Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-10-15


river which had been called Grant
river long previous to the organiza-
ton of the county. The county was
separated from Iowa county by an
act of the Legislature of Wisconsin
Territory which convened at Bel,
mont in the winter of 1886 and 1887,
and he was one of the commissioners
appointed to locate seat of govern
ment for the new county.
The venerable Ira w. Brunson
spokeat some length, in reference es-
pecially to the early settlement of
Lancaster In 1885 Aaron Boice had
a log cabin near where the Wooden
Factory now is This was the first
house within the present corporate
limits of Lancaster The first tav-
ern was kept by one VIM. f. Rich.
ards. The place was selected by the
commissioners as the county seat in
1897, and although it had locality it
had no name. When selected Major
G. NJ. Price was living on and owned
considerable land about and includ-
ing the location. He said if the
county seat was located he would Law
off some acres in lots, and give every
alternate one TO the county, and
when it was organized as a county.
he would give $1,000 in cash A
written contract was made to that
effect and the number of acres speci-
fed One Joe Morrill, and Btnfil
had contract for the brick work Of
the Court House, and Price had the
wood work. The first court held in
the county was at Cassvile. The
late Hon Charles Dunn presiding as
Judge and John Fletcher acting as
clerk.
The name Lancaster was selected
by one Charles Wooster vino was a
relative of and intimate with Price,
and who had emigrated from Ian
caster Penn His pro patria" love
had induced him to select the name
and it was adopted.
The first court held in Lancaster,
was in two story log house, stand
ing near Ryland's corner. The up
per story was used for the court.
Nelson Dewey was the justice. The
court convened for the examination
of Lindsay Evans, Jacob Derrick and
VIM. Pauley, who were charged with
the murder OF one Jim Grow. The
| examination lasted all night, and
sometime into the next day. The
| ri r,,a ,yao cuotainoj ond tko ono,o
ed We're delivered over to an officer
to be committed to Jail at Prairie du
Chion. Many persons attended the
examination armed. The appear
ance of many ct tho man, their init
macy of the accused and their enmi-
ty toward the murdered men, led
many to suppose that a rescue would
be attempted. Harvey Pepper was
then Sheriff and he, Bruns0n, was ap-
pointed Captain Of guard 20 de-
fend the officers but before the pris-
oners arrived at Prairis du CHEN
they were taken by virtue Of writ
of "habeas corpus" and admitted to
bail. Harvey Pepper was the first
Sheriff of Grant county ana Enos S.
Baker was the second. Many other
interesting remarks were made by
the speaker but were too di,iointed
to be easily reported
"Auld Lang Syne" was sung by
Mr.. Budd the audience rising and
joining in the chorus
Abram Carnes said came to the
State in 1888 The first winter |
lived in cabin dug in a. bank and
fronted with logs. | was at Dodge.
Vile in 80 and 30, since then have
lived at the diggings, at Fairplay and
in Smelser. He made the first road
from Little Platte Mound to Snsin.
ava. The speaker had been a from
teer man since 1918; was in Ilinoi,
VIXEN that State was admitted into
the Union was in Iowa, Wisconsin
and California when they were re-
spectively admitted. La 1899, be
raised the largest crop that
had been raised at that time in this
part of the State. He rented 80 acres
and raised 10 acres of corn and IL
acres Of oats, had good yield of both
and sold at high prices, about one
dollar per bushel.
f. I'll. BoDham said / came ia
Shullsburg on the 9th of June 1927;
there were at that time but five MIN.
ers cabins at Shullsburg. La 1923
| Feb 18th, | was at Galena. A steam
boat came up through ice a half inch
thick The late Judge James P Cox
came on board of that boat. Before
that boat arrived, flour was scarce
and high a Frenchman named Ban
tee had monopolized the -four and
held at a high rate Gratiot had
tried to buy Of the Frenchman bul
would not pay his ; ice When the
steamer arrived be bought all the
-four he wished at fair price The
Frenchman cursed the yankee boat
for coming in the middle of the win
ter and spelling his trade. | moved
my family to Hurricane in 1910 and
in 1914 / located where | now am
Am plain farmer, commenced poor
and have held my own.
Willis A Chapman followed. who
came to Plattevile in 1915. He had
travelled much, from the Atlantic tC
the Rocky mountains, from the Gull
of Mexico to the Canadas and never
saw more beautiful country than
this. Mr.. Chapman spoke feelingly
of the moral character of the early
settlers, so far above what would
naturally DC expected from pioneer:
exposed to the influences and temp
tations of a mining district.
The origin Of the name of Grant
River was traced by Mr. Stanley 10
one Grant, an Indian trader, who
bad emigrated from Canada, and bad
a trading point near the river.
VIM. Humphrey spoke highly OF
the liberality OF the citizens Of Ian
caster generally and of the ladies in
particular, in so often voluntarily