Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-11-23
Communicates
Montfort heard from-It Is still located
In Grant County --Hurrah for Wing
vile.

u
County Fair visited Lancaster, and
| must, in all truthfnlness, say that
you have a fne town, nicely located,
finely planned and beautifully de-
yeloped, The improvements made
within the past year are certainly a
credit to the place, and speak we'll OF
the enterprise and energy of its pro-
iectors. Success, say l., to Lancaster.
Yet how selfish we all are How
natural for us to limit our vision by
| tho horizon that surrounds our mar
rowed view Let me explain.
While in your town, | enjoyed the
hospitality of lady friend, one
whom / have known for years, and
who has lived most of her life in
your midst. she is most perfect
Lancaster enthusiast. "Why, Mr.. D."
she remarked to me- "how can you
live so far from this place? Why
isolate yourselfin such remote and
antiqIated hamlet? Why, where.do
you live, anyw ?" MADAM" re-
piled, II live in the village OF Mont
fort" Monitors, Montfort," re-
piled she, "where is it? Why, new
q hear such place spoken of; yon
should advertise it, Mr.. ID. | should
advise you to write it up" Upon
this hint | spake, or rather, upon this
hint | concluded to write and let
Lancaster and all the rest Of The
world know there is such a place as
Montfort that it is located in the
town Of Wingville, and that town IS
in Grant Comfy.
We are situated in the midst of as
fine an agricultural country as lies
in the limits of the State of Wiscon-
sin or any other State. Our farmers
are sober, Industrious class of men
who are always williag to lend their
aid and support to any enterprise
that has for its object the advance
ment and development. Of the re-
sources of our county, peg railroads
included, (witness, the Oshkosh and
Mississippi r. RI
Now, as to our village. Like all
villages in the midst of mines, it was
built more for use than ornament;
more practical than theoretical !;
hence, the houses were all thrown
as it were at random center
ing around the "big spring" in the
middle of the place. We have u
population Of about $50. We have
three stores, all containing good and
large stocks Of goods and such an
assortment as is usually found in a
country store. All are doing fair
trade. w. o. Thomas is the propri-
etor of one heis also our post mas
ter. Edward Bell, who has been so
freely visited of late by burglars, is
another; and Mr.. Sylvester and
and Green completes the list. We
have two wagon makers, Mr.. Hess,
and j. Ii. Lincoln 4 Bro. also two
blacksmiths-T. Tucker and J. Tuck
er, working in separate shops; one
shoe maker, with work enough for
3 more one cabinet shop, owned by
Mr.. Taylor, who keeps a good stock
and does brisk trade; one hotel,
kept by John Stevens Everybody
far and near knows Jonh he is not
hard to get acquainted with. We
have also a NJ. e. Church here, of
good size and neat and .commodious,
with q resident pastor. We have
two good schools in successful opera.
ton, the senior departmental charge
Mr.. G. w. Anderson. the primary in
charge of Miss Emma Comstoek.
As to our school houses--w we'll, no
matter | will not write now what |
should like TO say about them. but
wait another year and then, ii we do
not have some new ones, will tell
you all about them and send you
correct photographs OF the ones we
now use, and also present copies 10
our State Historical Society to adorn
the walls OF their new rooms in our
Capitol at Madison, and to furnish
TODD for reflection TO the student OF
antiquities. The masonic brethren
have just completed new hal and
are fitting it up in good style. They
propose having il dedicated on next
ST. Johns Day.
had nearly forgotten to state
that we have one saloon in our
place where the ardent" is dispens-
ed and also that we are supplied
with two doctors. So that while the
one supplies the spiritual wants of
the thirsty seeker after forty rod"
the other administers to his physical
wants in the shape of pills and pow
ders; both done secundam artaBl.
improvements have been made in
our place this year. New buildings
have been completed and others are
in course of erection. We need a
harness maker badly. One who un-
derstands his trade could do good
business here. We had one who did
well, but he was suddenly seized
with desire to possess some of
Unele Sans real estate, and left
forthwith for the Gland of the Da-
kotahs."
Thus you will sec that, all in all,
we have quite q town that we are
not retrograding, but are slowly pro-
crossing. Wait few years more,
until we have the rail laid from Bel
mont through to Prairie du Chem,
by way of the Military Ridge, and
then stand from under, Lancaster,
Platteville and all you little slsolated
hamlets." We would have town
built up in two years that would
eclipse Belmont, the so called Sec
ond Chicago" Our geographical po-
sition being situated about 20 miles
frcm any town of Importance and in
the center of good agricultural
country, with good prairie roads il
all directions, gives us advantages for
future Development possessed BY
few inland villages. We have good
water power, that offers great in
ducements to parties that will inn
| prove it, situated in close proximity
TO the village. Our citizens are a
peaceable, law-abiding people, and in