The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-09-14

changed to Southport in 1887, and lastly to |
e 1osha in 1850. The first settlers were /
Jenn Bullen, Jr., Vim. Bullen and Charles |
w. Turner, June II, 1885. These were
members Of the Western Emigration Com
pany.
In the town of Bristol. Rollin futile came |
in April 1886. In May following Levi
Grant came; he built the first frame house |
in Bristol. and the first between that town
and Rock River westward.
In the town of Salem, John Dodge settled |
in June, 1887. Soon after Gen. John Bull |
len and David Bullen located on Fox River, |
at point afterwards known as !" Bullen's |
Bridge" Here Gen. Bullen caused a piece
Of land to be surveyed into village lots, with
the expectation that point would become
the head of navigation on Fox River
In the town of Paris Seth B. Myriek was
the first resident. July 10, 1887.
In the town Of Wheatland Schuyler Bun
dy came in August, 1887, and Adolph Reit-
brook in September following.
In the town of Randall Daniel T. Eldridge
settled on Mound Prairie in the fall of 1886.
In the town of Brighton Mr.. Wightman
settled in 1888; DR.. Johnson about the
same time.
4AU WAltG WuHlhu III Lul5 COUNTY was
Mrs. Gardner Wilson; she came with her
husband to Pike Creek (noW Kenosha), June
81, 1885. During the first two weeks of her
stay she slept under lumber wagon. Five
weeks later another woman arrived at Che
| same place.
The first settlers in this county had de-
cided advantage over those who came to the
| Territories, where the lands we're covered
with heavy timber, which had 10 be cleared
before crops could be grown. Here the open
prairie was ready for the pillow; but still the
old settlers had their trials and drawbacks.
| For several years the business of farming
paid but indifferently. Thirty-fve years
ago nearly every farmer in the county was
in debt. Very few of the first settlers came
here wealthy; the majority were compara-
lively poor. Many were obliged to borrow
money to pay for their claims at the Govern
ment land sale in March, 1889. Money was
also borrowed to make improvements and
pay family expenses Farm products found
no market at remunerative prices. The
chief farm crop relied upon for several years
was wheat The roads were often bad and
travel difficult; wheat was brought to the
lake shore market, frequently from long
| distances, and sold at A cents per
bushel for winter and 81 cents for
spring wheat-half store pay at that
oats, 10 cents; corn. 123 cents. If it hap
pened the farmer could not make the Jour-
ney in single day, and himself and team
were obliged to stop at tavern over night,
he realized but poor remuneration for his
labor. Money was scarce. especially during
the years 1843 and 1874. often commanding
20 to Is per cent interest.
For several years, during the early settle
ment of the county, the dwellings of the in.
habitants were very simple-a house built
of logs with only one room, which answered
for sitting, dining room and kitchen.
Sometimes there was chamber or garrett,
which was reached with rude ladder. The
furniture was primitive and cheap; carpets,
if there CHANGED to be any, were of the kind
called rag. As late as 1866 there were
half dozen professional rag carpet weavers
in the county. The piano was almost entire
ly unknown. The house wives had at least
one Sunday dress, for they usually brought
their wedding garments with them from
their eastern homes. Some of these, per-
haps, answered in turn for a daughter of
the family.
The territory comprising this county has
undergone almost marvellous changes during
the past forty-eight years. The develope
ment of its agricultural and industrial re-
sources has been of continuous progress.
Better houses, barns and farm improvements
are found here to-day than in counties in
Central New York that have been settled
over hundred years. We have to-day
better school-houses than the school-houses
in the five old middle states, to say nothing
OF the whole number Of southern states
1t IS safe to say that more general interest
on the subject of public school education
characterizes the people of this county than
in the agricultural districts of the states re-
ferred to. For all Of these changes and i'm
provements we are largely indebted to the
public spirit and enterprise of the early
settlers Of the county.
1t is an interesting fact in the worlds his
tory, that nearly oil the great improvements
in agricultural labor-saving machinery have
come into use since the first settlement of
this county. The statement is ventured, that
the progress of invention and improvement in
agricultural machinery has been greater the
past forty-eight years than during the one
thousand preceding years. The old classic
sickle, which was used from time immemo-
RIAL was not superseded by the grain cradle
until sixty years ago, and the grain cradle
gave place to the reaping machine about
thirty-ive years ago. The grass scythe,
common in the early historic ages, was con-
tinued until the present moving machine
was introduced, years after the first settle
ment Of this county. The threshing fail
probably no improvement Of that used in
Bible times, was not relinquished until
the introduction of the present threshing
machine about forty years ago. A great
variety of other farm implements and labor
saving machinery have been brought into use
at later dates.
If all the varieties of farming implements
in common use before the first settlement of
this county were collected on these grounds
to-day, it would excite establishment and
amusement.
In recounting the improvements in farm
machinery it must not be forgotten that farm
ers wives have shared in the new inven-
tions, which have greatly abridged woman 8
labor, and revolutionized the business of
housekeeping. The sewing machine, which
is in the interest of all classes as we'll as the
wives and daughters of farmers, and which
came into general use thirty years age, was
one OF the greatest achievements for labor
saving in woman's work ever invented So
the perplexity and drudgery of woman s
work has been greatly ameliorated by the
introduction of new inventions the past
twenty-five years. The contrast between
the domestic articles found in families q half
century ago with those of the present day
shows an interesting revolution If the
young woman of to-day were asked to de-
scribe the big wheel for spinning wool, and
the little wheel for spinning fax and tow,
the distaff. and reel, she might, perhaps, be
as much perplexed as if required to trans
late sentence Of Greek into English.
All mechanical trades as well as farming
have shared in improvements during the
period we have been considering; we mem
ton with pride The productions Of skill since
the settlement of the county, but we lay no
claim 10 having been the inventors. Al
though not in the line Of the subjects in.
TENDED for this occasion, it may be men
toned the telegraph, the railway and tele-
phone, those wonderful achievements of
modern times, are the products of science
and invention since the early history of this
county.
While we recount the progress of labor