Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-07-06

4
executed May 18th, 1916, one month
and fourteen days from the time Of
the murder. His execution was wit
messed by large number of indignant
miners, and took place at Lancaster.
Nathan Kendall being Sheriff of Gran!
County was his executioner.
The first sermon was preached by
the Rev. MIR. Simpson, missionary OF
the M. K Church in the year 1910, in
a rude cabin east of the village. Tie
/ first Church was organized by the
Rev. Mr.. Hurlburt OF the Nj. K.
Church, in 1871. Elder Jesse Miles
organized branch of the Baptist
Church in the year 1915, and on Jan.
lst, 1847 this church was fully organ
lied in Beetown under the supervision
of the Rev. Mr.. Chaplin, missionary.
The same year, 1s45, Mr.. Chaffe
organized the Congregational Church
here.
The first school taught in Beetown
was taught by Edward Walker, in
lS41. Since that time Beetown has
made commendable efforts in the
cause of education aud we trust with
some success. We hope to see some
of the scholars who have received the
first rudiments of education here fill
ing high and important stations.
The first blacksmith shop was by
James Gilbert, who carried on shop
at the south end of town.
The first general assortment OF
goods was kept by VIM. b. Brown in
l843. His stock consisted chiefly in
staple goods and groceries. Soon at.
ter Samuel Alex brought q small
stock to the village. In 1874 limo.
thy and Cyrus Barr, brothers, built q
store and put up much heavier stock
of goods than had ever been kept in
Beetown before. After this the in.
crease of merchants was very rapid
until the business was overdone. We
will here mention some of the mer-
chants who succeeded the Barr Bros.
Gleason & Kirkpatrick, Dennis War
rem, E. w. Pelton, B. Bounds, II. G.
Marsh, Mr.. Croker, Mr.. Phelps, Good
pell Lamson, VIM. Cole, Jno. Welsh,
d. Stewart, J. III. Brown, John b.
Turley and others. About this time
Beetown commanded the trade as far
north as the Wisconsin river and as
far west as the Mississippi river.
The first Post Master was Samuel
Warden in 1914.
The first Sunday-school was organ
lied in May, ls45, under the super
vision of Sarah B. Marsh, Chas. Hood
and Samuel Newick.
The "Grant County Agricultural
Society" was organized at Beetown
in 1916. The archives were subse-
quently removed to Lancaster, the
County seat.
The first meeting house was built
in 1s47 under the direction of the
Rev. Mr.. Littleield, a Congregational
minister, and was to be free to the
different denominations and for town
purposes.
The first election held to choose
delegates to for state constitution,
Sept. z, 1916. The first election
held to organize under the State
constitute n, first Tuesday in April,
1849. At said meeting Slas Burt
was chosen Moderator and II. M
Briggs was elected Clerk of said
meeting. The whole number of
votes cast was 1874 and the following
town officers elected
h. Tao r
Woodruff, Jas Prideaux; Town Clerk-Robt.
NJ. Briggs Treasurer-Sias Burt Assessor
VIM. Amsbury; Sup't of Schools VIM.
Holford; Justices of the Peaco--A. o. Coates,
VIM. Mcdaniel, John Welsh, WIN. Holford !;
Constabes-A. p. Stephens, Danl Derring,
Chauncy Underwood; Scaler of weights and
Measures-Charles Hood.
Dark day, Oct. %, 1849-At II
O'Clock, p. M, the sky became sud
denly dark so much so as to require
a candle to eat dinner by; contin-
ued so about Is minutes the appear.
ance being like an eclipse of the Sun.
La 1850 Beetown was visited by
the Asiatic Cholera in its most malig-
nant form, which swept about one
tenth of her population AZ having
died out of population of four hun
dred. During the prevalence of this
epidemic the dead were hurried to
their last resting place, without fun
era rites. The first minister who
came to Beetown after the disease
had subsidized was met by Capt. Du-
bois, who had been engaged in ten
derby caring for the sick and burying
the dead during its prevalence, who
asked the man of God if he came to
preach to the citizens Of Beetown.
When he was answered in the affir-
NATIVE the Captain said: "You are
a little too late for some of Them"
and remarked when our people were
dying off like rotten sheep they
could not bave a prayer said for
them.
In 1851 occurred the heaviest fresh
ct ever known here by it's oldest in
habitant. Two or three buildings
were swept from their foundations
with considerable loss of property
There has been several freshets since
that time but none as heavy as this.
& week before these records were
penned there occurred a very severe
flood in Beetown.
This village has been very forum,
ate in escaping the visitation of the
fire demon until the afternoon of
March q, 1876. happened the first
fire of Importance which licked up
valuable hotel building owned by
John Gull, and it was only through
the greatest exertion the rest of the
village was saved from destruction.
The business firms of this village
at present are Mccoy Bros, who
have done an extensive business in
the same line; druggist and P. NJ,
r. S. Morse confectioner, S. Flick
ner; physician, Z M. Sala, black
smiths, S. Burcb, J. Rockefeller
hotels, w. G. Wilcox, Geo. Seleck
shoemakers, Fred Barth, Frank Nor
rison saloons, J. Blewett Il Son,