Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-07-03
Bloomington-Its Past and Present
Institutions.
lFrsm the West Gran, Advocate.


ate vicinity of the village was built
by E. 2. Finn, near where the mill
dam now stands. Mr.. Find located
here II 1916, but removed soon after
to Patch Grove. In 1850 d. w. Taft
came here and laid out the site of the
village, which he called Tafton. He
built dwelling and in 1852 finished
the stone mill, which has since been
an important element in the prosper
ity of the place.
BY the time the mill was finished
the population of tho new town con.
sisted OF ID. w. Taft, Jonathan Gill
bert, aid John Collier and the fami-
lies of each.
BLACKSMITH SHOPS, &c.
| Mr.. Collier was q blacksmith, and
the shop he erected in 1853 was the
first mechanic shop located in the viii
lage.
Then came a shoe shop by Alfred
Green; and in 1857 or $50 J. G. Tran
er set up blacksmith shop. His
first shop was small board shanty
on the corner of Canal and Congress
SITS. The village and the surround
ing country were developing rapidly
and Trainer was a thorough worker
so that his business increased rapidly
and the little board shanty was re-
placed by oommodious brick shop,
which is still standing. Mr.. Trainer
then added the manufacture of plows
to his other business. In the fall of
1861 the Trainer Flows took the first
premium at the County fair. In 49,
81 Trainer erected other shops for
his employees, and engaged more ex-
tensively in the manufacture of wag-
ons end agricultural machinery. A
steam engine was introduced and the
shops on that corner became O hum
ming hive of industry such as is sell
dom seen in small villages.
But the consideration of railroad
transportation to and from his shops
and other Inducements, decided Mr..
Trainer TO remove to Prairie du CHEN.
Although the growth of grass on Ca
nal street, after his removal, was not
as heavy as he predicted, yet the eff
feet on the village waslundeniably de-
pressing. Vacant houses might be
seen in the village that summer, for
the first time in the history of the
place. But this depression was only
temporary.
Max Kalb Of Prairie du Chen took
his place in the blacksmith business,
which he still pursues, but the shops
lax idle and Hnau the % whiE Of machinery
mers grew fainter Whereabouts.
Lately the wagon shop has been
occupied by Bate & Woodhouse, q
rising young firm of energetic and
skillful mechanics.
Two other blacksmith shops, that
of Clegg & Bowden, thorough work.
ers, and that OF N. e. Watriss, skill
full fashioner of iron-are able to
keep the surrounding country we'll
ironed.
In 1859 VIM. Eymer established q
wagon shop in the building now oc-
cupied by Clegg & Bowden. Among
other vehicles, be constructed three
wheeled velocipede which ran well
upon the application of a good deal
of "nervo-vital fluid" as schoolboys
say.
STORES.
Soon after the mill was. erected,
Glines Il Benham established store
here. The store building stood on the
corner of Main and Canal streets and
has been enlarged into tho Bloom
ton hotel.
The style of the firm was repeat
eddy changed. In 1858, w. III. Brown
started store in building erected
on the southeast corner Of the public
square This building was after
ward moved and is now occupied by
ID. Bidwell. The business was carri-
ed on for three or four years by the
Brown brothers in sort of intermit-
tent partnership, when W: Fl. and ID.
+. Brown each went into business on
his own hook. ID. +. is still alive as
his posters and his advertisements
show.
The village now contains five gen.
raj merchandise stores and one drug
and book store.
TAFToN SEMINARY,
In 1857 David Parsons came to
this village from Bellafontsins, Ohio,
and started high school. The first
term was taught in the room now
occupied by the drug store. After
ward the school was removed to W.
Coles building, which stood where
VIM. Browns residence now stands.
This building now stands on Canal
street and is occupied as O store
In the summer of 1853 the Acadmy
building was erected. 1t was dedi
Gated October %, 1853, though still
unfinished, and was Immediately oc>
cupied by Mr.. Parsons school. Then
commenced The brilliant but rather
brief career of the "Tafton Collegi-
ate Seminary" Mr. Parsons besides
being teacher of great tact, energy
and experience was one who well
knew the art of making the most of
small means and of putting the best
side out. He also knew the value of
printers ink, and published three
numbers of the SOLDERING" q pam
phlet of between 40 and 30 pages,
original contributions of which were
furnished by the students and teach
ers Of the Seminary. 1t was printed
alternately at Prairie du Chen, Lam
caster and Platteville. In this PAM
phlet the school was eloquently ad-
vertised. Many came from q dis
lance to attend. In the three years
from July, 1859, to July, 1862, we
find 249 names upon the catalogues
of the Seminary. Most of these were
of students who attended regularly
every term.
| The war came. When the first TO-.
900 were called for the quota of the
town of Tafton was promptly filed