Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-08-27
Old Settlers Association.

20. 1885. The President John II. Round
tree, having notified the secretary that
he would neunable to attend, Judge Nc
Genigal, the secretary. called the assoc
citation to order. Neither of the Vice.
Presidents were present and by mo-
ton, James W. Seaton. was nominated
and elected chairman of the meeting.
Mr.. Seaton accepted the position, grace
fully thanked the association for the
honor conferred upon him, and said be
had been invited by the president ia
| prepare paper for this occasion and
that be had hastily prepared the follow
ing:
In the early settlement Of Grant county III
rich rolling prairies and valuable timber lands
were nearly all ignored The rough hills and
deep ravines, along the margin OF the Mississippi
and Platte rivers-the region OF lead mines-con
stitnted its principal attraction. The slow pro
cess of gaining wealth by farming was scarcely
4 thought Of. Discovering leads, gambling horse.
racing, specializing, were the heroic objects of
the day Fortunes in many instances were quick
ly made and as quickly spent. In the decade
between the years 1880 and 1870, Hazel Green.
Fairplay, Potosi, Platteyille and Beetown came
into existence as IL by the feat that creates new
worlds in day, hourished till mightier influx
In lsf9-50 was brought to bear and drew the great
throng OF emigrants TO the golden slopes of the
Pacific. Then commenced the decadenee OF the
mining towns and the development of the farm
ing interests. The stubborn glebe" was turned
to the sun, and lo fortunes were found among
| grass roots of the prairie and in the timber OF
the wooded streams of which the most visionary
miners never dreamed. The advent of the iron
horse into the valley of the Wisconsin. and down
Its turbid waters to the high sea of Western Com
merce-the Father of Waters-gaye a new life
and a new impulse to the settlement of the north
ern part OF the county, which, in brief period
made every section of its wild land rich farm
and beautiful home for its possessor Boseobel.
Fennimore, Bloomington loomed upon the north
ern horizon as towns of the first magnitude. and
to-day rival in wealth, beauty and commercial
| Importance their elder brothers of the mines
Even the old, effete river town of Muscoda--once
an outpost of civiization-under the magic
wands of my old friends Jonathan Moore and
Charlie Rodolph, has changed its base and is
the railroad, am glad Charlie did not get the
| consulship to Switzerland. 1t is not such men
as he the government can afford to furnish to
foreign countries. We need their services at
home to guide, to counsel and regulate our own
internal economy.
My first visit to the city of Boscobel was in the
year 1857 In going thither, we travelled up
Rodgers hollowand entered the village OF Fen.
nimore from the west II my memory serves me
right, there was but one small frame house and
that had just moved in and had no tenants 1t
was standing solitary and alone like Adams
tent in the garden of Paradise Whether its
builder contemplated the beauty OF the site, the
richness of the country around, or whether his
prophetic mind foreshadowed the coming OF the
narrow gauge and heard the roll of its voice from
afar, or whether ii is true that coming events
cast their shadows before, / know not but what
ever may have been the cause, the little dwarf
tenancy was the nucleus of one of Grant connty's
most attractive, fourishing and charming villages
-of which its boast is many. Proceeding or
ward through tbs open country, the McDermott
place. the Mum place, the Bescamper place, old
homesteads and landmarks by the way, were
passed, and while the great yellow sun was yet
cleaning in the west, we reached the 'head OF
Crooked Creek"-a stream celebrated in the
legend and story OF the early settlers and hunt
ers, for its tortuous windings, its deep pools its
solitary glens and wild, romantic scenery, and
more marvellous still for the entire absence of
the speckled trout, whose home and native ele-
ment were then Sanders creek on the east and
Green river on the west My old friend Palmer
he of black Mulley Galoways--has since sue
ceeded in demonstrating them in his beautiful
| aquarium near Boscobel As we commenced the
wearisome descent, an occasional cabin stood on
either side and here and there garden, patch
of corn, little enclosure, little run-about boy
or girl lettering by the way. bespoke at once the
poverty and primitiveness of the place. The
home of old man Rice was first reached; then
Blanehard's mill and the miller's house with an
unfinished attempt at veranda, and the red
school house below, were improvements OF an
early day to supply the wants of the settlers and
were forerunners of the more important struc-
ture-the large Sylvester flour mills and the
noble high school buildings which are now the
pride and ornaments of the city below. Reach
ing the embryo city since it became famous for
its thrift, prosperity and loveliness and for being
the residence of some of the most distinguished
ana enterFrising citizens OF the county, entering
we found it but sorry collection Of frame shan.
ties standing upon stills, half complete vacant
groves with corner lots for SALE sandy streets
aourished where the flea and the sand.burr stuck
| to you like friend and a brother. On the hill,
1 in the most conspicuous place in town, Dwight
I. Parker, whose shrewd business mind had
| taken in its natural advantages and its probable
future destiny, had erected for himself a com
modious frame store, and nearit pleasant dwell
1 -. r.. Ii
in large flaming letters-the same sign that had
been displayed in Lancaster for years before,
and which he had brought with him with his
goods. his silver and his CATTLE and his household
goods,and was there to be seen of all women and
some men. Down at the other end of the corner
| for immense it was in name at least-near the
railroad track, stood the one-story frame hotel
OF Andy Barnett, aname pleasant to the memory
of all who love mirth and good fare. 1t was an
unpretentious building then, but it grew after
ward to a two-story mansion, when in an unlucky
night the fry element took possession of its fair
! form and it disappeared like a vision in the
| clouds. Its place was soon taken by the Carrier
House and this, under its genial landlord who
gave it being and a name soon became one OF
the most famous and popular houses in the west.
1t is not my purpose to dwell at length upon the
origin and marvellous growth of this fair young
city, which now graces with its public halls, its
churches, its schools, its grand hotels. its gran
lite stone buildings and its lovely private resi-
! dences the erst sand beds Of the Wisconsin val
| ley / have another and more sacred purpose in
recalling it to memory. II was here my aged
| father and mother fascinated with the charms
of the location and drawn thither by the kindly
spirit of its people decided to cast their lot and
make them final home. Here for a decade they
spent their lives and here in this cemetary on
the brew of the hill, they both lie buried-after
| long years Of jonrneying and toll, each work
| in charity and love performed. 1t was here my
father looked out from the western window of hi /,
little cottage and the bright rays Of the set.
ting for the last time 1t was here its linger-
ing beams faded forever from his sight, and the
| frightening shadows of the hills deepened in the
valley, that the more glorious lght-the light OF
immortality-dawned upon his vision, irradiatine
with hope and faith the darkened verge TO which
| he had come. Here, to his closing eyes revealed
sweet fields beyond the swelling hood''-
landscape more bright more beautiful and fair
than mortal eye hath seen-made by the hand
that formed the starry skies and painted the gal
| lery of the heavens with its effulgent light Here
too, my sainted mother was borne when the
flowers springing fresh and fair another in
that beautiful city OF rest where loving hands
have laid her, she sleeps beside him whom she
had pledged fifty long years before that she
| wouldnever leave nor forsake. For she had said
in her young heart like Ruth of old: "Entrea,
me not TO return from f0loxyino after tbaa -.