River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-12-28
VOL. 20
HISTORY OF GILMAN.
BY MRS. J. B. MAXGOOD.

were the first to attempt settlement,
but soon abandoned it.
In the month of April, 1859, Mr..
Gilman and his brave, though gentle
wife, moved from Prescott and took
up claim on Section "a, town q,
range Is, and, with a courage that
should command respectful bow
from every citizen of our town, at
tackled the immense forest. and be-
gan to teach the soil a nobler occupa-
tiOn than the sustaining of few scat
tered savages; and, to-day, if you
make them social visit you will find
in place of the wigwam that might
have occupied the spot Is years ago
a home laughing with the comforts
and convent of life, and the host
and hostess .sreOf, can entertain you
blythe hour with the usual accounts of
pioneer obstacles bravely surmounted,
such as grinding corn in coffee mill,
or making a journey through a
1
miles away, leaving wife and little one
10 subsist three days on three quarts
of shelled corn; himself starting on
the wrong side of his breakfast, which,
as his faith told him, would consist of
brOiled pigeons procured on his way
by his trusty gun. On his return they
lived like kings for awhile, fearing
nothing but the-tO the pioneer not,
noble red man." but-begging,
treacherOus Indian.
Mr.. Walker, then the only resident
on the site of the village of Ell Paso,
was his nearest neighbor, and, within
circuit or several miles, his only
neighbOr. Again and again rumOr
warned them 10 flee the bloody toma-
hawk, and, at one time, he had hired
a house in Prescott and prepared TO
move his family, when his wife with
true wOmanly fortitude, advised that
they, "Try it a little longer.
Soon after the Homestead law was
passed, he entered an eighty of his
claim as Homestead.
In the year 1864, 4. Martin settled
on Finley's claim, and very soon after
came 5. j. GoOdell, closely followed
by large array of natives of Norway,
among the first of whom were I. and
j. Torkelsen, Hagen Haagenensen,
liver Michaelsen, Eric Olsen, Lars
Lebeck, ct al.
In 1867 there was general rush of
settlers into the town. Albert Lord
doubtless remembers moving family
in. about that time killing horse by
the operation. The roads then led
over PROSTATE trees and bridgeless
creeks, and more than once the women
and children were pitched from their
seat and landed in the bottom of the
buggy box in a most suppliant posi-
ton. while Nature pelted rain like
derisive maledictOries on their devot-
ed heads, for their persistent efforts to
invade her widest solitudes. The
journey proved to he more than one
of the horses could stand.
About this time teams were very
scarce, and man with an OK team
could readily command four dollars
per day, and, as dollars were nearly
as scarce as teams, it was not uncOm-
mon for IA man to load his own back
with sack of flour and carry it dis
tance of six or nine miles to- satisfy
numerous most healthy appetites that
were fearfully craving.
School district No. was organized
in the summer of 1885, and the organ
iZatiOn of three other school districts
speedily followed, while, in the same
year, the town was set off from the
town of Martel, and given the name
OF Deeriield, which was changed soon
after To Gilman.
The first town meeting was held in
the spring OF 1859. when Oliver Purdy
was elected Chairman, Caleb Coon and
Bardon Jensen, side supervisors; j.
Il. MaxgOOd, Clerk; L. F. Halls, Treas
urer. and b. Jensen, Assessor. The
Justices then elected were Rufus
Preston. J. B. MaxgOod, NJ. Lien, and
y. GulicksOn.
The Office of chairman was filed
two years by o. Purdy, since which
time Il. Bredahl has served the town
in that capacity. J. Thompson was
elected treasurer in 1871, and U. +.
| Halls to the Office of clerk in 1873, and
these offices have since undergone no
change of incumbents. The assessors
Office has never changed hands, and j.
b. Maxgood has continued to hold the
Office of justice since the organization
of the town.
Among others who have served as
justices at different times, we find the
names of s. j. Goodell. J. Thompson,
c. n. German, and c. C. Mcintyre.
The town has always voted a gener-
Gus tax to defray the incidental ex-
penses, and for making Improvements.
4 liberal supply OF bridges has been
distributed through the town, and
road taxes, levied to the full extent al
! lowed 10y law, have been cheerfully
shouldered and assiduously worked
out. Consequently, the Improvement
of roads from year 10 year is very no
ticeable.
Settlers are steadily moving in, and
clearings widening and multiplying.
Log cabins are giving place TO neat
frame buildings. The soil excellent.
timber the best. Surface, for the
most part. gently undulating and waste
land scarce. Land sells almost as