River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-02-03
HISTORICAL INCIDENTS OF SPRING
LAKE.

To Ole Gardner Is accorded the Dig
nifty of being the patriarch of Spring
Lake. He pitched his tent in the To-.
cality now composing the town, fif-
teen years ago, coming from the south
ern part of the state. He selected a
choice tract of land on the Eau Gala,
at almost the exact center Of the town,
and upon which is the site of the
building SO familiar to all hunters and
lumbermen in that region, twenty
years ago, known as the "RoDbers
Roost," a somewhat startling name
but having its origin in an incident of
trihing interest. 1t seems that this
building hal been erected by lumber.
men to accommodate transfers SC. on
their way to and from the pineries.
It was also made place of shelter by
hunters in this vicinity. On a cer-
tain occasion, sack, or blanket, ira
dition is conflicting as to which, was
stolen from an employee on his way
from the pinery, which called forth
the remark from his employer, that
the place was nothing but robbers
roost, any way. This rather lncom :
plimentary term was caught up and
perpetuated, more, probably, from the
penchant. in people speaking the En-
glish language for ALTERATION, in
names and proverbs than from any
other course.
Here Mr.. Gardner lived for several
years singing, in Norwegian 81 r
"Iam monarch of all l survey
without neighbors. not even visited
for some time by the ubiquitous tax
gatherer. He now speaks of those
days as the happiest of his life. Game
was very abundant. Elks were not
uncommon; bears and wolves were
neighborly enough to make life inter-
esting; while deer were very plen-
teous. Mr.. G. says he counted thirty
in a single herd. Fish were also album
dant, a son of Mr.. Gardner, then a
lad of twelve or thirteen years, often
catching more than he could pack
home. These were cured by smoking
and sold to lumbermen. The land al
so flowed with honey, the same boy
finding altogether in one Fall over
400 lbs.
But this home of primitive peace
and plenty was destined to become the
scene of sorrow and mourning. The
lad above spoken of, now an unusually
bright and promising boy of fifteen
years, went one bitterly cold Deem
Der evening in search of the cows.
He did not return, but his not doing
so occasioned but little alarm, as he
frequently spent the night at the house
of another settler. In the morning,
however, his father beginning to feel
uneasy went after him. Following
the boys track for some time, on the
banks of Cady Greek he came upon the
frozen form of his son. There lay
stark and stiff in death the idol of this
fond father. To make the spectacle
more narrowing, death by freezing had
prevented the countenance of the
corps from sinking into that indescri-
babe beauty of sweet repose that al
most uniformly fingers for a day up
OH the face of the dead, and it retain
ed vivid expression of the agonies
of life's last hour. He took it upon
his shoulders thinking to carry it
home, but the strong mans heart
sank within him, and his limbs gave
way. He then went fol. his team,
but could not find heart 10 tell his
wife until he returned with the re-
mains. He says she did not take it so
hard at first as he expected, "but has
cried for her boy every day SINCE
Mr.. Gardner still lives IN pioneer
simplicity on the old place, having
now a clearing of sixty acres Of
valuable land, as the fruit of his in
dustry.
Following Mr.. Gardner as earlier
settlers Of Spring Lake, were j. Fran
cisco, A. NJ. Wilcox and his son George,
a Mr.. Gilmore and w. d. Akers. Mr..
Francisco still ''sticks" to the old
ranch in the Eau Gala Valley, near
the northern boundary Of the town;
likewise and in the same locality Geo.
Wilcox; a. ", Wilcox left about three
years ago, and went to Polk county,
having sold out to Mr.. -IR. Adams
from Racine Co., who will soon make
the Old place t'bud and blossom as the
rose" Mr.. Akers has served the town
faithfully afissariously, 6rst as gran.
ger, then as itinerant store.keeper,
and lastly and at present as an hire.
ling (..wlich is Post Master Of Uncle