River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-06-01
HISTORICAL INCIDENTS OF RIVER FALLS.

resident doctor of the village, having
come here in 1854. He bought the lot
and built the main pert Of the dwell
ing house where he now resides.
Though this was his first love, he has
not always heen constant in his devo-
ton. He has, however, divided his
time to some extent, between mercan-
tile business, farming, and the prac-
tice of his profession. When a mer.
chant he occupied the same corner
now occupied by Burhyte Brothers,
his store being the same building now
located the first door south of the
Pierce House. This store was built by
|. p. and John Green, in 1855, and by
them occupied as a store for nearly
three years, when they "took to the
woods, and turned their attention to
numbering for several years.
Speaking of merchants and stores
reminds us of the fact that the first
store in the place was built by N. n. &
o. S. Powell, it being the "irst sec.
ton" of the building now owned by
George Mapes, on the corner of Main
and Maple Streets. By the Powell
Brothers it was occupied as a store for
many years, they being the pioneer
merchants Of the town.
At the general election in Novem.
Der, 1854, there wee nineteen votes
cast. C. C. Washburn, candidate for
member of Congress, received twelve,
and Otis Hoyt seven; for State Sena-
tor, Moses ellison twelve, VIM. j. Glib
son seven; for Assemblyman, Smith
R. Gum twelve, Oscar Clark seven;
for Clerk of Board of Supervisors, n.
n. Powell eleven, John Hope seven;
for Coroner, G. b. Cox eleven, Aaron
Cornelison six. Thus it will be seen
that River Falls, as well as Trimbelle,
furnished candidates for office at an
early day.
Judge Foster was the first to enter
land here, having come here in 1913,
and entered quite large tract, en-
bracing with what he still retains, all
that part of our village known as n.
n. 4 o. S. POwell's Addition, the
Junction Mills, Greenwood Mills, and
Powell Mill water powers. For the
moderate sum of So, 900 he was Undue.
ed to part with this, the Powell Broth
ers being the purchasers.
The Judge passed his first winter
here in a cave on the bank of the
main stream a little below its junction
with the South Fork. Next he built a
log house west of the town where for
years he made welcome many weary
traveller, anu spread before them for a
repast the wild game of the forest,
the speckled trout of the limpid wa
tiers of the wild murmuring Kinnic-
kinnic, the fruit which he had gath
cred in its prime from the surround
ing prairie or forest, and the bread
which was kneaded by his own hands,
and baked in the same oven which
cooked his beans and potatoes. And
here in those days of scanry fare and
poor lodgings he won reputation for
hospitality which will live in the
memory of his guests long after he
may have gone to his repose. What
ever may have been, or whatever may
now be, his eccentricities, it is due
from the impartial historian to ac-
cord to him that honor to which he is
Justly entitled lie is the veteran pi-
Oneer of the town, aud one of the vet.
eTan pioneers of the st. CrOix Valley,
"A man who has met and conquered
every obstacle incident TO pioneer life,
save, perhaps, the political tempest
which was a hurricane that swept
over the entire country, and was new
er confined by geographical bounda-
ries. He was democrat, ''dyed in
the wool, pro-slavery man "to the
backbone, interchangeable in his ma
ture, both politically and morally.
Hence, what he once was, he now is,
and ever will be to the end. Long
life to the Judge, and may his child
rem, and his children's children repeat
his virtues in words and acts tor many
generations yet to come.
In 1850 Joseph Dumont traversed
this valley, and soon after entered a
quarter section of land lying on the
Kinnickinnic, on which is an excellent
water power, part of the same now
being owned by G. NJ. Lowell, and the
remainder by ID. w. Currier. Mr.. Du-
mont afterwards concluded to locate
on the Trimbelle river, and there he
laid out the village Of Forestyilie,
built saw.mill. and made various
improvements, all of which after.
wards passed from his possession, and
have since (the land excepted passed
out Of existence, and Forestyille re.
mains only in name. Mr. Dumont,
however, still remains in our midst,
and now lives in this village. lie is a
mill.wright by trade-a first.class me.
chanic--an industrious, and an hon.
ored citizen. At an early day he sold
his "quarter section" on the Kinnic.