Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-07-28
Abroad in the Harvest Fields-Largest
Farming in Grant County, Perhaps in
the State Dwight 7. Parker as Far
mer and Merchant.

hardly anywhere below fourth, and
another fourth in corn.
The men were everywhere out at
work all that could be spared from
other pursuits, and now aud then the
women were seen out raking and
binding with the men--one or two
reaping machines going,a- head in
! each field.
The view was grand, and the arc
ma ofthe hay and grain added a charm
that we shall not soon forget. But
a few years ago these fields were clad
in prairie grass and flowers, and were
trodden under foot by the herds of
cattle and horses, owned by strangers
in camp and tent-nobody knowing
whence they came or whittier they
should speedily depart for, never
more TO be seen in the Badger land.
! Many Of these acres now in wheat
and corn are still fringed with prairie
grass and flowers, showing their quite
recent conversion from Wilderness
The rosn weed, long so familiar and
always sought by the boys for It's cx
uding gum, is nowhere to be seem
The prairie rose departs with the
greatest reluctance, and may be seen
clinging TO fields SO long as five years
after the coming of the pillow and
reaper. But the grass and dwarfed
ferns ield ~ the first signal of civil
ization, and depart as dews before the
rising son.
We have traversed these prairies
before Il cultivated acre was in sight,
and since when now and then a shan
~ filled with pioneers could be seen
in the distance, but where now are
costly dwellings, and great barns,
their gilt pointed lightning conduc-
tors to be seen ar we look over every
land swell. The changes, 0 the
changes OF advancing civilization +!
The routes travelled were through
Fennimore, and for several miles
along the old Military Road, road
which history records, was laid out
by Gen. Pike and his party OF epgin-
GERS, less than century ago-the
route along the dividing ridge head
ing the waters flowing north into the
Wisconsin river and Rock, Sugar and
other streams south flowing into the
Mississippi.
Saturday noon we found Dwight
T. Parker's place, and was welcomed
by her whom we have always known
as Mary-second only to the chief ar
| 81, h,,.lI.n,, tho 1orna tor
tune which there are some to envy,
many to be proud of, and Dwight and
Mary to enjoy till good old age shall
overtake them.
The dinner hour arrived, and all sat
down at long table, there being a
dozen harvest hands besides the ju-
venile Parkers, in all probably twen>
ty, and not counting another dozen
or twenty harvesters having families
and occupying tenements on the
farm. It was great luscious har-
vest dinner, such ar lord might rel
ish after forenoon heat at raking
and binding. Johnny Flynn was
thcre-we remember Johnny in his
better days.
A few items we collected fiom one
and another and some of them from
Mr. Parker and these we proceed to
make up into some account OF his
large farm and farming.
Mr.. Parker's home farm contains
seventeen so acre lots, or 1860 acres,
of which 400 acres are in corn, 400
acres in wheat, oats and other crops,
and the remainder Of his land is in
meadow and pasture. This does not
include near section of his timber
lands in the vicinity. He will aim to
save in stack 300 tons hay, besides
other rough feed.
His present stock consists of 165
head of beef cattle-three to four
year olds, great numbers of small
cattle and stock hogs, 200 head of
sheep, and 80 to 40 horses. He has
been selling off his stock in view of
purchasing in the fall. In April be
sold IS head of beef cattle for 81 600,
and 100 hogs at S25 per head.
Mr.. Parker owns in Eennimore
alone 5000 acres of land, most of it
in cultivation, besides tortys and
eightys, many OF them in other towns
and also timber lots to supply the
several prairie farms.
Three years ago Parker's time
and fortune were chiefly devoted to
merchandising, in which, with spec-
ulating in live stock and grain, he
was always remarkably successful.
He still furnishes the capital chiefly
for three stores, including that of
Parker Hildebrand &iCo., at Bosco'
bel, and their branch at Fennimore
the latter in charge of John and
George Parker, and also that OF
Parker, 4 Barnett at Wauzeka-
shese several firms doing business
of 500, 900, besides a drifting CAPT.
tai Of half as much in the stock and
produce business:
The firm of Kendall & Parker, in
Lancaster twenty years ago, may be
remembered. This was Parkers
first experiment as merchant
Two years later he bought the inter>
est of his partner, and for seven years
| obOOu ~iOhC, WHCh III 1901 HC ECuiON =
ed to Boscobel, being one of the first
settlers of that town. He then bought
the so acres for $500, on a corner of
which the "PeopIe's Store" was erect,
ed, and of which land he has since
sold to the amount of $4,000, most
CT the eighty acres still unsold. AS
Gerret Smith said, so may Parker
say-"the more land | sell, the more
is the remainder worth" 1t was this
eighty of land and his income there
from which saved Parker from COT
lapse in 1857, at which time the great
question inshis mind was whether he
was worth $4,000 or nothing-the
chances being in favor of the latter.
His large fortune has all been made
since tLatyear.
Parker employs only for assistants
as laborers and clerks the truest and
trustiest persons, to whom he pays
first class wages. He possesses rath.