CHAPTER XII. TOWN AND VILLAGE OF LAVALLE-TOWN OF WASHINGTON-TOWN OF WINFIELD-LOGANVILLE AND TOWN OF WESTFIELD-TOWN OF DELLONA-TOWN OF FREEDOM AND VILLAGE OF NORTH FREEDOM-TOWN OF GREENFIELD-TOWN AND VILLAGE OF IRONTON-TOWN OF EXCELSIOR AND VILLAGE OF ABLEMAN-VILLAGE AND TOWN OF DELTON-NEWPORT-TOWN OF WOODLAND TOWN OF FAIRFIELD. very scarce. TOWN AND VILLAGE OF LAVALLE. The town of Lavalle is formed of Township 13 north, Range 3 east, lying in the north tier of towns of Sauk County, and, were it not for the town of Woodland, which stands by itself on the west, would be the northwest corner town of the county. It is bounded on the north by Juneau County, on the east by the town of Winfield, on the south by Ironton, and on the west by Woodland. The surface of the town is uneven, but well watered by the Baraboo River and its tributaries. Good wells are easily obtained; springs are abundant. Timber is plenty and of good quality, principally oak, of several varieties. Railroad ties, hardwood timber and staves. are made in large quantities. Considerable pine was found here at an early day, but it is now The soil is clay and black and sandy loam; rock, principally sandstone; some limestone is found, of good quality for building purposes. Adjacent to the streams are found some picturesque masses of perpendicular rock, from fifty to two hundred feet in height, decked out with vines, mosses and shrubs, adding greatly to the beauty of the landscape. Wild fruits common to this latitude are abundant in season. In early days, wild bees were so common that wild honey was obtained with but little trouble. Bee-trees are frequently found at this time by those who know how to trace them. Several good water-powers exist in the town; one at Lavalle, on the line of the Madison Division of the Chicago & North-Western Railroad, which crosses the town from the southeast to the northwest; another is found on Section 24, where William Rathbun has a good saw-mill in operation; and another on Section 1, on Big Creek, where Harvey Gifford has a fine saw-mill in operation; still another mill is doing a flourishing business. at a switch on the railroad, called Podunk, owned by a Milwaukee man. Large quantities of railroad ties, wood and timber, are bought here. A store, boarding-house and blacksmith-shop are in operation at this point. The first white man to locate in the town was Samuel Karstetter, who built a shanty on Section 28, in 1847. Mr. Manelious Pearson, a native of England, came in 1848, and, in July of that year, erected the first substantial house, situated on Section 34. Mr. Pearson still resides on the farm of his first choice. His daughter Mary Ann, now Mrs. George Inman, born September 21, 1850, was the first white child born in the town. Among the very earliest settlers should be mentioned, in addition to Karstetter and Pearson, George Harrison, who came in 1848, Jabez Inman. in 1849, Ansel H. Brownell in 1850, John Tordoff in 1851, Edmund Tordoff in 1851, A. D. Potter in 1853, W. S. Hubbell in 1854, George W. Dickens in 1854, and John White in 1854. The territory now embraced in the town of Lavalle was originally in the town of Baraboo, and subsequently in the town of Marston. It became the town of Lavalle in 1861. The first town meeting was held in the village of Lavalle April 1, 1862. J. G. Blakeslee was elected Chairman E. B. Hageman and J. H. Douglass. Supervisors; C. F. Christnot, Clerk; H. G. Howard, Treasurer; H. A. Sturgess, Assessor; David Beery, II. A. Sturgess and Calvin Gardner, Justices. The first school district was organized while the town was a part of Marston, in 1851. A schoolhouse was commenced that year, situated on the north side of Section 33, near the Ironton and Lavalle road. Owing to a lack of harmony among the people, work was suspended on it. It was finally completed in February, 1853. This is said to have been the first school in the town of Marston, of which the present town of Lavalle then formed a part. When the schoolhouse was completed, W. S. Hubbell was Clerk, William All, Treasurer, and Samuel Hoskins, Director. The first teacher was William H. Brown. The first religious meetings were held at the house of the Rev. Mr. Hamlin-also a Sabbath school, with Mr. Hamlin as Superintendent-in the summer of 1851. Mr. Hamlin was a Free-Will Baptist minister. Village. The early settlers in the vicinity of what is now the village of Lavalle were J. F. Hamlin, Solon Rushmore, A. H. Brownell, Elisha Potter, Ezra Hagaman, Sebastian Kar ́stetter and M. A. Matthews. Mr. Hamlin made a claim of the land upon which the village is situated, and commenced the improvement of the water-power in the year 1849. temporary board shanty, in which to live, on the south side of the Baraboo, opposite the point he decided upon as the most feasible one for the construction of a dam and mill. He was soon afterward joined by Solon Rushmore, who took an interest in the enterprise. The year of 1849 was spent in making a dam and building the frame work of a mill, and, in the spring of 1850, the machinery was put in. The mill irons were manufactured in Baraboo by Sanford (J. F.) & Becktel, who were then carrying on a foundry at the county seat, the former being engaged in the mercantile business also. Mr. Sanford settled in Baraboo in 1848, and owned the first stock of goods ever taken to Reedsburg for general sale. The saw-mill was put into operation in the summer of 1850, the first lumber turned out being used, it is believed, in the framework of a more substantial dwelling for Mr. Hamlin. It is still standing as a part of the residence of Mr. Hunneberg. In 1864, the mill property passed to the hands of J. F. Sanford, who removed to Lavalle and took immediate charge of it. A flour-barrel factory was soon established in connection with the saw-mill. Both institutions were carried on successfully for a few years. The manufacture of broom-handles also became a part of the enterprise. In 1869, Mr. Sanford turned his attention to the building of a grist-mill, to be propelled by the same water-power employed in running the saw-mill, barrel factory, etc. A large three-story building was erected just below the dam, and, the necessary machinery being procured, the citizens of Lavalle were soon enabled to use home-made flour. The grist-mill is now the property of Lyman Beery and Theodore Yager. It has three run of stones, which are employed principally on custom work. In 1874, the old machinery in the saw-mill was taken out and the establishment fitted up for the manufacture of staves, by Stafford & Co., of Reedsburg, who had rented the building and a certain portion of the water-power for a term of three years. In 1876, Messrs. Keith & Paddock, who also own and conduct the Reedsburg stave-mill, obtained control of the concern. In the fall of the same year, a building was erected a short distance above the dam. In it were placed a steam boiler and engine and other necessary machinery for the manufacture of staves. Work was commenced and carried on until the 15th of June, 1878, when the establishment was destroyed by fire, at an estimated loss of $1,200. Immediate preparations were made for occupying the old saw-mill building, and, in due course of time the buzz of busy saws again echoed in the quiet precincts of Lavalle. The capacity of this mill is about 500 staves an hour. In 1879, the combined product of Messrs. Keith & Paddock's Lavalle and Reedsburg Mills was 1,500,000 staves. A. E. Miller is Superintendent of both establishments. The surrounding country, being heavily wooded with oak and basswood, furnishes an inexhaustible supply of material, and affords profitable employment to large numbers of industrious citizens. The manufacturers find a ready market for their work in the leading cities of the West, the major part of it being shipped to Chicago, where it is made into pork and flour barrels. In 1874, the Northwestern Hoop-Pole Company, of Chicago, put up a steam mill in the eastern part of Lavalle, in which machinery for the manufacture of hoop-poles and dressing of staves was placed. The business has been conducted with varied success up to the present time. In 1878, F. Ricken set up a carding machine in the upper part of the stave-mill, where he does local carding on a small scale. So much for the manufacturing interests of Lavalle. The early growth of the place was necessarily slow, situated as it was in a dense wilderness, scarcely accessible to ordinary road wagons. But the pioneer's first pathway is always rough, and he is thankful if he can but discern the outlines of even an Indian trail. New-comers gradually found their way into these hills and valleys, which were soon settled upon and cultivated. A school was established in the fall of 1855. It was held in a little shanty just north of the present residence of B. G. Paddock. There are no records of this school prior to 1865. In 1859, the district built a more spacious schoolhouse, which was occupied until 1875, when the present very creditable temple of learning was constructed, at a cost of $1,800, the old schoolhouse being converted into a town hall. At the end of the school year of 1879, there were 127 pupils in the district over four and under twenty years of age who had attended school. There are two departments, Marion Groat and Charlotte Beauchat presiding over them as Principal and Assistant respectively. A post office was established in the spring of 1856, with S. P. Barney as Postmaster. It was what was then commonly known as a special office, the mail being carried from Reedsburg by the citizens, who at first were in the habit of having a meeting and "drawing cuts decide who should carry the mail for the next two weeks. W. H. Young is said to have been the first victim of the "cut system." Finally a subscription was taken up and a regular mail carrier employed. This continued until the railroad reached the place in 1872. Mr. Barney held the office until 1864. It then became what Mr. Barney aptly terms a a political office, requiring the special attention of an individual with strong party leanings and more or less political influence. William P. Cobb was selected to supplant Mr. Barney, but he lived only a few months. and upon his death J. F. Sanford, one of Mr. Cobb's sureties, was appointed. Mr. Sanford held it ten years, and resigned in favor of William R. Croft, who, in the spring of 1876, withdrew in favor Mr. B. G. Paddock, more commonly known as " Ben," who is the present incumbent. 66 While the people of Lavalle are all law-abiding Christians, their religious enthusiasm has never led them to erect extravagant temples. Methodist meetings were held in the place as early as 1856, soon after the construction of the "shanty schoolhouse." Stated services have been of frequent occurrence since. The Adventists, existing in very limited numbers until recently, have also held meetings. Sanford's Hall, Field's Hall and Odd Fellows' Hall have been used by both denominations. In 1878, the Adventists built a neat church edifice. Among the subscribers to the fund were Elder Groat, of Ironton; J. Abbott Douglass, Robert White, W. H. Field, B. C. Douglass and J. N. Nye. Elders Graves and Hitchcock have supplied the pulpit. In December, 1875, a lodge of Odd Fellows-Lavalle Lodge, No. 244-was chartered, with H. A. Sturges, H. P. Apker, Wenz Mihlbauer, Asa Gale, R. W. Clarke and Frank P. Sanford as charter members. The P. G.'s in the lodge are Messrs. Sanford, Apker, Muhlbauer, Sturges, Gale, A. Pound, F. Myer and B. Douglass. There are about thirty members. The temperance cause has received considerable encouragement in Lavalle. Probably the most effective organization of this character in its history was accomplished in August, 1870when a Good Templar's Lodge was instituted. The charter members were Mary, Fannie Parker Apker, W. Bierd, A. Clement, H. W. Douglass. J. A. Douglass, Henry Eger Graham, Annie Head, Seth Kingsley, W. Marden, H. Paddock, Dell Sanborn, Charles Milo Seeley, Mrs. A. Pound and Robert Wilkie. H. W. Douglass was the first W. present is Herbert Paddock. The lodge is in good working condition. Before the railroad reached Lavalle the traveling public were accommodate berg. Upon the completion of the railroad in 1872, J. F. Sanford enlarge converted it into a hotel. W. N. Carver is the present lessee of the Sanfe The town of Lavalle was formerly a part of the town of Marston, in the territory of what is now the towns of Woodland, Washington ar petitioned to be set off as a separate town. To this, the citizens of the north end, for some reason best known to themselves, demurred, but the Ironton people succeeded in carrying through the project, and the town of Ironton was the result. This naturally left the records of all the territory in question in possession of the town of Marston (now Lavalle), and it was considered a pretty good joke when the town of Ironton found itself compelled to make a transcript of them at its own expense. Marston soon after became, as it is now, the town of Lavalle, and every one was happy. The village of Lavalle now contains three general stores, one hardware, one drug, and one hardware and grocery store; one hotel, two blacksmith-shops, one wagon-shop, one livery-stable, one shoe-shop, one millinery store, one saloon, one stave-mill, one hoop-pole factory, one gristmill, one carding-mill, one graded school, one church, one Odd Fellows' Lodge, one Good Templars' Lodge, and has one doctor. TOWN OF WASHINGTON. This town is situated in the western tier of towns in Sauk County, and twelve miles south of the north line of the county. The territory included within the limits of the town was originally a part of the town of Eagle, subsequently was organized as the town of Marston, in connection with the townships now known as Ironton and Lavalle, and, on the 1st of April, 1856, the town of Washington was organized. The town boundaries included the present territory, Town 11 north, Range 3 east, together with the two tiers of sections lying directly on the north, being a part of Town 12 north, Range 3 east, making the town eight miles north and south, and six miles east and west, in extent. The first election was held in the schoolhouse, on Section 15, April 1, 1856. The inspectors of election were H. W. Reeve and Nelson Wheeler. The whole number of votes cast was seventy-five. The officers elected were D. H. Boland, Chairman; Arva Frost, Joshua Holmes, Supervisors; E. S. Drake, Clerk; H. W. Reeve, Superintendent of Schools; G. W.Gray, Treasurer; Ira Jones, Assessor; Nelson Wheeler, Thomas J. Gray, Justices of the Peace; G. V. Ostrander, Thomas DeVoe, Samuel Drake, Constables. Subsequently, the two tiers of sections from Town 12, Range 3, were cut off and annexed to the Town of Ironton, leaving the town in its present form, that of a Government township of thirty-six sections. The surface features are generally of an uneven character. One wide ridge extends north and south, through the western part of the town, on a line north from Sections 32 and 33, swinging slightly to the west on Sections 6 and 7. This ridge varies in width, being from two to three miles wide. Originally, it was heavily timbered, but at this time it contains many well-cultivated farms. Another wide ridge extends eastward from Sections 29 and 32 to the east line of the town, widening out on Sections 26 and 25. The main ridges form the division ween the head-waters of several streams. From these ridges extend lateral ridges or spurs, rally at right angles. Quite an extensive and rich valley sets in near the northeastern the town, and extends in a southwesterly direction to Section 21. On the uplands, the trong clay loam, and in the valleys a rich black loam, well adapted, in both localities, os of this latitude. Tame grasses grow luxuriantly on both uplands and valleys. Son of the town was originally heavily timbered. The exceptions were portions the valley mentioned above. A second growth of timber now covers territory as are not under cultivation. The timber throughout the town is es, large and clear. Trees two feet in diameter and clear of limbs " f. are common. Stave bolts and wagon lumber form quite an imThe varieties of timber consist of oak, in its several town. several hundred. These springs form clear brooks of never-failing water, which are a great convenience to the farmers for the watering of stock. Windmills are almost unknown. On the highest ridges, good water is obtained at an average depth of seventy-five feet. Narrows Creek and its tributaries flow through the northeastern part of the town, and tributaries of Honey Creek through the southeastern, of Bear Creek through the southwestern, and of Willow Creek through the northwestern part. Speckled trout were once quite plenty in the latter streams in early days. At this time, they are not found in numbers great enough to satisfy the lovers of the rod and line. The rock is composed of lime, flint and sandstone. One large limekiln is in successful operation on Frederic Rowe's farm, on Section 6, and another has been recently started by G. L. Sebring, on Section 2. There are two post offices in the town. The Sandusky Post Office was established in the fall of 1855. The first Postmaster was William Dano, and the present is H. W. Reeve. The office is situated at the northwestern corner of Section 33. For the past fifteen years, the office has had four mails a week. Arrangements have been perfected by which it is expected soon to have a daily mail. The second office was established February, 22, 1880. It is called Tuckerville, and is situated on the north side of Section 14. John T. Pollock is Postmaster. Mails arrive and depart on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There are ten school buildings in the town; all frame but one, which is of logs. The first schoolhouse was built on Section 2, in 1854. School was taught by Miss Jane Wheeler. R. O. Myers was Clerk of the district, and Nelson Wheeler, Director. The first store was opened and kept by William Dano and J. Holmes, at Sandusky, in the spring of 1855; the second by Robert Hawke, and the third by H. W. Reeve, opened in the spring of 1861. Mr. Reeve is still in business at this writing (1880). Another is kept by Fred Zweig, also at Sandusky. The two latter are all that are in operation at this time. There are four churches in the town. The first was built by the Sandusky Society of the Evangelical Association of North America. The building was erected on land donated by Mr. C. J. H. Erffmeyer, on Section 27, in October, 1864. Cost of building, $400. The society was organized at a meeting held at the house of Charles Schluter, June 5, 1862. Trustees were elected-Frederic Schoephoister for one year, Henry Ties for two years and Charles Schluter for three years. C. J. H. Erffmeyer was Chairman of the meeting, and the Rev. Joseph Harlacher, Secretary. Mr. Erffmeyer donated one acre of land in the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 27 for church and cemetery; in consideration of which, he was voted lots free for a family burying-ground. Rev. Joseph Harlacher was the first Pastor. Among the first members were Charles Schluter, Fred Schoephoister, Henry Ties, Chris Schluter, C. J. H. Erffmeyer, John Schoephoister, Christian Uphoff, Ernest Biernhiet and Chris Gieseke. The present membership is about forty families. The present Pastor is the Rev. St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church is situated on the north side of Section 26. This society was organized about 1864. The first regular Pastor was the Rev. A. Susner. Six years previous to this, meetings were held in private houses by various traveling ministers. The first meeting was held in the log cabin of Mr. Charles Brandt, in 1858; the old house still stands. Among the first members were Charles Brandt, Frederic Brandt, Henry Brandt, John Wise, Chris Krueger and Mr. Westedt. The church was built in October, 1871, at a cost of about $400. The membership was thirty-one families; Trustees, Charles Muchow, Aug Krueger and William Krueger; Pastor, Rev. M. Claus. The society known as the United Brethren was organized about 1868, and meetings were held in private houses. The first Pastor was the Rev. George Hickey. In 1876, a very neat and roomy church was built at a point known as Tuckerville, on the north side of Section 14, and dedicated the last Sunday of June, 1877. The Pastor at that time was the Rev. James Aldrich. The cost of the building was about $1,100. Among those who contributed toward the building of the church may be mentioned John Shoup, Nelson Blood, William Blackburn, Levi Purdy and Philip Apple; Adam Tucker donated the site. The present Pastor is Rev. J. Good. The first Baptist services were held in the schoolhouse on Section 27, about 1869, |