not keep warm. Some people build such houses because
they think a high ceiling looks nice, and it does, but as Mr. Chandler
said, "it makes a woodpile look sick." Perhaps it would be well for
those building moderate sized houses, to remember Mr. Chandler's
experience.
Capt. Knapp and the Badger State.
The steamboat, Badger State, Capt. W. A. Knapp, was in her day
the handsomest appearing steamer that ever stirred the water of Lake
Winnebago and Fox river. She sat like a duck on the water and
Capt. Knapp took pride in her appearance. Her regular route for
220 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
years was between Oshkosh and Berlin, or Strong's Landing, as it
was known in 1850. There was afterwards a steamer W. A. Knapp,
which for one season was put on the lake between Fond du Lac and
east shore landings, but was found not to pay. The steamer Tom
Wall, Capt. Anson, was the largest boat ever known to these waters.
So little attention has been given to navigation on the lake in the last
thirty years that even the names of many localities along its shores
have been forgotten. In former years those names were constantly
in use, now they are seldom or never heard. The railroads did the
mischief. Steamboats were too slow for this fast age, and when rail-
road transportation came, water transportation went.
A Tedious Trip for Travelers.
Before the railroad was built between Fond du Lac and Ripon,
it was necessary for traveling men to cross the country with livery
rigs. The trip was sometimes a hard one, especially through the
"Eldorado woods," sometimes a veritable swamp. On one of his
many trips over this road, with two traveling men and four big
sample trunks. The, Matson's spring wagon upset in the mud and he
had a tough time of it. The two men went on to Rosendale on foot
and "The" got three farmers, one of them "Big Fred," chairman of
the town, to help get the trunks out of the mud and the wagon
righted. It cost him three dollars and one dollar more at Ripon, to
wash the trunks. The question now was, who should pay the bill of
four dollars. The traveling men insisted that it was none of their
affair and when "Big Fred" was asked to have the town pay it for
having such bad roads, his reply was, "Sue the Almighty, for sending
so much rain." The. Matson had already paid it and the result was
never changed. Those "Eldorado woods" were the bugbear to travel
for many years.
Quick Answer to Call.
The first soldiers sent to the war by Fond du Lac, were enlisted
in April, 1861, and became Co. K, of the First Wisconsin regiment,
under Col. John C. Starkweather, The company was filled to the
maximum inside of two days, and elected James V, McCall captain.
The boys did not make a long thing of it. The enlistment roll was
in Soule's music store, where Voell's music store is now, and the
boys went in, put down their names and the whole outfit was in
Milwaukee in camp inside of a week. That is the way the young
men did things in 1861, after Fort Sumter had been fired on and the
Union was in danger. The next company was enlisted by Gen. E.
S. Bragg and Edwin A. Brown and was done about as quick. It was
put into the Sixth Wisconsin regiment, as Co. E, and we all know
its record.
Fell Into the River.
In 1 85 1, a large tree standing on the bank of the river near where
the Howie house is now, blew over and fell directly across the
channel. It was for a long time a favorite foot-log and the boys, and
girls too, used it freely. It was largely woods over on the west side
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 221
then, and a favorite place to wander. One Sunday afternoon a young
woman fell plump into the water from that log, and the current being
prett}' strong, she floated down stream. Her escort, afraid of spoiling
his clothes probably, failed to jump in after her, but "Bill" Ellsworth
hearing the cries and well filled with booze, was not afraid, and with
little delay brought the girl out of the water. Bill got some new
trousers for the job, anyhow.
First Concrete Cellars.
The home occupied by Mrs. W. C. Hamilton, oh Forest avenue,
was owned in an early day by W. T. Gibson, the insurance man, but
Mr. Hamilton changed the buildings so it is a very different place
from what it was originally. It was in the basement of this house
that Mr. Gibson tried the first experiments in Fond du Lac in secur-
ing a concrete or cement cellar. He tried the experiment in different
forms five or six times, but was unable to keep the water and frost
out more than one season. He told the writer that he believed it im-
possible to succeed in such an undertaking in Fond du Lac. But
other methods did succeed and on the same premises too.
A Dangerous Cannon.
For a long time there was a large field piece cannon at lower-
town, wholly without fixtures of any sort. It was too large and
heavy for small boys to handle and so was let alone by them. But
on special occasion the men handled it and so on July 4, 1857, placed
it on a pile of railroad ties to fire it. After a few rounds there was a
premature explosion and a young man killed. The cannon had done
mischief once before, but no one was killed, so it was deemed best
to get rid of it and it was taken over to Peacock & White's foundry
and melted down. That was the last of the lowertown cannon.
Early Day Skating Trip,
One afternoon in the winter of 1851, a half dozen young men,
among whom was the writer, put on skates at Forest street bridge,
went down the river to the lake shore, thence east to Taycheedah and
then across the marsh to what is now the corner of Division street
and Park avenue, where we took off our skates. There was good
skating all the way and we have wondered many times if there has
ever since been good skating over that route. Doubtful.
A Rotten Egg Dealer.
When you wish to buy eggs do not buy them from an adventurer
from Waushara county, as some of our dealers did once. The man
came here from the "Indian Land," saying his eggs were nice and
fresh, but J. W. Carpenter first discovered that nine out of ten of
them were bad. and followed the fellow nearly to Rosendale, com-
pelled him to return and take them. It was afterwards learned that
he sold them again at Ripon.
222 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Another Old Settlers' Club.
There are probably few people in Fond du Lac county now, who
remember that an Old Settlers' Club was organized more than thirty
years ago. In June, 1874, a meeting was held at the Patty House
for the purpose of organizing such a club. Edward Beeson, Charles
Olmsted and Wm. StCAvart were appointed a committee to prepare
a plan and draft a constitution and by-laws, but nothing further
seems to have been done until the next year. In 1875 ^ successful
picnic was held and organization effected. In 1876 another picnic
was held but not as successful as the first one, and from this time
the club was not heard of — it was forgotten by Mr. Beeson, who was
the chief mover, and- was finally forgotten by all to the extent that
it is doubtful if there are twenty people in the county now who re-
member that there ever was such a club. The object was to collect
historical facts and relics and preserve them, and especially to collect
biographical notes and put them in such shape that the pioneers and
their immediate successors should not be lost to memory.
It is quite unfortunate for the club of today, that no one appeared
to take up the work contemplated by the club of 1874. Thirty years
have passed and during that time pioneers have passed away rapidly
and valuable historical facts have become forever lost. Every day of
delay now but adds to the difficulties. Our predecessors realized the
value and the necessity of this work, but it seems did not realize the
necessity of personal effort in doing it. A few persons cannot do it
all. Every one interested should do something. In no other way
can it be a success.
A business and personal history is what is most needed. We
must not let the different lines of business, the individual efforts of
men in promoting manufactures, and personal matters of interest
should not be allowed to drop into forgetfulness. All citizens of
Fond du Lac, old and young alike, are interested in this work.
Nearly all the cities and counties of the state now have these
clubs and societies, many of them places much smaller and of far
less importance than Fond du Lac.
Manley Fell Into the River.
J. W. Manley was one of the old time employes of the North-
western Road. He was a first-class mechanic in his line and a citizen
whom everybody respected. He was here from the early days until
he died in 1886. Engaged in repairing the Brooke street bridge, one
of Manley's gang tumbled into the river, but in such a way that he
got wet only to the waist. The affair was so comical that Alanley
could not get over laughing, but he got his pay, for not long after
Manley tripped and went in all over — not a dry thread on him. Of
course the men laughed and so did he. ''Now see here, boys," said
Manley, "I'm your boss, and when you do a thing I want you to do
it right. What's the use of getting wet only to your knees, when you
get a fall into the river. Why not make a good job and get wet all
over, as I do." He said he didn't l)elieve in half doing a thing.
A LONG TIME AGO
Incidents and Anecdotes of the Long Ago, But Were Interesting.
Then and are Interesting Now to the
Old and Young.
Did Not Like Politics.
H. K. Laughlin, one of the most highly respected merchants
Fond du Lac has ever had, was a native of the state of New York,
but before coming here, held a high position in one of the departments
at Washington, under the administration of James K. Polk. But in
Fond du Lac could not be induced to touch politics. Twice when
it was desired to run him for mayor, he not only declined, but seemed
offended and said politics had become too nasty for him.
First Methodist Church Here.
The old church building at the northeast corner of Marr and
Third streets, which recently gave place to the fine brick structure
of the Evangelical Association, was the first built here of any pre-
tensions. The Congregationalists had a small building where the
Crescent Opera House is now, and St. Joseph's Catholic was a small
building where that church is now. The Baptist came two or three
years later. Previous to the erection of the building at the corner of
Marr and Third, the Methodist people held services at the court house,
in school houses and in private houses, but as Bishop Ames was to
hold a session of the Wisconsin annual conference here in 1852, they
determined to erect a church, and this was the result. It had a bell in
the steeple for several years which was rung at 7 a. m., at 12 m., i, 6
and 9 p. m., at the expense of the city. The building occupied since
the old one was vacated, known as Division Street Church, was built
by the Spiritualists, afterwards used by Unitarians and Universalists.
Soon another of the pioneer churches of Fond du Lac, the Baptist,
will disappear as that congregation has its plans all ready for a new
building. The old Episcopal, the old Methodist, the old Congrega-
tional, the old St. Joseph's Catholic, the old Plymouth, the old
German Methodist, are all gone.
Had a Blister to Fight.
In the fifties, when the Illinois Central railroad was being built
from Chicago to Cairo, ague and bilious fever was so plentiful that
it was customary for laborers and bridge builders to go home sick
in about two weeks. So difficult was it to get and keep men that the
railroad company furnished free transportation to all who would go,
besides paying big wages. Among those who went from Fond du Lac
was Charley McClanathan, as a bridge builder. He returned sick in
the usual two weeks and took his old quarters in the Globe Hotel,
now Windsor House. His malady was developed into congestion of
the bowels and Dr. Raymond was called. The doctor put on a blister
224 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
in the evening, directing Charley and his room-mate to leave it on
until it scorched the skin to a bright red. But both dropped off in
sleep, Charley in a sort of delirium and his room-mate knew nothing
more until daylight, when he awakened to find Charley sitting on the
edge of his bed groaning and trying to pull on his trousers. The
blister had burned him awfully, and the room-mate was so frightened
at his neglect that he started at once for the doctor, who, when told
of what had happened, laughingly remarked that he was glad of it.
The room-mate felt very much relieved in his mind. The doctor came
over and dressed the blister and Charley made a rapid recovery. Dr.
Raymond afterwards told us he expected just that result from a sick
man and a sleepy printer.
Attempt at Street Improvement.
The first improvement of Fond du Lac's Main street was a "mud
pike." That is ditches were made at the sides and the dirt thrown
to the center but it soon slid back. The next effort was with gravel,
but this mixed in with the black soil and soon disappeared. Then
came two more coats of gravel with the same result. Now came the
cry of plank roads and our Main street got a coating of two and one-
half inch oak plank, but the under side of those being on the moist
ground and the upper side in the hot sun, especially after a shower, the
plank curled up at the ends like a rainbow and these were removed.
Next came a coat of broken stone, which disappeared and with it
another coat of gravel. Now stone eight or ten inches wide, set on
edge end, and packed in sand, was tried but did not prove lasting and
what could be found of it was removed for another coat of gravel and
broken stone. All proved ineffectual for making a decent street. Our
black soil could not be made to hold up any material. Now came the
Nicholson pavement agitation. It had been used in other cities suc-
cessfully and it was resolved to try it here. It was put down and lasted
several years, the best street we ever had to that time. It consisted of
a board bottom and pine blocks four by four and eight inches long.
Now came the cry of cedar blocks with tarred boards and blocks, and
have been a great success, but still the authorities wanted something
better and the result has been the use of brick. Before many years
some of the present streets will have to be repaved and by that time
we shall probably be able to determine fully what system is the best.
We have about three feet of outside material mixed with our black
soil on Main street, and maybe the paving will now be lasting.
The Hazen Martial Band.
Who of the old settlers does not remember the Hazen Springvale
Martial Band? .At fairs, ■4th of July, political meetings and other
gatherings, if the Hazen Springvale Band was there or to be there, the
crowd was in the immediate vicinity. All the band were Hazens but
one. Uncle W. Florida. Chester and Loren Hazen were the fifers,
Sanford, Lorenzo and Calvin Hazen the snare drummers, and Warren
Florida, the bass drummer. When they were in Fond du Lac at the
Harrison political meeting in 1892, the statement came from them that
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 225
this was probably the last they would ever play together, and it was.
All have died since then. The band was organized and first played
in the Harrison campaign of 1840, in the state of New York, so they
were together as a band, more than half a century.
A Successful Doctor.
Dr. T. J. Patchen used to say he didn't care much what the dis-
ease was, if he was called early enough to the bedside of the patient.
He wanted a chance at it in the beginning. That he was remarkably
successful, all admit, whether of his school or not. No doubt all
physicians often feel that the}' ought to have been called earlier.
A Strong Union Man.
T. S. Henry, so well known to all residents as Tom Henry, was
a violent abolitionist, and was ready to fight a "copperhead" any
minute. Many a time when the feeling ran high, Tom gave such
people warning to go slow on anti-union talk. He was a true repre-
sentative of union sentiment.
He was a Spaniard.
One of the early barbers in Fond du Lac was a Spaniard, known
as Francisco, but who, when he went to the polls to vote, gave the
name of Miguel Francisco de Paula. Francisco had spent most of
his life on shipboard and knew comparatively little of land life.
Meaning a barn, he said he had never been in a horse's house but twice.
It was quite amusing to hear him tell of his adventures, which he was
always ready to do. His manner of telling a thing was as amusing as
the story. He came here from Milwaukee on foot, but on the way
got a ride with a peddler, who went into a house and told Francisco
to drive on to the next house. He told the peddler that he never talked
to a horse in his life and he couldn't, but he cufifed him and called him
names and compelled him to get on the wagon and go ahead. "So I
started," said Francisco, "I picked up the strings," meaning the lines,
"took the whip and hollered gee ho, and the horse went toward the
ditch, and the more I laid on the whip and hollered gee ho, the more
the horses went toward the ditch and into the woods on a run. We
struck a tree and broke the wagon so that it cost ten dollars to fix it.
He took my three dollars and I went on foot. When he saw me on the
street here a week after, he ran after me and cufifed me again." In his
simplicity he thought horses were driven the same as oxen, and having
seen the whip used on them and heard "gee" and "haw," he used the
whip and hollered "gee ho," when he drove the peddler's team. So
ignorant was he of law that he thought to get back a stolen razor he
must find the thief and take it away from him. As F;"ancisco was
raised mostly on shipboard, even ignorant Spain was not altogether
responsible for his crude ideas.
Fastest Steamboats on the Lake.
The steamers Peytona, Capt. Estes, and Menasha, Capt. Peter
Hotaling, were the best and fastest boats ever on Lake Winnebago.
226 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
So near alike were they in speed, that in making the run from Tay-
cheedah. they would enter the mouth of the river at Oshkosh, side
by side, although both used fine split wood to get up a pressure of
steam.
Were Popular Pioneers.
Selim Newton and Esek Dexter, known to all as "Squire" New-
ton and "Uncle" Dexter, were early day celebrities and favorites.
Who would think for a moment of saying anything against either?
Squire Newton was the standard auctioneer, and his general wit and
jokes kept his crowds good natured and generous. He was a quite
noted checker player and in this ancient game was regarded as the
champion of the town. He was fluent of speech and could talk
rapidly and correctly, and on the auction block could make a speech
that would capture the crowd.
Uncle Dexter was a carpenter and joiner, and carried on a shop
for general repairing and all sorts of tinkering. He would undertake
almost any job ordered, from a piano to a penny whistle. He, like
Newton, was filled with stories, jokes and general wit, and his shop
was always a favorite resort, but there were a lot of old men cronies,
who were to be found there, almost night and day, among them Squire
Newton, if in town and not busy. Squire Newton and Uncle Dexter
were old gentlemen that the people honored.
Disappearance of Five Pies.
At an early date an old gentleman named Chandler had a small
bakery and restaurant next door south of the Journal ofifice. One day
Dr. Elliott Brown, noted as a tremendous eater, asked Mr. Chandler
what he would charge him for what pie he could eat. The price of
the pies was one shilling each and Chandler thought he would be safe
at two shillings or twenty-five cents, as he was sure two pies would
be the limit, but when Dr. Brown had finished five, Chandler was
ready to compromise. Thirty cents paid the bill and the trouble over
it ended.
Kept Pies and Pop Beer.
Old settlers will remember the Kirk pie shop and pop beer stand,
on the ground where the Kummerow & Menge liquor store is now.
This place was not noted for neatness, and though a beer bottle some-
times broken, was found to be half full of slime and a cat could be
seen sitting on a pie in the window, some folks would continue to go
there and eat.
Another place, not so notorious, but bad enough, was up town,
opposite the present Windsor House. It was here on a fair day that
two men tried to make a bet on the number of hard boiled eggs they
could eat, but were refused by the pro])rietor, as he was afraid of
death of one or both.
Was Hit with a Beer Glass.
In the election in the fall of 1852, when B. F. Moore was the
candidate for the assembly against Jo. Wagner, of Marshfield, there
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 227
was much anxiety to learn the result, and the next evening when it
was known that Mr. Moore was surely elected, a few of his friends
could not restrain their hilarity and went out on a tour of rejoicing.
They were in Chandler's beer and pie shop, next door south of the
Journal office, making some noise, when A. T. Glaze stepped from the
front door to see what was up. His face had but just reached the
seeing point, when a large beer glass came crashing through the
window, striking him on the chin, knocking him down and filling his
neck and chin with fine glass. Dr. Walker happened to be passing
and spent an hour picking out the glass, but all of the little fragments
were not gone in six months. The glass was thrown by the young
lawyer, O. B, Tyler, known to us all as "Ben" Tyler, who was very
much ashamed of it and would not meet Mr. Glaze face to face after-
ward — he even avoided him on the street. He was full of booze
when he threw the glass and did not know what he was doing. He
went to California soon after and was drowned.
Prominent Men of Ripen.
E. P. Brockway, Capt; D. P. Mapes, G. N. Lyman, William Starr,
Geo. W. Mitchell, Almon Osborn, D. Greenway, D. P. Lyon, W. B.
Kingsbury, J. Bowen, C. F. Dodge. G. W. Dellinger, H. S. Town,
Wm. Taggart, E. Manville, Col. B. Pinkney, A. E. Bovay, A. M.
Skeels, C. F. Hammond, Wm. Workman, W. W. Robinson, H. T.
Henton and Byron Kingsbury were all prominent citizens of Ripon
at one time. They all resided there in the sixties, and a few of them
are still living. There were others in city and town. Few places the
same size have produced as many noted men as Ripon or had as many
residing within its borders at one time. One of the early pioneers of
the town of Ripon was Ezekiel Babcock, who died a few weeks ago.
He was twice a member of the assembly and many times a member
of the county board.
George McAVilliams, one of the original stockholders in the old
Fond du Lac Company, became a resident here in the forties, and was
still here at the time of his death, in 1866. His residence stood where
the malt house is now, and the entire front of the block being unob-
structed by buildings and the lawn well kept, it was a very pretty
place. He was a bachelor and a most companionable man.
They All Sold Liquor.
All of the early day hotels in Fond du Lac had bars and sold
!iquOr, and Harry Blythe, Alex Gillies and Harry Jones kept whiskey
shops. The only saloons after the style of the present were Charley
Johnson's, Astor Hall, and the Meyer and Bischof places. The pro-
prietors of drug stores, if disposed to sell liquor, otherwise than for
medical purposes, were required to take out saloon licenses. Places
where liquor was sold by the drink were not as numerous as now, but
a man could get drunk without much trouble anv dav of the week.
228 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Very Slow Workmen.
It was said of William Mumby, an early day wagon maker on
West Second street, that if he began a wagon with green timber, it
would be thoroughly seasoned when he got it done.
And of a certain marble cutter it was said if he had an order for
a tomb stone from a well man, he could go on with date of death by
the time he was ready for it.
And as Squire McCarty said of Dr. Howard — a patient would
have time to die and get to heaven by the time Dr. Howard wou'ld
get to his bedside.
It is not very easy to understand why some people are so slow.
Some mechanics seem to work busily but accomplish little. If he
does not waste time, he surely lacks in ingenuity. Often this is
natural to the person, but is most likely to be the result of education
of the hands, for hands must be educated as well as brain. Profes-
sional men are too often afflicted Avith laziness and neglect.
Early Telegraph Operator,
Until the fall of 1853, the only telegraph line Fond du Lac had,
was the one to Sheboygan, and as it was a poorly constructed line and
much of the way went through timber, where trees and limbs- fell on
it, the line was very often not in working order. Bill Ellsworth was
the operator and he therefore had lots of time to fill up with booze,
which he often did. One day some one had died and it was desired to
send out a message, but where was Bill? After a long search, he was
found asleep under a tree over where Cherry street is now. He came
over and sent the message all right.
Billy Armstrong, for many years chief of the telegraph lines of
the St. Paul railroad, was the first operator in Fond du Lac to take
messages by sound. Up to that time paper was generally used on a
recorder. The telegraph office was in the Commonwealth office and
as boys used to wonder how in the world he could sit in the editorial
room reading newspapers and yet read every word that passed over
the machine out in the other room. He did not have a modern sounder
so he put an oyster can on the machine to make more noise. It was
a long time before all the old telegraph machines went out of use.
Instructor at Gymnasium.
Johnny Reichert, I believe, was the first instructor in gymnastics
of the Fond du Lac Turners. Johnny was very industrious and it
was said of him that he didn't know how to loaf. Among many things
he did at odd times were the training of a couple of doves or pigeons
so that they would come to him and eat from his hands. These
pigeons were the admiration of all who saw them. Often they would
follow him about town like dogs, only higher up in the air. He had
them a long time and finally when one of them did not return, Johnny's
mourning lasted far beyond the usual time.
Croft Would Not Pay Dog Tax.
The first dogs sacrificed to a dog tax in Fond du Lac, were the
five or six owned by Geo. Croft, father of the well known Geo. Croft,
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 229
formerly of Oshkosh. Croft was a queer Englishman and when he
appeared on the streets these miserable dogs were at his heels. The
city passed an ordinance taxing dogs. Croft would not pay the tax
and the city marshal killed them. The whole bunch was worth maybe
a nickel and Croft declared that he could sue for damages, but never
did. He went west to grow up with the country and where he could
keep all the dogs he liked.
Channel at Lakeside Park.
.The channel leading into the Lakeside Park had its original con-
ception in the brain of B. F. Moore, in 1853, at the time he lived at
the northeast corner of Main and Scott streets, and owned most of
the steamboats on Lake W^innebago. The boats so frequently stuck
on the sand bar at the mouth of the river, that he thought it important
to make some change. So he proposed to make a channel into which
the boats could run and where there would be no current to make a
sandbar. A dock on this channel would be the landing and with an
improved road from Main street, would be far more convenient than
the old landing. But in a year or two Mr. Moore sold all his boats
to Capt. Fitzgerald, of Oshkosh, and of course the channel proposition
was abandoned and soon filled with weeds. No dredges were obtain-
able at that day and the work of excavation was done with shovels
and scrapers. Much work remained to be done to render the proposed
new landing: available for steamboats.
A New Judicial Circuit.
At the beginning of the year 1905, the work in the Fourth Circuit
had become so heavy, that Fond du Lac county was detached and
with Green Lake. Marquette and Columbia, was made the Eighteenth
Circuit. Judge Fowler, of Portage, was elected judge over Messrs.
Sutherland, Griswold and Pedrick. AMth Judges Taylor, McLean and
Gilson on the bench. Fond du Lac county held the circuit judgeship
over thirty-five years, and perhaps we ought not to complain at the
loss of it. Judge Kirwan retains Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Ke-
waunee counties.
Ripen Convention Men.
At the local political conventions of the earh' days, if William
Starr, H. S. Town, D. C. Lamb, A. E. Bovay, J. Bowen, E. L. Runals,
Wm. Workman, Charley Bennett, J. C. Russell, or part of them,
appeared in Fond du Lac at a republican convention, or Geo. W.
Mitchell, Wm. Taggart, Ad. Mapes, D. F. Shepard, Jerre Dobbs, E.
Manville, Dr. Everhard or D. Greenway in a democratic convention,
it could be surmised that Ripon meant business. They were there to
do work for the party and for the men they had decided upon. As a
rule they got there and the balance of their conventions knew that
was what thev were there for.
t
230 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
An Early Day Hashery.
In 1849 ^"d for a few years subsequent, there was a place on
Main street nearly opposite Forest Avenue, known to many of the
working boys as "Gillies' Hashery." At the place indicated, for many
years a well known Scotchman, Alex. Gillies, had a liquor store and
in connection therewith, conducted a cheap boarding house, where
working boys could get meals for eighteen cents a day or six cents
each, and they were good for the price. When the "Gillies' Hashery"
disappeared from Main street it was moved back to Portland street,
where it remained as a liquor store until about 1898. Gillies always
had the credit of keeping an orderly place. Unlike Harry Jones and
some others of the old timers. Gillies never had loafers and never
any fights. It was his delight to get a few cronies about him, and
crossing their legs under the table, tell stories. His place was one
of the old fashioned quiet Scotch resorts. We have no such places
now.
First Appearance of Bicycles.
The first bicycles then generally known as velocipedes, to appear
in this county, was at Ripon in 1873. Dr. Hubbard, of that city, had
been in Boston and places in New England, where he saw some, and
while in New York city on his way home, watched for and saw
Charles A. Dana, of the New York Sun, ride one several times.
Being a fair mechanic as well as a hydropathic doctor, on his arrival
home at Ripon, went to work and made two velocipedes which he
rode about town and taught some of the young men to ride. He had
a school for practice in Greenway Hall, and among his pupils were
ex-Gov. Geo. W. Peck, ex-Sheriff H. R. Hill, John Hill, A. W. Petti-
bone and others, and a high time they had of it. The machines used
were very crude home made things, but they served their purpose.
Very few had yet appeared elsewhere in the state. In a year or two
after this the high wheel machines appeared, and about 1892 the
present two wheel machines came under the name "safeties." ex-Gov.
Peck could tell some amusing stories about the first bicycles in this
county.
Early Building by Bonesteel.
The elTort of A. D. Bonesteel at home building when he erected
the house on the south side of West Division street, opposite Doty
street, was laughed at. Cherry street as a street, was almost un-
known, and the region of Cherry, part of the south side of West
Division and part of the north side of Forest, were largely woods.
The house stood in the woods. A large republican meeting was held
in the woods there, at which Lieut. Governor Butler G. Noble spoke,
after this house was built. After Mr. Bonesteel left Fond du Lac, he
was thought to be very fortunate in being able to sell the property
to Mr. Fredericks. In after years the people thought better of it.
EXPERIENCES IN PIONEER DAYS
A Paper Read Before the Old Settlers' Club, at Its Picnic Meeting
on the Fair Grounds, September 2, 1904.
By Miss Alice Stearns.
One of the most interesting features of the reunion held by the
Fond du Lac County Old Settlers' at the fair grounds Friday,
September 2, was a paper by Miss Alice Stearns, of the town of
Springvale, on incidents connected with pioneer life in this county.
It will be read with interest by the people throughout the county.
The paper follows :
"We love and reverence the pioneers as we \o\e and reverence
all good men and women for what they have been and for what they
have done. It is well for us who live in times of luxuries and con-
veniences, made possible by the toil, thought, courage and heroism
of the early settlers, to turn aside from the engrossing pursuits of
today and dwell upon the virtues and deeds of those who have formed
from the wilderness and primeval soil, the county of which we are
so justly proud.
Dr. Miller's Arrival in the State.
"Many amusing and pathetic incidents are related of the ways
and means of transportation in the early days of this state. Rev. Dr.
Miller, of Methodist fame, who landed at Racine in June, 1844, says:
'The Madison, a crazy old steamer that could lay on more sides during
a storm than any other water craft that I have ever seen, landed us on
a pier in the night, and thence we reached the shore in a scow. At
Racine we engaged a man to take us. six in all, with our trunks, to
Delavan. The roads were almost impassable. The rains had fallen
so copiously that the streams overflowed their banks, the marshes
were full and the prairies inundated. We made an average of fifteen
miles a day. Our vehicles stuck fast eighteen times between Racine
and Delavan. Sometimes we found these interesting events would
occur in the middle of a broad marsh. In such cases the gentlemen
would take to the water, sometimes up to the loins, build a chair by
the crossing of hands and give the ladies safe passage to the prairie
beyond. To make the chair and wade ashore with its precious burden,
involved a very nice adjustment of balances. If the three went head-
long before they reached the shore, each received a generous coat of
mail.'
A Milwaukee Road Experience.
"The following is the experience of our worthy secretary, A. T.
Glaze, in reaching Fond du Lac from Milwaukee, August 24, 1850.
Accompanying his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Beeson,
then editor and proprietor of the Fond du Lac Journal, he left the
232 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
American House. Milwaukee, at 4 o'clock in the morning, after pay-
ment of $3.50 each, in Indiana uncertainty, believed by some to be
money. The stage company agreed to land them at Fond du Lac
with certainty and reasonable speed. The arrival at Menomonee
Falls at 9 o'clock brought them to a glorious ham and eggs breakfast
at Bancroft's, at 3 in the afternoon to dinner at Hall's 'half way
house,' 10 o'clock to Theresa, and as the party walked into the old
Beeson home on Third street, where Guse's wagon shop now stands,
the hands of the clock pointed to exactly 3 130 in the morning. Please
reflect that most people who now cover the distance by public con-
veyance, grumble grievously if the time limit exceeds two hours by
a single minute, but in this case it was just a half hour less than
twenty-four hours and it was by no means a long trip at that time.
The early boyhood days of Mr. Glaze were spent in Ohio with his
grand parents, on the edge of the notorious 'black swamp.' He
crossed that famous bog many times, but never did he see a more
interminable labyrinth of mud holes, water, bogs and brush than they
ran into in the Rock River woods, between Hall's and Theresa. With
as experienced a driver as the well known 'Long Sam' while endeav-
oring to avoid a bad looking mud hole, the leaders of the four-horse
team jumped a brush fence and a bad upset was the result.
Trip of the Kazan Family.
"In 1844, a company of twenty-four from New York state, among
whom were the Hazen brothers of the famous martial band of Spring-
vale, landed at Milwaukee in June. A team of three pairs of oxen
was purchased, wagon decked, boxes and trunks loaded, when it was
found that but three could ride. 1 nere were eight women in the
company. Did they wait for a parlor car? No, indeed. They un-
complainingly took turns in walking. They left Milwaukee Monday
morning and Saturday night found them within three miles of what
is now Oakfield, the wagon stuck in the mud and the oxen too tired to
travel further. One of the men remained with the team and the
others bravely resumed their journey. Every rod seemed a mile to
the weary, foot-sore company. After what seemed to be hours, the
log cabin of Lorenzo Hazen came in sight and the company were
gladly received. Too tired for supper, they took boots, bundles of
clothing, foot rests, anything they could lay hands on for pillows,
and with puncheon floor for feather beds, were soon oblivious to
their surroundings. Three of the Hazen brothers were soon keeping
house in single room shanties with puncheon floors and troughed
roofs, which had the faculty of letting most of the rain find its way
to the room beneath. Their furniture was home made and the good
housewives did all their work for one summer out of doors by camp
fires. Their bread was baked in a kettle. As the summer of 1844 was
very rainy, such outdoor work was no light task. For this story and
many other facts, I am indebted to Mrs. Sanford Hazen, of Ripon,
lovingly known as 'Aunt Susan.' Her courage, her bright and cheery
manner of today tell us she was the life of this little company. The
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 233
mud must not have seemed so deep, the bogs less numerous, the hills
not so high or steep by the sunshine and cheerfulness of her presence.
A Shopping Party's Trials,
"In 1852. Mr. Wedge took a party of young people to Fond du
Lac for shopping. It was dark when they started for home. About
a mile from town the heavy wagon stuck, the horses gave a quick
jump and the result was a broken whippletree.
"This was rather a dark outlook for a party sixteen miles from
home. The girls were carried to high ground, a lantern procured and
the whippletree spliced, but the party had had enough mud ride for
one night and remained at the Two Mile House until morning. In
early times Fond du Lac and vicinity was truly a veritable mud hole.
A joke was perpetrated at the Lewis House one morning, when the
guests were horrified at seeing the toes of a pair of boots sticking out
of the mud and Col. Ewen was appealed to without result, but later
on 'ye hostler' admitted that in a spirit of mischief, he had placed
them there.
Riding Behind the Oxen.
"In the early days teaming, pleasure driving, racing and farm
work were mainly done with oxen, and they were not to be despised
either. On July 4, 1851, while many were returning from the cele-
bration at Ripon, an ox team appeared on the scene and ran by every
team but one. Those who knew my father in those days, well know
he had a good team and headed the line. For miles he had to be on
the alert to be sure that the oxen did not pass him.
"When Elder LeFever came to Rosendale, the family were invited
to dinner at the home of Senator Bertine Pinkney. Mrs. LeFever
was shocked at the idea of riding after oxen on her way to a senator's
home to dine, but when once started she saw the amusing side and
had a merry ride. They were received with all the courtesy due a
coach and four. When Elder LeFever was a young circuit rider, near
New York city, he was overtaken by a severe rain storm. Two
young ladies were also overtaken by the rain and circuit rider. He
bowed to the strangers who decorously returned the courtesy, and
one quaintly remarked: 'Don't you think it looks like rain?' To
make a long story short, she afterwards became Mrs. LeFever.
Some Kitchen Experiences.
"The resourcefulness of the pioneer often proved true the saying
that 'necessity is the mother of invention.' During the first year of
Mrs. H. D. Hitt's life in Wisconsin, she gathered some wild goose-
berries on the ledge, and having flour and lard, decided to have a pie.
No rolling pin was forthcoming, but pie she would have. In the
emergency, her eyes rested on the camphor bottle. Eureka ! Pie she
did have, the crust rolled out with a camphor bottle. This was too
much for Mr. Hitt, and with fire in his eye he started for the wood
pile. Selecting a fine stick of butternut of the proper size, he soon
had a rolling pin which still remains in use in the family. I will
pledge my word that it has rolled out crust for more good pies than
any other family rolling pin in the county.
23i BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
"July 4, 1852, mother thought she would have a pie for dinner,
and going to the garden gathered all the currants and all the goose-
berries, and yet they were not enough for the pie. But pie she must
and would have, so she gathered rose leaves, which added to the fruit,
made the best pie we ever ate. As a substitute for apples for pies
in the early times, the housewife sometimes boiled pumpkins in
vinegar and sliced them for pies. Pumpkin molasses was also made
by many in the emergenc}^ for table supplies.
"At the first banquet held at Ripon College, Mrs. Tracy, the
dear mother of the college, wished to hear the address, which was
given at Pedrick's hall at 4 p. m. As she was matron she had to
superintend serving the collation, as it was then called. She cut the
cakes, put the cream into the twenty pitchers, locked all in the cup-
board and hied away to the hall. After the address, she rushed back
to serve, when, alas! the cream was sour. Filled with inventive
genius, she sent one student to milk the college cow, which was then
pastured on the campus, another to milk the cow owned by President
Merryman and another to milk the cow owned by Mr. Mason. They
certainly had plenty of fresh milk for cofTee.
Wisconsin Phalanx and the Mail.
"Madam N. Hunter, of Ripon, the only living member of the
Wisconsin Phalanx, is very interesting in reminiscences of pioneer
life. She furnished the first mail sack in which the first mail was
carried between Ceresco, now Ripon, and Fond du Lac. It was a
pillow case and the lock was a tow string. The carrier did not have
even a blazed trail to follow, but used a compass as a guide.
The Privation of Mills.
"It was difficult for early settlers to obtain flour. They sometimes
had to team sixty to ninety miles and the trip required from two to
four weeks. Joseph Fairbanks, who was county surveyor in early
times, and of whom the people of Waupun always speak as Uncle
Joe, on one of these milling trips was detained longer than he ex-
pected, and the supplies at home were running low. Finally Aunt
Hannah used the last of her meal for a small Johnny cake, which she
baked in a quart basin. Just as it was cool enough to eat, her sister-
in-law came to see if she had any food to spare. She said her children
were crying with hunger and she had not a morsel to give them.
Aunt Hannah broke the cake in tAvo parts, giving her the larger piece.
Then she divided the remainder between her two little boys and sat
down to cr}^ utterly discouraged. At midnight Uncle Joe returned
and she did not wait until morning for the cooking of a meal which
was to her breakfast, dinner and supper. On the trip Uncle Joe stayed
one night with a pioneer family. The hospitable settler gladly made
a bed on the floor for the children and Uncle Jo took the one vacated.
He was congratulating himself on. his good fortune, when right by
his head a bell rang. The settler had tied his cow to that corner of
the cabin and every time she moved the bell tinkled. About 11 o'clock
the old chanticleer, roosting on top of the cabin, proclaimed that
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 235
morning was coming, and continued to proclaim until morning did
come. There was not much sleep for Uncle Joe that night.
The Rich and the Poor.
"George Russell, of Brandon, used to enjoy telling this story.
When they first came to Brandon they were very poor, having just
money enough to pay for oxen and wagon with which they made their
wedding trip. Their house was a pole shantv without a floor. ]\Irs.
Russell, faithful helpmeet that she was, drove the team and he held
the plow in the farm work. One day they heard of a rich settler who
had come into the town. He was so rich that he had paid the govern-
ment price for his land and also had a seventy-five cent cofifee mill.
Now, Miranda, said Mr. Russell, you must make their acquaintance,
and in doing so you must take along a pan of wheat and see. if they
will let you grind it. Miranda walked the three miles, ground the
wheat and returned home in time to make a shortcake for supper,
which they thoroughly enjoyed.
''Wild game was plentiful, but as a general diet, the people soon
tired of it. In some localities pork was a luxury. Mrs. J. Amadon.
of Waupun, invited her sister and family to spend Thanksgiving
with her, and as a special inducement said to her: "We will have hot
biscuit and the best milk gravy I know how to make.'
The Settlers and the Indians.
"As we read the history of the Pier and Wilkinson families, first
settlers in the towns of Fond du Lac and Oakfield, we can but wonder
at the heroism and fortitude of the early settlers. Mr. and Mrs.
Russell \'Vilkinson were the first settlers in Oakfield, their nearest
neighbor being Edward Pier, of Fond du Lac. Crude log cabins,
howling wolves at night, Indians constantly passing, peeking in at the
windows or boldly walking into the house, and women of the family
often left alone for days at a time, these were a few of the things it
required courage to endure. ]\Ir. Pier knew of their unprotected lives
and always watched the Indians as they passed his place, to see if
they had indulged in fire water. If such was the case, he sent a man
to protect them. Once when Mrs. Wilkinson was alone she saw some
drunken Indians coming. She quickly barricaded the door and
windows, then waited in terror for them to fire the cabin. They were
on the roof, pounding on the door, howling and yelling. Suddenly
it became quiet and she heard the bark of a dog. Then she heard a
white man's rap on the door which she opened to find that Mr. Pier
had sent a man to her assistance. History tells us that the Indians
afterwards did burn the cabin while the family were at Mr. Pier's
home. Two other settlers came into the town and an agreement was
entered into that if the Indians attacked them, the firing of a gun was
to be the signal for all to meet at the Botsford cabin. One night
Messrs. Botsford and Bierne thought it would be a good joke to
scare the Wilkinsons, and fired the signal gun. The women jumped
from their beds, grabbed their infants and in their night clothes made
speed for the fort, only to find that the rumpus was the result of a
236 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
frolic. It is due the Indians to say that they were troublesome but
not dangerous, unless they had taken an undue quantity of the white
man's fire water, the same fire water that is still a disgrace to our
country, ^^'e are glad to be able to say that public sentiment is
stronger against the liquor traffic today than it was in 1850. May
1950 see ever}^ saloon, club house, every place where liquor is licensed
to be sold, driven from our country by the irresistable force of public
sentiment.
"Mrs. Lyman Bishop tells how her sister outwitted the Indians.
Mrs. Bannister had just made some fried cakes when a squaw came
in but did not stay. Mrs. Bannister knew, however, that she would
soon return with others. Under her log house was a place for tubs
which were put through a trap door in the floor. She quickly put the
pan of cakes through this door and covered them with a tub. Six
Indians soon arrived, as expected, and looking through cupboards
and places where they thought they might be stored, failed to find the
cakes. Mrs. Bishop was very much frightened and started for help.
She fortunately met a teamster who soon put the Indians to flight.
"Three hundred Menomonee Indians at one time camped on the
farm of Thomas Boyd, in the town of Calumet. Adam Boyd, of
W'aupun, well remembers playing with the Indian children. One day
as he entered the camping ground he noticed that the Indians were
very much excited. Then a squaw took him into a wigwam and cov-
ered him with robes and blankets, told him not to move or speak.
After what seemed to him hours, she uncovered him and told him to
go. The Indians had been drinking and the squaw knew there was
danger.
An Editor Lost in a Hen's Nest.
"In 1847 Edward Beeson owned a farm in the town of Fond du
Lac, in the Arthur and Crofoot neighborhood, and lived there with his
family. The comparatively innocent Menomonee Indians were
numerous in the neighborhood and there were also some of the danger-
ous Winnebagoes, always in mischief. One morning early Mr.
Beeson left home for Taycheedah to have a grist ground, leaving at
home Mrs. Beeson and her then little son, John J., in after years the
founder and editor of the Fond du Lac Reports. Early in the fore-
noon Johnny was missing. He was searched for all over the place
but could not be found. Mrs. Beeson was alarmed, fearing he had
been stolen by the Indians, and promptly sought the assistance of
such of the neighbors as could be reached. While the search among
the Indians was in active progress, Johnny crawled from a straw bed
behind a board Mrs. Beeson had placed against a tree for a hen's nest.
Sickness and Death Came Also.
"Mrs. Lingenfelter, of Brandon, told me that in 1852, one hot
summer day, she was resting on her bed, when whack ! came some-
thing which struck her on the shoulder. She very soon found it to be
a large snake that had fallen from the upper logs of the house. Priva-
tion, sorrow, loneliness, sickness and death were linked in the chain
that bound these settlers very closely together.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 237
"In 1846, William Galland, with his wife and family of six chil-
dren, located in Lamartine. All looked bright to the family until the
parents were stricken with typhoid fever. The care of the sick ones
and the children fell upon the eight year old daughter. A\'ith the best
she could have done the sick ones must have died, had not Mr. Storey,
a new settler, taken them to his own home to care for them. Mrs.
Lyman Bishop, who came to Fond du Lac in 1845, ^^^ made her
home with Isaac Brown, gives an account of sickness in the families
of two brothers by the name of Wright. They lived in quickly con-
structed shanties and three were stricken in one family and two in
another. Mrs. Col. Tryon gave vip her home to one family. Mrs.
Bishop did sewing during the day and watched nights. When it
rained the watchers held umbrellas over the sick, and put pans and
plates on the beds to catch the water as it fell. Four of the five died,
strangers in a strange land. ]\Irs. Bishop had the fever herself, but
grit pulled her through and she still lives in her home on Third
street, a hale and hearty old lady of about eighty years of age. Coffins
for burial of the dead were home made. Many still remember the
loving services of Elder Vaughn in times of bereavement. He not
only made coffins for the loved ones who had passed away, but
preached the funeral sermons and gave consolation to the surviving
friends.
Education Not Neglected.
"Grateful ought we of this later generation, to be for the atten-
tion given by the early settlers to education. Primitive indeed, were
the buildings, but the teachers were generally from good eastern
schools. One student from an eastern college thought it belittled him
to be examined by a town board, but in order to teach had to comply
with the law. Elder Brown, of Springvale, conducted the examina-
tion. They got along nicely until they came to algebra. A question
was asked and the student replied : T think you would not understand
if I should explain it to you.' This was too much for the good elder,
and question followed question until the young man did not know
where he was at. Finally the elder told him he would give him a
permit to teach if he would brush up on algebra. The primitive school
buildings were also used for church services by the settlers who came
sometimes many miles in the conveyances used at that time. Divine
services were always well attended. One Sunday the school house
at Rock River would not hold the people. They stationed them-
selves at the doors and windows, when a little girl was heard to
remark : 'Oh. mamma, just see how full the school house is on the
outside.'
Primitive Vehicles.
"Before our honored president had a box for his wagon, he had
what they called' a buckboard with a chain underneath for a footrest.
As he was returning from church with Mrs. Hitt, who was holding
a child in her arms, the board caught an obstruction and tipped,
nearly throwing them to the ground ; but Mr. Hitt did not intend
leaving his wife in that fashion and seized her with one hand and
238 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
held the mettlesome colts with the other until the vehicle righted
itself. Alas! her wedding dress had been caught by the chain and
completely ruined.
United States Senator Howe,
"United States senator and afterwards cabinet minister, T. O.
Howe, was in his time one of Wisconsin's ablest and most popular
men. In 1850 he was circuit judge and Fond du Lac county was in
his circuit. While upon the bench he was noted for three things,
knowledge of the law, clearness in his charges to juries and determin-
ation in maintaining the dignity of the court.
■'The Fond du Lac county bar at this time consisted of Judge
A. W. Stow, Judge C. M. Tompkins, J. M. Gillett, Robert Flint, C. A.
Eldredge, Edward S. Bragg, D. E. W'ood, F. H. Waite, John C,
Truesdell, O. B. Tyler, W. H. Ebbets, L S. Tallmadge, James Cole-
man, E, W. Drury, W. C. Dodge, A. W. Paine, Carson Graham, Jared
Chapel, Amos Reed, Campbell McLean, E. Hodges, J. A. Eastman,
M. C. Eaton, C. F. Davis, Samuel W. Beall, total twenty-five. With
a population then of less than 2,000, now nearly 20,000, the difference
is but about a half dozen. Ripon had Judge Seely, E. L. Runals,
Jerre Dobbs, A. B. Hamilton and John S. Horner. Waupun had
Eli Hooker, and the then noted litigant, Rufus P. Eaton could be
found at Pipe Village, town of Calumet. Alas ! of these thirty-two
lawyers constituting the bar of Fond du Lac county, but two, Edward
S. Bragg and Jerre Dobbs, remain here to recall legal events of the
past, all the rest have passed on to the other shore.
Calves in Court.
"A somewhat noted case found its way to the calendar of Judge
Taylor's court, and it must have been an important one, requiring as
it did, the talent of three lawyers on one side and two on the other,
and involving the value of a two months' old calf. The frequent
disputes of the lawyers and their earnestness about points of law
that the judge thought to be trifling, aroused his anger and he sug-
gested that possibly there might be present in court other calves
than the one mentioned in the pleadings. This caused an audible
smile, but a reply from the bar came that such might be the case, but
there was not far away another domestic animal whose voice is not
as musical but sometimes conveyed as much wisdom and wit as people
more gifted and more pretentious. The laugh w-as long and loud and
no one dared to show wrath.
"While we have dwelt upon so much of interest to us all, both old
and young, we of the later generation rejoice to look into the faces of
so many of you to whom belongs the name of 'old settler,' a name
which, if w^orthily borne, is honorable indeed. May you long remain
wath us to gladden our hearts and see many returns of this happy
day. With hearts full of grateful appreciation and afifection, we say
to each and all of you, in the beautiful words of Holy Writ, 'The
Lord bless and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you. The Lord life up the light of his counte-
nance upon you and give you peace.' "
TO AND FROM OAKFIELD
As a Member of the Board of Directors of the First National Bank;
of Fond du Lac, Hon. H. D. Hitt Did Not Miss a
Monthly Meeting in Fifty Years.
H. D. Hitt, of Oakfield, has a record of fifty years a director of
the First National Bank of this city without a break, during which
time he has attended every annual meeting of the stockholders. He
was present at the meeting of the stockholders last March, though
he had been in poor health three months, and could not
have summoned courage to leave his home under similar weather
conditions for any other purpose. Never having had a break in his
record up to this time, he said that it was too late to begin and so he
came forth with the thermometer nineteen degrees below zero when
he set out for the city to attend the meeting.
For many years when the board of directors of the bank consisted
of but five members, Mr. Hitt attended every meeting, as it was
difificult at times to get a quorum, but of late years, the board having
been increased to nine members, there has been no such necessity
and he has passed some of the weekly meetings. Mr. Hitt was re-
elected second vice-president of the bank at the meeting of the
directors.
When the old Bank of the Northwest, the father of the First
National Bank, was organized fifty years ago, Mr. Hitt was too late
in making his application for a block of the stock which he wanted
very much. He and Edward Pier, one of the founders of the bank,
were firm friends and through their friendship Mr. Hitt's insistence
was soon rewarded by an opportunity being provided for him to
purchase a block of the stock amounting to $i,ooo. This original
block of stock he has always retained and in later years he had added
considerably to his holdings.
Mr. Hitt is 82 years old and he has resided in Oakfield since 1848,
or fifty-seven years. He has alwa3's been prominent in local affairs
and was a member of the legislature in 1858. He was elected presi-
dent of the Old Settlers' Club of Fond du Lac county when it was
organized in 1904.
An Oil Mill Once Here.
In the early days of Fond du Lac, Gen. C. S. Hamilton, known
to everybody here as Capt. Hamilton, had an oil mill here and made
a large amount of linseed oil. It was located on West Division
street, on a portion of the land now owned by the Gurney Refrigerator
Company. Hydraulic pressure was used to press the oil out of the
ground flax seed, and the amount of pressure was almost inconceiv-
able, the material coming out of the pressure cylinder as hard as a
board and as dry as baked sawdust. After the war the mill was moved
to Milwaukee, where Gen. Hamilton afterwards resided.
240 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
A Grand Masquerade.
The first masquerade given b}- the Fond du Lac Turners for the
benefit of the German and English Academy, was in Amory Hall,
February 21, 1858, and was one of the largest and most brilliant
parties ever seen in this city. It was not wholly a German afifair, but
the people of all nationalities were there to the extent that Amory
Hall was so crowded that dancing was impossible. A small space
would be cleared for the dancers, but it would be filled again before
the committee could get twenty feet away. About everything in
society was there, from the low clown Indian wigwam and negro hut,
to the most brilliant court scenes of Europe and the high social circle
of this country. Seemingly about every condition of people was
represented. The hall was new and attractive, the music was the
best to be obtained and the school was a very popular one under ex-
cellent management and was patronized by leading families of the
city. The greatest care was taken that no objectionable person
should be allowed to enter the hall at these masquerades, or that dis-
tasteful characters should appear. x\nd so for many years these
functions were very popular and largely attended. But like every-
thing else the time came for a change. For some reason the school
went into a decline and the attendance was so small that it could
not be continued. Prof. Schmidt went to Appleton, where he was
killed by the cars, and the grand days of the German and English
Academy had fully passed away. It is understood that this was not
the result of bad management of poor teachers, but on account of
small attendance. It was a steady decline for more than thirty years.
In its prosperous days, the school of the German and English
Academy in Fond du Lac, was believed to be the best in the state.
Mr. Beeson as a Musician.
One of the boys at one time in Beeson's Job Printing office, was
the possessor of that primitive little instrument known as a flageolet,
and Mr. Beeson would sometimes amuse himself with it, though he
could not play a tune. One day Jay Hall came along pretty full of
whiskey, as usual, and ofifered Beeson a dollar to be applied to
charity, if he would play as loud as he could, the tune he could play
best. Beeson puffed his cheeks and went at it, making lots of noise
but no tune. Jay refused to pay on the ground that it was not a
tune, but after a long argument they compromised on the payment
of fifty cents.
Old Fashioned Democrats.
In the early days of city and county, D. R. Curran, D. E.
Hoskins, John B. Wilber, John Bonnell, J. L. D. Eycleshimer, Frank
D. McCarty, E. W. Drury, Geo. W. Weikert, John B. Macy, Amos
Reed, H. K. Laughlin. Geo. W. Mitchell, Capt. D. P. Mapes, S. M.
Smead, Aaron Walters and many others, were democrats that never
swerved from the old democratic path.
ADDRESS BY H. E. SWETT
Address Before the Old Settlers' Club, September 2, 1904, at the Fair
Grounds in the City of Fond du Lac, Wis.
"Ladies and Gentlemen: The subject which I have been given
to speak upon before you today, is somewhat formidable in its
phraseology. It was probably assigned to me in the spirit with
which Johnny set thirty-five eggs under a pet hen. He reported the
fact to his mother, who exclaimed, 'Why Johnny, you don't expect
her to cover as many eggs as that, do you?' Johnny replied, 'Of
course not, but I wanted to see the darned old thing spread herself.'
" 'The elements of civilization which have drawn so many of the
best people of the world, who have made Fond du Lac county one of
the best in the grand state of Wisconsin.'
"That is the subject to which I invite your attention.
"The Creator endowed Fond du Lac county with a fruitful soil
and blessed it with a kindly climate. True, the climate is rigorous
and changeable, and the surface in places is rough, but the produc-
tions are varied and bountiful, and each year there has been a crop
for harvesting. Then, too, a little more than fifty years ago, this land
was free and unoccupied.
"These conditions were a standing invitation for the thrifty to
come here and profit by them. Consequently, the more pushing and
enterprising of those who were toiling for a bare livelihood on the
niggardly slopes of New England came here.
"Tales of the richness of the great valley to which this county
belongs, were carried even across the ocean to Europe and they in-
spired with hope many of those struggling there under the weight of
poverty and lack of opportunity. It was the progressive ones who
came here from those different places. They expended their energies
in developing the new country, and the impress of their character
still remains. They were courageous and industrious. They were
ambitious and intelligent. They were temperate and moral. They
were the best in the world as settlers. They made our country one
of the finest of the richest agricultural belt within the territory of the
United State?. Our people are prosperous and their prosperity is
evidenced by fine farms, fine buildings, fine stock, fine fields, fine
carriages, fine horses, fine clothes and fine times, but this desirable
condition was brought about by long years of grinding toil and pinch-
ing economy. The task of making farms, such as lie about us today,
out of the forest which was here fifty years ago, was a Herculean one.
To many of you this statement is freighted with meaning that words
cannot express.
"Turn your recollections back to the light of the great log fires,
where the riches of the forest which had been slowly accumulating
242 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
for you throughout ages, were dissipated iu smoke in order that }ou
might use the soil. To you, then, those magnificent gatherings of
children of the sunlight and soil were but incumbrances and obstacles,
but you have since learned to sigh for the treasure so wasted.
"Allusion to those log fires must arouse vivid recollections with
those of you whose thatches have been whitened by the many snows
that have fallen since the fires died away. You see the long strings
of panting oxen, yoked in pairs, and straining under the lash while
tugging the breaking plows. You hear the cracking of roots and the
rasp of stones as the great plows tear through the soil. You see the
blackened stubs and the thickly dotting ash heaps. You smell the
odors that arise from the newly turned furrows.
'"Things were different then from now. Life was all about you
exuberant, impetuous and warm. Everything was young and vigor-
ous, even the sun shone brighter. Your hearts were strong for work,
and you did work ; yes, work, work, work. In the season allotted for
that purpose to all tenants of the soil, you planted, sowed, reaped,
threshed and stored away. All life was busy then, but after the
foliage had changed from green to gorgeous hues and then turned
brown and dead, after the winds had frolicked with the leaves and
had strewn them about carelessly ; after the rains had patted them
down on the ground and fastened them there, the frost embraced the
soil and the growing things in it rested under a blanket of snow until
springtime called them to activity again. But you did not rest. Day
after day the ring of your axes echoed on the biting air, and one after
another the great trees fell. You cut them into log lengths, you split
them into rails, you made them into cord wood and you sawed them
into lumber. You built them into houses and you built them into
barns, and sometimes'^you wastefully burned them to clear the land
for plowing. Those scenes will never recur. Conditions have
changed. You have seen the evolution which has lifted almost all
the labors of farming from the shoulders of men and put them upon
the shoulders of horses. The sickle has been replaced by the self-
binder, and the flail and husking peg by the steam thresher and corn
shredder,
"What brought about these things? What is it that keeps the
great ocean of humanity ever restless? It is the desire for gain, for
impro^•ement. Desire for improvement is the inspiration of progress.
It brought our settlers here. And it, coupled with the exercise of
industry, intelligence, courage and economy, accomplished the results
of which we are so justly proud."
Some Straightening Done.
A crookeder stream than was the east branch of the Fond du Lac
river between Western avenue bridge and Division street, in a state of
nature could hardly be imagined. It twisted and turned and hardly
was a straight rod to be found. A good job was made of it when
the city straightened the channel as we see it now. The work done
on it by the city was a necessity.
TALES OF PIONEER DAYS
Embracing Some of the Remembrances of People and of Interesting
Events in the Pioneer Days of Fond du Lac County.
By Madame de Neveu,
Scout's Lost Dauphin Story.
Some of you, doubtless have heard of the pretended "Lost
Dauphin" of France, whom Mrs. Catherwood made the hero of her
novel "Lazarre." It is almost certain that the son of Louis XVI and
Marie Antoinette died in his infancy. I am confident that those of
you who believe that Eleazar Williams was that son, would have
changed your minds regarding his noble birth, had you seen him as
many dozens of times as I. He was a little, black, half-breed Indian
and looked more like an Indian than a full blooded one. His wife
was named Jerdin before her marriage and was quarter Indian, her
father being a white man and her mother a half-breed. If any of you
care for proof of Eleazar's birth, let her read a book written by Arthur
Little and called (I believe) "The Living Churchman." This book
declares Eleazar Williams was the son of a daughter of an Episcopal
missionary in New York. She was stolen, with the rest of the family,
by the Oneida Indians and carried to the western part of New York,
where they lived for years. After searching many years, Mr. Williams
found his wife. His daughter was then married to a chief and had
several children. She refused to leave her husband at that late day,
but gave her oldest child to her father. He educated the boy for the
ministry, giving him his own name. Eleazar, Jr., came to Green Bay
as a missionar}^ and when Prince de Joinville came to Green Bay he
and his suite nearly died with laughter over Eleazar's pretentions.
After bowing and scraping before "His Majesty," each man would
rush from the room and fairly roll on the floor in convulsions over
the calm way he accepted their homage. It stands to reason that had
he been the true claimant to the throne, the Prince would never have
come into the wilderness to seek him. All of these Frenchmen carried
the farce to the end, giving him presents and making him think they
believed in him.
Indians Were Friendly.
Buena Vista was in the early days crossed by the Indian trail
which led from Milwaukee to Lake Superior and almost dailv
Indians passed. LTsually they stopped and asked for food which they
would receive in a dish and would eat out of doors, sitting on the
ground near the house. If the weather was stormy they ate in the
house, usually squatting on the floor. If I had nothing cooked, I
would give them potatoes, squashes and a kettle, and they would
cook and eat the vesretables out of doors. In return for our kindnesses
244 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
to them the Indians would very frequently leave large pieces of bear
meat, venison, fish, etc., for us and though many were the times they
found no one at home, and they would enter and eat, yet never a thing
did they evei steal from us, and later, when we saw them, they would
always tell us whom we had entertained. Sometimes we would only
be aware of their presence by seeing them peeking in the windows
and the next minute, always waiving ceremony, they would walk in
the house and with many grunts, the sounds of which are unspellable,
they would point to their mouths — that required no translation. Some
of them could understand a little English. I finally grew to under-
stand some of their words, but could not talk, while my husband,
getting my halting translations, could talk to them but could not
understand them. Another version of Jack Spratt and his wife.
One day a one-eyed Indian named Pe-nasse-cisse, walked in, took
a cup from the table and after drinking some water accidentally hit
the cup and broke it. I motioned it was nothing, but weeks later he
brought me a beautiful piece of bear meat, thereby proving his keen
sense of obligation, for it must have meant much to him to give the
bear meat, as he was considered a dependent by the other Indians,
living largely on their bounty, as when hunting he could not aim
correctly, having but one eye. Bear meat was thought to keep best
hanging out of doors against the shady side of the house, and there
we hung this piece. It was seen by Messrs. Klock and Weikert,
merchants in Fond du Lac, who happened to come to our house. Mr.
Klock said he loved the meat and asked me if I would give him a
piece. I told him to help himself and he cut off about eight pounds.
The two men kept bachelor's quarters above their store and later re-
ported to me a feast on the meat in their rooms for themselves and
seven or eight friends. Mr. Klock was the father of Mrs. H. F. Whit-
comb, of Milwaukee.
Scorned the Tomahawk.
One fall my husband had gone to see how the Indians were paid
at Lake Poygan (then called Poywaygan.) I was alone with the ex-
ception of my sister Kate and my baby girl about six months old,
during his absence of ten days, he making the trip on horseback. One
day while he was away, four Indians with bodies bare to their waists
and hideously painted, passing on their way home to Milwaukee from
the pay grounds, entered the house, after peeking in the windows,
and asked for food. I gave them plenty to eat, after which they
begged for tobacco, pipes, soap, etc., which I, tired of hearing — as we
shopped at this time in Green Bay — and refused to give them anything
more. One man then calmly took his tomahawk and standing so
close to me that his fringed leather leggings vv^ould touch my
dress as I sat sewing, began to sharpen it, testing the edge frequently
and looking at me to see how I was taking it. He soon saw, for I
jumped up and told him to puck-a-chee and he, seeing wrath instead
of fear, did puck-a-chee, and when outside the house, roared with
laughter, each man fired a salute of one gun, mounted his horse and
rode away. My courageous sister in the meantime, had run up stairs
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 245
imploring me "for God's sake give them anything and everything."
She had carried my baby up also and then had promptly fainted.
Many w^ere the threats she made of "telling mother" how fool-hardy
I was, but I had a good laugh at her ever after.
Laughter was not always the order of the day, however, for one
day I was badl}^ scared — an Indian, Shus-ko-meen by name — a fearful
man who boasted of his butchery and savagery at Fort Dearborn, and
whom I had seen at Green Bay, walked in my house the first spring
I was here and asked for the Witch-e-mo-com-on (Americans). I
looked out of the window and pointed to the corner of the house.
He simply flew out of the house, jumped on his horse and disappeared
forever. My husband was some distance away, but I dared not let
the man suspect this as he was such a fiend. He had evidently just
robbed a clothes line, for his only garments were moccasins and a
white suit of canton flannel under clothes, wearing no hat and with
hair braided and tied with string, the braids starting from over the
forehead on each side and joining in one braid at the back.
Another day Tot-on-a-wa and another Indian came and left a
bottle of whiske}'^ for safe keeping, motioning they were going away
hunting all winter and when they returned would be very tired and
then would want the whiskey ; so I took them to my pantry and
showed them where I put the bottle on a high shelf. Next spring I
came home, after spending the day with friends, and found four fine
mallards on the table and the whiskey gone.
The Indians while hunting deer, would frequently kill does with
fawns and not having any use for the fawns, would always give them
away. At different times they gave me seven. One I named Dickie.
He was a smart little fellow and whenever I asked him to come and
kiss me, would lick my face. When I told my husband Dickie would
do this, he laughed at the idea, so one day as my husband was sitting
in the doorway I called Dickie, and he not only came to kiss me but
leaped over my husband's head in order to get to me.
Another fawn I had, while in its stable one day, was attacked by
a wolf. I went to the rescue armed with a hatchet, but the wolf ran.
I noticed that he limped and the next day our neighbor's dogs, three
miles away, killed a wolf and as it had lost part of one foot. I knew
'twas my wolf.
I was always fond of pets and had many and it may interest you
to hear of a tiny pet pig I had. I cared for and raised it, naming it
Sall}^ She was sent away several times, being a great nuisance, but
like a bad penny would always turn up. What do you think of a pig
swimming the Fox river to get home? She was very clever and once
thought she would do a little temperance work and went into a
saloon in the village. The man in charge tried to eject her and she
objected, attacking him savagely. Screams were heard and a crowd
collected. Some one who knew her ran for my brother, who went in,
finding Sally leaping for a man who had mounted a table. His
wooden legs were within her reach and they were fairly well bitten.
She followed John meekly away when he called her and scolded her.
If I had her now I should chanoe her name to "Carrie."
246 BUSINESS HISTORY OF POND DU LAC
During- our first years on the farm our calves were frequently
attacked by wolves, but we always managed to rescue them, but our
neighbors, Messrs. Piatt and Vincent, were not so fortunate as they
had some killed by bears and wolves. Occasionally at night on the
hill where our house now stands, the wolves would gather, and many
and blood-curdling were their cries. Sometimes my husband would
take his French hunting horn and during lulls in their serenades,
would play to them. They would listen in absolute silence until the
music would again sound. His would be the solo, theirs the chorus.
In these early days wild strawberries were very plentiful, and fre-
quently I have picked a bushel on the stems in about two hours.
After some years my dear friend, Mrs. Everett Hoskins would
come and pick berries with me. She always brought her son, then a
creeping baby. The then baby is now known to you as your ex-Mayor
F. B. Hoskins. One day while gathering berries, about a mile from
home, I lost my bearings and as the afternoon was very cloudy I
believe I would have been obliged to stay out all night had I not
heard our cow bell in the distance. Knowing that calling was of no
use, I followed the sound of the bell. When I reached the cattle I
started driving them, and in a short time they had led me safely home.
Our cows roamed everywhere for there was no fence between here
and Milwaukee.
When a Woman Will, She Will.
One day when I was about fifteen years old, my mother found
she was "out" of tea. We were away from home in a sugar camp,
and always being ready for anything that came up, I ofifered to go to
Green Bay for some. This was in the early spring, and as the ice
was still on the river and no snow on the land, my venturesome spirit
made me induce my driver to take a sleigh and go the six miles on
the ice. We covered the distance in' safety, but I should not like to
state how fast our pony had to trot, but trot it did and fast, too, for
the ice swayed with us and the spot we were on the entire distance
was bent down "V'shape. Returning home that night was an impos-
sibility, so I remained with friends and walked back the next day under
the escort of a boy a trifle older than I. When we reached what is
now the first lock we had to cross the river, which was narrow at this
point. The river was now entirely open and a raging torrent here
where it was dammed. A mill at this spot was in course of construc-
tion and the frame only was up. On the river side the frame held
discourse with the-opposite bank by means of ordinary planks in some
way fastened in a horizontal position. The boy with me insisted that
he alone should cross, but I indignantly asserted my intention of
crossing with or without him (when a woman will, she will, was true
even then you see.) So I climbed up forty feet and then walked over
on the beams, holding onto braces whenever I could get hold of one
and all the boy could do was to keep shouting to me to "not look
down." The water was foaming and boiling down below us and very
deep, too, as you may realize when you remember that huge ships
pass the place now. We finally reached the planks and then the land,
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 247
and if I did not confess to a sense of relief, it was because I would
not — but mother received both her tea and daughter in safety.
Many were the rides I took during my life. The last one was
when I was about 78. Regretting my refusal to go driving with the
family one beautiful October morning, and being somewhat lonely, I
decided to take a horseback ride. So I ordered the saddle horse
brought to the door and I mounted and started away. When about
a mile down the road I met Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Hamilton, and from
their laughter and surprise, I judged it advisable not to let my
daughters see me. So I hurried home. I might not have done so if
I had liked the saddle. I broke the news of my ride to the family by
saying I w^anted a new saddle, for I did not enjoy riding on that one.
We did get the new saddle, but I never found the opportunity to ride
again, but if my sight were good, you would some of you see me on
horse back again even though I am 86.
Our lives through all these years were far from luxurious ones
and were more than full of work, for help was scarce and we house-
keepers had to be our own dressmakers and tailors and no sewing
machines for years. All the clothes we wore our own busy hands
had to cut and sew.
Gov. Tallmadge came four or five years after we did. Gov. Doty
had a house built when we came but he was here very little. It was
he who told my husband, in Detroit, of our little lake.
I so well remember in 1840 the numbers of tiny wild ducks there
were upon the lake. We had only a dug-out canoe, one of the tippiest
things in the world, but I would venture out in it and paddle in the
midst of the ducklings, but where the duck had been I only found the
water — they would give quick little dives and escape. I tried many
times to catch them but never succeeded.
No human voices, save our own, disturbed the echoes of our
little lake. Loons would call, ducks and geese would alight without
fear and swim and dive with no one to disturb them. Can you
imagine the beauty and serenity of it all? "My love for nature is as
old as I," and I often live over in memory all that sweet time in the
long ago.
A Song of Long Ago.
A song of long ago:
Sing it lightly — sing it low —
Sing it softly — like the lispfng of the lips
We used to know,
When our baby — laughter spilled
From the glad hearts ever filled
W'ith music blithe as robin ever trilled!
Let the fragrant summer breeze,
And the leaves of locust trees,
And the apple buds and blossoms, and the wings of honey bees,
All palpitate with gi^e,
Till the happy harmony
Brings back each ch^.dish joy to you and me.
248
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Let the eyes of fancy turn
Where the tumbled pippins burn
Like embers in the orchard's lap of tangled grass and fern, —
There let the old path winu
In and out and on benind
The cider-press that chuckles as we grind.
Blend in the song the moan
Of the dove that grieves alone,
And the wild whir of the locust, and the bumble's drowsy drone;
And the low of cows that call
Through the pasture bars when all
The landscape fades a^yay at evenfall
Then far away and clear,
Through the dusky atmosphere,
Let the wailing of the killdee be the only sound we hear;
O sad and sweet and low
As the memory may know
Is the glad, pathetic song of Long Ago!
— Riley.
Some of the Ripon Pioneers.
Ripen in its earliest days had many men of note and some
hustlers. A few of them were members of the Phalanx, but the
larger number were settlers who came after that organization had
practically ceased. Many of these settlers became noted in state
and nation. Here are the names of some of these Ripon pioneers :
Capt. D. P. Mapes.
Col. O. H. LaGrange.
Col. Ed. Daniels.
Maj. H. C. Eggleston.
Maj. H. S. Town.
Maj. A. E. Bovay.
Surgeon H. L. Barnes.*
E. L. Runals.
Jerre Dobbs.*
W. M. Taggart.
Wm. Workman.
O. J. Clark.*
Put. Mason.
R. D. Mason.
William Starr.
Geo. W. Mitchell.
A. B. Pratt*
Benj. Pratt.
J. L. Horner.
A. M. Steels. •
Byron Town.
Sam Fargo.
J. J. Foote.
Col. B. Pinckney.
Dr. A. Everhard.
Dr. J. Rogers.
David Greenway.
Nathan Hunter.
D. F. Shepard.
J. Bowen.
H. B. Beynon.
Samuel Sumner.
L. M. Carlisle.
J. Woodruff.
K. Lindsley.
0. P. Reed.
D. P. Imson.
Abram Thomai?.
J. B. Barlow.
Geo. Bushnell.
Thos. Ford.
S. B. Fobes.
C. F. Hammond.
Chas. Combs.
James Lambei't.
Winnebago Furniture Company.
C. J. L. Meyer began making furniture at this well known plant
but was not successful. In 1886, Maj. E. R. Herren and C. V.
McMillan, of Stevens Point, bought the Me)^er plant and formed the
above company, which has been remarkably successful. As business
men they have no superiors and the very large business is so managed
as to be one of the solid enterprises in Fond du Lac. The plant is
always a busy place. As to business reliability it has no superior in
the city.
In this year 1905, all those are dead except the five marked *
QUAKER ABOLITIONISTS
Something About These PecuHar People, of Which Fond du Lac
Has Had a Few in Times Past.
Speaking of J. A. Smith, founder of the Fond du Lac Common-
wealth, as a Quaker Abolitionist, it occurs to the writer that there
are many people now who do not know the real meaning of either
of these terms. We have drifted away from these people and we now
hear little about either. The Quakers are a religious sect who believe
in keeping as near to Bible times and practices as possible. They
use Bible language, ignore styles in dress, number the days of the
week instead of naming them, believe the gospel to be free, hence do
not pay ministers for preaching, invariably speak of churches as
meeting houses and altogether are a strictly honest and truthful class
of people. There are some of them left in Philadelphia, a few
colonies in North Carolina, a large colony in North Dakota and a
congregation in Minneapolis and a few other cities. In central Ohio
a few country congregations are left, but the Quakers have largely
disappeared and a great loss it is.
An abolitionist as understood in times ante-dating the war. was
one who demanded the abolition of slavery as a great national wrong.
The emancipation proclamation was issued by President Lincoln in
1863, since which time little has been known or heard of abolitionists.
There was a time when it required considerable courage to be known
by this term. Abolitionist speakers were egged and mobbed. An
abolitionist was likely to have the doors of his house daubed with very
offensive material, or an}- sort of trick played upon him personally.
The democratic and whig parties were both pro-slavery, and the
first serious move made by the abolitionists in politics was in 1840,
when they ran James G. Burney for president. In 1844, in the Polk
and Clay campaign, there was a great awakening and as the south
seemed determined to extend slave territory, the people of the north
stirred themselves to resist it. In 1848 came the free soil party and
a man could with safety declare himself to be an abolitionist. In
1852 with the advent in congress of measures for the admission to
the union of Kansas and Nebraska and the efforts of southern mem-
bers to force slavery into them, the whig party had drifted some-
what toward freedom, but not strong enough to control the party and
Gen. Whinfield Scott met the opposition of the free soilers with John
P. Hale, now the party of the abolitionists, who were much stronger
than ever before in their work against slavery. But the whig party
could continue no longer and was not heard from in 1856. In the
meantime the democratic champion, Stephen A. Douglas, appeared
with his doctrine of "Squator Sovereignty," which meant to allow
the people to vote out there, and vote slavery up or vote it down.
250 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Here the whig party disappeared in 1856 and John C. Freemont
marked the advent of the republican party. From 1840 the opponents
of slavery increased in number and were now able to retire one of the
great parties of the country. The democratic party was still loyal to
the south, and so able to elect their candidate, James Buchanan, to
the presidency, but were retired thereafter for a quarter of a centviry.
The people arose in their might in i860, elected Abraham Lincoln,
and then came the war of the rebellion, an attempt to destroy the
union to found a southern confederacy to save slavery. But after four
years of the bloodiest and most gigantic war in history, the abolition-
ists and their freedom loving successes were the victors. President
Lincoln did not issue the proclamation of emancipation until 1863,
and after he had exhausted all efforts for peace that were honorable
to all concerned. The old abolitionists bore their trials to the end
with all meekness and fortitude. All this is what the term means as
applied to national politics. We all rejoice now that there is no
more of those troubles and that a man is now free to talk as he will
in all parts of this great country, one of the most powerful and en-
lightened on top of the earth. He is no longer expected to make
excuses for slavery or for anything foul that may come to nations.
The ''underground railroad." No doubt you have often read
about it and heard about it, but do you know really what it means?
In the forties the writer lived on the main line of the great under-
ground railroad, and hundreds of times did he in the night hear the
wagons or cars go by his home in central Ohio. It was a means of
help for worthy and persecuted negroes to escape from slavery in
Kentucky to freedom in Canada. This line was run largely, in fact
almost wholly by Quakers, who were abolitionists almost to a man.
Transportation was almost wholly at night, the sidetracks for the day
being in Quaker settlements, there being at that time several between
the Ohio river and the lakes. The only secret about it seemed to be
when the w^agons would be upon the road. There might be intervals
of several weeks or nearly every day. This practice gave ground for
the main argument in congress for the fugitive slave law signed by
President Fillmore in 1850, which caused great excitement, but in
the end did the slave power far more harm than good.
The fugitive slave law troubles have a local application to Wis-
consin and to Fond du Lac county, since we had a taste of it in the
Glover rescue, the arrest of Booth and Rycraft for violation of its
provisions, and the taking of S. M. Booth from the custody of the
United States marshal and secreting him near Ripon. Guns were
taken from the armory of the Fond du Lac guards in 1858, with
which to defend Booth if necessary. The situation showed many
earnest abolitionists here at that time and particularly at Ripon.
It is not out of place to state here that Edward Beeson came from
Pennsylvania Quaker stock, and to the day of his death was a believer
in Quaker practices, though he did not use their language. In re-
ligious thought he was more of a Quaker than anything else. The
proper name is Friends, the word Quaker being but a nickname be-
stowed upon them.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 251
There was another term frequently used half a century ago, but
is seldom heard now. A person is now spoken of as honest or a thief,
as truthful or a liar, as straight or crooked, right or wrong, genuine
or a fraud. The word hypocrite or hypocrisy seems to have lost its
old time significance. There is no middle ground now to give it the
old time application. Extremes of character rule now. It is hardly
known now what a hypocrite is, but there is no mistake about the
modern designations of liar, thief and fraud. We cannot object to the
words but only to the daily application of them to persons.
And the methods of expression and terms now used are not
really the successors of those of a half century ago. Old ones have
dropped out and entire new ones coined. The older people of today
onh' know what some expressions mean by having been here during
the period of manufacture of the new ones. Slang adjectives have
appeared by scores and some of them have been forced into permanent
adoption. Still it goes on and our children fifty years hence may be
doing the same sort of work we have been at in the coinage of words
in the last half century. The Quaker is almost unknown, the work of
the abolitionist has ceased, the hypocrite is unknown by that name.
A Nephew of Gen. Longstreet.
Gen. Longstreet, of confederate fame in the war of the rebellion,
once had a nephew who was a resident of Fond du Lac county, \\ is-
consin. Our member of the Longstreet family resided in the town of
Osceola, and while putting in a claim of being a farmer, was not much
of a farmer after all. He was more of a schemer and speculator than
farmer. He was a good talker and of course a strong pro-slavery
democrat, preferring southern ideas to those of the north. He was
proud of his uncle, Gen. Longstreet.
Alonzo Raymond's House.
Alonzo Raymond, a very early settler here and the first man
married in Fond du Lac county, built a house which seemed large
at that time, at the corner of Marr and Eighth streets, and was often
talked to about building so far out of reach of neighbors. He said
he guessed it would be all right after a while, and so it was. How
many can remember now of a time when there were not plenty of
neighbors in that vicinitv.
Imitation Stone Made Here.
In 1876, imitation stone was first introduced in Fond du Lac by
John C. Bishop, who accepted the agency of a factory where the
stone was moulded to any size or shape desired for building or
cemetery purposes. The material was colored to any color desired.
Why it was not a success it is difficult to say, but such was the case.
A like material is now made here.
252 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
The Old Lathrop Ellis House.
Lathrop Plllis was a many years' resident surveyor and civil en-
gineer in Fond du Lac. He was a number of times elected county
surveyor and did a great deal of work in that line when not a county
ofHcial. His home for many years was the small house that until a
few years ago stood on Marr street, next north of W. W. Clark. Mr.
Ellis moved to Nebraska and resided near Nebraska City until his
death a few years ago.
Banks in the County.
First Wisconsin Bank, North Fond du Lac. — Capital $27,500.
S. D. Wyatt, President; Dr. D. J. Pullen, Vice-President: Fred
Givens, Cashier.
First National Bank of Campbellsport, Wis. — Capital $25,000.
S. J. Barber, President ; John Loebs, Vice-President ; H. A. Bacon,
Cashier.
Bank of J. R. Foster & Son, Brandon. — Capital $50,000. J. R.
Foster, President ; J. W. Foster, Cashier.
Bank of Oakfield. — Capital $20,000. F. J. Bristol, President; C.
G. Morgan, Vice-President; W. E. Bristol, Cashier; Clara Orvis,
Assistant Cashier.
Rosendale State Bank. — Capital not listed. A. Salisbury, Presi-
dent ; C. L. Hill, Vice-President ; Frank Bowe, Cashier.
The First Bookbindery.
Fond du Lac's first bookbindery was started by J. R. & J. W.
Partridge, over their drug store in the centre of the old Darling
block, in 1855. Ed. Sickles, killed in the great railroad accident on
the opening of the Northwestern road, was the binder in charge, and
his brother-in-law, the late Col. C. H. DeGroat, was his assistant.
All of the binding for the Northern Division of the Northwestern
road, was done there, and of course neatly and well done, as T. F.
Strong, Jr., had charge of the work for the road, and "Tim" could
not tolerate anything slouchy. After the death of Mr. Sickles, the
bindery was sold to J. A. Smith, of the Commonwealth, and an
Englishman named Aldred, was the binder several years. Much of
his work is now in the Resfister's office at the court house.
An Early Door Factory.
In 1855, on the lot next east of the armory of Co. E, now occupied
by the residence of Mr. Swett, was located a shop in which doors were
made, and was probably the first door factory in Fond du Lac. Doors
were made before this date, but not in a factory as a business.
Though of small capacity, this was really a door factory. It was
owned and conducted by Norman Whitacre, the early date grocery-
man, and it was one of the first places in which Solon Edson worked
after he came here, and he can tell of many interesting and amusing
incidents connected with the work there.
THE PRINTER EDITOR
How the Early Days' Print Shop Men Had To Work Their Way.
Difficulties They Encountered.
When he came to Wisconsin in 1850, from Ohio, A. T. Glaze had
already served time as a printing office apprentice. He was skilled in
any and all departments of printing office work. A severe run of
scarlet fever compelled him to abandon the course at Heidelburg
after two and one-half of the four years, and thus equipped mentally
and mechanically, he came to Fond du Lac and entered the office of
the Journal, established by Henning & Hooker, in 1846, but at this
time owned by Edward Beeson. The early day work, editorial as well
as mechanical, of Mr. Glaze, may be seen in the files of the old
Journal in the rooms of the public library. At this time competent
printers were not numerous and material could not be obtained as
now, so the services of Mr. Glaze were often, in demand in the region
round about, in starting new papers. He was called even to Oshkosh,
more than once, to make rollers, cover tympon frames of hand
presses, cutting rules and leads for first forms and adjusting them,
and by no means a pleasant job, as we had no rule or lead cutter, the
former being cut with a file and the latter with a knife. It may be
of interest to many to state the fact that the present Oshkosh North-
western was started as a weekly by the Messenger boys and Mr.
Glaze made the rollers and helped them to adjust the forms. He
made two or three sets of rollers for the old Oshkosh Courier, owned
by Reed & Nevitt. He went to Berlin once, overland, to assist in
putting the Marquette Mercury afloat. There was no Green Lake
county then — it was part of Marquette county. After this he went
there to help Uri Carruth with the Spectator, and made the trip on
the steamboat Badger State, Capt. W. A. Knapp. Early in 1862, he
made rollers and assisted A. P. Mapes in launching a paper that not
long after was thrown into the street by some of the men of Ed.
Daniel's First Wisconsin Cavalry for alleged disloyalty. He was
once sent for to assist in putting afloat a paper at Kingston, but
sent Walworth Chapel to do the work. The well known early day
country lawyer, Rufus P. Eaton, by some means got hold of the idea
that there ought to be a paper at Pequot Village, near what is now
Winnebago Park, got his old press from Edwards, at Oshkosh, and
maybe half enough type, and sent for Mr. Glaze to help him out.
But before getting things in shape to start his foolish enterprise, sold
the outfit to Flavins Josephus Mills, and it went to Sheboygan and
into the office of the Lake Shore Journal. In 1852 Mr. Beeson sold
the Journal to M. J. Thomas, son-in-law of John B. Macy, and resulted
in the change to Fond du Lac Union to aid in the election of Mr.
Macy to congress. The Journal was dormant for a while, but was
put afloat again by Kingman Flint, son of Judge Flint, and S. D.
254 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Stanchfield, uncle of our present S. B. Stanchfield. But its light went
out again after a year or two, as did that of the Union, all of which
was in the interest of Smead's Democratic Press. But the old
Journal could not rest in peace, and was revived by Tim Strong, Jr.,
one of the best educated men Fond du Lac ever had. It drifted into
the hands of James Russell and thence to Edward Beeson again. In
his old age Mr. Beeson sold it to Jake Bloom and last of all it was
absorbed by the Reporter, where it still rests. With many, indeed
most of these changes, Mr. Glaze had much to do, editorially and
mechanically, but the difficulties encountered were far less than those
of the early days. The Fond du Lac Commonwealth, resulting from
the consolidation of the Western Freeman and Fountain City Herald,
in the hands of J. A. Smith, in 1854, the Saturday Reporter started in
1862 by J. J. Beeson, son of Edward Beeson, and the Ripon Common-
wealth, founded upon the ruins of the Prairie City Record in 1864,
by A. T. Glaze, all successful newspapers of today, each in their
infancy had their clothing adjusted by Mr. Glaze.
The job printers really had more difficulties than the newspaper
printers. The latter, when they had the forms once adjusted, had only
to distribute the used type and make up with that newly set, lock the
forms and go to press, but the job printer was constantly encounter-
ing something new, and being short of type he had often to cut lines
of wood type, use home made borders, patch rules, cut rules with a
file, and leads with a knife, use a piece of plank to distribute -the ink
on the rollers, make a paper cutter of a shoe knife and coarse stone
and many similar things in all parts of the work, and though a very
good printer, he may be horrified to find a hideous job, the result of
his best efforts. All these troubles might come every day, but the
newspaper man faced them but weekly. Yet how many of the
printers of today would care to face either task. But fifty years ago
it had to be done in Fond du Lac or not have a newspaper or print-
ing office at all. It is not needful to face these troubles now, no
matter how near the printer may go to the pioneer border. Conditions
are different. Material is more plenti^ful, easier obtained, in greater
variety and cheaper. The printer of the long ago was expected to be
competent for every part of the work, today they are mostly press-
men, machine men, make-up men, and general utility men. Type
setting is mostly done on machines, except headings and display, and
it is daily becoming more general. Editors in the old times wrote up
everything that came his way, no matter on what subject. Now they
are divided into general, local, news, society, sporting, financial, etc.
The old time fellow was expected to be up in all these. This is writ-
ten, not to criticise present methods but to show the difference be-
tween old times and the present. Under conditions as they now exist,
old methods would doubtless be impractical.
After having served as County Treasurer, Gen. John Potter said
that the humiliation of getting the nomination, the expense of the
election and annoyance of giving the bonds, was too much to ask of
an honest man.
HELPED TO MAKE HISTORY
History Making was Active in Pioneer Days and Here is Some of
It to Interest and Amuse People in Our Day.
County Seat Contest.
Few people now living in Fond du Lac have remembrance or
knowledge of the contest had in the forties to secure and hold the
county seat. Taycheedah put up a strong fight. Dr. Darling sold lots
for $25. or gave a lot to anyone who would build on it. These lots
might be selected anywhere on his land, and this liberal policy brought
many settlers. But'^this did not settle the matter, although it helped
much. Taycheedah owes its defeat to the river channel, now little
better than a slough, from Scott street to the lake. Lake navigation
was a great thing at that time, and the Fond du Lac river channel was
deemed the natural harbor at the south end of the lake. It was
argued that vessels must seek this channel for safety. The people
were not able to foresee the fact that in just ten years the railroads
would kill this lake navigation, and that our boasted Fond du Lac
river would be almost valueless. But at the time of which we write,
that channel served its purpose well for Fond du Lac. It was
a harbor (please don't laugh), but how much of a harbor is it now?
For more than forty years the harbor idea could be treated as a joke,
yet it brought the county seat to Fond du Lac.
During the time of the controversy, Taycheedah was a prosperous
village. There were two hotels, two or three stores, machine shops,
carpenter shops, cabinet shops, harness shops, a mill, a brewery,
a pier out into the lake for vessels, and various other things
that go to the making of a prosperous village. The chief
justice*^ of the supreme court lived there, the lieutenant governor
of the state lived there, and it had a number of prominent
men as citizens. But all this soon changed when the county
seat was lost. One hotel came to Fond du Lac on the _ ice
behind eight yoke of oxen, several houses came overland, and since
then many of the old houses have burned and others gone to ruin, and
today, but for the summer resort homes, the village would be in very
poor health. But who will venture to say that the location would
not have been a beautiful one for a city. The views from the slopes
of the ledge are grand, and the varying landscape most desirable for
homes. Fond du Lac gained the day and prospered. Taycheedah
lost and sank to ruin.
Was a Close Contest.
Previous to 1856, the territory now included in Tvlarquette and
Green Lake counties was in one county under the name of Marquette,
with Montello then, as now, the county seat. But trouble came over
256 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
the county seat question, which was only settled by dividing the
county and creating the county of Green Lake. But now came
trouble in the new county. Princeton, Berlin, Marquette, Kingston
and Dartford were all in the field, but it finally went to Dartford.
Ripon now came into the field. A bill to detach the towns of Ripon,
Metomen and Alto from Fond du Lac county and add them to Green
Lake, failed in the legislature, but a bill did pass authorizing the
people of Fond du Lac county to vote on a proposition to detach the
town of Ripon from this county and attach it to Green Lake. This
proposition was voted upon at the fall election of 1859, and resulted
in a majority against it of 107, the vote being 2,604 for and 2,711
against. But now came another contest. The legislature directed
that the ballot should read: "For Detaching Ripon," or "Against
Detaching Ripon." Some friends of Ripon had tickets printed reading
"Against Division," and some of them were voted and returned as
cast. In the canvass of the votes Ripon contended that the law fixed
a specific form of ballot and that those votes could not be legally
counted against the proposition. The canvassers contended that the
statutes directed that the evident intention of the voter should govern,
and that the evident intention of the voters in this case was to vote
against the proposition, and so canvassed them. The case went to the
supreme court and was so decided there. This ended the efiforts of
Ripon to become the county seat of Green Lake county, and the whole
subject has now gone so far into the past that it is forgotten except
by a few. Forty-five years of peace have now reigned on that subject,
and it is likely to continue.
Looking at the matter candidly and fairly, no one can blame
Capt. Mapes, E. L. Runals, Jerre Dobbs, Mr. Workman and others
for their determined efforts in behalf of Ripon, for the lay of the land
and conditions were such that if the effort had carried, Ripon would
unquestionably have been the county seat of Green Lake county.
Made Wood Type.
In 1849, Uncle M. Farnsworth had a shop on East First street,
where T. O'Connell's carpenter shop is now, in which he made grain
cradles and scythe snaths and did general tinkering. He had a great
variety of tools and much bench room, and he being a very kind-
hearted old gentleman, was free to allow others to use the tools and
shop room. It was a favorite place of resort for those who desired to
do work of their own. He seemed to be glad to have those developing
patents or doing any sort of tinkering to come there. Wood type
was then, of course, high in price and difficult to obtain, and so it came
about that A. T. Glaze cut a large amount of wood type in the shop,
made small cuts, and with the aid of A. C. Stow, built the first paper
cutter used in Fond du Lac. It was a pretty good one, too, and was
used many years in Beeson's Job Printing office. Mr. Glaze also
made four banjos there, one of which was sold by William Harbaugh
to an Indianapolis gentleman for $16. The first one made, the "lone
fisherman," Harvey Durand, helped him to string and tune in Philo
Smith's jewelry store. Mr. Glaze was not a banjo player, but simply
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 257
took a notion to put in some extra hours making them. They were
all good ones, and were traded or sold to good advantage. He made
in that shop many things for printing office use, then not so easy to
obtain as now. Uncle M. Farnsworth is held in grateful remembrance
for his efforts in enabling the writer to spend so many pleasant hours
in his shop.
Oldest Continuous Business.
In this year of 1905, Mr. G. Scherzinger has the fact to his credit
of being the oldest in continuous business in Fond du Lac. He began
business here in 1854, and there is no business man now here who
antedates him. F. Sander, the furniture dealer, opened in 1855, and
is second. H. G. De Sombre began his jewelry business in 1856 and
holds third place. In the dry goods trade. J. C. Whittelsey is the
veteran, coming here in 1855, and M. Wagner is next, coming here in
1856, but did not enter the dry goods trade in his own name until 1878.
In the drug trade, Huber Bros, are the veterans, dating from 1864.
Reeves & Son are second, and L. J. Remington third. The veteran
dealer in hardware is John Hughes, the second and third Wilkie &
Son and George P. Dana. In groceries, Herman Zinke must rank
first, the Zinkes being in business at the corner of Main and Sixth
streets from the early fifties. Mason & Son sell groceries as well as
crockery, and hold second place, and E. H. Jones still dealing in gro-
ceries, is third. The city is well stocked with groceries on all streets,
some of them a few years old and some but a few weeks. The
veteran shoe store is Egelhoff's, the second is Youmans and the third
Fitzsimons. The oldest bakery is Snow's, the oldest meat market
Coughlin's, the oldest tin shop Decker's, the oldest saloon Chapleau's,
and the oldest wood-working shop S. W . Edson's. at the Five Points.
The latter is probably the oldest shop of any sort in the entire city.
In shops and business of almost every kind, the changes have been
rapid and numerous in the last twenty years. The old-time business
men have quit business or died.
An 1848 Tin Shop.
The 1848 tin shop in Fond du Lac was owned by Eliab Perkins,
afterwards Perkins & AVilliams, Perkins & Smith, then E. Perkins
again. The hardware and stove store became the property of Mr.
Smith and his widow conducted it until 1896, when she sold it and
returned to the east. Mr. Perkins in 1864, began the manufacture of
the North Pole refrigerator and made and sold many hundreds of
them. Two years later he invented and began the manufacture of a
fire-proof shutter, which for a time had an enormous sale. The brick
building, now the south part of the Wilkins livery barn, was erected
as a factory for making the shutters. Making the refrigerators was
abandoned as less profitable, and in 1871, after the great Chicago fire,
the shutter factory was moved to that city, and a little later to
Sycamore, 111., where it failed in competition with other and possibly
better shutters. Mr. Perkins died at Minneapolis in 1899, and his
remains were brought to Fond du Lac and buried at Rienzi. He was
a remarkably active business man, but seemed to lack in proper man-
258 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
agement. He is believed to have made the great mistake of his life
when he left Fond du Lac. He did not hesitate to say so himself.
The Old Time Singing School.
How singular that the old fashioned singing school has disap-
peared and is no longer a part of our educational system. In the
early times a winter would no more than fairly begin when the sing-
ing school came, not only as an educational feature, but as a source
of enjoyment, and the young people especially found pleasure and
profit in them. There were classes for adults and for children.
Emerson H. Hawley, brother of Rev. Silas Hawley, the Congrega-
tional minister, had a music store here, and during the winter months
had singing classes in city and country every night in the week except
Sunday. He was an excellent teacher and so he was in demand for
ithis work several years. O. B. Judd was a fine teacher for children's
classes, and old residents will remember how the little folks came out
to his school. But neither Hawley nor Judd could succeed in their
work now. Singing schools are, to use a modern expression, played
out. Why this is so it is difficult to say. Even the old time musical
convention is heard of no more, and the professional conductor of
them is out of business. It has been many years since Fond du Lac
has had a regular singing school or musical convention.
An Old Time Quarrel.
Ichabod Codding is a queer name, isn't it? Well, he was a queer
man, too. He was a Unitarian minister, and also a decided, old-
fashioned abolitionist, who used to make political speeches before the
war. He abhorred slavery every time and all the time. One evening
Mr. Codding spoke in Darling's Hall and Charles A. Eldredge was
there to hear him, and at the close Mr. Eldredge denounced some
things said about the democratic party as lies. Mr. Codding declared
his readiness to stand by all he had said. The result was some bitter
talk, something of a row and nearly a general fight. But Edward
Pier, Edwin A. Brown and a few others stopped it. This incident
shows how bitter the political feeling was just before the war.
First County Surveyor.
Horace W. Newton, now doing daily service in the register's
office at the court house, was the first surveyor of Fond du Lac county,
being elected in the fall of 1848. He is a son of the pioneer. Squire
Newton, and was 22 years of age when elected surveyor. As showing
the perfection he has arrived at in the education of his hands as well
as brain, it may be here stated that ten years ago he wrote the Lord's
Prayer with a pen on a space the size of a ten-cent piece and had one-
third of the space left, and if you would see some of the prettiest
writing ever put in a record book, ask to see some of his work at the
court house.
Vote on Negro Suffrage.
In the fall election of 1857, a vote was taken on a proposition
that shows something of the feeling then in the public mind on the
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 259
slavery question. The legislature of the previous winter directed
that a vote be taken on the question of the extension of suffrage to
colored people. The vote in Fond du Lac county was 1,931 for and
1,865 against, a majority of sixty-six for extension. The proposition
was carried in the state by a large majority. But actual suffrage was
not given the negro until the adoption of the fourteenth amendment
to the constitution in 1863. The vote given here was taken merely
to show congress the feeling of the people on the subject,
A Mistaken Survey.
The reader has no doubt often noticed the jog in Marr street,
between First and Sheboygan streets. This was occasioned by an
error in the original survey. Until 1861, the street was closed, that
north of the jog" being known as \A''ingate street and that south as
Marr. In 1861 the city ordered it opened as we have it now, and it
became Marr street through to Merrill, Wingate street being abol-
ished. The faulty survey also made the jog still existing at the
corner of First and Portland street, and threw the Commercial
National Bank corner five and a half feet into First street.
Anniversary of a Printer.
Thursday, August 24, marked the fifty-fifth anniversary of the
arrival of A. T. Glaze, one of Wisconsin's pioneer newspapermen, in,
Fond du Lac. He came to this city from Milwaukee in a stage coach
pulled by four horses. The mail schedule called for the arrival of the
coach at 8 o'clock in the evening, but the trip was made during rainy
weather and Mr. Glaze did not arrive until 3 o'clock in the morning.
Mr. Glaze at once entered the office of the Fond du Lac Journal,
following the printer's trade there for several years. In 1854, four
years later, the Western Freeman, owned by J. A. Smith, a Quaker
abolitionist, and the Fountain City Herald, owned by Royal Buck,
were consolidated and the newspaper was called The Commonwealth.
Mr. Glaze made up the forms for the first issue of The Common-
wealth and printed the paper on a hand press. He continued to work
in the office until i860, when he took charge of the job office of his
uncle, Edward Beeson.
Reporter Established.
In 1862, John Beeson, a son of Edward Beeson, found it impossi-
ble on account of his health, to continue his work in school and he
sought employment where he hoped it would benefit his physical
condition. His father had a large quantity of type in the office that
had been used in supreme court work, and as there was little use for
this at the time the son left school, they decided to start another
paper. This new paper was The Reporter. Mr. Glaze made up the
first form of this paper and the first issue was run off on a hand press
by him. He also founded the Ripon Commonwealth in 1864,
so it will be seen that he established three newspapers in Fond du
Lac county by making the first forms and running the first issues.
All three of these papers are now thriving, the first two being
changed to dailies years ago.
260 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
He still continues to take an active interest in newspaper
work and frequently visits the local plants. He has not given up
writing, although his health does not permit him to keep at the grind
as he did years ago.
Struck by Epidemics.
It is probably remembered by few people now living, that Fond
du Lac had a short season of cholera. It was in the fall of 1856, and
for the size of the city at the time, it may be said that many died,
and many had it who recovered. Among the latter was C. H. Benton,
E. Perkins, Thos. W. Dee and Geo. Driggs. A number of families
suffered much. The disease was first recognized as Asiatic Cholera
by Dr. Walker, and the physicians of the city held private consulta-
tion to determine what was best to be done, so as not to frighten the
people and keep country people from coming to town to trade.
Among other things the newspaper men promised to say nothing
alarming. It first appeared in August and lasted until the weather
became cold. Dr. Patchen and Dr. Raymond thought the disease
was an aggravated form of Cholera Morbus, but the other doctors
said it was genuine cholera. At any rate it was fortunate that it
started in so late in the year.
In 1 861, Fond du Lac had an epidemic of typhoid fever, and again
was it fortunate that it started late and ended as the cold weather
came on. It appeared in many prominent families. It was in a very
aggravated form and the doctors had a hard time of it as well as
their patients. We have occasionally had some typhoid fever since,
but nothing like as many cases or so severe.
About the same time, but it is said by those who ought to know,
that it was in 1859 that a spotted fever appeared, but was late and
soon stamped out. There were not very many cases, but they all died
but two, the survivors being Mrs. Jane Ann Ward and Mrs. A. T.
Glaze, both young ladies at the time.
From earliest times Fond du Lac has been singularly free from
smallpox. There have been a few cases at times, but not in any
sense epidemic.
Large Number of Deeds.
It will interest some people and maybe surprise others, to learn
that the late B. F. Moore, an 1841 pioneer of this county, during his
sixty-four years' residence here, executed a greater number of deeds
of real estate, which went on record in the Register's ofiice. than any
other man here. Abstract office books show a total of about 1,400.
Besides other business he handled real estate almost from the begin-
ning of his life here, and especially after moving from Taycheedah to
Fond du Lac in 1846. He was very liberal with pioneers with small
means, who desired to secure homes and sold much property to such
people.
OLD TIME RECORDS
The Place to Find Interesting Records of Early Times is in the Old
Record Books in the Vaults at the Court House.
AH of the county officers, except perhaps the District Attorney,
carries in the vaults of his office, old books containing much that is
interesting to the young as well as the old. In granting the request
of a visitor to the county clerk's office at the court house a few days
ago, County Clerk Alfred S. Wilkinson withdrew the book recording
the meetings of the first county board from one of the shelves in the
vault in his office. This is said to be the oldest book in the court
house, but is remarkably well preserved in spite of its age.
The first pages in the minute book were written by M. C. Darling,
one of the pioneer residents of Fond du Lac county and the first
county clerk. Wisconsin was then a territory, the first board of
"commissioners" organized Oct. 7, 1839, sixty-six years ago. Then
letters "W. T." are written at intervals instead of the "State of Wis-
consin," which is now seen on the county books.
First Meeting.
The record of the first meeting of the county board reads :
"At a meeting of the county board of commissioners for the
county of Fond du Lac. W. T., held at the Fond du Lac house
Monday, October 7, 1839, present, Reuben Simmons, John Bannister
and Edward Pier, commissioners elect. The board was organized
by the choice of Reuben Simmons, chairman, and the appointment
of M. C. Darling, clerk, the clerk having given bonds to the treasurer
according to law. The said county commissioners then filed in the
clerk's office their oaths of office.
"Ordered that the county treasurer give bond in the sum of
$2,000 with two sufficient sureties.
"Ordered that $4.50 be allowed M. C. Darling for one ream of
copy paper for the use of the county.
"Ordered that the sum of $1.20 per day be allowed to Colwert
Pier, Oscar Pier and M. C. Darling for services as judges of election
on the first Monday of August, last."
The board at the first meeting made arrangements for holding
the next election at the following places :
Calumetville, residence of George White ; Fond du Lac, residence
of M. C. Darling; Madrid, residence of Seymour Wilcox.
Alexander La Bord, Edward Pier, Colwert Pier, William Arm-
strong, Philo Norton, Lebbens Heath, B. F. Smith, S. Simmons and
George White were the election clerks and judges at this election.
263 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Modest Bills.
One of the bills submitted at one of these early sessions was one
submitted by M. C. Darling "for seven days self and horse in going
to Bay to attend upon board of clerks, $i8." The "Bay" referred to
was Green Bay, which was, as it is now, commonly referred to as
"the Bay."
An application for a new road was signed bv Oscar Pier, Albert
Kendall, A. D. Clark. Milton J. Brainard, M. C. Darling, B. F. Smith,
H. J. Peck, Joseph King, Alonso Raymond, Patrick Kelley, Alfred
Williams, John Wallis, Luke Labord, G. deNeveu, John Clevis,
William Labord, Alexander Labord, David Johnson. Alva Merton,
Russell Wilkinson and A. L. Simmons.
Another First Meeting.
The first account of the board meetings after Wisconsin became
a state on May 29, 1848, reads as follows:
"The county board of supervisors for the county of Fond du Lac
assembled at the court house in said county at the above date agree-
able to the requirements of an act entitled : 'An act to provide for
the levying and collecting state revenue/ and were called to order
by the clerk reading the act requiring the meeting."
The Members.
Those who answered the first roll call of the board of supervisors
after Wisconsin became a state, were :
Calumet — George White.
Taycheedah — Charles Doty.
Fond du Lac — Selim Newton.
Forest — Henry Giltner.
Auburn — James Adams.
Eden — Peter Vandervoort.
Byron — William Stewart.
Oakfield — James Patterson.
Lamartine — Peter V. Sang.
Rosendale — Jonathan Daugherty.
Ceresco — David Mapes.
Springvale — Warren Whiting.
Metomen — H. C. Eggleston.
Alto — Samuel A. Carpenter.
Waupun — M. Campbell.
Eldorado— M. J. Barnett.
This particular book was used for a period of ten or more years
before it was finally put away to become a part of the archives of the
ofifice. The binding is now in condition, and the reading is very
plain, the chirography of many of the county clerks being above the
average.
E. R. Ferris and Sheeps' Gray.
In an early day E. R. Ferris had a dry goods store in the Drury
block, next north of the present Amory block. Among his goods he
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 263
at one time bought a lot of sheeps' gray cloth, then all the rage for
substantial suits. The first suit sold from it was to William Hayes,
sometimes called "Noisy Bill," because he seldom failed to fill up
when he came to town. A. H. Clark made the suit for Hayes, but
did not like to spoil Ferris' trade by telling him how poor it was,
but he soon discovered it and sent word to Ferris that as soon as it
was warm enough for him to get out of the house, he would be down
to see about it. Other suits were sold, all of which showed the cloth
to be the poorest shoddy, and it was returned to Chicago. But as
to the Hayes suit — he had worn it at rough work, and when brought
to Ferris was in rags. Just how the settlement resulted is not now
remembered, but it was in a way to stop Hayes' loud talk, as Ferris
made it part of the contract.
An Early Days' Worker.
Alexander Hamilton Clark, so well known to all the old settlers
as "Ham Clark," father of L. H. Clark and Mrs. Ed. Kent, of this
city, was in early times a farmer and land breaker from necessity, an
inventive mechanic from innate skill, a tailor by trade, a fine violinist
from taste and a gentleman by nature. He could put in his spare
time on the farm, break land with six or eight yokes of oxen, work
with tools at the bench, make a suit of clothes, play the violin for a
dance, or attend a reception with equal facility. He, with his violin,
Jerome Gibson with his clarinet arid Hutchins with his horn, were
favorites for dancing music, and they played for the club parties in
the Marshall block several winters, where the contract was that if
midnight came with a set ofT the floor, they were to quit, however
strong was the teasing for just one more. If a set was on the floor
at midnight, they were to complete it and then quit. Injurious late
hours was thus avoided and the parties were a great success and
satisfactory to all. Ham Clark was a favorite, as he deserved to be.
Lake deNeveu Outlet.
The outlet of Lake deNeveu, on the west shore, was riot always
the insignificant stream that it is now. The water once poured out
in sufiricient volume to form a lively brook. Sufficiently large, anyhow,
to nearly drown Geo. P. Dana, the present day hardware merchant,
when he was a small boy living with his parents on the Macy farm.
He on that occasion, was pulled into the water by a pet deer.
An Early Planing Mill.
John Bonnell, assisted by C. Z. Gordon, late of Oakfield, had an
early day planing mill not far from where the water works pumping
station is now. This mill was of great assistance to the early house
builders in the preparation of lumber for use. For that early time,
the work was well done and the mill was kept going more than the
usual number of hours per day. It could often be heard going at lo
o'clock at nieht.
264 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Period of Hoop Skirts.
It was early in the sixties that the women began to wear hoop
skirts, but it was not until 1865 that the extreme in size was reached,
of 117 inches in circumference or a little more than a yard in diameter
for the average sized woman. And at the time there were extremists
in this as there always is in other things, and women were often seen
with skirts even considerable larger than this. To reach these ex-
tremes they used rattans and made their own skirts much larger than
were kept in the stores. And they were often at the extreme too, in
stiffness, and had to be tilted as the wearer entered a church pew.
A lady would be horrified now with a stiff skirt more than a yard in
diameter, but they were just the thing then. A skirt properly pro-
portioned as to size with elastic steel springs, was very pretty and no
one would object to their coming again, which they are liable to do
at any time. The extremes is what one dislikes and is not slow to
express the hope that they be permanently retired.
A Simple Matter of Sense.
Judge Campbell McLean and D. R. Curran were democrats, the
latter of the old school and very rigid, but McLean was very much
inclined to VanBurenize in 1848 and become a Free Soiler. The two
men were very warm personal friends, but occasionally had disputes.
]\IcLean liked to say sharp things and to spring jokes and Curran's
opinions when once formed, were as unchangeable as the laws of the
Medes and Persians. In the election of 1852, Pierce and King against
Scott and Graham, the free soil matter was much discussed. One
evening in Curran's drug store, both men became impatient and
McLean sang out, "Look here, Dave, why in thunder don't you get
a little more sense in your head — you can if you try." Curran re-
plied, "But you can't get any more into your head if you try ever so
hard."
Macy Street Changes.
Macy street from Second street to the court house, was once a
quite respectable street. On the west side of Macy were several quite
respectable houses for the times. In the house on the corner where
a shop is now, was the family of Mr. W'heeler, next north the family
of Solon G. Dodge, while he was Register of Deeds, and Rev. W.
L. Mather, pastor of Plymouth Church. A man whose name is
forgotten, lived in the next house, then the largest on the street, but
it was soon moved away to give place to a large shop erected on the
corner by R. M. & Asa Pierce. Later all these gave place to the
lumber yard. On the east side of the street were two houses, one of
them occupied by William Hope, father of the late George Hope.
These two houses and the barn of the Windsor House, was all there
was on the east side and all north of the barn, in 1859, gave place to
the gas works, and the houses on the west side were immediately
vacated. North of Second street, Macy was no street at all.
SUCCESSFUL EFFORT
An Address Given at the Meeting of the Old Settlers' Club, August
30, 1905, by Mrs. Edgar Wilcox, of Oakfield.
Ancestral worship is not greatly in vogue with the average
American. The self-made, self-sufhcient. and self-satisfied man is
much more in evidence. Even the scanty and infrequent praise,
which we bestow upon those, who earlier or later, bore the heaviest
burdens and did the roughest work of founding a new nation, state,
county or township, is apt to terminate with something of the Phar-
isee's form of gratitude. It may be only a mental reservation, but
we are conscious of being glad that we are not as the pioneer.
The organization of which we are members or guests today,
might be supposed to have in it at least an element of that reverence
for the former things with the lack of which we are so often charged.
And doubtless it has. But no mere recognition of results will be
sufficient to inspire us with veneration. We must look deeper than
this. Perhaps mere gratitude towards those whose privations, hard-
ships and labors obtained for us not merely comfort and plenty, but
abundance and luxury might be a sufficient motive for this effort to
keep fresh the memory of them. The noblest of heroes are those who
live and die unconscious of their heroism and the appeal of the noble
dead is a strong and pathetic one. But one thinks of man}- things in
these days when privilege is so great and self-questioning is inevi-
table. Their choice was limited ; ours is greater. Are we choosing
wisely? The main value of all praise or blame, even for the living,
much more for the dead, lies in its reactionary effect upon ourselves.
Therefore it is wiser for us to forget all that is base and worthless
and remember only that which is noble and worthy.
From a material point of view, it is not difficult to make note of
much for which we are primarily indebted to the pi6neer. The
wilderness has become a garden. The corduroy roads traversed by
the clumsy oxen and clumsier cart, have been transformed into
smooth highways, fitted for the automobile and pony carriage. Log
cabins and board shanties have made way for many roomy and com-
fortable and some elegant and luxurious homes. The wretched
animals crouching under straw stacks, through the bitter cold of a
Wisconsin winter night, have been replaced by well-kept and high
blooded cattle that scarce know a discomfort in their warm, clean,
and well-ventilated stables. If we do not vie with the Holland
dairymen by tying the cows' tails with blue ribbons and decorating
the window sills of their apartments with pots of blooming geraniums,
we can only say — the end is not yet.
While none of us would affect to despise any of these marks of
progress, we should not forget that a yet richer legacy awaits our
266 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
acceptance. We possess not alone the dearly bought estates of our
fathers, but we of this day, in any part of our favored land, are the
heirs of the ages. The rapid march of civilization, and the legislation
of a paternal government, have carried us close to the treasures of
the past as well as of the present. A fraction of the energy, self-
denial and privations which felled the forests, bridged the streams
and made firm paths across our prairies, will unlock for us the world's
storehouses of art, of science and of literature. Are we content with
enough of material goods? Are we giving our leisure to the acquisi-
tion of mental and spiritual wealth? The old settlers were industrious
and frugal, perforce, possibly. The get-rich-quick schemes and The
Associated Charities are of later date. Are we practicing the same
virtues because thus we may render our homes, our neighbors, our
church and our country, the larger service. Circumstances do not
so narrow our lives. Are we enjoying our liberty on making our-
selves slaves to custom and fashion?
The pioneer had faith, at least, the faith of Columbus, that there
was land west of him. And he pushed on, like the illustrious dis-
coverer, in spite of discouraging words and often in the face of
difficulties, scarcely less appalling than those which the early
navigators encountered. Almost as trackless as the ocean were
forest and prairie. All this is changed for us and the homeseekers
in the yet untamed regions of our land, are transported in swift and
comfortable coaches, with reduced rates as an inducement. But are
there no social complexities, no waste moral regions, which puzzle
and alarm? Do we ever turn away from the fascinating romance or
charming pictvire words of the cultured and witty traveler to con-
sider the horrors of child labor, the soul of black folk,and the grinding
slavery of the unskilled workwoman? On having considered these
things, do we at suitable times and in suitable places speak our con-
victions without fear of the consequent odium? Or are we more
concerned about the cheapness of products or the question of personal
popularity? If so, are we maintaining the faith of our fathers?
The courage with which the pioneer faced the red man, miasma,
drouth and forest fires seems almost like the fearlessness of ignor-
ance. But it will be remembered that few, comparatively, made
voluntary retreat. The reservations hold the Indians now and the
hard and patient labors of years have largely diminished the danger
from fires and unsanitary conditions. But we have graft, the ward
boss and the political machine, and who is equal to these things?
We do exhibit fortitude worthy of a better cause under the exactions
of the monopolist and the outrages of the stricken, but the courage
which opposes, and, by opposing, ends them, is, mainly, (not alto-
gether) conspicuous by its absence.
Unselfishness, pure and simple, is a virtue so rare that it is not
safe to predicate it of any entire class. But those who lay the foun-
dations on, while others may build, do in efifect illustrate this most
lovable quality. In truth they may have labored only in their own
behalf, and in occasional instances may have enjoyed long the fruits
of their labors, and if we know them by that most sincere of compli-
FROM EARLY DAYS 10 THE PRESENT 267
ments, imitation, we shall be mindful, in the superstructure which we
rear, not only of ancestral worth, but of the highest good of coming
generations. If their beneficence was in a measure forced, ours must
be conscious and voluntary and greater. No man can live to himself
alone, and we are not up to the standard if, with our enlarged oppor-
tunity and multiplied leisure, we are even trying to do so. The
social life, the open-handed hospitality of the early settlers, has been
much lauded. Surely in all but its spirit it left much to be desired.
But it is the spirit which giveth life. If in the skillful entertainment
of our guests we have lost that genuine love of their presence, we
have missed the finest touch of the social act. If this becomes a mere
exchange of pasteboard and bonbons, and social events shall be, aptly
as they are hideously termed, functions, then surely we are progress-
ing backward.
The pioneer was neither a mediaevalist nor an anarchist. He
lived necessarily the simple life, and the rules pertaining thereto were
often enforced without the consent of the ruled. As in other respects
where he had no choice, the highest value of such a life may not have
been his, but to some of its rewards he did fall heir. The educational
and religious institutions of the more distant past were re-established
in the earliest days of new settlements, and many of the philanthropic
and benevolent enterprises of the present were given by him good
countenance and substantial aid.
In many works we have today a far different outlook. Life is
apparently a more complex matter; its necessary simplicity has van-
ished, and it may some time be our duty to disentangle ourselves
from the conventional, to tear away disguises, to expose chains, to
act upon the principle that in morals, as in mathematics, the shortest
distance between any two points is measured on the straight line
which joins them.
It has sometimes been said by the better natured of our foreign
critics, that while we had neither art, literature nor history, we were
partly excusable from lack of time. We were so new. But, fortu-
nately, or unfortunately, that excuse is fast failing us — not because
our critics have made any mistakes in their dates, but because, like
that of the youngest child of a large family, our babyhood has been
much enriched by the garnered wisdom of our elder brothers and
sisters, and our wits sharpened by the conversation of those more
mature. These, too, with rare discretion, deferred their petting until
the youngest of the nations was fairly on its feet. We can no longer
truthfully say that we fight for an existence. Are we aiming to put
into the fabric of our state those principles of universal education,
religious principle and strict equity which were once proclaimed as
its foundation stones? Is the republic to be a republic or an olig-
archy? Are we vigilant of the rights of others as well as of our own?
Do we remember that Spartan fortitude was the result only of
Spartan discipline? Are we giving to the stranger within our gates
the freedom and the justice our revered ancestors claimed for them-
selves and for their posterity? If we are practicing the same virtue
by which our heritage was won, we are making good our claim to all
268 ■ BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
its rank and power. But not for long^ can we make those principles
a neglected factor, and yet call high heaven to witness that we are
and of right ought to be, the most favored nation on earth. Have we
any doubt of this? History repeats itself, and the panorama of the
nations of all time is unrolled upon her pages. Some illustrations
of what may be our fate are so familiar as to need but slight allusion.
The beauty-loving Greek has long been a theme for poets and
rhapsodists, and his graceful marbles will never cease to be admired.
But when he made gods of his graven images, neglected the discipline
which had made him strong, and the careful self-culture which had
made him master of craft and art, he fell from his high estate. When
the spirit of caste had nurtured envy, and oppression hate ; when
luxury had enervated its votaries and drained the life blood of its
victims, the work of the foreign foe was easy, and men said, "How
strange." But we say it no more.
The Romans were a ruder race, but so long as they maintained
even a rough justice toward their own countrymen, regarded as
sacred the rights of Romans and fought for the common glory of the
Roman nation, they were invincible alike against the cultured and
powerful and the savage tribes and nations that hemmed them in on
every side. But when Rome said, 'T am mistress of the world," the
canker of pride began to eat at her vitals. When her emperors and
nobles maintained their state and splendor through her enslavement
of her citizens and her laborers, she had yielded the secret of her
power. Then Goth and Visigoth, Vandal and Hun might roam at
will through her marble palaces, stable their horses beside her altars
and pluck the beards of her haughty senators.
The great empire of Charlemagne fell to pieces in the hands of
his degenerate sons, and probably today the average Frenchman
could not name the territories where their great hero once held sway.
Does the comparison seem a fanciful one, or the thought unsuited
for consideration? Certainly not fanciful, unless the centuries have
abrogated the law of cause and effect and it is no longer true that
whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. Not irrelevant, if
we are a part of the whole. "Mine is a divine right, and no man may
gainsay me," said Charles I, of England. Not alone for his own arro-
gance, but for the accumulated wrongs of centuries he paid the pen-
alty. "We are the state," said citizen and citizeness of France, and a
howling frenzied mob cheered when the head of Louis XIV rolled into
the basket. The world has been long in learning that no man — king
or peasant, millionaire or day laborer — has any right which is not
based on righteousness. The wisest of presidents, the most learned
counselors, the most magnificent commerce, fleets and armies, cannot
preserve the honor, the integrity and the power of a republic. We
are the state. And such as we the state will be.
Not once in a thousand years, with blind and unreasoning fury,
to burn, to tear down, to pillage and to murder, but always, by our
individual worth, to build up, to guard, to cherish and to enrich.
We cannot be atheists. The wonders of creation forbid that.
We cannot forget our fathers. Their lives are too closely interwoven
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 269
with ours for that to be possible. And if we are not loyal to our
country — well, we could not discuss such a possibility.
I know of no finer epitome of a life than that given by Madame
De Stael, near the close of her long and memorable career. A woman
whose personal fascinations, intellectual brilliancy and political in-
sight have seldom been combined in one person, summed up all she
had been or done in the words, "I have loved my God, my father and
my country." It was enough for her; it is enough for us.
An Honest Grocery Man.
It has often been said that all grocery dealers were not honest,
but labored hard to sell what goods they had, regardless of customer
and circumstances. This may have been true in the years past, but
it was not true in all cases. There was at least one man in the grocery
trade in Fond du Lac who had the reputation generally for being
strictly honest and sold his goods for just what they were. He always
told the customer of the situation as to quality. This man, when not
much more than a boy, was employed in the grocery store of Robert
Wyatt, then on West Second street. He learned the business there
and afterwards went into business for himself on Main street, in the
room now occupied by Miss Tambke and the Jenz candy store, and
was in business there" a number of years. This man was Dennis
Conley, brother of our present well known grocer, J. W. Conley, who
clerked for his brother. Dennis Conley died some years ago, and in
the latter years of his life was in poor health. He at least left a
reputation for being a strictly honest grocer.
An Unfortunate Shoemaker.
"That's what's the matter," was the characteristic utterance of
John Rottman, and who of the old timers and many of modern times,
have not heard it from his lips. John Rottman was the best natured
German shoemaker ever in Fond du Lac. He had considerable
means, had a very good business, but bad habits and carelessness,
besides a bad marriage, ruined him. He had hosts of friends, but
they could not overcome his bad habits and home troubles, and the
result was that John was so frozen one cold night on his way home
to the distant east end of Ninth street, that he died. For many years
before he died, he occupied the little shop on East Second street, near
Main, where he cobbled himself into old age. John Rottman was
altogether too good natured. He signed paper for his friends that
cost him much money, and from good circumstances went into
poverty. Still he was always good natured and pleasant to callers.
He was a historical character. He sat on his little shoe bench from
morning to night, a most industrious citizen. Like many others,
industrious but wrong guided.
270 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Dr. H. B. Dale Practiced Here.
The late Dr. H. B. Dale, of Oshkosh, was a nephew of Dr. T. J.
Patchen, and began practice here. Dr. Patchen came to Fond du Lac
in 1854 and Dr. Dale came a year later, and their professional card
of that date reads, Drs. Patchen & Dale, Homeopathic Physicians and
Surgeons. Three years later Dr. Dale went to Oshkosh, spending
the remainder of his life there, becoming not only one of the most
noted and successful physicians, but one of the most popular citizens.
For many years he was superintendent of schools of that city. Mrs.
Dale was Miss Augusta Olcott, daughter of Q. M. Olcott, one of the
prominent early days' lumbermen of Fond du Lac. During his resi-
dence here. Dr. Dale became a very popular doctor and he was greatly
missed when he went to Oshkosh.
Former Fond du Lac People.
J. H. Spencer will be remembered by all older citizens as a dealer
in leather and shoemakers and harnessmakers findings. He was a
noted talker and for many years was the leader of the spiritualists.
What he did not know about that faith it was not worth while to try
to find out. Mr. Spencer died in Chicago in 1897, at the age of 90
years. His son, DeWitt Spencer, has resided in Minneapolis many
years. He will be remembered as manufacturer of gloves and mittens
and of Brown's Blood Purifier.
Connected with the Spencer store was J. W. Hawes, so long there
as to be almost part of it. He died here many years ago.
Fred May and Homeing Pigeons.
Fred May, son of E. M. May, well known to all old residents,
now residing on the banks of 'Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis, has bred
some of the most noted Homeing Pigeons in this country. On July
4th, 1905, he had nine birds in a flight of six hundred miles, and every
one of them returned home safely, the first in thirteen hours and the
last in eighteen hours and fifty minutes. Fred ]\Iay is a native of Fond
du Lac, being born here in 1870.
An Old School Darkey.
"I don't want to interfere to cause no interruptions," was a re-
mark made by "Uncle Billy Jones," when Mrs. Overton asked him to
call for her boarding house garbage which another darkey had
neglected. At this time "Uncle Billy" had a horse and wagon and did
odd jobs about town, but he traded himself out of about everything
he had, and the last years of his life he was an indigent old beggar.
He was one of the slaves brought here by Elder Rogers, in war time
from Island No. 10. He died in 1900. and probably everybody within
ten miles of the court house knew Uncle Billy Jones.
COURT HOUSE TALK
The Troubles of the Old Court House and Evolution of the Era.
Some Incidents of the Time.
The Old and the New.
The first Fond du Lac county court house was built in 1848 and
completed ready for use early in 1850, Isaac Brown being the con-
■ tractor. It was a three-story structure, the first story being stone,
the others wood. It was 40x90 feet in size and for that early day was
a fine building. The lower story was divided by a hall, the north
half being the jail and the south half was used as a dwelling place
for the jailor. The second floor was made into rooms for the county
officers, and the third floor was the court room, well seated and
furnished. The building was surmounted by a modest steeple and
flag staff. After a few years the county board, believing the records
unsafe, had a small stone building erected on Court street, north of
the court house, into w^hicli the offices of the register of deeds and
clerk of the court were moved and remained there many years.
About 1868 the agitation began for a new court house, but the super-
visors from the west side of the county, fought those from the east
272 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
side on the proposition. Finally as if to silence the argument that a
new and safer jail was needed, a new jail was conceded, the land
was bought on Linden street and the jail and sheriff's residence
erected as we see them today. But at last the end of the agitation
was reached, for in 1881, after a service of thirty-three years, the
court house burned down. The postofifice then occupied the build-
ing at the corner of Division and Macy streets, where the cold storage
building now is. The rooms above were fitted up for county pur-
poses and the court room continued there three years. At the session
of the county board in the fall of 1881, a building commission was ap-
pointed to prepare plans for a new court house and attend to the
preliminary work. In 1882 the plans were adopted and the con-
tracts were let. The progress of the work was slow and it was not
until 1884 that the building was completed and occupied. The little
stone building on Court street was then torn away and a general
improvement in appearance was begun, resulting finally as we see
it today. The building and its surroundings are such that the people
of the county are well pleased. The heat from the fire at the time
the court house was burned, took away three or four of the
beautiful trees. We were once proud of the old court house and we
are proud of the present structure.
But three county officers. Sheriff, Register and Clerk of the
Court, occupied offices in the old court house at the time of its com-
pletion, and afterwards these three moved out, the Register and
Clerk of the Court into the stone building that was built for safety.
Most of our county officers have occupied rooms about town.
Officers at time of completion of the old court house, were as
follows :
Judge of Circuit Court — Timothy O. Howe.
Judge of County Court — C. E. Tompkins.
Sheriff — Francis D. McCarty.
Register of Deeds — Nelson Wood.
County Clerk — Chauncey J. Allen.
Clerk of Court — Fayette S. Brown,
County Treasurer — Peter V. Sang.
District Attorney — I. S. Tallmadge.
County Surveyor — Lathrop Ellis.
Coroner — Alonzo Raymond.
The county officers holding official positions in the new court
house fifty-five years later, were :
Judge of Circuit Court — Norman S. Gilson.
Judge of County Court — George Perkins.
Sheriff — Frederick Konz.
Register of Deeds — Charles B. Bartlett.
County Clerk — Mark Crain.
Clerk of the Courts — A. E. Richter.
County Treasurer — C. F. G. Wernicke.
District Attorney — F. F. Duffy.
County Surveyor — Joseph Haessley.
Coroner — F. F. Parsons.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 273
The north side of the second story of the old court house was
divided into jury rooms, south side offices, of which there were but
three. The third story, or court room, was used for all sorts of pur-
poses besides court. Conventions, caucuses, church services, lectures,
all sorts of gatherings were held there, especially in the first few
years of its existence.
"The terms of court were held in the school house at Fond du
Lac, until it was burned. The local paper, in speaking of the fire,
said the court house had been burned, every church in the town has
been consumed, and even the school house and all other public
buildings here have shared the same fate. There is no insurance and
the loss cannot be less than two hundred dollars.
Old Court House Yard.
When the old board fence was built around the court house
yard, it was thought to be a nice thing and quite appropriate to what
was then regarded as a nice court house. Then the old sidewalk of
boards was removed and a new one laid with the plank lengthwise.
But this did not last many years and the Sylvesters furnished the
flagging for a stone walk for the frost to heave and break into pieces,
the size of your hand to a side of sole leather, which it proceeded to
do. Then it was removed and thicker stone used, which lasted much
longer. The county fairs came and assisted in making a dilapidated
fence and a mud hole of the yard. But still we pointed with pride
to our court house premises. Then the small office building began
to need repairs, but at an opportune time the old court house took
fire and was burned. Now something better was to come in the court
house of today, a concrete sidewalk, a well kept lawn and no fence
at all. Surely we have improved our county property.
Court House and County Fairs.
County fairs were af one time held on the court house square
and the old court house made use of for the exhibition of fruits,
flowers, grain and fancy goods. Panels of board fencing were made to
surround the square and after a fair had been held and the fence re-
moved, it was a most sorry- looking place — didn't have much the
appearance it has now. The last time it was attempted to hold the
fair there, it was a failure on account of rain. The fence panels were
piled up in the rear of the court house and disappeared one by one,
so that at next fair time very few were left. "Ike" Orvis said 'they
were put out there close to the street as an invitation to those going
by with wagons to throw on one or more and help abolish a public
nuisance. Anyhow it was done and no more county fairs were held
ori the court house square. The next fair was attempted on the
Ingram property on upper Main street, then an open field for some
distance. The day before the fair was to begin, a rain set in and the
water came down in torrents steadily for three whole days. A more
dismal scene was never witnessed on this earth than was that fair
ground and it killed the county fair business for several years. No
one had the heart to try it again until sufficient time had elapsed to
274 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
forget about that fair ground scene. O. W. Townsend had some
pumps there and said he did not need to incur the expense of hauling
water to exhibit them — there was plenty right there. Jay Roblee
had some pigs there and had to remove them by another route on
account of the deep mud. Surely it was one of the county fairs to
beget lasting disgust.
Old Court House Offices.
When the old court house was completed and occupied in 1850,
it was regarded as a quite sleek place. For proof of this, talk with
J. B. Perry, of the First National Bank, who was one of the first in
it with Register of Deeds Nelson Wood, or with E. A. Carey, who
helped Isaac Brown in building it. But there was thirty years of
service coming to it before it was to be wiped out by fire, and in that
thirty years it became decidedly rusty. Its appearance, except the
court room, was little better than any old rookery, unused and un-
usable. It was thirty-four years from the time of its being completed
until a new structure had fully taken its place, an.d that is a long time
to live and prosper for a building erected as cheaply as that was.
It was not of the sort to last like the pyramids. It served its purpose
and probably long enough.
Saved the Court House.
The county board of supervisors once voted one hundred dollars
to the Fond du Lac City Fire department for saving the old court
house from burning. The city would rather have paid the same
amount to let it burn, for it had become an eye-sore. Once after
that it was complained that the department was very slow in getting
there because they wanted it to burn, and maybe it was true. The
country members of the board did not want to build a new court
house then.
Something About Roads.
The first road through this settlement was opened in 1836, from
Green Bay to Fort Crawford, known as the Military Road, though
it seems to have small claim to the name of road. The streams
which were otherwise absolutely impassable, were covered with poles
laid upon fragile foundations, a little above low water mark.
Through timbered land there were some definite marks to inform
the traveller of the road's locality ; through openings, prairies and
marshes, he had a wide field for selecting his route, provided he could
find the bridge over the next stream.
This was the general state of the roads for many years. In 1837
and '38 there was a road opened from Sheboygan. In the fall of
1838 there was a road opened and bridged to Fox Lake. This ro^d
had been previously surveyed by Mr. Brower.
In the winter of 1839, there was a road opened by way of Waupun
to Madison, and a settlement commenced by Mr. S. Wilcox, at
Waupun, eighteen miles from Fond du Lac, and one at Taycheedah
by F. D. McCarty and Reuben Simmons. In 1842 a road was opened
from Fond du Lac to Milwaukee.
IMPROVEMENT COMPANY
Great Expectations of Early Days' People Not Realized. The Fox
and Wisconsin Rivers Improvement.
The Fox and Wisconsin Rivers Improvement Company struggled
along with the work, but the income was not sufficient to keep things
going on the Lower Fox, and the dams and locks went into decay.
On the Upper Fox almost nothing was done. At this time Fond du
Lac lost interest in the work, as it was seen that it would never be of
much value to us. In 1869, a scheme was arranged to sell the im-
provement to the LTnited States government and it was announced
that the sale had been effected, only to be learned later on, that the
government had in reality bought, as the late Charles W. Felker ex-
pressed it, only the right to rebuild the rotted out dams and locks,
and this it did between the years 1869 and 1879. Comparatively little
has been done in the last twenty-five years. The Lower Fox is of
some value, but the Upper Fox is of little account. The work on the
Wisconsin river is of still less value. And so it was that the early
days' expectations in regard to this water way, have proven almost
a failure.
In the introduction to the first Fond du Lac city directory,
printed in 1857, speaking of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers Improve-
ment, Mr. Bingham says:
Fond du Lac, from its location upon Lake Winnebago, commands
a large extent of water communication. Being at the southern ex-
tremity of the lake, which extends into a fine agricultural country,
it is a natural point for a large surrounding country to meet this
water communication. It is connected with Lake Michigan and the
eastern markets by the Lower Fox, which flows from the foot of Lake
Winnebago into Green Bay, and with the Mississippi country by the
Upper Fox and Wisconsin rivers, united b}^ a canal of about two
miles in length. This line of water communication has been known
as a public highway since Father Marquette, a Jesuit Missionary,
first passed over it, starting from Green Bay, to explore the upper
Mississippi in 1763. This water course through a fertile and unsur-
passed agricultural country, naturally attracted the attention of the
first settlers of the state, for the facilities it afforded for commerce,
and manufactures, and the first settlements in the state were made,
one at Green Bay, at the mouth of Fox river, and the other at Prairie
du Chieu, at the mouth of the Wisconsin. At an early day it became
apparent to the settlers of this country, that this channel of communi-
cation between the Mississippi and the Great Lakes might, without
great expense, be so improved as to become a great highway for
commerce through a rich agricultural country. In 1838, it attracted
the attention of the general government, and Mr. Poinsett, Secretary
276 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
of War, called the attention of congress to its value as a route for
military communication and transportation, and urged an appropria-
tion for the construction of locks around the rapids of the Lower Fox,
between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay, and a canal to unite the
rivers at Portage. To effect this object, in August, 1846, congress
granted to the State of Wisconsin alternate sections of land on each
side of the Fox river, and in 1848, the state accepted the grant and
appointed a board, which were charged with the execution of the
work. The Constitution of the State forbids the creation of any
public debts ; the board were therefore limited in their expenditures
to the receipts from the sale of lands granted by congress. As the
population of Wisconsin was then comparatively small, and the public
lands had not been taken up by settlers, their receipts were not
sufficient for a vigorous prosecution of the enterprise.
On the 6th of July, 1853, the legislature transferred the remainder
of the grant and all the works of improvement to an association,
consisting of Mason C. Darling and Benjamin F. Moore, of Fond du
Lac; Otto Tank, Morgan L. Martin, Edgar Conklin, Joseph G. Law-
ton and Uriah H. Peak, of Green Bay, and Theodore Conkey, of
Appleton, and their associates, named and styled the "Fox and Wis-
consin Improvement Company," allowing them all the benefits from
the unsold lands of the grant, and all the profits of the work when
completed (restricted only by a maximum price for tolls), on condi-
tion that they were to assume all the indebtedness and liabilities of
the state incurred in the prosecution of the work, and were to com-
plete the same within a given time.
We who have lived long enough to see results, can hardly
suppress a smile when we read of the expectations of those who have
preceded us. The active days of Captains Sam and Ed Neff, Capt.
Crawford, Capt. Knapp, Capt. Golden, Capt. Anson, Capt. Morley,
Capt. Ole Olson, Capt. John Lynch, Tom Wall and others, have gone
from these waters forever. Nor can their places be filled by others,
as there is no demand for their services. The water, as well as the
men, have disappeared.
Born a Mathematician.
In the early fifties there was a young man named J. M. Sheffield
in Fond du Lac and clerked in the drug store of J. R. & J. W.
Partridge. He was a very quiet young man, whom few knew inti-
mately, and he is spoken of here only to note a peculiarity possessed
by him. He was a born mathematician and could work out questions
in that science with remarkable ease. It mattered not how intricate
the problem might be extending to geometry, trigonometry, or even
to conic sections, it did not seem to bother Sheffield very much. Com-
plicated problems in figures were often worked out by him without
resort to slate or pencil and paper. Men about town often tried to
bother him with problems, only to be astonished how easily and
quickly he could solve them. He was here only three or four years.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Something About the Police Force of Fond du Lac from the Earliest
Times to the Present. Some of Those Who ,
Have Served.
In the earliest times of Fond du Lac, the people had to look out
for their own protection, and this was really the situation until after
we became a city, as constables were of not much real use as public
officers. When Fond du Lac was incorporated as a village in 1847,
two constables were elected, and this continued until the city charter
came in 1852. During this seven ,years we had George Williams
Carnii Wright, Joshua Barnet, George Croft. F. D. McCarty,
Milford Van Dresar, Charles Van Norder, Forbes Homiston
and others as contasbles, but to do police duty was below
the dignity of their office, therefore the people, as a rule, seldom called
on them for protection. And our first officers under the city govern-
ment were little better. Under the city charter this officer was
known as City Marshal, but he had no assistants unless the council
saw fit to give him help, which it seldom did, so that if he was fit for
the office, he had to cover too much ground to be efficient.
During the fourteen 3^ears from 1852, when the city government
began, to 1866, when the police force came into existence, we had the
following City Marshals :
1852— C. N. Snell. 1860— B. F. Midgley.
1853— F. P. Homiston. 1861— Charles Van Norder.
1854— John Case. 1SG2— John Dobyns.
1855—1. W. Bowen. 1863— John Dobyns.
1856— Daniel Banks. 1864— John Dobyns.
1857— Charles Arlin. 1865— Phillip Zipp.
1858— Charles Arlin. 1866— Louis Ladoux.
1859— E. S. Hammond.
The legislature abolished the office in 1866 and the police force
came into existence. Following are the chiefs of police since that
time :
1867 — James T. Conklin. 1885 — John Gill, served four months.
1868 — James' T. Conklin. 1885 — Jos. Como, served eight months.
1869— James O'Connel. 1886- G. A. Kretlow.
1870— L N. Welch. 1887— G. A. Kretlow.
1871— L N. Welch. 1888— G. A. Kretlow.
1872 — James Swineford. 1889 — Barney McDermotu
1873 — James Swineford. 1890 — Barney McDermott.
1874— Timothy Hardgrove. 1891- Barney McDermott.
1875— G. A. Kretlow. 1892— H. W. Eaton.
1876— G. A. Kretlow. 1893— Thos. McGrath.
1877— G. A. Kretlow. 1894— Sealy O'Conor.
1878— G. A. Kretlow. 1895— Sealy O'Conor.
278 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
1879— G. A. Kretlow. 1896— Sealy O'Conor.
1880— G. A. Kretlow. 1897— Thos. McGrath.
1881— C. F. P. Clough. 1898— Thos. McGrath.
1882— C. F. P. Clough. 1899— Simon Schaefer, from Jan. 1st.
1883— G. A. Kretlow. 1900— Simon Schaefer.
1884 — G. A. Kretlow. 1901 — F. A. Nolan, to me present time.
Dtiring the entire period of the City Marshals, there was no
headquarters other than the rooms where the common council met,
which were also the city clerk's office. As previously stated, the
Marshals had no assistants in their police work and everything was
run on a cheap scale. When the police came matters were changed
a little. The chief of police had two policemen with headquarters.
The first police office was on Division street, without cells and other
means of caring for prisoners. These had to go to the county jail,
and about this there was trouble, as the county wanted pay from the
city for care of their local wrong doers. Mayors Patchen and Foster,
in the early seventies, were able to measure the situation, and the first
of the police stations came, on the ground where the present station
stands. Under the guidance of James Swineford, as chief of police,
we began to have a force worthy the name of police.
In early days, a small wooden building, hardly large enough for
a smoke house, located on Portland street, served as a city lock-up.
It had no cells, or its single apartment might have been called one
cell, and was made secure by weak, wooden shutters. It was used
only for the incarceration of unfortunates, who had become so
drunk they could not break out of a paper house.
In 1 866, a more substantial structure of brick, with cells and
apparatus for warmth, was erected near the corner of Macy, on First
street. In 1878, this having become too small to accommodate the
constantly increasing number of tramps, or wandering vagrants, and
too dilapidated to secure criminals, the present brick and stone
structure was built at a cost of $2,300 on the same site. It is two
stories high with six single and four double cells, and a commodious
office for the chief of police and police headquarters.
In 1904, this structure was further irnproved by an addition to
the south side, containing a private office for the chief of police and
an examination room, and the station otherwise improved by various
changes. This building is used merely as a detention prison and not
for persons under sentence.. It is probably not necessary to say that
these rooms are not provided with downy couches or Morris chairs
and a person so unfortunate as to get in there might possibly prefer
the Erving or Palmer House.
In the old times when a political pull put a man on the force, no
matter what his age or how infirm, the force could not be efficient.
Some of the policemen of twenty years ago, would make sorry work
of it now. Men who have passed to 55 or 60 years of age, are now
cut out of the police service in most cities and under civil service
rules look for young, strong, healthy men. Police service is very
different from what it was seventeen years ago. In the detective
service specialties are worked. There are safe blowing detectives,
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 279
bank robber detectives, train robbing, burglary, pickpocket and
others, and they give attention only to their specialties.
Previous to 1885 the common cotmcil each spring elected the
chief and policemen, but this process forced old and unfit men upon
the force. A man who had a political pull strong enough, managed
to get there, fit or unfit. In 1885, the law was changed by the
creation of a Board of Police and Fire Commissioners to manage
these departments. The force may now be changed at any time — it
is under civil service rules, and while there is sometimes some fric-
tion, things go on better.
Well Known and Wealthy.
All citizens of Fond du Lac and vicinity, between the years 1858
and 1875, well remember E. M. May, who conducted a fancy bakery,
ice cream parlors and fruit stand near the store of Henry Brothers,
and erected the fine three story brick building in that locality. Mr,
May plodded along here for about eighteen years, when he sold out
and went to Minneapolis, where he entered the same business on a
large scale and became wealthy, so well fixed that he retired with a
fortune, although in business there but about fifteen years. He died
in 1896. Mrs. May and her son Fred, reside in a fine home on the
shore of Lake Calhoun, and she has many flats and other property
from which to collect rents. Mrs. J. V. Frost, also well known in
Fond du Lac, resides a close neighbor of Mrs. May. Fred May has
one of the noted lofts of homeing pigeons in the United States, and
his birds have made some remarkable flights. Dr. Cad May, so well
known as a boy in Fond du Lac, died some years ago. The place
kept here by Mr. May in the old times, was one much frequented for
lunches, ice cream, fruit, etc., and few people had a more general
acquaintance. He went to Minneapolis at just the right time in the
city's business career, and pushing business prospered. The family
still has many warm friends here.
Experiences of Early Dealers.
In the early days of trade in Fond du Lac, dealers had their
troubles. The dry goods man knew nothing about rugs, made up
white goods or department store notions ; the hardware man knew
nothing about wire fencing, building paper or coal stoves ; the
grocer}^ dealer had no knowledge of cereal foods, canned goods or
foreign fruits : the dealer in furniture was ignorant as to cabinet and
spring beds, couches and willow chairs : the jeweler knew nothing
about Waltham, Elgin and other American watches, but sold English
levers, Swiss and French cylinder escapements ; the druggist did not
have the tablets, alkaloids and pills of the present ; milliners were
ignorant of the modern hat. These are but a few of the articles that
old time dealers were ignorant of, and the number is increasing now
from year to year. WHiat will be the situation in fifty years more no
one can foresee.
280 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Wild Bakery and Confectionery.
The late B. Wild came to Fond dn Lac in 1858 and became pro-
prietor of the bakery at the corner of Main and East First streets,
in 1859, under the name Excelsior Bakery. In 1867 the property on
East First street, near Marr, was bought, the old premises having
become too small, a suitable building was erected and the bakery
removed there. These premises also became too small as the business
increased, and additions were made to it until at the time of consolida-
tion, it had become one of the largest concerns of its kind in the
state. In 1883, the buildings were partly destroyed by fire, but were
at once rebuilt larger than before. At this time the product of the
factory was mostly crackers and confectionery, though some other
bakery stock was made. Mr. Wild introduced the round "cottage
loaves" of bread and for many years was a by no means small part
of the daily output. In 1896 the Wild factory was consolidated with
the great American Biscuit Company and the factory in Fond du Lac
was closed and dismantled, much to the regret of all citizens and of
Mr. Wild himself, who consented to it because of advancing age and
a more profitable business arrangement. It was Mr. Wild who put
down the first of the deep fountains in Fond du Lac, at this factory.
He was a man of the highest character, and was beloved by all
citizens. He died in 1904.
The Rueping Tannery,
This is another of the grand business institutions of Fond du Lac,
and which has grown to immense proportions. The business was
started here in 1854 by the elder William Rueping and his two oldest
sons. The plant was a small one at the start, but they were practical
and pushing business men and there was rapid growth. The build-
ings were quite modest at first, but they were three times increased
by the addition of brick structures, until they have reached the
present very large proportions. It is now one of the largest and
most complete tanneries in the state. The machinery and appliances
used are of modern design and the process the best known to the
business. No acids or destructive material is used in any form. The
quick process for tanning has always been ignored. The tanning
obtained from hemlock bark, is the best material and thousands of
cords of hemlock bark is used every year. The output of this tannery
is very large but finds a ready market. Only a visit to this large con-
cern can give any adequate idea of its magnitude.
All is Not Possible.
In an experience of more than fifty years in a community like
Fond du Lac, so much transpires that it is impossible to make note
of everything in a book like this. The author would have been glad
to note many things which he has been compelled to omit. Future
efforts he hopes will bring all into line. If the reader is inclined to
criticise, let him but bear all the facts in mind.
NOW ALMOST UNKNOWN
Some Things About the Towns, Cities and Villages in Early Times,
Now Almost or Quite Forgotten.
In early times there was in the town of Ashford, a place of some
notoriety under the name of Crouchville. L. Crouch had a water
power there, which he improved and the village of Crouchville was
well known and talked about. But the water decreased in quantity
as in all other sections as the land was improved and the notoriety
of the place ceased to the extent that few people now know where it
was. Recently the writer had occasion to look the matter up and his
inquiries reached to at least twenty old residents before he found
one to give the location with certainty and that person was born
there. What was in the early times known as Crouchville is now
New Cassel. This incident shows how completely things will drop
from memory.
Rising Sun and Tavern used to be talked of, but how many now
know that it was in the town of Springvale near Wedge's Prairie.
There it was, however, and all old timers knew the place well, but
there are few, if any, now living who could go to the place.
Reed's Corners was another once well known locality, but now
almost wholly unknown. Almon Osburn, Curt. Higly, George Good-
fellow and Squire Raymonds have passed away and Reed's Corners,
between Ripon and Brandon, in the town of Metomen, is almost
unknown.
Pequat Village, in the town of Calumet. Who can tell just
where it was in the palmy days of Rufus P. Eaton and John Boyd?
Arcade, just west of Ripon, once had several houses and the
fine flouring mill had a large patronage. The mill is there yet, but
the water of Silver Creek has largely disappeared, as have also most
of the houses in Arcade. Most people have forgotten that there
ever was such a place.
Black Hawk was the name of a proposed village at one time, in
the town of Alto, but little is known now about it. Black Hawk
postoffice was connected with it in very early times.
Avoca village, in the town of Oakfield, one mile north of Oak-
field station, at what was in early days known as the Orvis mill,
once gave promise of much more than has come to it. Avoca has
been in decline many years. The mill is there yet, but the water is
not sufficient for it to do much business. Decay is apparent.
Foster, at the Foster postofifice and home of Egbert Foster, two
and one-half miles east of the present Eden station, a village was
talked of but died out after Mr. Foster left the county.
New Fane postoffice in the town of Auburn, was an incipient
village, but died an early death, together with the postoffice.
282 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
As if in need of a capitol, all the towns in this county possess
villages as follows :
Alto — Village of Alto.
Ashford — Campbellsport.
Auburn — New Prospect and New Cassel.
Byron — South Byron. AUenton is little more than a railroad
station and Hamilton is a stone quarry and lime burning village.
Calumet — Marytown and Calumet Harbor.
Eden — Village of Eden Station. Marblehead is a stone quarry
and lime burning place.
Eldorado — Eldorado Village.
Empire — Eggersville. The homestead of the de Neveu family
has been known as Buena Vista, but was never a village
Fond du Lac — City of Fond du Lac. The prosperous young city
of North Fond du Lac, is at the shops of the Wisconsin Central Rail-
road and the location of the Northwestern shops, near it, is sometimes
called New Fond du Lac.
Forest — Dotyville.
Friendship — Vandyne.
Lamartine — Seven Mile Creek.
Marshfield — St. Cloud and Johnsburg.
Metomen — Brandon.
Oakfield — Oakfield Station, Oak Center and Rock River have
little pretensions now as villages.
Osceola — Waucousta and Dundee. What was known as Arm-
strong's Corners was never much more than a postoffice.
Ripon — City of Ripon.
Rosendale — Rosendale Village. What is known as West Rosen-
dale, was and is but a school house and postoffice.
Springvale — Rogersville, with little claim to the title of village.
Taycheedah — Village of Taycheedah. The name of Peebles'
Corners is given to the railroad station just east of Taycheedah.
Waupun — North Ward of the City of Waupun.
Some of the old time postoffices now and for many years discon-
tinued, were Nanaupa, Banner, Woodhull, Kirkwood, Empire, Arm-
strong's Corners, Foster, North Taycheedah and Metomen.
When Fond du Lac was set off from Brown county, all of the
townships did not appear at the same time. When we appeared as
a county we had but eleven of the twenty townships now on the
roll, the others came later. The town of Marshfield was not sliced
from Forest and made into a township until 1854. Lamartine lost
the territory of Eldorado in 1853, and Auburn, Springvale and
Friendship were first entitled to places on the map of the county in
1854. Joseph Wagner put in his first appearance on the county
board from the town of Forest, but he subsequently had the chair-
manship from Marshfield until he had attended a total of fourteen
sessions of the county board. But S. B. Stanchfield holds the lead
with an attendance of twenty-two sessions from the town of Fond
du Lac, at six of which he presided as chairman. "Uncle Billy
Stewart" comes next with nine sessions from Byron and Eden. A.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 283
A. Loper attended seven sessions from the town of Ripon, Aaron
Walters five from Eden and a great many were on the boards two
to five times.
Ashford Bear Story.
In eafly times the timber country of the east part of Fond du
Lac county was infested by bears, and in the fall of the year in
particular, were numerous. Farmers often suffered much from their
depredations. Pigs, sheep, calves and even cattle were destroyed
by them. Few of them ever appeared on the prairies of the west
half of the county, but in the east half they were numerous. Follow-
ing is the Ashford bear story as told by Martin Mitchell :
Among the annoyances, with which the early settlers in this
town had to contend, was the ferocity of bears ; these were so numer-
ous that they became very bold, and somewhat dangerous. On one
occasion Mr. Alex. St. Mary, while looking after his oxen, was set
upon by a bear, which had a cub near by.
He sought refuge by climbing a tree ; but she was not to be foiled
of her prey without further effort, and attempted to climb after him
when his dog seized the bear by the thighs and pulled her back, the
dog then retreated, and the bear after him a short distance, and then
returned to the tree, and as soon as she attempted to climb, the dog
would pull her down, St. Mary in the tree all the time hallowing for
help : this was continued until several men, hearing the cry for help,
arrived with guns, and bruin made her escape, though with the loss
of her cub.
The Refrigerator Business.
The first refrigerator, or so called ice box, built in Fond du Lac,
was the "North Pole," by Eliab Perkins, in war times, but a business
worthy the name, was not opened here until 1890, by C. J. Medberry
and M. B. Peck, under the name of the "Gurney." In that year they
bought the real estate of the La Belle Wagon Works, and associated
with a few local stockholders, began building the Gurney on a larger
scale. So many were made that some believed they would be
swamped, but every one was sold and the demand was for more.
They went to eastern markets and many were shipped to foreign
countries. The business has increased from year to year, yet none
are left over. In 1901 the buildings were burned but were at once
rebuilt larger than before. Mr. Peck died in 1903, but the business
has been actively continued.
In 1892, George Bowen, till then superintendent of the Gurney,
with a number of local stockholders, formed the Bowen Manufactur-
ing Company and began making the Bowen Refrigerator. From the
start they readily sold all they could make, and ever since the
Bowen plant has been one of the largest and most active in the city.
284 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Wisconsin Phalanx at Ripon.
This organization was based upon the theory of Horace Greeley,
of the New York Tribune, for the development of a new country.
Some of the best men in this part of the state came here as members
of it, but the old doctrines of disintegration asserted themselves and
its light went out after a comparatively brief period. It came here
in the early spring of 1844, and after six years, in the fall of 1850,
ceased to exist. When they came the locality was known as Ceresco,
but in 1849 was changed to Ripon. It may be truthfully said that the
Phalanx was in a large measure a success,, but individuality was the
rock to cause the wreck. In after years the members did not hesitate
to express their belief that the system was the best possible method
for the development of a new country.
Among the early arrivals as members of the Phalanx, were
W^arren Chase, Lester Rounds, Jacob Woodrufif, Wm. Starr, John
Irving, Nathan Hunter, Robert C. Mason, Gib. Lane, David Dunham,
M. Limbert and others. The Phalanx was organized at Southport,
now Kenosha, and came thence to Ceresco, now Ripon. They
brought their own teams and tools. They at once built a floviring
mill and a small sawmill. Geo. W. Dellinger was the miller. They
had their own store and their own shops. Liquor was not allowed
in the settlement and there was never a case of drunkenness. The
character of the men composing the Phalanx is shown by the fact
that during the whole of the six years there was not one lawsuit.
At the time the Phalanx disbanded, it owned six hundred acres of
the beautiful land in Ripon, and everything was divided and settled
upon a basis that left no trouble or bitterness and not one quarrel.
It is not at all probable that all organizations of this character would
so fully demonstrate the theories of Horace Greeley, especially in
regard to internal workings, as this one possessed members much
above the average in honesty and intelligence.
The Drug Mill.
This is one of the important institutions of Fond du Lac,
although the people generally hear very little about it. Started in
1844, it has slowly grown into a large concern. It was the object of
the proprietors, Messrs. Huber and Fuhrman, to make it a reliable,
rather than startling in its growth and reputation. They determined
from the beginning to build up a reputation for their product, which
should command the patronage of the wholesale trade east and west.
At first they ground and pulverized only home grown articles, but
later on they imported all products for which there was a demand.
To properly care for these articles and meet the demand from whole-
sale druggists, they have from time to time enlarged the warehouses
and the mill. All parts of the world are drawn upon to meet the
demand. The mill of the early timers was a sorry affair compared
with that of today. It is doubtful if there is any man in this country
more skilled in his line of business than Mr. J. C. Fuhrman, of the
Fond du Lac drug mill.
PAPER MONEY SMELLS BAD
When You Receive a Package of Paper Money from the Bank, Don't
Put it to Your Nose for a Smell. It is Not White Clover,
Strength of Paper Money.
Picking up a bill of the paper money of the country, imagine, if
you can, where that bill may have been, into what sort of places and
into the possession of what class of people, since it was issued new
and crisp. All this is conjecture, but there is no doubt about the
smell. A package of money, much as we desire to possess it, is
suggestive of nastiness in the highest degree. You are willing to
pocket a package if you can, but you will not bring it to your nose
more than once by free consent. A one dollar bill by its individual
smell, may be suggestive of leprosy, smallpox, itch or other disease.
Tellers in banks no doubt incur risks sometimes. But there is some-
thing besides smell in considering the strength of paper money.
Bank notes stand much handling.
That Uncle Sam's notes stand a great deal of rough and careless
handling is a fact that impresses itself upon any one who has ever
chanced to note the manner in which the average cashier pulls and
jerks the bills before he pushes them through the window to the
waiting patron.
A single treasury note measures three and one-eighth inches in
width by seven and one-fourth inches in length. It will sustain,
without breaking, lengthwise, a weight of forty-one pounds ; cross-
wise, a weight of ninety-one pounds. The notes run four to a sheet —
a sheet being eight and one-fourth inches wide by thirteen and one-
half inches long. One of these sheets lengthwise will suspend io8
pounds, and crosswise 177 pounds.
It will be observed that a single note is capable of sustaining,
crosswise, a weight of ninety-one pounds, which is twice the amount
by nine pounds, of the weight the note can sustain lengthwise ; while
in the case of the sheet, the crosswise sheet lacks thirty-nine pounds
of double the sustaining power of the lengthwise sheet.
Notes of the Bank of England are never passed out a second
time. A note issued this morning and coming in during the day's
business, is not allowed further circulation, no matter how crisp and
new. They are destroyed and newly -numbered ones take their
places, therefore a Bank of England note is not likely to carry or
breed disease. These notes are not pretty, but they possess the merit
of being clean.
Except that the notes are not destroyed but are filed away in
286 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAU
great vaults, the situation and practice in Germany is very much the
same as in England.
Why has not our government put into practice some form of
relief from the outrageously dirty and bad smelling paper money
issued here? Not only bank tellers but all who handle money ask
for relief.
Fev^ Now in Existence.
The pennies which Fond du Lac dealers had made and circulated
in war times, were for purposes of change in sums less than five
cents. The nickle coins did not come until the close of the war.
There was a three cent coin in use, but it disappeared with our other
coins. All were glad that the three cent coins were retired, as they
were so often mistaken for dimes as to cause trouble. Government
interfered with the local war pennies and they disappeared so com-
pletely that the writer has seen but one in many years. They were
plentiful at one time in our local history. In the first issue of the
fractional currency, there was a three cent note, but it soon disap-
peared and no more were issued. .
Matches Not in Use.
The family of today that goes out into the country for a while,
is very sure not to forget the matches. What could they do — how
could they get along without them. But remember that when the
pioneer came to Fond du Lac covmty, there were no matches to for-
get. A friction match, as they were called, were not put on the
market until about 1842. In the evening the candle was lighted with
a splinter or shaving, lighted in the fire. The active housekeeper
would have a bunch of dry splinters but no matches. If the family
got up in the morning to find that the fire had gone out during the
night, some one had to hike off to a neighbor's house to get some.
Care was taken to cover the fire so it could not die out, yet it did
sometimes. Old people well remember the "tinder box" on the
kitchen mantle, in which were the steel, flint and punk, the latter a
kind of rotted wood that would take fire from a spark. The writer
has one of them now, but it is held as a curiosity instead of necessity,
as in old times.
Level of Dr. Bishop's House.
Who would suspect when standing and looking at it,
that the ground on which Dr. Bishop's hovise stands, is the
highest in that part of the city. The corner of Marr and Sixth seems
to be higher, but it is really a trifle lower. When he built the house
Dr. Patchen had the levels taken by Col. Boardman and he found the
location of the house higher than any of the surrounding country.
Dr. Patchen informed the writer that Sixth street, near Main, was
just the same as at his house. Localities are sometimes very deceiv-
ing.
OLD SETTLERS IN 1905
The Fall Meeting of the Old Settlers' Club, August 30, 1905, in
Every Respect Most Successful.
The pioneers of Fond du Lac county, who had laid the founda-
tions upon which to build and to whom all credit is due for what has
been achieved, gathered in Fond du Lac, August 30, 1905, the day of
the annual picnic of the Old Settlers' Club.
The gathering was one of the largest in the history of the or-
ganization, and Fond du Lac might well feel proud of entertaining
such a representative body. While the sturdy pioneer was there to
listen to the exercises, close by sat the younger generation, taking
equally as great interest in what was said and done. As the writer
looked over the vast throng, noticing the men and women who were
boys and girls fifty years ago, he felt that Fond du Lac county had
been in loyal hands during the early stages, and this in the main
brought about its success. It would have been interesting to have
had the afifair continue for several days and listen to each one tell of
the early days ; tell how the forests gave way to thrifty farms under
the axe in the hands of the pioneer, and how the fitting helpmate
endured the privations that fell to the lot of the early settler, uncom-
plaining by the side of her husband.
The younger generation drank in every word, and well they
might. The lesson was one of more value than a sheepskin or
diploma issued to a college graduate. Unless the young man or
woman could face adversity as the pioneers had, then all would be
of no avail. The college education would be of no value. The rising
generation should attend these occasions annually and take an in-
structive lesson.
The people commenced arriving in the morning and at the noon
hour fully five hundred were on the grounds to participate in the
picnic dinner. There was a steady pour into the fair grounds, and
when the hour arrived for the ceremonies to begin, fully 1,500 were
on the grounds, completely filling the large building, and hundreds
were outside.
H. D. Hitt, of Oakfield, president of the Old Settlers' Club, pre-
sided at the meeting, and shortly after one o'clock introduced the
first speaker, Lieut. Col. J. A. Watrous, of Milwaukee. Col. Watrous
is a pioneer of this state and at one time resided in Forest, this county.
At the present time he has relatives residing in Taycheedah.
"My remarks to you today, my kind friends," said Col. Watrous,
•'will be from the heart, as I am here to talk to you as one of you,
about the early days and some of the great developments which we
have witnessed during the course of the past fifty years. We have
seen a backwoods nation rise step by step until it has surpassed all
288 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
of the powers, and yesterday we were given to understand what pres-
tige the United States has acquired. Our great president, Theodore
Roosevelt, who can no longer be regarded as a party man, but a
nation's pride, is now the man of the hour and the influential factor
in bringing about a reconciliation between warring powers in the far
east. I do not think any one can accuse a speaker of infusing politics
when he speaks of Roosevelt in glowing terms. His great victory of
yesterday is but another step in the advancement of the nation.
"I have not prepared any studied manuscript," continued Col.
Watrous, "but I have come here to tell a few stories and look back
with you over that great period of development in the nation's history
which in my belief, has no equal. We were here to see the country
before the war and here to witness its reorganization into a world's
power. I came here to Wisconsin in 1844 from New York state, and
to Fond du Lac county in 1847, so you see that I am as much a Fond
du Lac county product as many of you. I took up my residence in
the town of Forest, though I did not remain many years there."
Comparing the opportunities of today with those of the young
man fifty or seventy-five years ago. Col. Watrous said: "We are
often told that the young man of today has not the opportunity for
success as those of the time when we were boys, but I will say that
he has five times as much. There are greater and more avenues of
development now than there ever were before. Every road to success
awaits the young man of today, but he cannot travel with laziness
in his bones or inactivity in his brain. He must be alive to
every situation and have unbounded energy and courage. So
equipped he cannot help but be a success.
"When I first came to Wisconsin the opportunities were rather
limited. There were no railroads and the state was practically a
wilderness and the accommodations and conveniences in every line
were primitive indeed. But the pioneers had to make the best of
them, and the hard and industrious workers have been rewarded, for
they have done their share, as much as any one in building up the
state and nation.
"I am a firm believer in old settlers' clubs," said the colonel, "for
I think it is an excellent way for preserving memories of the day long
past and giving them to the present generation, that they may know
what has been endured for their good. I hope that the future of this
society will be crowned with success."
Old Settlers' Program.
Fall meeting of the Old Settlers' Club held at the fair grounds
in the city of Fond du Lac, August 30, 1905.
At the annual meeting of the club the Executive Committee was
directed to fix the time for the mid-summer meeting on some day
between the 20th and 30th of June. Early in June a meeting of the
committee was held, and because of the storms and floods and bad
condition of the roads it was thought best to adjourn the meeting
until about fair time. Another meeting of the Executive Committee
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 289
was held on August 2, all the members being present, and the time
for the meeting was fixed for August 30, at 10 a. m., at the fair
grounds.
The Executive Committee urged all old settlers to be present at
this meeting, whether members of the club or not, and to request all
their friends to come. The dinner was in the nature of a basket picnic
banquet, under direction of the committee on entertainment.
The following program was arranged for the occasion :
Annual address by Col. J. A. Watrous.
Paper by Mrs. Edgar Wilcox, of Oakfield.
Select readings by Miss Susie Hall, Miss Barbara Sweet and
Mrs. A. E. Lindsley.
Obituary notices were read as follows :
William Adams, by Franklin Swett.
R. K. Satterfield, by William Stearns.
J. J. Lurvey and M. W. Merrill, by Dr. J. W. Burns.
Charles Rodney Harrison, Benjamin Franklin Moore, Lyman F.
Stow, Charles Henry DeGroat and Mrs. Maria Probert Bishop, by
A. T. Glaze.
Short addresses and talks by Old Settlers.
The following committees were appointed for this meeting:
Program— President H. D. Hitt, F. B. Hoskins, G. N. Mihills,
Mrs. Hattie Sackett.
Entertainment — Mrs. G. I. Susan, Mrs. G. N. Mihills, Mrs. Jane
Ann Ward, Mrs. S. H. Cheney, Mr. O. F. Lewis.
Reception— S. M. Ingalls, B. J. Gilbert, Dr. J. W. Burns, Dr. D.
B. Wyatt, H. A. Ripley, Mrs. L. F. McLean, Mrs. H. D. Hitt, Mrs.
F. B. Hoskins, Mrs. L. A. Bishop, Mrs. A. T. Glaze, Mrs. M. E.
Dudley.
Transportation — W. A. Meiklejohn.
An abundance of stable and shed room was provided for all who
came in their own conveyances.
A Fourth of July Fire.
In the old times when Fire Engine No. i, located on Main street,
No. 2 on Division street. No. 3 on Arndt street, and No. 4 on Military
street, each with its accompanying hose cart decorated for a 4th of
July turnout, there was a worth while demonstration and the boys
who manned the drag-ropes took delight in it. On one 4th of July, the
year is not remembered, but it was not far from i860, a fire alarm
started from the east side of Main street, north of Division, just at
the close of the procession, and it would have been amusing, had it
not been provoking to see the flowers, ribbons and bunting flying to
get to work. Main street from Division to Merrill, was strewed with
the ornamenting material that the bo3's and girls too, for they helped,
had placed on the apparatus with so much care. No one, however,
was disposed to cry about it, for they were always ready at a
moment's notice to fight fire.
290 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
Coming of Stephen A. Douglas.
In September, i860, the democrats of Fond du Lac had what
was doubtless the largest political meeting ever held here. The ex-
citement in political circles was so great that all meetings were
exciting, but on this occasion it was particularly so. Nearly all the
democrats here were friends and supporters of Stephen A. Douglas,
and he was to be here on the occasion referred to. That party really
had three national tickets in the field in that campaign. Breckenridge
and Lane were supported by the southern pro-slavery wing, after-
wards the confederate or rebel side. Douglas and Johnson
represented the squatter sovereignty or northern progressive side,
and Bell and Everett claimed to be a sort of constitutional party.
The feeling in the north was very strong for Douglas and Johnson,
and when Douglas was announced to speak in Fond du Lac, the
feeling ran tremendously high. A committee of leading Fond du Lac
democrats, including Charles A. Eldredge, Edward Beeson, D. E.
Hoskins, Aaron Walters, D. R. Curran, G. W. Weikert and others,
was appointed to meet Douglas and party at Watertown, and escort
them here. A torchlight procession of magnitude never before seen
here, awaited the arrival of the train at the Northwestern station on
Division street, and the appearance of Mr. Douglas from the train
and in an open carriage through Main street to the court house
square, was a continued ovation. Douglas had been speaking in the
open air for two or three weeks and was very hoarse, but he enter-
tained the crowd for more than an hour. The torchlight procession
and excitement did not end until long after midnight. It is doubtful
if this demonstration was ever equaled here except by that of the
"Wide Awakes" for Lincoln and Hamlin the same fall.
Seemed Like a Long Job.
At the time the Northwestern railroad track was laid from the
Crofoot bridge south to Oakfield, though but about three miles,
seemed to be a long job. It took all the summer of 1856 to remove
the dirt from the cut north of Oakfield station. It is not a heavy cut,
but it was a formidable job at that time. It could be done now in a
month or less. Contractors in railroad building are hustlers now,
but at that time compared to today, they were short on appliances
and in experience. They know all about-it now.
Tallmadge and Mitchell.
Gov. N. P. Tallmadge was a very small man and Mlartin Mitchell,
who wrote the first history of Fond du Lac county, was a very tall
one. They were warm friends and were often on the street together,
where they attracted some attention. One day as they were passing
the corner of Second and Main streets, a number of people were
gazing at them, when Gov. Tallmadge, becoming indignant, re-
marked, "we are not animals to be gazed at," when the reply came,
"no, but you are a show, just the same."
TO BE TRIED AGAIN
The Use of Peat Coming to the Front Again and the Question as of
Old, is How to Prepare It.
Assisting Dame Nature.
Dame Nature has furnished everything necessary to supply the
needs of man, and leaves it for him to make use of her bounteous
gifts. Man finds the supply for his wants at the proper time, directed
to it by the Providence which always watches over him, adopts it and
utilizes it to fit his needs. The forest was made for man, and he has
converted it into various forms for his uses, making building material
and fuel therefrom, pulp to convert into paper, and other things for
which he has pressing need. Nature also supplied the coal measures
from which he gets the coal and oil of commerce which gives heat
and light to the world. She has also furnished another fuel supply
in the form of peat to take the place of wood and coal, when they
become exhausted or are too costly to give the desired results from
the standpoint of economy. Man has used the forest for his fuel
supply from time immemorial. For a much shorter period of time
he has been taking coal and oil from the bowels of the earth for the
same purpose. The forests are passing away. The coal mines and oil
fields have for the most part passed into the hands of great corpora-
tions, which make the people pay the highest price possible for what
they get. Perhaps peat is destined to be the coming fuel for a large
portion of the American people for these reasons.
Nature Solves the Problem.
Nature, which is but another name for Providence, seems to have
furnished the solution to the cheap fuel problem. Peat in itself is
not new, for it has been used in some parts of the world as fuel for
centuries. Its use thus far, however, has been mostly in a crude way
and on a small scale, furnishing the home supply of fuel to residents
in the vicinity of the deposits, poor people who otherwise would have
little or no fuel to supply heat for warming their bodies and cooking
their food. Peat is Nature's simplest fuel supply, the rich, deep,
black muck of the marshes, nothing but an accumulation of the vege-
table growth of countless ages, and of the same general nature as
the great coal measures, but existing under different conditions.
The Development of Peat.
The development of this new fuel supply is yet in its infancy in
this section of the world, though it has passed through the experi-
mental stages in other localities. For many centuries pete has been
practically the only fuel known to the poorer people of Ireland and
some other countries. Nobody knows how the first peat burner
learned its value, but reasoning from analogy it was probably brought
292 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
to man's comprehension by the burning of the "bogs" deep down
into the earth in seasons of excessive drought, when the grass was
set on fire. If the bogs would burn thus when set on fire, and con-
tinue to burn until saturated with water, why would not a dry turf
burn.
Should the development of peat be successful and a desirable
fuel be produced, surely it will be a grand discovery, as. the marshes
of the west half of Fond du Lac county, are peat beds of quantity
and quality unsurpassed.
Readers of history will remember that it was but about a century
ago that the people were ignorant of the use of hard coal for fuel
and the discovery was an accident. Some workmen were trying to
use it in a small furnace for melting brass, but after struggling
several hours, went to dinner with the fire apparently "dead out."
Returning they found a glowing fire and the secret of how to burn
hard coal, came to them and has been in use ever since. So with
peat, we have it in any quantity and we must learn how to use it.
The first agitation of this matter in Fond du Lac, was more than
fifty years ago, and Ripon men tried it thirty years ago, but all were
failures. In this as in many other things, we must live and learn, and
for profit "get there" as soon as possible.
Another Indian Scare.
Miss Fanny Conklin recalls an earlier Indian scare than that of
'62, when their home was on the Phillips farm. Her mother, with
three children, was alone in the house, the older boys and men being
in the hayfield some distance from the house. Suddenly a number
of Indians in their feathers and paint, were seen outside. They took
their positions in a circle and began what the frightened family
supposed was a "war dance." Mrs. Conklin sent the oldest boy for
help, a hired man who was familiar with Indian ways, soon pacified
their fears, telling them it was a "begging dance" and that they were
performing for something to eat. Mrs. Conklin, very much relieved,
gave them abundantly of provisions and with hunger satisfied, they
left as quietly as they had come. The worst Indian scare the writer
ever saw was when Forbes Homiston came out of the back door of
John Reilly's barber shop, with drunken Indians at his heels, when
he, as an officer of the village, was trying to stop their noise. Forbes
did succeed in reaching the street, but not in stopping the noise.
The Erving Hotel, opened to the public on the evening of
November 16, 1905, has a history not all its own by any means, but
in location and building. It started as the United States Cottage in
1848, built by J. J. Driggs, became the Globe Hotel in 1854, by A. C.
Ketcham, the American House in 1862, by Henry Shattuck, the
Windsor House in 1886, by W. Bittinger, and the Erving in 1905, by
C. E. Plum. There have been many landlords, some of long posses-
sion, some short.
WAS A GRAND BIRD
Wisconsin's War Eagle "Old Abe," One of the Famous Relics of
the War, Has a Grand History.
The Eighth Wisconsin Infantry, famous in the war as the
"Eagle Regiment," was largely recruited in Sheboygan county but
some of the men were from the east half of Fond du Lac county,
hence it possesses some local claims. The company that brought
"Old Abe" into the regiment, however, came from Eau Claire
county. The veterans as well as their successors, feel a lasting
interest in the noble old bird and are glad to read about him, and it
is for this reason that we give space here to his history. He will not
be forgotten as long as memory holds the war of the rebellion.
The eagle is our national symbol and we will venerate the bird as
long as he remains such.
The Eighth was known as the "Eagle regiment," from the fact
that a live eagle was carried through all its campaigns up to the
return of the veterans in 1864. This noble bird was taken from the
parent nest in Chippewa county in this state by an Indian, who dis-
posed of it to a gentleman of Eau Claire county, from whom it was
purchased by the members of Captain Perkins' company, Eau Claire
Eagles, by whom it was presented to the regiment while organizing
in 1861. It is needless to say that it was instantly adopted as the
regimental pet and was christened "Old Abe." A perch was prepared
and the royal bird was borne with the regiment on all its marches
and into every battle in which the gallant Eighth was engaged up to
the time it was mustered out. Perched on his standard above the
heads of the men, the bird was more than once the mark for rebel
bullets, but luckily escaped unharmed, with the exception of the loss
of a few feathers, shot away. He returned with the veterans in 1864,
and was presented to the state, and placed in charge of the quarter-
master's department, and every care necessary was bestowed upon
him. At the great Chicago Fair, 1865, "Old Abe" was exhibited and
his photograph disposed of, realizing the amount of about $16,000.
He was also exhibited at the INIilwaukee Fair with profitable results,
we are told that the sum netted to the charitable objects was about
$20,000. He occasionally broke from his fetters and soared into his
native element, but he had become so far domesticated that he was
easily recovered. Occasionally the music of a band or the noise of
a drum would reach his ear, when he would instantly listen and
would respond with his characteristic scream, probably recognizing
the strain as one with which the battlefield had made his ear familiar.
"Old Abe" was celebrated in our military annals and his history is
inextricably interwoven with that of the brave and gallant regiment
who bore him triumphantly through the field of strife.
"Old Abe" was taken from the nest in Chippewa county in the
294 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
summer of i860, so he could have been but about one year old when
he entered the army in 1861, and as he died in 1887, he lived to be
twenty-seven years old. At the time of his death, the taxidermist art
was brought into use and he was so mounted that he seemed alive
and ready for a campaign as of old. But the grand bird wholly dis-
appeared in 1903, when the fire took place in the capitol in Madison.
He was not exactly cremated, but his remains were burned and he
will be no more seen and admired. The Eighth Regiment did splen-
did service in the western army and "Old Abe" was a prominent
feature in all its campaigns and was most conspicuous in all its
fights. All citizens of Wisconsin, as well as soldiers, deeply regret
that he is to be seen no more.
Early Days Hotels.
Following are the hotels that did business in Fond du Lac in
early times :
Dr. Darling's log house, 1840, more a house of entertainment
from necessity than a hotel, on West First street, near Main.
Eagle Hotel, Fourth and Ellis, 1845.
American House, at the landing, 1846.
Hibbert House, West Johnson and Doty, 1847.
Hibernian House, Bannister and Doty, 1848.
Gromme House, (German) Main and Arndt, 1848.
United States Cottage, 1848. afterwards the Globe, the American,
the Windsor, now The Erving.
Lewis House, 1848, afterwards the Patty House, now the Palmer.
City Hotel, 1849. Main and AVest Second.
Badger Hotel, 1849, Main and Western AA-enue.
Exchange Hotel, Main opposite end of Forest, 1850, now on
Main opposite malt house.
Koehne Hotel, (German) Main and Fourth, 1850.
First National Hotel, Fourth and Marr, 1867.
Union House, Main and Fifth, 1874.
After i860 the hotels increased rapidly, and from 1880 Fond du
Lac has had more than was really needed. Of the old time hotels
only the Palmer, the Windsor and Exchange remain.
Black Hawk Lived Here.
It is probably known to few people now living, that the great
Indian warrior. Black Hawk, once lived in this county. What has
of late years been known as Grand Prairie, in the center of the town
of Alto, was in early times called Black Hawk Prairie, and it was
here that the great Indian warrior of that name lived, and drifted
from that region southward into Illinois, especially to the region of
Galena and of \A'isconsin's Grant County. In the town of Alto
there was for some years a postofifice bearing his name.
PUT INTO THE BOX
What Was Put Into the Box at the Time the Corner Stone of the
Public Library Was Laid.
The list as read was :
Name of the president of the United States and his cabinet.
The governor and lieutenant governor of Wisconsin.
Our United States senators.
Our member of congress.
Our state senator.
Our member of the assembly.
The mayor of the city of Fond du Lac.
Copies of all records of the library board, which relate to the
new library building.
Under this head, President Hoskins said, in part :
"The first is a communication from Laura B. Williams and Anna
G. Sweet, transferring to the library board a copy of Mr. Carnegie's
letter, and tendering to us these lots on which the building is being
erected. Mr. Carnegie's letter is next on the mintes, and is as follows:
"'Mrs. L. A. Bishop, Fond du Lac, Wis. Madam: Responding
to your letters : If the city of Fond du Lac will pledge itself to sup-
port a free public library at a cost of not less than three thousand
dollars a year and provide a suitable site, Mr. Carnegie will be glad
to furnish thirty thousand dollars to erect a free public library build-
ing. Respectfully yours, James Bertram, private secretary.' "
Mr. Galloway's resolution was then read, accepting the gift and
thanking the W^oman's Club.
"Under the minutes of March 4," said Mr. Hoskins, "is a com-
munication from the Woman's CUib, beautifully prepared and
reading as follows :
" 'To the library board of the city of Fond du Lac : Greeting.
The Woman's Club presents to you as library trustees for the city
of Fond du Lac, this deed to a piece of land to be used perpetually
as a site for a free public library. This gift from the citizens attests
their appreciation of ]\Ir. Carnegie's generosity to the city of Fond
du Lac' "
Attention was called to the few conditions named by Mr. Car-
negie, and the president of the board read the following:
" 'Hoboken, N. J., March 3, 1902. Mr. F. B. Hoskins, president
of Fond du Lac public library: Dear Sir: — In response to your favor
of the 13th, inst., would say that I have been instructed by Mr. Car-
negie to make payments to the extent of $30,000 for a library building
at Fond du Lac, and I will be pleased' to make remittances to this
extent in amounts of $5,000 each from time to time, as needed to
carry on the work of construction of the building. Requests for
296 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
remittances should be signed by the president and treasurer of your
library board and the architect's certificate enclosed, to the effect
that' bills to the extent of $5,000 are due on the building. Yours very
truly. R. A. Franks.' "
The reading of the list of documents entering the receptacle was
then completed :
Copy of minutes of proceedings of common council relating to
new library building.
Copy of ordinance accepting Mr. Carnegie's gift.
List of all city officials.
List of members of common council.
List of school commissioners.
List of officers, employes and directors of library.
List of officers and directors of library for each year from organi-
zation to date.
Copy of a letter from Miss E. Rose, librarian, to Congressional
library at Washington ; a history of the library movement in Fond
du Lac.
Standing committees of common council.
Standing committees of board of education.
Standing committees of the library board.
Copy of "Fond du Lac Illustrated."
Last edition of Daily Commonwealth.
Copy of Semi-Weekly Commonwealth.
Last edition of Daily Reporter.
Copy of Saturday Reporter.
Last edition of Northwestern Courier.
Rules and regulations of library.
Catalogues, finding lists of library books.
City directory.
Cathedral souvenir.
Woman's Club year book.
Names of officers, standing and special committees and chairmen
of same of Woman's Club of Fond du Lac.
History of library work of Woman's Club.
Letter from Mrs. Waldo Sweet, secretary, to Mr. Carnegie.
Constitution of Woman's Club.
List of contributors to library site.
St. Agnes' Hospital, Souvenir.
Daily Reporter, March 7, 1903, containing history of St. Joseph's
Chvirch. its early missions.
Pictures of St. Mary's Springs Sanitarium.
Blanks and forms now in use. at the public library.
The Corner Stone Laid.
Following the reading of the list of articles consigned to the
metal box, the corner stone was swung into place. President Hoskins
wielding the trowel with which the mortar was applied. This trowel
is to be plated with silver, appropriately engraved and presented to
the Woman's Club as a souvenir of the occasion.
COUNTY ORGANIZATION
Fond du Lac a Part of Brown County and Winnebago a Part of
Fond du Lac County in the Original Arrangement.
The division of Brown county, by which Fond du Lac came into
existence, was long after such an arrangement had been talked of,
in other words, it was known as Fond du Lac before it had a legal
existence. And the same was true about Winnebago county, which
was a part of Fond du Lac before its independent legal existence.
A division of counties was a common occurrence in the early history
of the state. In the division of the counties into towns, the process
was similar — territory was divided and new names taken, as pleased
the tastes of the people. The name Fond du Lac came from the
French traders and existed as a tangible designation of territory long
before the county had a legal existence. It was a county, however,
early enough to be represented in all of the territorial assemblages
but one, and took an active part in making the state constitution
before our admission to the Union as a state.
When in December, 1836, a certain portion of territory of
Brown county was designated as a new county and called Fond du
Lac, no provision was made for its organization. It had not a
sulhcient population. There was, indeed, but one family residing
within its designated boundaries. All that could be done was to
say where its county seat should be. and that the county should be
attached to some other county for judicial purposes. The county
seat was "established at the town of Fond du Lac," and the county
was "attached to the county of Brown for judicial purposes."
Finally by an act of the Territorial Legislature, adopted March 11,
1839, the county was to be organized, but "for the purposes of county
government only," it was still to remain a part of Brown county for
all judicial purposes. An election was held August 6, 1839, resulting
in the choice of John Bannister, Edward Pier and Reuben Simmons
as Commissioners, A. Raymond, Treasurer, and J. Bannister,
Register. The commissioners organized their board on the 9th of
October following, by electing Reuben Simmons, Chairman, and
Mason C. Darling, Clerk. Upon the entering of these officers upon
their respective duties, the county of Fond du Lac was organized
for all but judicial purposes, and began its onward career of pros-
perity. It was not until from and after the first Monday of March,
1844, that Fond du Lac county was fully organized.
Until 1840, the Indians in this county outnumbered the whites
at least ten to one ; they were generally friendly, bringing venison
and other game, wild honey and skins for sale or exchange : but
sometimes they would kill hogs that they never paid for, and had a
way of setting the woods on fire while hunting deer, burning up fences
298 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
and pastures. In 1840, John Bannister took the United States census
and the numtfer of whites of all ages was 139, all told, in Fond du
Lac county.
Being organized by law in 1844 for all purposes, including
judicial, we had courts six years before we had a -court house, but
Judge Stow did not object to holding court in a school house. He
would no doubt, have dealt out the law from his rickety old wagon
on the street, if there had been no better place. He was not noted
for having things very nice, even at his home, but he was a good
judge for all that. The county courts did not have civil jurisdiction
until many years later and did not need a court house for only pro-
bate business. The county officers were quartered in rented rooms
in the village. The jail was of logs, from which a modern hobo
could escape in from five to fifteen minutes.
The settlers generally brought with them clothing enough to
last a year or two ; but in spite of all the good wife could do in the
way of mending and patching, it could not last forever. Everything
is perishable in this world and somehow clothes have a wicked way
of being most perishable of all ; after a while the original garments
would not bear the patches. What was to be done? Good looks
will hardly pay for a new suit, especially in a country where there are
no stores. So it came to pass that the settlers bought from the
Indians buckskin coats, without being too particular about their
being second hand articles and smelling smoky. Almost every one
of the early settlers sported his Indian coat in those days, but they
looked neither dandy nor very dignified. Even the grave old doctor,
who founded the city of Fond du Lac, wore one of the things at
times, he did not look like a learned doctor, but like an Indian
doctor, the Indians called him Mushkiki-enini, the medicine man.
The pants were often made of buckskin also, more frequently the
latter garment was faced with buckskin over the front, which opera-
tion gave it a longer lease of life and usefulness and like charity,
threw a mantle over many failings. Could you now see those
courageous and worthy men, many of whom have reached their last
resting places, leaving honored names and good deeds behind them,
file down Main street on a busy day, it would no doubt provoke a
smile, but with them it was the result of sheer necessity.
What about their fare? Milk and butter they had in abundance,
and also pork and excellent potatoes. They had enough coarse food,
but as you know, variety is the spice of life, and to eat constantly
pork and potatoes and beans is apt to become monotonous in the end.
George W. Featherstonehaugh, of Calumet, said that he had fed so
constantly on pork, that he could not look a hog in the face without
feeling guilty and blushing. Tea and cofifee were quite scarce
articles, as well as sugar, and were not used freely, although a little
was kept for company. The country was ransacked for substitutes.
Even such articles as wheat, barley, peas, beans, dandelion roots,
crust coffee and many other substitutes were resorted to and
dignified with the name of tea and cofifee, but when you came to
taste, especially without sugar, the fraud was too palpable and would
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 299
not go down, in spite of all assurances that the drink was very
healthy indeed, far more so than the real articles, which as every-
body knows are notoriously injurious to the system.
Every family knew pretty accurately the condition of the neigh-
bors' flour or pork barrel and supply of groceries. In case of sudden
emergencies, some youngster was dispatched to the neighbors with
compliments and request of the loan of a cupful of tea or some sugar,
a few pounds of pork or a pan full of flour for a few days.
Old Timers on the Board.
At each recurring session of the County Board of Supervisors,
old time citizens do not fail to think of some men who were once
there. He reads the list in the newspapers, but fails to see the names
he was once so familiar with. Year after year the familiar faces ap-
peared, the various towns deeming it prudent to return the same men
to the board. Experienced as they were it was safer than to send
new men without experience. At the present time a majority of new
men appear on the board each year, but the old timers had a different
policy. Among the old time members we could hear the roll call of
the clerk on such names as :
Daniel D. Wilcox, Dr. S. G. Pickett, Henry Crownhart and Peter
Johnson, from Ashford.
L. Crouch. R. F. Adams, Charles D. Gage and Harvey Parsons,
from Auburn.
James McElroy, R. AI. Harwood and Daniel Wilcox, from Alto.
^^'illiam Stewart, D. C. Brooks and Benj. Nightengale, from
Byron.
John Boyd, Rufus P. Eaton and George White, from Calumet.
Aaron AValters. Peter Vandervoort and William Stewart, from
Eden.
M. S. Barnett, A. T. Germond and G. de Neveu, from Empire.
Edward Pier, S. N. Hawes and J. C. Lewis, from Fond du Lac.
Hestor Monroe, Joseph Kinsman and Theodore Herrling, from
Friendship.
Harry Giltner, Joseph Wagner and J. W. Hall, from Forest.
Peter V. Sang, Fay S. Brown and Dr. Elliott Brown, from
Lamartine.
Robt. Jenkinson. G. W. Parker, Capt. ^^^illiam Plocker, from
Metomen.
W. J. Ripley. H. D. Hitt anl Isaac Orvis, from Oakfield.
C. N. Prescott, John Beeson and J. W. Whiting, from Osceola.
Lester Rounds, \\'arren Chase, T. B. Robbins and A. B. Beards-
ley, from Ripon.
Jonathan Dougherty, Bertine Pinkney, Geo. D. Curtis and H.
G. Halsted, from Rosendale.
Warren Whiting, Geo. F. AA'heeler and A. C. \\'hiting, from
Springvale.
O. R. Potter, J. Y. Westervelt and Chas. Geisse, from Taychee-
dah.
300 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
N. M. Donaldson, S. R. Vaughn and D. W. Whiting, from
Waupun.
E. S. Bragg, Dr. E. Delaney, George Hunter, Henry Shattuck,
H. P. Brown, S. B. Amory, C. O. Bissell and J. M. Taylor were among
those from the City of Fond du Lac, frequently seen at the county
board sessions in old times.
Among the earliest from the city of Ripon, were William Starr,
W. R. Kingsbury. C. P. Dunning, Capt. D. P. Mapes, L. M. Carlisle,
D. P. Imson and S. G. Dodge.
The towns of Eldorado and Marshfield did not have an existence
until 1854. H. W. Wolcott was the earliest member from Eldorado,
and Joseph Wagner represented Marshfield almost continuously
from its organization as a town, until his death in 1874.
William Stewart was a member from Byron and Eden nine
years, and was the longest in service except S. B. Stanchfield, of the
town of Fond du Lac, who has served twenty-two years, and chair-
man of the county board six years.
Abstracts and Land Titles.
The first books in this county from which abstracts of land titles
were made, were compiled by N. H. Jorgensen, our third Register of
Deeds. He sold them to Dana C. Lamb, afterwards Lamb & Smead,
and after some years they were sold to C. L. Encking. What became
of them after his death, no one seems to know, but they had become
so old and worn that they were of little value to anybody. James T.
Green, "Sandy" Leland, and two or three others, made "skeletons" of
abstract books. The last few years of his life, Mr. Green depended
largely on the books in the ofhce of the Register of Deeds. For many
years W. E. Angel did the abstract work in the Register's office and
was remarkably efhcient in it. H. W. Newton has been doing this
work a number of years and is at it yet. No man in the county has
as thorough a knowledge of the real estate as Mr. Newton. Some
years ago a set of abstract books was made by Wm. E. Cole, and the
ofhce of the Fond du Lac Title and Abstract Company is still at the
Savings Bank. The books of the. Fond du Lac County Title and
Abstract Company, were made by Chadbourne & Sallade, and are
now kept at the law office of Williams, Griswold & Chadbourne.
There are a few others who furnish abstracts, but they rely mainly
upon the books in the Register's ofhce.
Not Made Here Since,
Alonzo Simmons was an early days' chairmaker in this city and
had a shop just north of the present Erving Hotel, and the way he
used to rattle out the plank bottomed, then called Windsor chairs,
was astonishing. It is doubtful, however, if such a chair has been
made here since "Lon" closed his shop, which was when he went to
the war. The settlers took them away about as fast as he could
make them.
ABORIGINES FROM 1764
Something About the Red Men of ' This Region More Than a
Century Ago. Who Were They and Where
Did They Live?
It is a matter of much interest to know what tribes of Indians
roamed this region more than a century ago, and where they lived.
We often read about tribes before the days of the Winnebagoes and
Menomonees, the tribes our pioneer families knew, and we
see the tribal names, but that is about all we know. It is here
attempted to give the reader some interesting information concerning
these Indians. They are nearly all out of existence now. Like the
trees of the forest, they do not bear civilization — they die when
their habits are interfered with. The once powerful Winnebagoes are
now nearly extinct, and the older tribes that roamed over what is
now Fond du Lac county, are all gone. We can now only read about
them as they once were, for they have no existence.
As early as the year 1615, Samuel Champlin heard of a tribe of
Indians living many leagues beyond Lake Huron, called the Five
Nations, better known at a later date as the Moscoutins. Their homes
were upon the Fox river, at that time, as it is believed, and here they
were visited by civilized men a little over a half century after. It is
presumed that their village was located within the present limits of
Green Lake county, somewhere on the Fox river between Berlin and
Lake Puckaway, and that they claimed as their hunting grounds,
among much other territory that now is included within the boundary
lines of the county of Fond du Lac. The nearest tribe to the Mos-
coutins down the river was that of the Winnebagoes, whose home
was at the mouth of that stream. To the south, extending perhaps
well up Rock River, was the territory of the Illinois. In the imme-
diate neighborhood of the Moscoutin (but in what direction is uncer-
tan) were the Kickapoos and Miamis, the former is supposed to have
at one time occupied the region around the head of the lake.
The Illinois, who lived in a country "where there was a quantity
of buffaloes," were afterwards driven beyond the Mississippi, but
subsequently returned to the river which still bears their name.
Meanwhile there commenced an emigration of the ]\Ioscoutins and
their kindred, the Kickapoos and Miamis, to the southward, as far
at least as the south end of Lake Michigan. This place was taken by
the Foxes and their relatives, the Sacs, and in time, these also
emigrated, but not to the southward ; the course taken by them was
to the west and southwest. It is certain the Foxes claimed for a
time the country now forming Fond du Lac county, as well as much
other circumjacent territory. Then came the Winnebagoes from
below, that is, from the head of Green Bay, moving up the Fox river
302 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
by degrees, having outlying villages within the present limits of
Fond du Lac county and in the valley of Rock River. The Menom-
onees also occupied the Winnebago Lake country. This territory
was on the east side of the lake, but did not extend very far south.
The southeast portion of the present county of Fond du Lac lay
within territory claimed by the Pottowottomies, whose homes were
principally upon Lake Michigan. A small part of the county was
•ceded to the L^nited States by the Menomonees. A much larger
portion, however, was comprised in the land sold by the Winnebagoes
in 1832. The residue was included in the Pottowottomies cession of
1833. In 1828, the Winnebago nation occupied the country immedi-
ately in the vicinity of the present city of Fond du Lac, and along
the west shore of Lake Winnebago to what is now the city of
Menasha. They then had large villages on each branch of the Fond
du Lac river just above the forks. They also had a village at the
mouth of the creek on the side of the lake near Taycheedah. The
Menomonee village of Calumet ("Pipe Village") even as early as
1817, seemed to be anything but of recent origin. Its location was
not identical with the village of the same name in the present town
of Calumet. The exact time when these three villages were finally
vacated by these Indian occupants, is not known with certainty,
though in 1834, they were found by the government surveyors un-
occupied.
In the last years of the occupancy of this region by the Indians,
they wdre rovers. They seemed to have no fixed homes. Even the
Menomonees, the last of our Indians, roamed back and forth between
Milwaukee and Shawano county. What is now left of them have
their home on the reservation at Keshena. The Winnebagoes are
near Black River Falls. Only a few years more and there will be
none left to recite the legends or tell of their former national glory.
Black Hawk Lived Here.
For many years we have heard much about Black Hawk, without
knowing much about him, where he lived or when or what was his
career. It is probably known to few that Black Hawk once resided
in the town of Alto, Fond du Lac county. He was the last of the
great Indian warriors. About 1768, in a village of Sac Indians, on
the Mississippi, near Rock River, he was born October 3. In 1838,
Black Hawk died. In the war of 1812, Black Hawk, then a leading
chief of the Sacs and Foxes, took the English side. After the war he
resisted the encroachments of white settlers and provoked several
paltry conflicts, but was subdued and captured in 1832. The tribe
was removed, but Black Hawk and his sons and a few warriors were
kept awhile as hostages, and brought as a show to eastern cities.
Here it was that he made the reputation so well known to white
people.
Early French Traders.
Frenchmen from Canada trading with the Indians, were early
visitors to what is now Fond du Lac county. The name Fond du
Lac was applied by them as the remotest point in the lake from Green
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 303
Bay. There was a trading post established in 1787, at the forks of
the Fond dn Lac river by Jacob Franks, of Green Bay. It was
occupied by Jacques Daltier, Frank's clerk, for a brief period.
Franks, in 1791, sent his nephew, John Law, to this point. Augustin
Grignon subsequently had a trading post on the West Branch, the
spot where the shops of the Northwestern Railway, in the city of
Fond du Lac and near what was afterward the Fond du Lac house.
Peter B. Grignon, formerly a venerable resident of Green Bay, and a
nephew of Augustin Grignon, passed one winter on the West Branch,
just below First street, 1819. The cellar of his shanty, partially
overgrown by willows, could be seen when ''the village was finally
settled. It was situated not far from the Gurney Refrigerator plant,
between Forest avenue and West Division street. It seems also,
that at the Winnebago village near where Taycheedah now is located,
white men came for the purpose of trading with the Indians. At this
point the Menomonees, Pottowottomies and other tribes, came to
traffic with the Frenchmen. The Indians, whose trade was then
sought, were the Winnebagoes, who had a village where Taycheedah
now is, three miles east of Fond du Lac city and had other villages.
Mr. Law afterward spent several winters at different points among
the Indian hunting bands between Green Bay and the Mississippi
and up to the time when his uncle left the country and went back to
Canada, which was about the beginning of the war 1812, leaving Mr.
Law as his successor as a merchant and trader, and he continued
more or less, in the Indian trade as long as he lived.
Sometimes the traders carried their packs of merchandise upon
their backs from Green Bay. Solomon Juneau would occasionally
leave his home where the city of- Milwaukee now stands, with eighty
pounds weight upon his back, going to Sheboygon and thence to
Lake AMnnebago, returning by the way of the villages at the head of
the lake. This primitive mode of transportation has been improved
upon between those points since that time.
These French voygeurs or traders were of a remarkable hardy
race. Outdoor exposure and the rigors of winter were nothing to
them. In making their trips to the Indian villages and settlements,
they used boats if possible, but the Indian trail was their principal
highway. These were but paths and vehicles could not be used.
Sometimes ponies were brought into use and the packs were then
transferred from man to beast. The main article of frontier commerce
dsired was furs, and to secure these, penetrated the west in the
eighteenth century to the Missouri in our present North Dakota.
Among those who came to this region in the early thirties, were
Solomon Juneau, Joseph King, Louis Russell and others.
After disposing of the Lewis House, the home of Col. James
Ewen and family, was on the southwest corner of Forest avenue and
Harrison Place, at that time known as Ewen street. Here the five
boys, John, Milton, James, Frank and Edward, and his two daughters,
Alaria and Isabella, came to manhood and womanhood.
304 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Indian Took His Dog.
Mark Little cannot tell you from observation about the Indian
taking his dog, for he was not present, but his brother, Egbert Little,
was there and saw it all. These men were boys then and lived in the
family of their father, W. C. Little, at the family home on Scott
street, near Brooke. Mark had a dog which he provided quarters for
in the back yard. James B. Clock, the afterwards well known rail-
road conductor and father of Mrs. H. F. Whitcomb, lived across the
street. One day a tall Indian came along and seeing the way clear,
sneaked into the back yard of the Little home and stole Mark's dog.
Mr. Clock, across the street, saw the Indian's sneak and big as he was,
went for him with vigorous kicks, which he kept up all the way to
the old float bridge, where the Indian had his canoe. Egbert says
the most laughable part of the afTair was the Indian trying to turn
while all the time talking Indian. Clock did not care so much for
the dog as he did to punish the Indian for a back yard sneak, and so
he got away with the dog. Egbert says he is not sure that the dog
really belonged to Mark, anyway.
Fond du Lac File Works.
This is a plant which has existed here many years, at the south-
west corner of Johnson and Doty streets. Though making little stir,
the concern does a large amount of work. Henry Scherer, the
proprietor, is a practical filemaker and turns out files of all the
varieties in general use, but mostly those used in shops and mills, and
the work done comes from neighboring places as well as Fond du
Lac. Few new files are ground here. Old files have the teeth ground
off, so that they are smooth, and then they are recut and tempered
for use again. It is a busy place.
Stone Cutting by Air Pressure.
The cutting of hard granite for cemetery work cannot be done
successfully with chisel and mallet, and as granite is now generally
used in place of marble, as of old, other processes must be used.
Robert Powrie opened here in 1867, and in his shop are the modern
appliances. The polishing process is interesting, but the air pressure
cutting is more so. Instead of thirty or forty blows a minute, it
strikes 3,000. The air pressure is applied by a compressor run by a
gasoline engine. In this way only can the hard granite be handled
successfully.
J. J. Driggs built the house still at the east corner of Western
avenue and Linden streets, at a time when residences of that size and
style were not numerous in Fond du Lac. Mr. and Mrs. Driggs both
died there. During his life here, "Squire" Driggs had many buildings
erected, including this one and the Cottage, now The Erving.
THE MACHINE SHOPS
Foundries and Machine Shops Not Numerous, But Most of Them
Very Good Ones and Long Lived.
Manufacture of Machinery.
After the lake steamboat Manchester was overhauled and the
name changed to Oshkosh, it was found that the machinery was in-
adequate and improperly adjusted. The boat was taken from the
water at the foot of Arndt street, to be overhauled. At this time,
too, there was some demand for machine work in connection with
mills, and here it was that Truman Shepard, John B. Wilbor and T.
S. Henry started the first foundry and machine shop. This was in
1848. Tools and machinery were added from time to time, the most
of it second hand from different lake ports. In 1850, John Peacock
and Alex. White acquired the ownership of the shops and continued
it under the firm name of Peacock & White, until i860, when W. H.
Hiner became one of the proprietors and the name was changed to
Union Iron W^orks, which continued many years and until bought
by the Trowbridges and became a part of the Novelty Iron Works,
which have continued until the present, but under the ownership of
several firms. Col. C. H. DeGroat, George Giddings and O. F, Lewis
being longest in possession, under the firm name of DeGroat, Gid-
dings & Lewis. During their ownership of about thirty years, they
very largely increased the plant in every detail. The buildings were
doubled in size, and everything for the business supplied in great
variety. They gave special attention to sawmill machinery, which
found a market from Maine to Texas. To facilitate the handling of
the heavy material and machinery, railroad tracks run into the yards
and to the warehouses.
The illness of Col. DeGroat, which ended in his death in August,
1904, caused his withdrawal from the works and it was then incor-
porated under the name of Giddings & Lewis Manufacturing Com-
pany, a title it still bears, with C. E. Cleveland as President, and
Henry Rueping, Secretary and Treasurer.
C. J. L. Meyer had a machine shop for some years which toward
the last, was a branch of the great Allis Works of Milwaukee.
During the half century, there have been a few small shops that did
not last long.
Abel Brothers had a shop for a number of years at the corner
of East First and Portland streets, now located on Third street. It
is mainly for small work and repairs and especially on automobiles,
bicycles, lawn mowers, etc.
L. H. Clark opened a machine shop for small work, in 1894, on
East Second street, under the name of Clark Manufacturing Com-
306 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
pany, making metallic steam packings and a number of novelties
which have had an enormous sale. After a time a style of gasoline
engine designed at these shops, was perfected and made in large
numbers. In 1900, the shops were moved to Forest avenue near the
railroad tracks, and the facilities largely increased by the addition of
machinery for making gasoline engines, novelties and doing repair
work.
P. N. Quentin has a shop on West Second street, for doing re-
pairing, locksmith and small work. The Quentin shop was first
located on East Division street, in 1893.
A Good Pork Joke.
A joke is told by J. B. Tripp on the early days' habit of borrow-
ing meat. Settlers sometimes borrowed pieces of pork to be
returned at killing time. One of the settlers had borrowed so many
pieces that when he figured it up found he would not have enough
to pay his pork debts. A neighbor volunteered to tell him how to
settle it and possibl}^ have some pork left. "Let your meat creditors
know the day you will kill," said he, "and that night hang your pig
out to cool, and taking it in later, cut and pack it safely away from
sight and tell them next day that your pig had been stolen. In
sympathy for your loss, they will forgive the debt." The pig was
out but a short time when the neighbor captured it. He was the
first man to be informed next morning that the pig had been stolen.
"That's right," said he, "stick to it and make 'em believe it." "But
it has been stolen," he insisted. "That's right — that's the way to do
it." "Why, you darned fool, I tell you the pig is gone — has been
stolen." "Yes, I know it, but you must make the others believe it
too." No sympathy or satisfaction was possible and there was no
payment of the pork debts. On another occasion a settler had four
chickens which he said he was going to bestow upon neighboring
friends for Thanksgiving. When the time came around he visited
the coup of a neighbor, lifted and dressed the four chickens to save
his own. But next morning his were gone too. Some one else played
the same trick he had. The early settlers were not all this sort of
people, but there were some such.
A West Side Trail.
There used to be an Indian trail much used, on the west side of
Lake Winnebago. This trail branched from the east side, or main trail
and road near what is now Kaukauna and passing southwest came
to the upper Fox river at Butte des Morts, where it crossed the river.
Boats were used and the snubbing posts could be seen near the home
of Mr. Hull, until a very few years ago. This trail followed the river
much of the way to Fort Winnebago, at Portage. There was a cross
trail from the Military road at Fox Lake, to Buffalo Lake. There
were other Indian trails or paths, which were sometimes findable,
sometimes not.
THE FOND DU LAC "HOME"
History of One of the Noble Charities of Fond du Lac, Founded in
1872. Has Been Ably Managed.
The Fond du Lac Home.
This noble charity now thirty-three years old, was' first known
as the "Home of the Friendless," but was changed and is now known
as "The Home." From its beginning it has been in charge of ladies
who knew how to give it the highest possible efficiency with the
means they had to work with, and they have never faltered, though
the future was sometimes rather dark and vigorous and determined
effort needed to properly carry on the work. Twice have these
noble ladies been confronted with fires in the buildings, but still they
did not falter, but kept up courage and met all troubles as well as to
provide for the general wants of the institution. They are entitled to
and it is certain that they will receive, the thanks of the entire com-
munity. Mrs. W. C. Hamilton and Mrs. W. H. Hiner are the only
ones of the first members of the trustees, who are still with us, and
to their honor be it said, they have all these years been active in
work. Of the early members, however, Mrs. G. W. Lusk, Mrs. Julia
Ruggles and Mrs. A. E. Walker are still living.
The Home, with its ample grounds and large, comfortable build-
ings, is an outgrowth and the exclusive property of the Fond du Lac
Relief Society, which was organized by the ladies of Fond du Lac,
during the great fires in Michigan and Wisconsin in 1871. Mrs. Julia
Tallmadge Ruggles was the leading spirit in organizing the Relief
Society. She was also mainly instrinnental in securing a charter for
the society, enabling it to hold property and in raising money to pur-
308 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
chase the building now owned and occupied as the Home. Her
original idea was to have an industrial school connected with the
Home, so that needy people might be provided with employment for
wages.
Mrs. Elizabeth Fennimore Beall, until her death in 1879, was also
an earnest worker in the Relief Society. The first annual report of
the society was in April, 1875. It contained the original articles of
association as required by law, showing that the following ladies
were the founders of the society: Mrs. Elizabeth F. Beall, Mary \Y .
Stow, E. B. Tallmadge, Mary L. Hamilton, Susan A. Perry, Mary
Branshaw, E. A. Walker, Julia T. Ruggles, C. L. Spears, C. F.
Townsend, E. A. Hurd, Mary L. Hiner, G. W. Lusk. A large number
of other ladies afterward became members, the life membership fee
being $25. In 1876, the state made an appropriation of $300, and until
1879 the county set aside $300 annually for the Home. At its session
in that year, the County Board refused to make an appropriation.
Mrs. William B. Brand, at her death in 1878, bequeathed some real
estate and $200 in cash to the Home, and the citizens of Fond du Lac
have given liberally to its support. George W. Peck delivered a
lecture for the benefit of the Home, and various fairs, concerts,
dramas and other entertainments have been given to replenish its
treasury. These have always been liberally patronized. The build-
ing occupied as the Home is situated on the corner of Amory and
Arndt streets, and was purchased by the Fond du Lac Relief Society
August 30, 1873, of R. M. Lewis, for $2,500. It is commodious and
well arranged for the use to which it has been put, and is surrounded
by a finely shaded yard and large garden.
The Home is the only non-sectarian benevolent institution in
the city and has accomplished great good, extending aid to persons
of all ages and shades of religious opinion.
In this year of 1905, the following named ladies are in charge of
the Home :
President— Mrs. G. N. Mihills.
Vice President— Mrs. M. B. Peck.
Recording Secretary — Mrs. J. T. Green.
Corresponding Secretary — Mrs. Martha Jacobs.
Treasurer — Mrs. George Perkins.
Trustees— Mrs. W. C. Hamilton, Mrs. W. H. Hiner, Mrs. E. R.
Herren, Mrs. Henry Boyle, Mrs. D. B. Wyatt, Mrs. John Hughes,
Mrs. J. M. Blish, Mrs. Alex. McDonald, Mrs. M. J. Peck, Mrs. J. C.
Wells, Mrs. M. M. Gillet.
Miss McNaughton is the present Matron and a most efficient one.
She is loved by the inmates and honored by all who have dealings
with the Home.
Many prominent ladies of the city have been connected with the
Home in years past, among them Mrs. J. M. Aldrich, Mrs. C. J. Petti-
bone, Mrs. G. W. Lusk, Mrs. J. C. Whittelsey, Mrs. J. C. Wedge.
Issued a Newspaper.
The ladies of the Home sought and obtained the privilege of
issuing the Daily Commonwealth for July 4, 1904. Coming from such
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 309
hands, of course the paper contained much interesting matter and
the following history is given :
In the year 1872, immediately after the great forest fires that
destroyed Peshtigo and Marinette, a meeting was called by Mrs.
Julia Ruggles and the "Fond du Lac Relief Society" was formed.
The first purpose of this society was to relieve the immediate needs
of the fire sufferers. Afterwards its work was among the poor of
this city. There was left of the "State Relief Fund" about a
thousand dollars, which was divided among three societies, Fond du
Lac receiving over three hundred dollars. This sum was set apart
and was the foundation stone of the "Home."
In 1873, it was decided by the society to build a "Home for the
Friendless." Mrs. Julia Ruggles, Mrs. Beall, Mrs. Stow and others,
solicited subscriptions from the business men, who responded
generously.
In the fall of 1873, a fair was given extending through the week.
From this entertainment twelve hundred dollars was cleared. At
last with about thirty-five hundred dollars, the former home of Mrs.
Ruggles, which had been parti}' destroyed by fire, was bought, re-
paired, paid for, and opened in January, 1874. The society started
out of debt, but with an empty treasury. However, the citizens were
generous, donations of furniture and food came in and the Home
prospered.
In 1880, the society decided to publish a Cook Book. This was
ably edited by Mrs. David Babcock, with the assistance of Mrs. Edw.
Colman.
The "Fountain City Cook Book" proved a great success, and ten
years later another edition was published which continues to sell, and
has gone into nearly every state of the Union. The book has been
of great assistance, and from its sale an addition was built in 1891,
costing nearly five hundred dollars. In 1899, this part of the building
was destroyed by fire.
The society, with the insurance received, and five hundred
dollars of the "Mark Harrison bequest," immediately rebuilt. A
large dining room, kitchen and laundry, with several bed rooms above,
soon covered the ruins. Furniture for the dining room was given,
and two of the bed rooms prettily furnished ; one by the "Neighborly
Club of Byron," the other by the Progressive Sisters of this city, and
the Home was soon in running order again.
In the past twenty-seven years, the Home has been a refuge for
many. Children, the middle-aged, but mostly the old and helpless,
have been there cared for. A number have been there for many years.
The founders of the Home, those "who bore the heat and burden
of the day," have nearly all passed to the "beyond," their places being
filled by a younger generation. Only two of the first Trustees are
now on the board of management.
As the Home has been so generously treated in the past, we
anticipate a prosperous futvire. "The poor ye have always with you,"
and there will always be need of your help and sympathy. We know
that the doors of the Home will never be closed to the unfortunate
310 BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAO
from lack of your generous support, or for the need of willing workers,
helping to lessen the pain and misery falling to the lot of the poor,
the old and friendless.
An Exciting Trial.
In 1872, C. L. Pierce, then running a plow shop at the corner of
Macy and Court streets, met with a distressing accident by which
he lost an arm. It was caused by the bursting of a grindstone on
which he was polishing a plow. Dr. Gray was called and amputation
followed. This was held to be malpractice and suit was brought in
circuit court. Some of the most eminent lawyers in the state were
employed, including Harlow S. Orton, afterwards one of the judges
on the bench of the supreme court. Depositions were taken from
some of the most eminent surgeons in the United States. After a
long and exciting trial, the jury believed the amputation to be a
proper procedure and gave a verdict in favor of Dr. Gray.
Deer at Crofoot Bridge.
The Crofoot bridge is a small structure carrying the track of the
Northwestern railroad across the east branch of the Fond du Lac
river, in the town of Fond du Lac, about four miles south of the city.
Near this bridge is where the last deer was killed that the writer
remembers to have been shot within many miles of the city. It was
when the railroad was completed only to Minnesota Junction, and so
must have been about 1856 or 1857. Dick Beeson worked in the
printing office in the city and often on Satvirday afternoons went to
the home of his parents, in Oakfield. He was a remarkable marks-
man and seldom made the trip without his gun. On this occasion he
found a lone deer near the river and in the edge of the timber. He
secured the deer and it was put into the Crofoot barn until Sunday
morning, when Grandfather Crofoot brought it to the city, receiving
part of the carcass for his services. This is the last deer remembered
to have been shot within many miles of the city. Long after this
they were often secured in the timber and openings of Osceola,
Forest and Ashford. They were not numerous, but hunters were
not always unsuccessful. Bears were never numerous, but their
capture was occasionally heard of in the timbered parts of the
county. Lynx and wolves were often shot as late as 1858. There are
yet some wolves, but the other game has about all disappeared.
It is about twenty-five years since the writer talked with an
Oshkosh man about laundries. This man was just suited for that
sort of work, but he ridiculed it. At that time it was believed that
soft or rain water, was a necessity to laundry men's shirts, collars
and cuffs. Said he, "Where or how could the water supply be
obtained and the price of laundry work by washwomen, could not be
made to pay." Things are different now, but that man is dead and
cannot realize it.
SOLOMON JUNEAU
A Frenchman of Wonderful Influence Among the Indians,
Especially the Menomonees. Milwaukee's First Mayor.
The first time the writer saw Solomon Juneau, was on the pay
ground at Lake Poygan in 1S51. After that he was in Fond du Lac
several times and Edward Pier, Edward Beeson, John A. Eastman,
Alonzo Raymond and a few others called on him at the Journal
office on one of these visits. In the talk the writer was impressed
that he was an honest and honorable man, and such he really was.
He and Edward Pier were warm friends.
Solomon Juneau, the first settler at Milwaukee, died at the
Menomonee Pay Ground on Wolf river in Shawano county, Wiscon-
sin, November 14, 1856, aged about sixty-six years. Mr. Juneau
came to Milwaukee in June. 1818, as an employe of the American
Fur Company, accompanied by his father-in-law, Mr. Jacques Vieau ;
having selected this location, then an Indian village, for a convenient
trading post, with no white settler in Wisconsin nearer than Green
Bay and Prairie du Chien. He built here, in 1822, the first log house,
and in 1824, the first frame building, erected in Milwaukee. Here he
continued to reside, rearing up a family of fourteen children, thirteen
of whom were born in the city. He was at one time the proprietor
of a large portion of its territory. When, in 1835, a postoffice was
established, Mr. Juneau was by common consent, appointed post-
master, which office he filled for nine years. In 1846, when Mil-
waukee became a city, he was chosen the first mayor. Shortly after,
he removed to Dodge county.
Mr. Juneau was a man of excellent sense, of generous impulses,
of a kindly and affectionate disposition, and of a lofty and honorable
nature. He successfully maintained his reputation as an honest, up-
right, straightforward man. The Indians regarded him as a true
friend and trusty counsellor. He died without enemies, and left
thousands of friends to mourn the loss of a good citizen and a true
man. His remains were carried to Milwaukee for interment.
Beeson House on Third Street.
The first house occupied in Fond du Lac by the family of Edward
Beeson, was on Third street, near Main, on the ground now covered
by the shops of Mr. Guse. The house itself disappeared in 1902 by
the building of the present brick shops located there. It will be re-
membered that the house was not large, but it served the purpose of
a home for the family of Mr. Beeson many years. Next west is the
residence of the late Mrs. Lyman Bishop, which was occupied by
her more than fifty years.
312 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Threshing Machines and Tables.
What has of late years been known as the Table Factory, on
West Scott street, was established in 1881, by Geo. P. Lee for the
manufacture of the "Pride of the West" threshing machines, but not
proving successful, was sold to the McDonald Manufacturing Com-
pany for the building of threshing machines, but of another kind.
When the western booms began about 1887, John McDonald was
offered inducements which took the works to Minneapolis. The
plant on Scott street now stood idle for some years, but in 1893,
Edward Blasius came here from Juneau and organized the Fond du
Lac Table Company, a concern that has since manufactured a great
variety of tables besides doing much other work. It has not all the
time been under the same management, but ha''s been successful.
The plant is now incorporated under the name of Fond du Lac Table
Manufacturing Company, and is in charge of Louis Rueping, Presi-
dent, and C. E. Carstens, Secretary and Treasurer.
B. F. & H. L. Sweet Shops.
The shops of B. F. & H. L. Sweet were started here in 1850, on
Arndt street, near where they are now. At first it was a blacksmith
shop for general work in that line, but after a time they began the
making of the "Common Sense Sleigh," of which large numbers
were made and sold. The works were very prosperous, and after they
took the shops vacated by the Union Iron Works, they began the
manufacture of wagons also, with much success. Their output was
far superior to that of factories generally and was in large demand.
And so for more than half a century, these works have lived and
prospered. Both of the original proprietors have passed away, leav-
ing the shops to the sons of both, but F. }*i. Sweet having also died,
they are now in charge of Mr. Waldo Sweet, one of the most energetic
and popular business men of the city.
B. F. Sweet, one of the original proprietors, was a very popular
man in the community, and besides serving his fellow citizens in
various other positions, was three times elected mayor of the city.
Once a Chiccory Factory.
How many people of Fond du Lac know that there was once a
factory in their midst for the preparation of chiccory as a substitute
and adulterant for coffee. Such was the fact, however, but it lasted
but a very few years. The enterprise was started by Morritz Krembs
about the year 1850. The chiccory was grown here, but our soil
seemed to produce a poor quality of the root and the demand for it
became so small that the business did not pay and was abandoned.
It is said to require a peculiar soil to produce chiccory, and that our
northern soil was not adapted to it.
OCCURRED SOME TIME AGO
Talks About Things That Happened a Long Time Ago, but are
Interesting and Amusing, Especially to the
Old People and the Pioneers.
Cheese Factories and Grangers.
The Patrons of Husbandry, known as the Grangers, and the
cheese factories, came into Fond du Lac county about the same time,
Sheboygan county had made considerable stir in cheese making be-
fore Fond du Lac started in it, but this county preceded Sheboygan
in the grange work. In 1877 and 1878, the cheese factories appeared
one after another until the county was well dotted with them. The
foreign demand for American cheese caused them to increase and
dairy boards to profitably handle the product, were organized, and
among them the Fond du Lac board. But the foreign demand
slackened and there being less demand for cheese, more attention
was given to butter and the creameries appeared, often displacing the
cheese factories. The result has been that the creameries have dis-
placed at least one-half the cheese factories. So much has the pro-
duct of the latter decreased that many prominent dealers have gone
out of the cheese business. And so with the Grangers. Very few of
them remain. Some neighborhoods still have them but they are
scarce. The cause of this is believed to be due mainly to the extreme
to which the grange work was carried, and especially with reference
to the purchase of goods by grange members. The cards presented to
dealers to secure discounts, was regarded in the nature of a hold up
and would not be tolerated. Not only this, but the whole grange
movement came to be regarded in a bad light. Members as well as
dealers and outsiders felt the objectionable features and disintegration
followed. The Patrons of Husbandry was an organization based
upon sentiment and personal interest, cheese factories and creameries
are based upon public interest in manufactures and must continue
as long as the national industry of dairying continues.
The first cheese factory in this county is believed to have been
that of Chester Hazen, in Springvale. He made cheese there as early
as 1872, but it was about 1876 when he adopted the cheese factory
mode of taking in the milk of his neighbors. His cheese had a fine
reputation and he sold all of his product readily to local dealers in
Fond du Lac, Ripon and Waupun. There was a demand for it in
Milwaukee which he could not supply. Then came the Jennings
and Parsons cheese factories in Rosendale, with a demand for more
than they could supply, and the factories multiplied until nearly
every four corners had one. Before and during the war our cheese
came mainlv from the east, the best grades from eastern Ohio and
314 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
western New York, known as Western Reserve cheese. We also
had domestic cheese, made by farmers, but it was of low grade gen-
erally. Dairying in butter was a matter of supply by farmers to
families and grocers who retailed it to customers. At that time the
customer carried his plate to the grocery and took his butter home on
it, provided he could get any worthy the. honor of being thus carried.
Farmers who made good butter had no difficulty in disposing of it
and it was the constant effort of the grocer to get it in large quantities.
The butter trade has changed vastly.
Where They Have Lived.
The Fond du Lac Commonwealth was born in the second story
of the north one-third of the old Darling block, in 1854.
1865 J. A. Smith fitted up the old Darling Hall for living
rooms and printing office. In 1868, he began the erection of a brick
building next west of the First National Bank, and moved the office
into it before completed, and here it remained imtil the office was
bought by the Commonwealth Printing Company, when it was
moved to the rooms over the American Express office, corner of
Forest avenue and Macy street. In 1890, Mr. Haber erected his
building, on the completion of which the Commonwealth was moved
there and still remains. In 1869, ]\lr. Smith started the daily, using
a patent inside from the office of a Chicago daily. Watrous &
Kutchin made it into a full fledged daily in 1872.
The birth place of the Reporter was the second story of the
Kalt building, corner of Main and East Second streets, then known
as the Ward & Windecker hall. In 1863, it was moved to Warner
block over what is uoav the Schleyer-Ordway drug store. In 1866,
it journeyed to the south side of Division street, between Main and
Macy. In 1873, it was moved to the basement of the postoffice, but
being drowned out the following spring, took quarters over Cough-
lin's meat market. 1876 found it in the postoffice block, where it
remained just twenty years and until Mr. Lange had the present
beautiful block erected and where it has now been nearly ten years.
These have been the homes of the Reporter during the forty-three
years of its existence, and it is quite fitting that it should round out
this long period of time in a building erected for it and so well
adapted to its uses.
In early times a small wooden building stood on the ground now
occupied by the Mason crockery store, and in it was born the old
Fond du Lac Journel, our first newspaper. It went to a wooden build-
ing that in 1851 stood on the south half of the lot now occupied by the
Fond du Lac National Bank, and the name changed to Fond du Lac
Union. The Journal, revived in i860 by T. F. Strong, Jr., was located
over premises near where the G. Scherzinger jewelry store is now.
Thence to Division street and finally to the rooms over Murphy &
Murphy's plumbing shop, on Forest avenue, where J. R. Bloom closed
out the business to the Reporter.
The Nordwestlicher Courier has had but two homes. Carl
De Hass & Son put it into the south end of the postoffice block and
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 315
Mr. W. F. Weber took it to its present location, northwest corner of
Forest avenue and Macy street, about twenty-five years ago.
The Bulletin still occupies the rooms in which it was born less
than a year ago. We have had many other newspapers which have
occupied many premises, but where they lived and also where they
died, is of little general interest now.
Money Not Reliable.
About the year 1849, Alexander Mitchell started a bank at Mil-
waukee under the name of Wisconsin Fire and Marine Insurance
Company Bank. This money circulated well in Wisconsin, but else-
where one could hardly buy a dinner with a $5 bill. The bank issues
of the Illinois, Indiana and Michigan banks were equally poor here.
Much of it was also counterfeited and every business man had a
book called a detector, but- they got the counterfeits just the same.
This was the sort of money struggled with until the issues of the
greenbacks in 1862 and the national bank currency in 1863. These
issues were strongly criticised at first, but it has proven the only
reliable currency we ever had. True, the Wisconsin State banks in
the fifties was much of an improvement, but still much of it was poor,
or at least unreliable. "United States Banks" was a political issue
in the Polk and Clay campaign of 1844. and such a bank or the issue
of paper money by the general government, was strongly opposed
by the democratic party. We have since learned something and have
found that such money is the only means of saving the tribulations
of early days.
Chief Oshkosh, of the Menomonees.
Except Black Hawk, Oshkosh was the most noted of the
Indians who have had a home in Wisconsin, but the character^ of
these two red men were quite different. Black Hawk was a great
w'arrior, Oshkosh was a lover of peace and a genuine diplomat in the
settlement of troubles, whether tribal or personal. He never quar-
reled with any one. The writer remembers him as a man of moderate
size, really below the average of his tribe, was rather slow of motion
and slow in speech. \A'hen from home, which was not often, he
always appeared in silk hat and eagle feather, but never in paint. His
home for a long time was on the east bank of the Wolf river, near
the village of Fremont, but his permanent home was further north.
AMien he visited the city of Oshkosh, it was his delight to stroll
along the river as if to note the changes since his early life. He did
not acquire the use of the English language so as to use it much, but
his son, who followed him as chief of the Menomonees. not only
speaks the language, but is a quite fluent public speaker. The tribe
is rapidly growing less in numbers, and in a few years more all will
be eone.
Henry C. Moore was a city carrier for the Commonwealth at a
time when the city edition was handled by one boy. Some city sub-
scribers got their papers at the post office, and Henry took the
balance.
316 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Sylvan Grove Cemetery.
Fond du Lac's first cemetery, known as "Sylvan Grove," was
located west of town and was used for a number of years, but in
1852 the agitation began which resulted in the establishment of
Rienzi. Gov. Tallmadge had made a generous offer of what was
then deemed sufficient land, but it required some time and much
argument to bring about an acceptance of the offer. The principal
objection was the distance from the city, which would make funerals
expensive and render it impossible for people to properly care for the
last resting places of their dead. These objections had much force
and the matter was for a long time under discussion. And there
was another consideration which had much weight. Those who had
friends buried in the old cemetery realized that it would be neces-
sary to remove them if the new cemetery proposition was adopted.
But that which outweighed these objections and was chiefly instru-
mental finally in bringing about the change, was the fact that the
old cemetery ground was so wet that newly-dug graves would partly
fill with water, which had to be dipped out and fresh grass put in the
bottom of the grave just before the arrival of the funeral party to
avoid seeming heartlessness. This had been a not unusual experience
and the better class of citizens favored a cemetery where the ground
was high and dry. And so it came about that beautiful Rienzi was
made the cemetery of the city and has been two or three times en-
larged by the purchase of more land. The trouble of distance still
holds and the cost to the people in caring for their lots in consider-
able, but it is hoped that the time is not far distant when there will
be a street railroad to Rienzi. Most of the bodies in the old cemetery
were moved to the new one, but some remain entirely lost to memory
or to any record in existence. It was mainly because of objections
to the old burying ground that what is known as the Pier cemetery
south of the city, was started. The oldest established cemeteries
were in Taycheedah, Empire and Byron, and many old settlers were
buried in them before Sylvan Grove was thought of more than as a
country burying ground. The latter was never incorporated under
state law, but the others were. Taycheedah and Byron cemeteries
are sometimes used even to the present. Estabrooks cemetery, es-
tablished some later, is still extensively used for burials from the
city. Calvary, the cemetery consecrated to the use of Catholics, is
becoming more beautiful every year, and it is located near enough
to the city for people to look to their lots without much trouble.
This cemetery is but about half the distance from the city as Rienzi
and it is well cared for.
"Deacon" Fuller built a nice residence near the river on the
south side of Forest avenue, opposite the Gurney plant. To make
place for his dry house, B. F. Moore moved it to where the Kuicks'
grocery store is now, and it was called the La Belle House. After
C. R. Harrison bought the property, he turned it around on Harrison
Place and made it into the residence next south of the present Forest
Avenue Hotel.
PROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 317
Kutchin and Finney Discussion.
It was in 1862 that the exciting discussion on the doctrines of
spiritualism occurred here between the Rev. T. G. Kutchin, father
of H. M. Kutchin, formerly of the Commonwealth, and E. R. Finney,
of Milwaukee. Mr. Finney was one of the leading advocates of
spiritualism and as a lecturer had few equals. Mr. Kutchin was a
Methodist preacher and a man of powerful mind. The discussion
took place in Amory hall afternoons and evenings and lasted three
days. I. S. Sherwood, the well known hardware dealer, was the
backer, financial and otherwise, of Mr. Kutchin, and J. H. Spencer
backed Mr. Finney. Toward the last of the sessions the feeling ran
high and each side charged the other with unfairness and both vig-
orously denied the charge. Delays of one kind and another caused
Mr. Finney to leave town before the discussion was completed, to
fill lecture engagements, and it was arranged that he would return
on a certain date, but the discussion was never completed and of
course each side charged the other with a sneak. As a whole this
discussion resulted as all such debates do, that is, in much bitter
feeling and no good result to any one.
Mr. Kutchin was a man of powerful intellect, but very odd in
his ways. He was sent to Fond du Lac by the Methodist conference,
but failing to accept the religious thought of the time was in disfavor
with the denomination at the end of the first year. He was in ac-
cord, however, with the liberal thought of Fond du Lac and a society
was formed for him which held its services in Amory hall. Crowds
of people flocked there to hear him preach and listen to singing by
a choir under direction of Dr. Patchen. But in another year Mr.
Kutchin became a Baptist and retired to his farm near Dartford,
He entered the Baptist ministry, but his religious ideas being still un-
settled, he went back to his farm to stay, burned all his sermons and
religious writings and died there in 1871 at an advanced age. He
left three sons, Horace, Howard and Victor, all of them men of great
power and influence, Horace a Baptist minister, Howard for many
years one of the strongest editors the Fond du Lac Commonwealth
ever had, and Victor, a Baptist minister and physician.
The First School House.
The first school house in Fond du Lac, located on the ground
next north of Henry Brothers' flour and feed store, where Dahlem's
bakery was so many years, and where Shaw & Grube's grocery store
is now, was also the first court room. It was afterward moved to
the south side of Fifth street, half a block east of Main, where it
continued to be used for court sessions until destroyed by fire a
short time before the old court house was completed.
Those who were not here in war times, can have little idea of the
anxiety of the people. Many would tremble as they opened the daily
paper and were afraid to raise their eyes to flagstafifs for fear of half
mast flags, indicating disaster.
318 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
The Landing Warehouses.
What was for so many years known as the Bannister warehouse
and dock for the landing of steamboats, was the pioneer landing at
Fond du Lac. John Bannister was the owner and he did considerable
business until the railroads came. The warehouse and dock were
commenced in 1847 ^^^^ completed in 1848. Another warehouse and
dock, immediately north of this, owned by J. H. Clum, were built in
1849, ^rid still another, owned by Judge C. M. Tompkins, was built
the same year. The business done was forwarding and commission
and the sale of coarse articles, like salt, lime, cement, etc. In 1866
this property was all destroyed by fire and for a long time nothing
was done there except that the landing from boats was into the street
upon a few planks. About 1874 Hugh Campbell improved the land-
ing a little and put up a small building which still remains. Since
that time it has been known as Campbell's dock. There is little use
now for a landing there of any sort.
The Lower Town Hotels.
But another feature of the landing locality in the pioneer days
was the hotels. The American house on the corner of Scott and
Brooke streets, opposite the Bannister warehouse, built and kept
many years by Sam Hale, did a large business, especially during the
immigration days of the fifties, when the Sheboygan road was almost
kept warm by stages, 'buses and teaming. Next north and almost
adjoining the American, Mr Joubert had a small hotel, and farther
north still there was another hotel kept by Mr. Foster — three hotels
in a row. When the railroads came and navigation practically
ceased, the Joubert hotel was moved to another locality, the Foster
hotel took a journey to the corner of Main and Merrill streets, where
it became the starter for the well known Serwe house, and the Amer-
ican house was burned. At this time the once busy corners at the
landing were without buildings, except a few small dwellings. Since
then the American house corner has been occupied by a store. The
coming of North Fond du Lac and Lakeside park have given more
life to that part of the city and there has been considerable improve-
ment on Scott and other streets in its vicinity, but the good days of
the landing are gone forever.
Concrete for Building.
The first use of concrete for building purposes, was by John
Marshall in 1854. His first efforts was for the building on the south
side of East Second street, which property he owned. The same
year he built the structure on the southwest corner of Main and West
First streets, now owned by John Waters and occupied by the
Treleven store. His next effort was the corner of Main and West
Second streets, where Wagner's store is now. Marshall was a
Methodist preacher with plenty of means. The buildings stand the
weather strain very well.
CONVENT AND HOSPITAL
Educational, Benevolent and Hospital Work of the Sisters of
St. Agnes Since 1871.
St. Agnes' Hospital.
The Sisters of St. Agnes began their work in Fond du Lac in 1871,
in charge of Mother Mary Agnes as Mother Superior. Success
marked the efforts from the beginning. A small building was used
at first, but in 1874 there was an enlargement and in 1877, a building
was added, one hundred and twenty by forty-eight feet in size, four
stories high and basement. The Sisters continued their work with
these facilities, until in 1896, the hospital demands on them became so
great that the present large and well arranged hospital was built.
Since then, many things have been added to facilitate the handling
and care of patients, until now it is regarded b}- physicians as one of
the best in the state. People are not afraid to go there for treatment,
or to send friends there, knowing as they do, that everything that
science can suggest is provided at reasonable cost. The educational
and benevolent work is continued as in former years.
Two of as fine ambulances as are made may be ordered at any
moment. The first one was bought by the city on recommendation of
320 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Mayor Hoskins, in 1901, and has until very recently, been quartered
at the First Street Livery of J. K. Wilkins. The second one was pur-
chased with the proceeds of baseball games between the lawyers,
doctors and others, and has been kept at the Hastings Livery. In June,
1905, the care of both was transferred to the Forest Avenue Livery
of John Gormican, who makes the run for each. These runs
must be made at a moment's notice, on the order of any physician,
druggist, policeman, railroad man or manufacturer in the city. Before
the coming of the ambulances, Mr. Hastings and other liverymen had
rigs arranged that could be used, and before that hacks were used
because of necessity.
The baths given at this hospital extend to almost everything in
that line, known to modern bathing, and are scientifically applied.
The Sisters of St. Agnes is an American Sisterhood of the
Catholic Church, and exists mainly .in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan
and Wisconsin, the Convent here being the Mother House of the order,
and from which are sent out the workers in other fields.
Dr. Patchen Lost in the Woods.
As showing the difficulties that old timers sometimes had to
meet, it is interesting to note an incident in the medical practice of
Dr. Patchen. He had been out to the neighborhood of what is now
Marblehead, and seeking to return by a short route got lost in the
Lake deNeveu woods, and he was not only out nearly all night, but
a hard rain came on and he was drenched to the skin. Returning
next day to look for something he had lost during the night, he
found that he had crossed trails that would have taken him out of
the woods and that before he tied his horse to a tree and had set
down and leaned against another tree to wait for daylight, he had
been wandering up and down and had neared the lake without seeing
the water. This was long before there were any cottages there, and
roads or trails through the woods were difficult to find, and if struck
were not easy to keep. Passing over this region now, one has little
idea of the difficulties encountered in getting about in early times.
The Gillet Store.
Among the early stores in Fond du Lac was that of George, T.
L. and Jabe Gillet, under the name of Gillet Brothers. It was in a
wood building located where the hardware stores of the Wilkie Hard-
ware Company and Geo. P. Dana are now. Up stairs were the law
offices of Gillet, Truesdell & Tyler. T. L. Gillet met a most horrible
death in the great railroad accident near Johnson's Creek, in 1858.
He was a man generally known and his death was greatly deplored.
Only old timers remember that B. F. Moore resided for a
number of years at the northeast corner of Main and Scott streets,
and moved up town after selling his steamboats. It was a big sale,
as he owned nearly all the boats.
SUDDEN AND STARTLING
Death of Frank B. Hoskins, on September i8, 1905, One of the Most
Startling in the City's History, Wholly Unexpected.
It was on Tuesday morning that the people were shocked to
learn of his death.
The news of Mr. Hoskins' death, which was passed quickly
around town that morning, came as a surprise and saddening shock
to almost every citizen, for perhaps no man in the city was better
known, but it was not generally known that he was even ill. He was
m his office and attending to l)usiness as usual on Saturday, and
but very few of his friends had been informed of his illness up to
Monday night, and to the many who knew nothing of his serious
condition, the news that he had passed away during the night seemed
an utter impossibility.
On Saturday Mr. Hoskins put in a hard day's work at business.
He was in his office in the Harrison Postal Bag Rack Company build-
mg during the forenoon, and iy the afternoon he went to Oshkosh,
where the work of constructing an interurban line into the city over
322 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
the Eastern Wisconsin Railway & Light Company's private right of
way had been commenced. As president of the company, Mr.
Hoskins was very much interested in this work and had been giving
it much of his attention.
He returned to his office in this city at the close of the afternoon,
and remarked to L. F. McLean that he was ill. He went to his home,
ate a very light supper and retired soon after. He spent a very bad
night, and Dr. L. A. Bishop, the family physician, was summoned.
Later in the day he seemed somewhat improved, but Monday after-
noon he began to fail rapidly and F. S. Wiley was called in consulta-
tion. It was then decided to send for a Chicago specialist, Dr. Sears,
who arrived in the city at ii 154 o'clock Monday night and was on his
way to the Hoskins residence with Dr. L. A. Bishop when Mr. Hos-
kins' death occurred.
Autopsy is Held.
Tuesday morning an autopsy was held, and the cause of Mr.
Hoskins' death definitely determined. The autopsy was conducted
by Drs. Sears, Bishop, Wiley, McKnight, Mears and Bowe. It re-
vealed a condition of acute appendicitis, with a rupture of the appen-
dix as the immediate cause. An obstruction was found in the organ,
resulting in inflammation and bloating. The organ was also afifected
w^ith gangrene.
Serious Condition Unrealized.
The seriousness of Mr. Hoskins' condition was not realized by
the family or his closest friends until Monday afternoon. He had not
been in robust health for several years, and two years ago he had a
serious illness but had recovered from that and apparently was in his
usual health up to Saturday afternoon. But he was a man who bore
up under a great deal and it is probable that he was really ill before
he admitted it to himself.
During the first part of his illness he was in considerable pain,
and Monday he was delirious at times, but Monday evening he lost
consciousness and the end was a peaceful one.
No resident of this city has been more closely identified with the
history of Fond du Lac for a quarter of a century than has Mr.
Hoskins. Born in Chenango county. New York, August 25, 1850, he
came with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. Everett Hoskins, to Fond du
Lac in December of that year. He attended the public schools here
and after finishing his school work entered the First National Bank
as a clerk. He left that institution to become secretary of the
La Belle Wagon Works, which position he held during 1869 and 1870.
For five years thereafter he was engaged in the hardware business
with the late Chapin Hall, as a member of the firm of Hall & Hoskins.
He was elected register of deeds of Fond du Lac county on the demo-
cratic ticket in 1878. For a number of years thereafter he served as
a member of the board of education and a member of the common
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 323
council. In 1898 he was elected mayor of Fond du Lac and was re-
elected in 1899.
As president of the library board of the city of Fond du Lac for
many years, Mr. Hoskins had done a great work, and the present
efficiency of that public institution is largely due to his labors.
Probably no other citizen had more business interests in the city
than Mr. Hoskins. He was president of the Eastern Wisconsin
Railway & Light Company, an office he had held for two years ; he
was president of the Harrison Postal Bag Rack Company and had
been connected with that concern for about twenty years as secretary
and president ; he was secretary of the Fond du Lac Canning Com-
pany ; vice-president of the Fond du Lac Improvement Company;
secretary and treasurer of the Citizens' Building Company; a director
in the Commercial National Bank ; a stockholder in the Fond du Lac
Land- Company and the Nehrbrass Casket Company.
As an officer of the Harrison Postal Bag Rack Company, Mr.
Hoskins became know^n all over the United States, having a large
acquaintance with postoffice officials and railway clerks.
But Mr. Hoskins" chief prominence outside of Fond du Lac came
from his conspicuous position in the order of the Knights of Pythias.
He had been a member of Fidelity Lodge No. 19, almost since its
organization and from the time he identified himself with the order
took great interest in the work. He was made chancellor commander
of his home lodge and afterwards was elected grand chancellor of
Wisconsin. After that honor he was elected as supreme representa-
tive to the state supreme lodge. At the time of his death and for
several years previous he was a member of the board of control of the
Endowment Rank. The Frank B. Hoskins company, Uniform Rank,
of this city, was so named in his honor.
Perhaps no man in the United States stood higher in Pythian
circles than did Mr. Hoskins. He was looked upon throughout the
country as a leader in Pythian lodge matters. He was in direct line
of promotion to the office of supreme chancellor, it being generally
presumed that at the next election or at the one following, he would
be tendered the office, the only obstacle in the way of the honor not
coming sooner being that the office had but recently gone to a Wis-
consin man, Ogden H. Fethers, of Janesville, who, by the way, was
one of Mr. Hoskins' closest friends.
Mr. Hoskins was also a Mason of the thirty-second degree, and a
member of the order of Elks.
In addition to the large circle of friends within and without these
orders who will mourn his death, Mr. Hoskins leaves a number of
relatives. The immediate family consists of a widow and the two
sons.
A mark of the esteem in which the ex-mayor was held in his home
city was shown by the flying of flags at half mast from public build-
ings and business houses.
Business men and long personal friends of j\Ir. Hoskins were
324 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
ready to pay him the highest tributes as a man of sterling character
and a public spirited citizen.
The Funeral.
The funeral was held at 10:30 o'clock Thursday morning from
the residence, 293 Fourth street. It was in charge of Fidelity Lodge
No. 19, Knights of Pythias, with Past Grand Chancellor M. M. Gillett
of this city, acting as prelate. Interment was at Rienzi cemetery.
It is doubtful that if in the whole history of the city, there has
been a funeral as largely attended as that of Mr. Hoskins, on Thursday
following his death. In addition to the large attendance from this
city, many prominent people from other places were in attendance.
In short, the funeral of Frank B. Hoskins was a marked event in the
city's history.
Always Wanted Bread.
In 1851, when the last of the Alenomonee Indians were taken to
Keshena by the general government, the people of Fond du Lac had
immunity from the clamorous demand of the squaws and children
for bread. They were always as desirous for bread as the men were
for whiskey. They were persistent beggars for bread, which they
would eat without butter or grease of any sort, and it made little
difference about the age of the bread or how dry it was. Mrs. Beeson
once tried to teach the squaw of Big Soldier how to make bread and
bake it in a skillet, but after four or five lessons gave it up in disgust.
Her last baking was as bad as her first. At the last lesson Mrs.
Beeson started a fire out of doors to make coals as the squaw would
have to do it at her camp. But it was of no effect, as she could not
learn, or did not want to. Many of the Brothertown and Stockbridge
women were good bread makers, but these wild Indian women
seemed to be ignorant of everything necessary and could not learn it.
Death of Mrs. C. T. Tracy.
One of the noted ladies of Fond du Lac county, and especially
notable in the annals of Ripon College, Mrs. C. T. Tracy, A. M.,
passed away at the college on November 12, 1905, at the age of 87
years. She was with the institution forty-three years, coming to it
as instructor in mathematics and botany, but soon became the matron
and has ever since been venerated by the students as "Mother Tracy."
For some years she held a regular professorship and had received the
degree of A. M. Her specialty in educational work was botany and
she did a vast amount of work upon the native plants in this state and
especially in the region of Ripon. Brockway College was the name
of the institution when she came to it, and it was under the presidency
of Wm. E. Merryman. It was at that time little more than a pre-
paratory school, but it rapidly advanced to take rank with the best in
the state.
THE HONORED DEAD
Obituaries of Members of the Old Settlers' Club, Read at the
Meeting Held August 30, 1905.
It is a rule of the Old Settlers" Club, that on the death of a
member, the President of the Club appoints some one to prepare an
obituary notice to be read at the next meeting, and preserved in the
records, to the end that at least the members of the club shall not be
forgotten. The following memoirs were read at the meeting August
30, 1905. A few have died since this meeting, including Frank B.
Hoskins, but their club memoirs have not yet been prepared.
Benjamin Franklin Moore.
The late B. F. Moore was not a member of this club, but ex-
pressed himself to the writer as ready to do his full share to support
it, financially or otherwise, but sickness, deaths and absence from the
city caused the neglect.
He was born in Maine in 1819, of English Puritan stock, and
came to Wisconsin in 1841, landing at Green Bay. He brought a
stock of goods for the Indian trade, which he loaded on a flat boat
and was eighteen days making the trip to Taycheedah, from which
place he conducted the Indian trade on Wolf river. John Beeson
worked with him, receiving large amounts of furs and maple sugar
from the Indians. He had a store for the goods at Fond du Lac,
where the Indians came in large numbers to trade. During this time
he operated a farm two years quite successfully. For five years he
handled lumber extensively and in 1846 entered the business in com-
pany with Curt Lewis. In 1846 he moved to Fond du Lac from Tay-
cheedah, closed his Indian trade and began buying and selling real
estate, in addition to lumber. In 185 1 he bought the steamboats
running on Lake Winnebago and AVolf river, and at one time owned
wholly or in part seven steamboats, which he continued to run until
their work was not remunerative, when he sold out to Capt. Fitz-
gerald, of Oshkosh, taking in the trade the well known Colvin dock
property, below the Main street bridge in that city, which he con-
tinued to own until a few years ago. From this time he dealt in real
estate until 1874, when he and A. G. Ruggles bought the LaBelle
Wagon Works, but a year later Mr. Moore became the sole owner.
In 1887, the year of the great booms, Mr. Moore sold the wagon works
to a ]\Iinneapolis syndicate for $180,000, for removal to Superior.
The real estate of the great plant was bought by the Gurney Refrig-
erator Co., who still own it. The old factory buildings were burned
in 1898 and rebuilt. Mr. Moore and his son, Herbert, aided by James
H. Farnsworth, made this factory one of the greatest of Fond du
Lac's business enterprises.
He was elected a member of the Wisconsin legislature in 1852,
326 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
but could not be prevailed upon to enter politics again. Two or
three times he was sought for mayor of the city, but each time posi-
tively declined, as he did also for county treasurer. In politics he was
always a staunch republican and in religion an agnostic. His kind-
ness of heart is shown by the fact that during the war he relieved the
pressing wants of families of men at the front.
On the 24th of October, 1843, i^ ^^^s log cabin of Henry Conklin,
in the town of Empire, occurred the marriage of B. F. Moore and
Maria Mary Conklin, and nine children were born to them. Mr.
Moore died at his home in this city, February 18, 1904, Mrs. Moore
preceding her husband by only a few months through the silent
shadows. — A. T. Glaze.
Charles Rodney Harrison.
Another highly honored member of this club has passed over the
dark river of death since our last meeting. C. R. Harrison was a
native of Connecticut and came west in 1849, landing at Sheboygan
and thence came to Fond du Lac, where he spent the balance of his
life. Mrs. Harrison came the following year, coming around the
lakes in the steamer Niagara, the boat from which John B. Macy
afterwards lost his life. Mrs. Harrison landed at Milwaukee and
came to Fond du Lac in a mud-wagon over corduroy roads.
He was a mechanic of more than ordinary ingenuity and his
presence was of great value among the early manufacturers of
lumber. If a new sawmill or shinglemill was to be built, or an old
one overhauled or altered, Mr. Harrison was sure to be consulted.
Of the early day mills probably not one was without machinery ar-
ranged after his plans. If a mill failed to work properly, he was called
in to make it run right, and he seldom failed. In his general character
Mr. Harrison was a man of remarkable force and tenacity. He never
gave up anything he believed to be right. He was so earnest in what
he undertook, so determined in his work, that some called him stub-
born, but this is hardly the proper word — he was simply earnest in his
efiforts to accomplish an end.
When Mr. Harrison entered the postal service as route agent or
mail clerk on the Wisconsin division of the Northwestern railroad, he
was not long in making the discovery that there was need of great
improvement in the distribution of the mails. At that time postal
cars and offices had huge piles of lumber made into boxes in which
mail was thrown, and when necessary to lock out, a pouch or sack
was taken to the box and it was emptied into it, being a slow and
bungling process. The plan of Mr. Harrison was to hang the pouches
on a rack and distribute mail into them direct. In locking out it was
only necessary to take the pouch from the rack and lock it, thus
saving much time and space in the car or office, for the racks were
also used in postoffices. Of course the old lumber piles of boxes were
displaced. The Postal Bag Rack Co. soon began the manufacture
of the racks in Fond du Lac, and Mr. Harrison died in the full con-
sciousness that he had been the means of establishing here, one of
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 327
our most successful industries. As the means came into his hands,
Mr. Harrison early began the improvement of real estate and the
erection of houses, and it is doubtful if any other man in the city did
as much in this direction. And he seldom failed to put money into
the manufacturing enterprises as they appeared. In his early days
here he lived on Arndt street and at lowertown, but for many years
past the family has occupied the gem of a house on Union street,
v^here Mr. Harrison died on the 19th of May, 1905. He had not been
well for two or three years, but his last serious illness began in the
fall of 1904, and he was seldom out of his house after it. He leaves
a widow and one daughter, Mrs. L. F. McLean. — A. T. Glaze.
Robert Kennedy Satterfield.
Robert Kennedy Satterfield was born in Berkley county, West
Virginia, June, 1830. He died November 4th, 1904, at the home of
his daughter, Mrs. Lillian Reinhart, in the town of Byron, Fond du
Lac county, Wisconsin.
At the age of fifteen he went from West Virginia to the home
of two maiden aunts, Jane and Sally Robenson, in Urbena, Ohio,
where he remained until coming to Wisconsin in the spring of 1850.
The first work he did in Wisconsin was grubbing in the town of
Fond du Lac for Lewis Crofoot, receiving fifty cents a day. In the
fall of that year he engaged in the logging business with his brother-
in-law, John Austin, at the place where Manawa is now located.
They were offered one hundred and sixty acres of land where the
town now stands, for one horse. They banked the logs in the Wolf
river, running them down to Fond du Lac where they had them
sawed, and disposed of the lumber which was used in erecting some
of the first barns built near Fond du Lac. One on the asylum farm,
then owned by Mr. Todd, was the largest in the vicinity.
The following summer they worked the land now known as the
McNeal farm south of the city, and in the fall ran a threshing machine
in the town of Byron. The next year, in addition to this farm, he
worked eighteen acres of the farm belonging to the estate of Henry
Roblee. He afterward married Mrs. Roblee. Many years of his re-
markably strong manhood were spent in clearing and improving the
one hundred and sixty acres of the Roblee homestead.
In 1873 he purchased a farm in the town of Waupun. His kindly
genial nature won him many friends in his new home, and when in
1902 he sold his land and purchased a residence in the city of Waupun,
his going was regretted by all.
The remaining years of his life were spent with his son, K. L.
Satterfield, of Waupun, and his daughter, Mrs. Lillian Reinhart. of
Byron.
He had suffered much for many years, but the end came pain-
lessly and one of the pioneers of Fond du Lac county went peacefully
to sleep.— William Stearns.
Lyman F. Stow.
In the death of Lyman F. Stow, this club lost one of its most
earnest and active members. He had sufifered about two years from
328 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
disease of the kidneys, but his familiar face was seen among the
people upon the streets until within a few weeks of his death. He
was a son of Joseph and Priscilla Stow, well known Fond du Lac
pioneers, and was born in New Hampshire in 1825, came to Wiscon-
sin when eighteen years of age, landing at Milwaukee in 1843, where
he engaged in a pail factory and in the manufacture of barrels and
cooperage generally. In 1846 he came to Fond du Lac, worked on a
farm near Waupun, and with his father, in the handling of flagging
and other stone work. In 185 1 he took up carpenter work and
followed it a number of years. In 1861 he began the erection of
elevators at points along various railroads in Wisconsin and Michigan,
a work which he followed many years.
Lyman F. Stow was one of the most active and efficient members
of the old Fond du Lac fire department. He was one of the organizers
of the department and stayed with it as a member of Washington
Volunteer Fire Company, No. i, until disorganized in 1878. He
served as a fireman more than twenty years. He was for a time
treasurer of the State Firemen's Association. During nearly all of
his life here he was a resident at or near the corner of Marr and Sixth
streets. He was married at Milwaukee in 1847, to Miss Martha Lee,
and besides the widow, he leaves one daughter. Miss Ella Josephine.
His brother William, so well known here when a young man, was a
prominent Methodist minister in the Wisconsin conference, and died
a few years ago while presiding elder of the Oshkosh district, and
had been presiding elder of the Milwaukee district. He leaves three
brothers still living. Lyman assisted his father in building one of
the first respectable residences in Fond du Lac, a two story house
still standing at the northwest corner of Marr and Third streets.
This club honors the memory of Mr. Stow as being one of its
most active and efficient members. He fully appreciated the desirable
character of the work it has in hand and was ready at any time to
work for its growth and promote its prosperity. The death of Mr.
Stow took place at his home on Marr street. — A. T. Glaze.
Charles Henry DeGroat.
Col. DeGroat was not a member of this club, yet is entitled to
some notice here. He was born in the state of New York in 1839,
and came to Fond du Lac in 1852. In 1856 he began the bookbinders
trade with his brother-in-law, Edward Sickles. In 1861, he was one
of the young men to enlist in Co. K, First Wisconsin Infantry.
After one year he was promoted to captain of Co. A, Thirty-second
Wisconsin, going to the war with that grand regiment, of which he
became -colonel. He was through all the campaigns of the Twenty-
third, ending in the streets of Washington at the close of the war in
1865. After his return home he was twice elected county clerk of this
county, and then was engaged in the foundry and machine shop
business many years. He was married in 1862 to Josephine Allen,
daughter of Capt. Allen, and four children were born to them. Col:
DeGroat had long been a sufiferer with kidney troubles and died ,at
his home in this city, August 14, 1904. When once formed. Col.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 329
De Groat's opinions were not likely to change. They were rock-
rooted and stayed with him. He could always give good reasons for
his faith and did not hesitate to do so. He was a good friend, a good
neighbor, a good citizen. — A. T, Glaze.
William Adams.
William Adams was the son of Abram and Louisa Adams,
natives of Connecticut, who after their marriage moved to Rutland
county, Vermont, where William was born in 1819.
He had a common school education and spent his early life in his
native county at farming. In 1847 he came west to the county of Fond
du Lac, where he selected a farm and after a period of time returned
to Vermont, where he was married to Miss Martha Peck, of his
native place. In 1849 he came with his bride and settled in the town
of Forest, where they lived seventeen years. He was surrounded at
first on all sides by Indians, whose camps were not far from his
pioneer home. They often came to trade their venison for corn and
other desired articles.
In those early days, before any apples were raised in this county,
when a company were assembled for an evening's visit, the good wife
would pass around for a treat cracked butternuts, hickory nuts and
hazel nuts, and sometimes a plate of nicely peeled, snowy white
turnips, which they laughingly called Wisconsin apples.
Mr. Adams sold his Forest farm in 1865 and bought the James
H. Haight farm in Empire, where he lived continuously until he sold
the farm about two years before his death, March 11, 1905, in the
eighty-sixth year of his age.
Mr. Adams was a successful farmer, a keen, shrewd business man,
honorable and straight forward in his dealings. He had amassed a
large property ; he was selected for many positions of honor and trust,
being elected to several town offices at different times. He was presi-
dent of the Fond du Lac Insurance Company for many years, he
was a prominent and active member of our County Agricultural
Association and always did his best to make our Fond du Lac county
fairs a success. In politics he was a republican ; he was strictly
temperate in his habits, never drinking spirituous liquors or using
tobacco in any form.
Mr. Adams was all his life a man of remarkable vigor and activity.
When he was about sixty, the boys and younger men of the neigh-
borhood used to meet and play ball on Saturday afternoons in summer
and Mr. Adams played quite as well as the best of them.
Mr. Adams was a worthy descendent of those hardy New Eng-
land pioneers, who overcame the obstacles of a bleak and rigorous
climate, a rocky and sterile soil, savage and treacherous Indian foes;
a protracted struggle with the mother country for very existence,
those pioneers of New England and New York, active, energetic and
resourceful, with their descendants, notwithstanding the difficulties
encountered, have produced the greatest number of useful inventions,
330 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
the finest sheep and cattle, the fastest horses, and, last but not least,
the finest race of men and women the world has ever seen.
Mr. Adams was one of the earliest settlers of this county. Nearly-
all of them are gone — soon they will live with us in memory only. —
Franklin Swett.
J. J. Lurvey, of Oakfield.
J. J. Lurvey, a member of the Old Settlers' Club of Fond du Lac
county, whose death occurred August 21, 1904, was a son of Jacob
and Susan (McKnight) Lurvey, natives of Connecticut. After their
marriage they went to Livingston county, N. Y., where they remained
until 1845, when they came west and settled in Waukesha county,
where the subject of this sketch was born March 20, 1846. A year
later the family moved to Oakfield and pre-empted 160 acres of land
in section 34.
Mr. Lurvey's education was received in the common schools of
Oakfield. He remained with his parents until twenty-one years of
age, when he began life for himself. He was married in 1867 to Jane
Newton, of Lomira, Dodge county, Wis. The young people began
their domestic life in a log house on the old homestead, where four
children were born to them, three of whom are still living. Ada, the
eldest, is the wife of C. A. Worthing, the present clerk of the courts
of Fond du Lac county; Myrtie, now Mrs. George Hansen, of the
Consolidated Highland Creamery Company, and Eugene, who lives
on the homestead. Mrs. Lurvey died in June, 1874, and a year later
Mr. Lurvey was wedded to his first wife's sister. Miss Julia Newton,
of Lomira.
The immediate family consists of Mrs. J. J. Lurvey, Lawson-E.
Lurvey, a rising young attorney who has recently located in Fond
du Lac; E. J. Lurvey, a promising young business man, who is
largeh' interested in the Consolidated Highland Creamery Company,
and Miss Vida Lurvey, a recent graduate of the village High school,
and a popular young lady.
Mr. Lurvey was a warm friend of higher education, and at the
time of his death was a prominent member of the board of education.
He was also president of the village board, a director of the bank of
Oakfield and president of the Oakfield Telephone Company.
Mr. Lurvey was a very successful farmer and business man. He
left a property estimated at $75,000, consisting of a beautiful home
in the village, besides nearly 600 acres of land in Fond du Lac and
Dodge counties, and large interests in three skimming stations and
three creameries. He had always taken a prominent part in the
progress and advancement of the best interests of the town and
village, and was known as one of Oakfield's solid and substantial
business men. It is safe to say that no man in the village was more
respected and esteemed than the deceased.
Such men as Mr. Lurvey have done much to develop Fond du
Lac county and make it what it is today, the best known and most
prosperous in Wisconsin. — Dr. J. W. Burns.
. FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 331
William Merrill, of Oakfield.
William Merrill, one of the oldest members of the Old Settlers'
Club of Fond du Lac county, died at his residence in the village of
Oakfield, February 5, 1905, after a short illness, of pneumonia.
Mr. Merrill was born in Seneca, N. Y., in 1836, where he re-
mained until young manhood, attending the common schools of his
native town during the winter months, and working on the farm and
on the Erie canal during the remaining months of the year. He was
married to Miss Martha Avery of the same town, in 1854, and a year
later the family moved to Illinois, where they remained two years
and then came to Fond du Lac county and located on a farm a short
distance west of the present village of Oakfield. Here they remained
until 1865, when the farm was sold and a larger one purchased in the
western part of the town, near Rock River. The family resided there
until six years ago, when Mr. Merrill became tired of active life,
rented his farm to one of his sons and moved to the village, where
Mrs. Merrill and her daughter reside.
The deceased is survived by a wife and daughter, Sedate, of the
village of Oakfield ; Clarence, of Spokane, Wash. ; E. D., of Waupun,
and J. W., who resides on the old homestead.
Mr. Merrill was widely known in Fond du Lac county as a
successful farmer and a prominent member of the M. E. Church,
with which he had been affiliated for many years. He was honest
and industrious, and a man highly respected by all who knew him.
He was a very large man, standing six feet five inches in his shoes,
and was known for many years as the "Prairie Giant." Besides being
large of stature, he was big hearted, and was ever ready to contribute
freely to those in distress.
In the death of Mr. Merrill, the community has lost a valuable
citizen and this society a worthy member. — Dr. J. W. Burns.
Pete Rupp and the Rats.
Peter Rupp, afterwards sheriff of this county, with his brother,
Louis Rupp, in an early day had a liquor store next north of where
G. Scherzinger has had his jewelry store many years. After a time
Peter got into the habit of putting down more booze than was pleas-
ing to his friends and they resolved to try an experiment. In the
conspiracy was his brother, Louis, Tommy Heil, Jo. Wolf and Mr.
Fromm. Tommy Heil, the mechanical genius, made a lot of wooden
rats, painted them the right color, attached strings to a few of them,
and when all was ready, took them into the store and placed them
on the floor and on the barrel where Pete went for his morning drink.
Louie was on the watch for him, hid in the store. Three or four of
the rats moved a little but all the rest stood their ground. Pete was
frightened and left in a hurry and Louis gathered up the rats. When
Louie told him he saw no rats there, Pete was sure he had delirium
tremens and quit drinking then and there and not long after sold out
the liquor store and went into grain and politics. Tommy Heil told
the writer about it and declared it to be a good job.
332 BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
An Early Picture Maker.
The best picture gallery in Fond du Lac in 1857 was that of Geo.
B. Green, and the best pictures made were called Ambrotypes and
Pearltypes. Up to this time we had various changes upon the old
Daguerreotypes. O. E. Wilkins, J. W. Taylor and one or two others
made these sun pictures, and the photograph did not get its start
until i860, and then in crude form. The photograph as we have it
now, has been a growth. A vast number of changes have come and
gone, as well as of operators in the business.
Early Day Waterworks.
Our present waterworks dating from 1885, were not the first pro-
posed for the cit}^ of Fond du Lac. As early as 1850 a company was
formed to lay a pipe line from the spring on the then Phillips farm,
to the city, but it was found that the line would be useless in winter
from freezing, or the pipe would have to be laid so deep as to be ex-
pensive, and nothing further came of it. And about that time the
discovery of the artesian wells was made, by which abundance of
clean water could be had at 80 to 120 feet and there was need of
nothiner more.
When Judge David Taylor was on the bench of the circuit court
for this county, he had a peculiar abhorrence of trivial cases, and
many a time prevailed upon parties to settle them without trial. The
attorneys were sometimes displeased, but he cared little for that.
The names of Reuben Simmons, F. D. McCarty and his father,
Francis McCarty, Joseph Stow and some others, were often linked
together in early day building operations. Many early day structures
as far back as 1841, were erected by them, here and in Taycheedah.
The remains of a few may yet be seen, but they are becoming very
scarce. In a little while none will remain.
Edward Pier used to say at the time our money was very poor
and bank discounts very high, that no business man could pay twelve
to twenty per cent for money. When asked how those with money
and the banks could secure interest, his reply was, they can better
afford to go without it than the business man can afiford to go to the
wall. Who will say that Edward Pier's head was not level?
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
333
Armory E.
Located on north side of East Second street, near Main. Built
in 1888 and 1900.
Full Roster of Company E.
After Company E was ordered into service, it was recruited up
to the maximum and left the state with full ranks. The service of the
Company in the Spanish-American war may be found elsewhere in
this work, but the following is the complete roster of the Company
when it left the state :
Edwin T. Markle, Captain.
Emil C. Plonslvy, First Lieut.
Adolph E. Kliemchen, Second Lieut.
Egelhoff, August C, First Sergt.
Brugger, Carl H., Q. M. Sergt.
Seeve, William J. H., Sergt.
Jaffke, Herman C, Sergt.
Bruett, William F., Sergt.
Lubitz, Frank J., Sergt.
Trier, Adolph M., Corp.
Lee, Jay L., Corp.
DeSombre, William E., Corp.
Dittmar, James W., Corp.
Wheeler, Frank J., Corp.
Cleveland, Charles C, Corp.
Langlois, Noah V., Corp.
Crippen, George A., Corp.
Skinner, Frank L., Corp.
Krebs, Fred C, Corp.
Hass, Albert, Corp.
Bechaud, Rudolph A., Corp.
Zinke, Carl R., Mus.
Zinke, Alfred R., Mus.
Clark, Edwin W., Art.
Vandervort, Frank, Wag.
334
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Abel, Louis A.
Allen, Ellsworth H.
Arnold, Oscar.
Arthur, George A.
Babcock, Benjamin F.
Ballanz, William H.
Bettac, William.
Birr, Paul.
Bodle, George.
Born, George.
Born, Jacob.
Breitzman, Arthur W.
Brunet, Adelbert R.
Brunkhorst, Albert G.
Burnton, Carroll R.
Cady, Arthur Bertine.
Calvert, Frederick W.
Canniff, Ralph E.
Carney, J. Edward.
Carney, John F.
Caselton, William C.
Cavanagh, Lawrence P.
Christenson, Henry.
Clark, Peter.
Conway, William R.
Derusha, Edward.
Dircks, John.
Eiteneuer, Peter.
Estarbrook, Robert C.
Floody, Edward.
Galvin, Joseph F.
Groesbeck, Garrett.
Groesbeck, John W.
Guhl, Ferdinand.
Haberkorn, Albert H.
Heath, George W,
Hornig, Frank W.
Huelsmann, Oscar A.
Hughes, Robert L.
Jaeger, Charles W.
Jesmier, Frank.
Keilberg, Ernst.
Kempf, Frank H.
Kreger, Charles L.
Kroll, Gustav.
Kuhlmann, Louis.
La Rose, Charles.
Lubitz, Christ. F.
Markow, Frank H.
McCourt, Arthur.
Mead, Richard.
Mentch, William.
Miller, John A.
Molitor, John M.
Monahan, Michael J.
Pagel, Albert.
Panger, Alfred.
Quambush, William.
Raidy, Michael K.
Riese, August.
Roberts, Berrez A.
Rodgers, Arthur.
Rouse, Albert M.
Ryan, Patrick.
Sampson, Avery.
Scherzinger, Henry.
Schwartz, Abraham.
Simcosky, Frank.
Small, Adam H.
Small, Robert B.
Smith, Edward J.
Taylor, Frank C.
Tiffany, Claude A.
Van Dorsten, Paris R.
Van Scooter, Lester.
Voell, Frank.
Werner, Edwin.
Wetzel, Ferdinand.
Wheeler, Oscar N.
Wickert, Jake H.
Wilbert, Joseph.
Williams, Robert S.
Wirtz, Robert H.
Fond du Lac High School.
Located on Amory and Merrill streets. Built in 1875.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
335
Henry D. Hitt.
Entered his farm in Oakfield in 1847, and has lived on it ever
since.
Madame de Neveu.
Came to Wisconsin in 1838 and has lived at her Empire home
continuously to the present.
336
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Masonic Temple.
Located at the northwest corner of Sheboygan and Marr streets,
Fond du Lac, Wis.
Fond du Lac Postoffice.
Located at the northeast corner of West First and Macy streets.
Erected in 1905 at a cost of $65,000.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 337
^«;^HITTELSEY'S
The Pioneer Store ^ An Attractive Place for Veterans
Prices Always Satisfactory
This business was established by John Sharpe in 1856 and Mr. Whittelsey
came from New Yorii and joined Mr. Sharpe in 1861. Pioneers of city and
county are pleased to call at this Pioneer Dry Goods Store.
la the not distant future this business will be transferred to the corner of
Main and Forest Avenue and into the finest building the city has ever had.
0"*Brien T>ry Goods Co.
Main Street, = Opposite Palmer House
FOND DU L^C, WISCONSIN
Latest Styles and Great Variety in Dry Goods, Latest
Novelties known to the Trade. Almost Endless
List of Notions, JFiirs, JRugs^ JEtc.
When shopping, do not fail to call at O'Brien's and save money.
THE BIG WHITE STORE
THE PEOPLE'S FAVORITE SHOPPING PLACE
For Dry Goods, Cloaks, Suits, Millinery, Carpets, Crockery, Etc.
Fine Dress Making to Order.
Best Treatment and Lowest Prices has made this the
Popular Store.
J. F. GRUENHECK
338
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Elks' Club House
Located Northeast Corner Sheboygan and Portland Streets.
Erected in 1903 and 1904.
ARMORY E HALL
Largest ana test Hall m Fona du Lac for
Conventions, Parties ana all Large Assem-
blies. Located on East Second Street, less
than a block from Main Street.
IN EVERY RESPECT FIRST-CLASS
-Apply to CAPT. W. J. SEEVE,,Manager
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
339
L. A. WiUiams W. E. Griswold
F. W. Ctadbourne
WILLIAMS, GRISWOLD
^ CHADBOURNE
ATTORNEYS
Fond du Lac National Bank Building
Telephone 122
FOND DU LAC JS WISCONSIN
Maurice McKenna
ATTORNEY AT LAW
153 S. MAIX STREET
FOND DU LAC •WISCONSIN
MORSE & JOMNSON
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Telephone 786-2
136 S. /nAlN STREET
EOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
Roy L. /*Aorse
David E. Johnson
M. K. RHILLY
H. M. FELLENZ
J. P. RBIL.LY
REILLY
FELLENZ &
REILLY
LAWYERS
Corner First and Main Streets
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Herbert E. S^^^ett
Collections German Spoken
O. H, ECKE
LAWYER
Attorney at LaW
Business Transacted in National.
State, District, Circuit, County
Office Hours
and Local Courts
9 to 12, 2 to 5
Phone 8563
Main Street
92 South Main Street
Fond du Lac, Wis.
FOND DU LAC, WIS.
340
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
ylmory "Block and Hall
Located at the head of Sheboygan Street. Built after the prevailing style of architecture of the
time in New York. Originally the floors were five steps abov»" the sidewalk. In 1869 the floors
were lowered to their present position. The Hall was opened In 1857 by the Peak Family of Bell
Ringers with the largest crowd present that ever was in it.
The Savings Bank of W. E. Cole occupies the south one-third.
The Holland Dutch Remedy
A prescription by Dr. Haltemann, a Holland physician and unques-
tionably the Best Remedy Known for all Troubles of the Bowels, Liver
and Kidneys.
Wholly Vegetable and Harmless
Prepared by A. T. GLAZE
^:^zzzzs'»— FOR SALE BY ALL DRUGGISTS
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 341
COLE SAVINGS BANK
INCORPORATED
Deposits of $1.00 and upward received
Interest Paid Semi-annually
Wm. E. cole. President VVm. I. COLE, Cashibr
ESTABLISHED 1875-
The Anderson Vehicle Company
Dealers in all kinds of Vehicles, Automobiles, Fur Coats and Robes,
Cutters and Sleighs, Binders, Mowers, and Hay Rakes, and any-
thing else required on a farm. Give us a call.
West Second Street ^=-- Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
W. J. CHEGWIN
Furniture and Picture Framing
No. 20 East Second Street Fond au Lac, \Visconsin
HENRY 'BROS.
FLOUR, FEED, GRAIN, SALT
CEMENT AND BUILDING MATERIALS
FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
For a Stylish Suit or Overcoat go to
TRELEVEN BROTHERS
102 SOUTH MAIN STREET FOND DU LAQ WIS.
BSTABLiISHEO 1883
CLARK MANUFACTURING COMPANY
L. H. CLARK
Finest machinery in the city for building Gasoline Engines
and the manufacture of Novelties and Models. Repairing
done neatly and promptly.
Shops on Forest Avenue near the Wisconsin Central Station
FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
342
BUSINESS HISTORY OF POND DU LAC
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
343
DR. H. T. SACKETT
DENTIST
Established 25 years
OFFICES 59-61 MAIN STREET
(Opposite Forest Ave.)
EQUIPPED WITH ALL MODERN
APPLIANCES
COMPETENT ASSISTANTS ARE
CONSTANTLY IN ATTENDANCE
FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH AND THE
ARTISTIC RESTORATION OF FACIAL
CONTOUR, GO TO . . .
Dr. G. A. Hildreth
Whose improvements in the methods
employed in restoring contour, youth,
tone and expression to the face are
such that it is possible to ward off
the appearance of age by ten to
fifteen years.
Tie HildretK Dental Parlors
134 S. MAIN, CORNER SECOND
MODERN DENTISTRY
Dr. C. C. Trowbridge
DENTIST
150 SOUTH MAIN STREET
FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
Ji Word of Instruction
There is no time after birth that a
child should not be under the watch of a
competent dentist. Many ot the so-callea
disturbances of teething are not the re-
sult of teething at all, but of improper
and unsanitary feeding. Just so are
many of the inflammations of the soft
tissues, and if a proper diagnosis were
made and proper Instructions given, they
would speedily disappear. It is possible
for any person to reach adult and even
pass through their entire life without
decay of the teeth. If only the advice ot
a competent dental physician were
heeded.
A PRACTITIONER
J. K. WILKINS
First Street Livery
¥ ¥ ¥
The equipment of this barn unsurpassed
by any in the city. Everything first-class
and prices reasonable
HACKS RUN TO ALL TRAINS
L. A. BISHOP
HOMEOPATHIC
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
MARR S":"REET
Between First and Second Streets
FOND DU LAC, WIS.
Office Hours
7:30 to 10 a. m.
1:00 to 3:00
7:00 to 8:30 p. m.
344
BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
Sheriff's "R^esidence and County Jail
Located on Linden Street, South of the Court House.
Built in 1870 and Improved at Various Times.
ALBERT HAUER
DEALER IN
«i^
Paints, Oils, AiVall Paper
Glass ana \V^inao\v Snades
173 SOUTH MAIN STREET
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
345
Wheeler & Wilson
New Home
and Other Standard
Makes of
Sewing Machines
Pianos Tuned
Pianos Repaired
Pianos for Rent
and Sold on Easy
Payments
Foe// Music House
Wholesale and Retail
104 South Main Street Fond du Lac, Wis.
Telephone 306
C. A. FURSTNOW
Is the Largest
Dealer in
Watches, Clocks, Jewelry, Diamonds
Silverware, Fine Cut Glass, Umbrellas
Edison, Victor and Columbia Talking
Machines and l^ecords, also All Kinds of
Musical Instruments at Lowest Prices
77 SOUTH MAIN STREET
When you want Hard
Coal free from dust and
dirt, place your order with
the
A. TAIT
FUEL CO.
M. Fitzsimons
fe? Sons = — —
MAIN AND FIRST STREETS
BOOTS and SHOES
Best Work at Reasonable Prices
JACOB BRENNER
MANTJFAOTORER OF
Galvanized Iron
Sheet Iron and Tin
Thos. H. Hastings
Liver y and
Undertaking
Livery Phone 92
SHOP ON THIRD 8TREET
POND DU LAC. WIS.
16 Sheboygan Street
Undertaking Phone 86
139 S. Main Street
Roofing and House Trimmings a
Specialty
FOND DU LAC, WIS.
346
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
"Bishop's K^esidence and Mother House
Located on East Division Street, Corner of Amory.
Mother House Built in 1905 at a Cost of $60,000.
TRANKLIN SWETT
ARChlTECT
Plans and Estimates Prepared
on Short Notice . . .
Rooms rirst house East of Armory E
. . . rOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
PROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
347
Established 1873
JOHN HUGHES
DEALER IN
Shelf and Heavy Hardware
Iron in Great Variety
Heating and Cooking Stoves
Tinware, Nails
Blacksmiths' Supplies
Wagon Stock, Cordage, etc.
FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
Monarchy Malleable
Iron and Steel Ranges
TKusch & Hirth
Hardware
142 S. Main St. Fond du Lac. fVis.
J. F. Wegncp & Co.
Wilkie
'Wholesale and Retail Dealers in
Hardware
Hardware
Stoves and
Co.
Tin^ware
Nails, Saws, Axes, Tools, Milk Cans
Rope, Chain, Iron, Steel, Etc., Etc.
SHELF AND HEAVY
¥ ¥ ¥
HARDWARE
Good Goods !
Small Profits !
BUILDERS' HARDWARE
A SPECIALTY
Quick Sales !
¥ ¥ ¥
108 South Main Street
Fond du Lac, Wis.
'Phone, Red 925
Main Street
348
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
Landing at Winnebago Parii,
Located Eight Miles North of the City on East Shore
of Lake Winnebago.
JOHN P. HESS
UP
-TO-DATE
JEWELER
AND
OPTICIAN
M
M
88 SOUTH MAIN STREET
FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
349
KSTABLTSHED 1870
Bowe & Van Blarcom
The Oldest Established
Real Estate Agency in
Fond du Lac County
If you wish to Buy, Sell or Ex-
changee Real Estate, call on us
Auction Sales of all sorts of
Property a Specialty
SEE
Anderson & Watson
FOR
real estate
insurance '
and loans
136 SOUTH MAIN STREET
Oldest Music House in the City
B. H. Anaerson
DEALER IN
Pianos and Organs
Violins, Guitars, Manaolins
Small Instruments
Sneet Music
and all sorts or
Musical Mercnandise
FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
Old Settlers
Young Settlers
In fact every one can be
suited with Furniture
at
Kremer 'Bros.
The New Furniture Store
36=38 No. Main Street
Reinig "Blocfi
S. H. CHENEY
MANUFACTURER OV
Galvanized Iron, Tin and Sheet
Iron Work of All Kinds
Roofing and House Trimming
a Specialty
East First Street, near Main
Fond du Lac "Wis.
Spencer Palmer
JOB PRINTER
Main Street, near Second Fond du Lac, Wis.
¥ ¥ ¥
Business Established More Than
Thirty Years -i- Work Always
First-class and at Fair Prices
350
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
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Has been continuously in business for fifty
years. This is the best proof of honest
dealing, good work and reasonable prices.
\6 Soni\:i ViXain Street
^onti bu i.ac, Wisconsin
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 351
Wagner Dry Goods Compant;
122=124 JStain Street, corner Second
Dry Goods, Notions, Carpets
Cloaks, Rugs, Lace Curtains, etc.
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED ^
^-^r^AOOri 'O 90-92 MAIN STREET
^D I llAA^D^DE^L ^D Opp. Commercial National Bank
Always Something Neiv
Dry Goods, Notions, Suits, Cloaks and Furs
The Store that Keeps the Prices Down
RICHARD HAAS GRAND CENTRAL fred wagner
DRY GOODS, CARPETS, RUGS AND LINOLEUM
NO. 22 FOREST AVENUE
FOND DU LAC, WIS.
T. E. AHERN CO.
CLOTHIERS
51-53 Soutk Main Street
352
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
West Front of Grafton Hall
On Sophia Street North of The Cathedral.
Built in 1900.
N. W. SALLADE'
ATTORNEY AT LAW
FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING
FOND DU LAC. WISCONSIN
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
353
GRAFTOJW HALL
School and College
for Young Ladies
College of Music M School of Decora^
tion M Designing M Domestic Science
and Library Courses
Rev. B. T. Rogers, Warden
Established 1864 -»».■»
The RUBER BROTHERS
Largest Stock of Drugs and Medicines in the City
Books and Stationery in a Great Variety. Notions, Paints
and Oils. Mixed Paints, Wall Papers. Curtains and Ev-
erything in the line of Druggists' Sundries ^ ^
-PRESCRIPTIONS A SPECIALTY
R. POWRIE
Manufacturer of and Dealer in
FINE MONUMENTS
AND STATUARY
MARBLE. GRANITE AND STONE
Pneumatic Tools for Carving and Lettering
30 EAST FIRST STREET
Cut shown 13 of Monument Designed and Executed
for Ihe Iron Brigade by R. Powrie. Erected in
Arlington Cemetery, \Va8liington, D. C.
354
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAG
Lakeside Park and Fountain
Located on Lake Shore, One Mile North
of the Court House.
GIFFIN ^ SUTHERLAND
jittorneys
^
FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING
FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
355
E. G
r. HEATH. Managek
Fo
nd
du
Lac
Steam
Laun
dry
34
EAST
FIRST STREET
M M
TELEPHONE
21
Eqi
lipped
with
Very latest
machinery
Do
the m
ost stylish and up'to=date Work
RE/niNGTON DRUG CO.
L. cJ RE/niNG I ON
cJAS. T. UANA
Our Drug Experience of over a quarter
of a century at your service =^
72 S. MAIN STREET
^
rOND DU LAC. WIS.
Dr. Reed's Cushion Sole Shoes for Ladies and Men
THE EASIEST SHOE ON EARTH
We make shoes to order. We take your measure and
guarantee a perfect fit. Up-to-date shoes at popular
prices.
GEORG, THE SHOE MAN
70 S. MAIN STREET
FOND DU LAC, WIS.
Martin Herbert
PRACTICAL
SHOEMAKER
Shoes made to order on Short Notice.
Repairing done while you wait.
Prices Low and Work Up-to-date.
Hand-sewed Work a Specialty,
Give me a call.
JO East Second St.
Fond du Lac, Wis.
356
BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
Taylor "Park
Located on the West Side of the City
and Near Forest Avenue.
FRANK O. PRINSLOW
DEALER IN
Farm Implements, ^A^agons, Carriages
DouMe Disc Drills and Seeders, Gasoline Engines
and Tkreshers, Wind-mills, Sewing Mackines,
X-wine, Grass Seed, etc.
TELEPHONE 702
19-21-23 E. First Street FOND DU LAC, WIS.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 357
President, L. A. WILLIAMS
Treasurer, W. E. GRISWOLD
Secretary. F. W. CHADBOURNE
FOND DU LAC COUNTY
ABSTRACT COMPANY
incorporated
Owners of the Original Abstract Books and Records of Fond du Lac County
supplemented by a Complete New System of its o^wn. .....
<»«— ~ OFFICE IN FOND DU LAC NATIONAL BANK BUILDING
Wai. McDERMOTT J. P. McDERMOTT G. L. McDERMOTT
Wm. McDermott Sr Sons
INSURANCE, REAL ESTATE
LOANS AND COLLECTIONS
LOCAL LAND AGENTS OF CHICAGO & PROPERTY OF NON-
NORTH-WESTERN R. R. CO.'S LAND S IN RESIDENTS RECEIVES
NORTHERN WISCONSIN AND MICHIGAN PROMPT ATTENTION
. . . COHRESPOXDEXCE SOLICITED . . .
24 SOUTH MAIN STREET j^ FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
S^l^e (Eommonipcaltt;
Is intimately associated with the history and progress of Fond du Lac. The
Weekly Commonwealth, being now in its fifty-third year, enjoys the distinction
of being the oldest paper, not only in the city, but in the Sixth congressional
district. The Daily Commonwealth is in its thirty-sixth year.
There are certain distinctive features about The Commonwealth. Unlike
many newspapers of the present time, it does not strain after sensationalism.
The policy is to get the facts and print such of the news as is decent to print.
It is a paper that can be and is read in the family circle — not one that the
parent should seek to keep from the children.
In addition to giving a complete city and county news service. The Com-
monwealth maintains special service at Madison, Milwaukee and Oshkosh.
From the former, the doings of the state legislature and other matters pertaining
to the state government are reported; from Milwaukee, the metropolis and news
center of Wisconsin, comes a great deal of special news of the state; and from
Oshkosh, Fond du Lac's closest neighbor, comes much news that is of particular
interest to the residents of Fond du Lac.
The United States and foreign news service is furnished by the Scripps-
McRae Press Association, of which The Commonwealth is a member. This
association, co-operating with the Publishers' Press Association, covers all
parts of the civilized world.
The P. B. Haber Printing Company, publishers of the paper, operate in
connection a modern show and job priming establishment, where practically
anything from a label the size of a postage stamp to the largest theatrical bill is
printed.
358
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
■ • ■ ' ^'-fr^^r '^^:^^ ■■■'■■ %
lliiii^
HHH
i^3a>g^2ai«t-aa:^aii.aaMBMiiii8iffiiiMl^^^^^^Bi
Lakeside Park
Located One Mile North of the Court House
on Shore of Lake Winnebago
d. THO/nSGN
d. h ThO/nSEN
eJ. TMO/nSEN & SON
^^^Decorating and Painting
Wall Paper, Painting /Materials, Etc .
18 SOUTH AAAIN STREET
rOND DU LAC . . . WISCONSIN
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
359
The ErVing Hotel
AMERICAN AND
EUROPEAN PLAN
EXCELLENT CAFE
IN CONNECTION
Fond du Lac
Wisconsin
Ike Pal
mer
H
ouse
E A. CAREY. Owner
G. A. ALEXANDER. Manager
FIRST-CLASS HOTEL
REASONABLE PRICES
FINE EQUIPMENT
Everything desired in Modern Improvements, in-
cluding Elevators, Gas and Electric Lights, Bath-
rooms, Closets, Billiard Rooms, Sample Rooms,
Barber Shop, Telegraph and Telephone Service,
Buffet, etc
First-Class in All Respects
COR. MAIN AND SHEBOYGAN STS.
FOND DU LAC J* WISCONSIN
rOND DU LAC . . .
NATIONAL BANK
or rOND DU LAC. WISCONSIN
Capital $200,000
Surplus b^,^^^
DIRRCTORS
0. A. GALLOWAY, Of Moore & Galloway Lumber Co
FRED'K RUEPING, Of Fred Ruepinq Leather Co.
J. A. MERRYMAN, Merchant
JOHN HUGHES, merchant
CHAS. SCHRIBER, V-Pres. Old National Bank of
Oshkosh, Wis.
E. P. SAWYER, Capitalist
G. A. KNAPP, Cashier C. A. GALLOWAY, Pres.
Established 1870
COMMERCIAL
NATIONAL BANK
OF FOND DU LAC, WIS.
H. R. POTTER, President
HENRY BOYLE, Vice-President
A G. BECHAUD, 2d Vice-President
M. T. SIMMONS, Cashier
DIRECTORS
John T. Boyle George Giddings
F. E. HOYT D. D. Sutherland
H. P. PHEI/PS
J. 'W. WATSON
Phelps & Watson
ATTORNEXS AT L,Aw
DEALEHS IX
REAL ESTATE
Fond du Lac ^ Wisconsin
In Biishiess Over Fifty Years
©f ^onb bu ^ac '
J. B. PERRY, Pres. ERNEST J. PERRY, Cashier
Pircctors
H. D. HITT E. R. HERREN A. G.RUGGLES
G. W. EARLE J. C. FUHRMAN
360
BUSINESS HISTORY OP FOND DU LAC
The Henri; 3ot;le Home for Aged Catholics
Located on Park Avenue. Erected in 1903 by Henry Boyle
at a Cost of 1^75,000 for Building and Endowment.
W. A. MEIKLEJOHN
E. C. MARTIN
MEIKLEJOHJW & MARTIN
FINANCIAL, AGENTS INVESTMENT BROKERS
REAL, ESTATE COMMERCIAL, PAPER
MORTGAGES, STOCKS AND BONDS
SECURITIES OF AL.L, KINDS BOUGHT AND SOLD
MONEY TO LOAN ON LONG AND SHORT TIME
First National 'Bank Building
Jff Fond du Lac, Wis.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
361
M-Oore vk? Cjallo^vay Lumber Co.
LUMBER, SHINGLES, LATH
SASH AND DOORS
M M
Artistic Glass a Specialty
Interior Woodwork in choicest Domestic and Im-
ported Woods at lowest prices consistent withclnar-
acter and style of workmanship.
DO NOT FAIL TO SEE OUR WORK AND GET ESTIMATES
Telepkone No. 4 J-
FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
NTOENTAL
OrfflNGlIOUSE
^g Largest C lotking Estab-
lisnment in tne Nortn^vest...
f^ ^^HE store that always saves you money.
I V^ If you want the very latest in Men's
I and Boys' Clothing, Hats, Caps or Fur-
nishing Goods, you'll find it here.
The finest Custom Tailored, Ready-to-
Wear Clothing our Specialty.
The CONTINENTAL
CLOTHING HOUSE
KUH NATHAN & nscHER CO 42-44 S. Main St., Fond du Lac, Wis.
362
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
St. Agnes' Sanitarium
Located Three Miles East of the City on What was in Early Days,
the Lyman PhiUips Farm. On the Premises is Located
One of the Finest Springs in the County.
HELMER MILLING CO.
. . One of the Oldest . .
Flour J Feed J Grain Salt and Seed
. . Firms in the City . .
Retail Department, 14-16-18 Fourth Street
' Mill and Elevator, 183-185-187 Western Avenue
^^aaa^^-FOND DU LAC, WIS.
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 363
±ke Daily and The Saturday Reporter
Rank with the leading newspapers in Wisconsin. The Daily Reporter
is nearly twenty-four years old and The Saturday Reporter is nearing
its forty-seventh anniversary. These papers are published by The
Reporter Printing Company, of Fond du Lac, Wis., and support the
principles of the Democratic party. The Reporter has always been
aggressive and progressive. The first linotype machine ever used in
Fond du Lac County was purchased by The Reporter Printing Com-
pany. The Daily Reporter was the first paper to secure a telegraph
service in Fond du Lac. It was the first to publish an eight page, seven
column paper and has always taken pride in leading in all improve-
■ ments until today it has a state-wide reputation. The Saturday Re-
porter is one of the strongest weekly papers in Wisconsin. It has the
stability of age and the progressive spirit of youth, and with this
combination, it has proved itself the equal of any weekly paper pub-
lished in Wisconsin and the superior of most of them. The officers
of The Reporter Printing Company are L. A. Lange, President and
Manager; A. H. Tuttle, Vice President and Superintendent of the Job
Department; Emery Martin, Secretary and Advertising Manager, and
W. H. Parsons, Treasurer and Managing Editor. The Reporter Print-
ing Company, besides publishing these papers, has one of the finest
job rooms in the northwest. A specialty is made of fine book and
catalogue work and high grade commercial work.
The Fond du Lac
Dailp 'Bulletin
Only Morning Paper in Fond du Lac,
Only Paper in Fond du Lac holding an Associated
Press Franchise. Only Paper in Fond du Lac
that dares to be independent or dares to tell the
truth about public affairs.
Ten Cents a Week Only— Delivered hy Carrier
ON FREE RURAL DELIVERY ROUTES
The Bulletin is delivered on the morning of publi-
cation, thus giving farmers the newspaper
advantages of city residents.
Send your name to The Balletin and
get the Best Paper in the County
36 4
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
GENERi I. E. .S. BRAGG.
U. S. Consul General to Hongkong, China.
JUDGE NORMAN S. GILSON
President of State Tax Commission.
CH.ART.ES R. HARRISON
Died May 19, 1905.
CAPT. M. MANGAN
Died Sept. 26, 1901.
CONTENTS
Military History 5
Fond du Lac National Guard 5
Hibernian Guards • 6
Fond du Lac in the War 7
Fond du Lac Guards— Co. E 10
Fountains and Water Works 15
Caskets in Use Few Years 17
Foolish Forms of Speech 18
Ben Gilbert and His Cap IS
Passenger Steamboats on the Lake... IS
Lumber and Lumbermen 19
Sawmills 22
Shinglemills 23
Meyer Factory 25
Steenberg Factory 26
McDonald & Stewart Factory 26
To Teach English to Indians 26
Fond du Lac Railroads 27
Dealers in Dry Goods 29
Dry Goods in Ripon 32
First County History 33
Curious Relics and Records 33
Furniture Manufacture 33
Scripture or Not Scripture 34
Disliked Scandal Cases 34
XDld Time Postofflce Clerk 34
County Seat Contest 34
The Indian Scare 35
Pencils Forty Years Ago 36
Methods of Preserving Fruits 36
The Hardware Trade 37
Relics of the Past 39
Fountain City Herald 39
The Old Giltner Place 40
Peat Fifty Years Ago 40
Laundry Not Thought Of 40
Fire Department 41
Death of Ira Schoolcraft 44
Water "Was Let Out 44
Gen. Hamilton a Veteran 44
Boot and Shoe Trade 45
Where Tinware Was Made 47
Early Days' Fishing 48
Queer But Not a Fool 48
Bullis Was a Practical Joker 48
The Earliest Settler 49
Banks and Bankers 51
Savings Banks 54
Ripon Banks 55
Waupun Banks 56
Crooked Channel 57
Free Will Baptist Church 58
Early Day Shingle Machines 58
Railroad Open to Chester 58
Fond du Lac PostofHce 59
Patent Right Sharpers 61
Capt. Mapes and His Text 61
Sails on Lake Winnebago 62
Paradise for Hoboes 62
Printing and Printers 63
Contents of the Newspapers 66
New Style of Type Stickers 67
The Point System 67
Use of Plate Matter 67
Other Innovations 67
Tommy Heil, the Mechanic 68
Gibson Blacksmith Shbp 68
From Church to Opera House 68
Home of A. H. Clark 68
Musical Instruments 69
Dr. Darling Homestead 70
Was a Talented Artist 71
A Candle Factory 73
First Circus Here 73
Henry Bush Lost Chickens 74
W'ar Shinplasters 74
First Cedar Blocks Used 74
Genuine Missionary Spirit 75
Preceded the Lange Block 76 ^
Hotel Brought From Taycheedah 76
A Few of the Firsts 77
Metzgar in the Procession 80
Koehne and the Dutch Gap 80
First House in Fond du Lac 81
Threshing and Fanning Mills 82
Was Not Many Years Ago 83
History of Elections 85
Village of Fond du Lac 85
City of Fond du Lac 86
Ofhcers of County 87 to 92
School Superintendents 93
Fond du Lac Legislators 94
Members of Assembly 94
Governors of Wisconsin 95
Members of Congress 96
U. S. Senators 97
Presidential Candidates 97
Two Remarkable Events 99
Coming of Salvation Army 101
Frost Everv Month in the Year 101
Big Fountain 101
One of the Railroad Engineers 102
Old Home of Mrs. Arnold 102
Street Railways and Lighting 103
Electric Lighting 104
Noisy Preachers 104
Great Work of Bishop Grafton 105
Bakery Bread Here 108
Pioneer Farmers and Settlers 109
First City Directory 116
Early Day Flouring Mills 117
Forgot His Wife 120
Wanted Circus Tickets 120
An Albino Barber 120
Drugs and Medicines 121
Here Since 1846 122
Those Here Now 123
City of Ripon 124
City of Waupun 125
Stone Yard Experiment 126
Amory Hall and the Peak Family 126
Indians and Indian Payments 127
First Harness Made Here 129
Early Theatre Methods 130
Holland Dutch Windmill 130
Physicians and Surgeons 131
Physicians of Fifty Years Ago 132
Resident Physicians in 1850 132
From 1848 to the Present 133
Now in Practice Here 133
Ripon Physicians 136
Physicians in the County 137-139
Medical Organizations 139
First National Hotel 140
Dentists and Dentistry 141
In Practice Here Now 142
City of Ripon 142
City of "^^aupun 143
Francisco on a Slab 143
First Job Press Here 144
Making Sheet Iron Stoves 144
Wide Awakes of 1860 144
The Bench and Bar 145
Four Veteran Survivors 145
Lawyers of 1850 146
Strong and Able Bar 146
Comers Since 1850 146
Came Since 1900 148
Pioneer Court 148
First Supreme Court 148
366
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
CONTENTS- Continued I
Military Records 148
Circuit Court Judges 149
Succession of County Judges 150
Marsliall and His Liniment 150
About Some Old Houses 150
Gas Works and Gas Men 151
First Yacht Here 153
Weather of January 1, 1854 153
Western Avenue Bridge 153
A Cat Ready to Fight 154
Dry Hop Yeast Business 155
Clothing, Jewelry, Groceries, etc 157
Clothing Trade 157
Jewelry Trade 157
Grocery Trade 157
Milliners and Dressmakers 158
Florists and Gardeners 158
Tobacco and Cigar Trade 158
Draying and Parcel Delivery 159
Passenger Transportation 1*30
A Cow That Walked In 16 )
Free Public Library 161
A Few Remarkable Years 163
Billy Ford, the Stage Man 164
First Jobs Printed 164
Old Marr Street Cottage 161
Astor Hall as a Saloon 164
Pioneers in 1874 and 1904 165
Wheel and Seeder Company 166
E. A. Brown Post G. A. R 167
Woman's Relief Corps 168
Railroad Was Extended 170
A Few Murders 171
Success in Politics 173
Trouble About Type 174
Not Anxious for Office 174
Edward Beeson as an Editor 174
The Literary Field 175
Peculiar Political Contest 177
Freedom from Storms 177
Greenbackerg and Grangers 178
Water for a Horn Blower 178
Very Exciting Day 179
Founder of the Commonwealth 180
Birth of the Republican Party 181
Sole Survivor at Ripon 182
Michigan's Claim 182
Watrous and Kutchin as Writers ....184
Navigation on the Lake 185
Sails on Lake Winnebago 186
Transportation on Wheels ..186
Crook in Main Street 187
Annual M. E. Conference 187
Teachers in High School 187
A Country . Grindstone 188
He Had a Peculiar Habit 188
A Low Down Whiskey Shop 188
Fay Brown, of Tjamartine 188
Some Queer Descriptions 188
Memories of the Past 189
Great Fire of 1852 189
They Were Strong Men 190
They Were Disappointed 190
Beet Sugar Factory 191
Ton Cold to Work 191
A Popular Family 192
First Wood Yard 192
All Gone Now 193
Clown and Trunk Maker 193
Elected by One Vote 193
Big Pair of Boots 194
Reaper and Mower Trial 1 94
Could Not Be Changed 194
Great Wrestler 1 95
Was Not a Favorite 195
Not Fast Boats 195
Favored Seward 195
Once a Lively Place 195
Soon Abandoned 196
Was a Popular Man 196
Sometimes Abrupt 196
First Gunsmith Shop 196
Much Cheaper Than Now 196
Has Been Changed 196
A Useful Building 197
Presbyterian Church Steeple 197
Brewery at the Spring 197
Sam Ryan Was Here 197
War Shinplasters 198
No Residences There 198
What Was Said and Done 199'
A Fond du Lac Cannon 199
Old Time Joke 199^
Got Drunk There 2001
Pigeon Hunter 20»
Got Stung 201
Trouble Among Clerks 201
He Presided Well 202
Bony Always There 202
A Crude Affair 202
A Great' Whittler 203
The Davis Tribe 203
Some Heavy Moving 203
Mutual Barber Shop 203
Won the Silver Trumpet 204
There Were Lively Times 204
A Crooked Stream 204
Need of a Light House 204
Signs Were Out 205
Largest Lodge in State 205
Old Time Theatre 205
First 'Bus Line 205
Could Not Defeat Him 205
Came in Flying 206
Occupied For Church Purposes 206
Stage Lines in 1849 206
Happenings Here and There 207
Ice Business 207
Disobedience of Orders 207
We Forget About It 208
Distressing Event 209
Deliverv of Goods 209
Old Time Fourth of July 209
Storm in Printing Office 210
Cruelly Shot Down 210
Quicklv Taken Up 211
Oats in Church 211
Died in His Chair 211
Early Lecture Course 212
Forgot Himself 212
Captive Bird 212
Was a Surprise 213
Darling's Gap 213
White Indians 213
Lawsuit for a Calf 213
Some of the Railroad Men 214
Thinking. Talking, Acting 215
Franklin Insurance Co 215
Fooled Away His Money 215
R. R. V. U. Railroad 216
Earlv Days of Spiritualism 217
Well Known Pioneer 217
Brought a Bear to Market 218
A Prominent Farmer 218
Elder Rogers and Contrabands 219
High Ceilings a Mistake 219
Capt. Knapp and Badger State 219
Tedious Trip 220
Quick Answer to Call 220
Foil Into the River 220
First Concrete Cellars 221
Dangerous Cannon 221
Early Day Skating Trip 221
Bad Egg Dealer 221
Another Old Settlers' Club 222
Manley Fell Into the River 222
A Long Time Ago 223
Did Not Like Politics 223
First Methodist Church 223
FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT
367
CONTENTS- Continued
Had a Blister to Fight 223
Attempted Street Improvement 224
Hazen Martial Band 224
A Successful Doctor 225
Strong Union Man 225
A Spaniard 225
Fastest Steamboats 225
Popular Pioneers 226
Disappearance of Five Pies 226
Kept Pies and Pop Beer 226
Hit with a Beer Glass 226
Prominent Men at Ripon 227
All Sold Liquor 227
Slow Workmen 228
Telegraph Operator 22S
Instructor at Gymnasium 228
"Would Not Pay Dog Tax 228
Channel at Lakeside 229
New Judicial Circuit 229
Ripon Convention Men 229
Early Days Hashery 230
First Bicycles 230
Building by Bonesteel 230
Experiences in Pioneer Days 231
Dr. Miller Came 231
On the Milwaukee Road 231
Trip of Hazen Family 232
A Shopping Party's Trials 233
Riding Behind Oxen 233
Kitchen Experiences 283
Mail for Phalanx 234
Privation of Mills 234
Rich and Poor 235
Settlers and Indians 235
Editor in Hen's Nest 236
Sickness and Death Came 236
Education Not Neglected 237
Primitive Vehicles 237
U. S. Senator Howe 238
To and From Oakfield 239
Oil Mill Once Here 239
Grand Masquerade 240
Mr. Beeson as a Musician 240
Old Fashioned Democrats 240
Address by H. E. Swett 241
Some Straightening Done 242
Tales of Pioneer Days by Madame
de Neveu 243
Scout's Lost Dauphin Story !.243
Scorned the Tomahawk 244
A Song of Long Ago 247
Some of the Ripon Pioneers 248
Winnebago Furniture Company 248
Quaker Abolitionists 249
A Nephew of Gen. Longstreet 251
House of Alonzo Raymond 251
Imitation Stone Made Here 251
Lathrop Ellis House 252
Banks in the County 252
First Book Bindery 252
Early Door Factory 252
The Printer Editor 253
Helped to Make Histors' 255
Was a Close Contest . .\ 255
Made Wood Type 256
Oldest Continuous Business 257
An 1S4S Tin Shop 257
Old Time Singing School 258
An Old Time Quarrel 258
First County Surveyor 258
Vote on Negro Suffrage 258
A Mistake in Survey 259
Anniversary of a Printer "259
Reporter Established 259
Struck by Epidemics '.'260
Large Number of Deeds 260
E. R. Ferris and Sheep's Gray 262
Old Time Records 261
An Early Days' Worker 26?
Lake de Neveu Outlet 263
An Early Planing Mill 263
Period of Hoop Skirts 264
Simple Matter of Sense 264
Macy Street Changes 264
Successful Effort 265
An Honest Grocerj'man 269
An Unfortunate Shoemaker 269
Dr. H. B. Dale Once Here 270
Former Fond du Lac People 270
Fred May and Homing Pigeons 270
An Old School Darkev 270
Court House Talk . . . ' 271
The Old and the New 271
Old Court House Yard 273
Court House and Countv Fairs 273
Old Court House Offlce.s' 274
Saved the Court House 274
About the Roads 274
Improvement Company 275
Born a Mathematician 276
Police Department 277
Well Known and Wealthy 279
Experiences of Early Dealers 279
Wild Bakery and Confectionery 280
Rueping Tannery 280
All is Not Possible 280
Now Almost Unknown 281
Ashf ord Bear Story 283
Refrigerator Business 283
Wisconsin Phalanx at Ripon 284
The Drug Mill 284
Paper Money Smells Bad 285
Few Now in Existence 286
Matches Not in Use 286
Level of Dr. Bishop's House 286
Old Settlers in 1905 287
Old Settlers' Program 288
Fourth of July Fire 289
Coming of Stephen A. Douglas 290
Seemed Like a Long Job 290
Tallmadge and Mitchell 290
To Be Tried Again 291
Assisting Dame Nature 291
Nature Solves the Problem 291
Development of Peat 291
Another Indian Scare 292
"Was a Grand Bird 293
Early Days' Hotels 294
Black Hawk Lived Here 294
Put Into the Box 295
Comer Stone Laid 296
County Organization 297
Old Timers on County Board 299
Abstracts and Land Titles 300
Not Made Here Since 300
Aborigines from 1764 301
Early French Traders 302
Indian Took His Dog 304
Fond du Lac File Works 304
Stone Cutting by Air Pressure 304
The Machine Shops 305
Good Pork Joke 306
West Side Trail 306
Fond du Lac "Home" 307
An Exciting Trial 310
Deer at Crofoot Bridge 310
Solomon Juneau 311
Beeson House on Third Street 311
Thre.'shing Machines and Tables 312
B. F. & H. L. Sweet Shops 312
Once a Chiccory Factory 312
Occurred Some Time Ago 313
Where They Have Lived 314
Money Not Reliable 315
Chief Oshkosh 315
Sylvan Grove Cemetery 316
Kutchin and Finney Discussion 317
368
BUSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
CONTENTS— Continued
First School House 317
Landing Warehouses 318
Lower Town Hotels 318
Concrete for Building 318
Convent and Hospital 319
Dr. Patchen Lost in Woods 320
The Gillet Store 320
Sudden and Startling- 321
Death of P. B. Hoskins 321
Always Wanted Bread 324
Death of Mrs. C. T. Tracy 324
The Honored Dead 325
Benjamin Franklin Moore 325
Charles Rodney Harrison 326
Robert Kennedy Satterfleld 327
Lyman F. Stow 327
Charles Henry DeGroat 328
William Adams 329
J. J. Lurvey 330
William Merrill 331
Pete Rupp and the Rats 331
An Early Picture Maker 332
Early Days' Water Works 332
Armory E 333
Roster of Co. E in War 333
Fond du Lac High School 334
Henry D. Hitt 335
Madame de Neveu 335
Masonic Temple 336
Fond du Lac PostofRce 336
^
ILLUSTRATIONS
Portrait of Author 2
First House in Fond du Lac 81
Public Library 161
Court House 271
Fond du Lac Home 307
St. Agnes Hospital 319
Portrait of F. B. Hoskins 321
Armory B 333
Fond du Lac High School 334
Hon. Henry D. Hitt 335
Madame de Neveu 335
Masonic Temple 336
Postofflce Building 336
Elks' Club House 338
Amory Block and Hall 340
County Insane Hospital 342
Sheriff's Residence and Jail 344
Bishop's Home and Mother House 346
Landing at Winnebago Park 348
Sheboygan Street, Looking East 350
West Front of Grafton Hall 352
Lakeside Park and Fountain 354
Taylor Park 356
The Henry Boyle Home for Aged
Catholics 360
St. Agnes' Sanitarium 362
Portrait of Gen. E. S. Bragg 364
Portrait of Judge N. S. Gilson 364
Portrait of Charles R. Harrison 364
Portrait of Capt. M. Mangan 364
^
BUSINESS CARDS
Anderson & Watson 349
Anderson, B. H 349
Anderson Vehicle Co 341
Ahern Co. T. E 351
Abstract Office 361
Armory E Hall 338
Bowe & Van Blarcom 349
Brenner, Jacob 345
Bulletin, Daily 363
Bishop. Dr. L. A 343
Clark, L. H 341
Commonwealth, Daily 357
Cole Savings Bank .341
Chegwin, W. J 341
Children's Teeth 343
Commercial National Bank 359
Cheney, S. H 349
Continental Clothing House 361
Ecke. O. H 339
Erving Hotel 359
Furstnow, C. A 345
Fitzsimons, M 345
Fond du Lac County Abstract Co 357
Fond du Lac Steam Laundry 355
First National Bank 359
Fond du Lac National Bank 359
Grafton Hall 353
Gruenheck, J. F 337
Georg. W. F 355
Giffln & Sutherland 354
Hutaer Bros 353
Hess. John P 348
Hughes, John 347
Henry Brothers 341
Hildreth, G. A 343
Hastings, T. H 345
Hauer. Albert 344
Helmer Milling Co 362
Haas & Wagner 351
Herbert, Martin 355
Holland Dutch Remedy 340
Kremer Bros 349
Laundry, Steam 357
Maurice McKenna 339
Morse & Johnson 339
McDermott & Sons, Wm 357
Meiklejohn & Martin 360
Moore & Galloway 361
O'Brien Dry Goods Co 3i57
Prinslow, Frank 356
Powrie, R 353
Palmer House 359
Phelps & Watson 359
Palmer, Spencer 349
Reporter, Daily 363
Reilly, Fellenz & Reilly 339
Remington Drug Co 355
Rusch & Hirth 347
Swett, Herbert E 339
Sackett, H. T 343
Scherzinger, G 350
Strassel & Co 351
Sallade, N. W 352
Swett, Franklin 346
Treleven Bros 341
Trowbridge, C. C 343
Tait Fuel Co 345
Thomsen & Son 358
Voell Music House 345
Whittelsey Dry Goods Co 337
Williams, Grlswold & Chadbourne 339
Wilkins, J. K 343
^Vegner, J. F 347
Wilkie Hardware Co 347
Wagner Dry Goods Co 351
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