Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-07-01
LANCASTER.
Its Past Pannad and
its Present Pic
tur93.
A Historical Review Of Her Bust
ness Houses for the Last
Fifty Years.
Prosperity sits Enthroned Within Her
Gates, and Hope Looms Eternal
on all Ter Borders.
HISTORY.

: paper towns IN the central part of Gran
County for the location of the count,
seat One of these projectected towns
was laid out about three miles south OF
where this city now stands, near tn,
Stone School-house, by Major j. III
Rountree and Edmund Harleson Anoth
er was laid out on Thomas Elliot's claim
little east of the present city. The
third was Major Prices town of Lancas-
ter, on the site of the present city. 1t
had the start of the other paper towns in
having one house-Aaron Boice's log
cabin-a cut of which appears in the
head of this paper, as one room of it was
the first HERALD office.
Lancaster won, and in 1887 the town
was plated and recorded. Immediately
afterward work was begun upon a court
house, which was finished the next year.
1t was a frame building and stood about
where BaXter's block now stands. Dur
ing the same year Ira Brunson built a
log house and occupied it for store.
Major Price built log and frame build
ing near the ''big SPRING and started
another store, putting George Cox and
John 5. Fletcher in charge. Mr.. Rich
ards opened a tavern in the Boice cabin
j. Allen Barber and Richard Rains came
here the same year.
In the spring of 1888 Harvey Pepper
and his wife, who had settled down on
| Pigeon, moved in and established hotel
DIR. Hill moved from Beetown and built
a small frame house on the site of the
Wright House and opened hotel This
year Nelson Dewey and T. NJ Barber
were among the newly arrived citizens
of the growing county capital.
In 1910 Harvey Pepper built the first
brick building in which he kept hotel
He also brought in stock of goods,
and was both merchant and hotel keeper,
as well as sheriff.
George Cox was the first postmaster.
He was appointed in 1888, and was sue
ceeded by John Fletcher in 1889. Fetch
carried the mail in his hat.
In 1889 Daniel Banfll built two
story house on the Wright House corner
and opened hotel.
The year 1913 was noted one in the
growth of Lancaster. The historical
law firm of Barber & Dewey was formed
that year. The Grant County HERALD
first saw light that year in the Boice
cabin. James NJ. Otis opened an extern
sive stock of merchandise in his new
store.
From this time on the growth of Ian
caster was slow and steady up to the
year 1879. Previous to that time it had
been at a disadvantage in competition
with the cities of Platteville and Bosco-
bel, being far from a railroad. Numer-
Gus efforts had been made to obtain a
railroad here. The principal dependence
! was placed upon the extension of the
Galena Narrow Gauge road from
Platteville to this place. In 1868 ID. r.
Williams, who had obtained a charter
for the ''Tomah and Chicago road, sue
ceeded in inducing the town of Lancas-
ter to vote 100000 in aid of his road,
and he Immediately began work upon it,
completing it ON New Years day, 1879, on
which day the first locomotive entered
4 Lancaster on narrow-gauge road be.
ginning at Woodman.
Immediately began business boom
which lasted several years, fine new
, business blocks and dwelling houses ris-
ing rapidly in every part of the city, bu
particularly in the northwestern quarter
Lack of space forbids any further dila
! ton on this extensive and interesting
subject
LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION.
, The location of the city combines in
Z an unusual degree beauty, health anC
convenience. II is situated on tn,
n highest point of a plateau which il
Z more than 500 feet higher than the Mis-
!. sissippi River and above all malarial in
!, iluences. One flank of the city rests
upon the extreme headwaters of Pigeor
Greek, with its sparkling springs ant
verdant valley, and the other extends
= over the watershed which sends it
! waters directly into Grant River. 1t
q altitude and freedom from stagnan
water and dense underbrush render i
entirely free from that pest of the sum
, mer months in many localities mos
quitoes. Trees are distinguishing
feature of the city. The streets ar
= lined and the yards thickly shaded witt
them, giving the mingled effect of par
/. and city The effect in summer
e peculiarly cool and pleasant. In May
time the eye is delighted with the pro
fusion of pink and white apple bios
' SONS, and the air is loaded with thei
- fragrance. In June their yerdure
K deep. fresh and vivid beyond descrip
c. lion, while in October the maple leave
: blaze red and yellow through the mel
, low haze of our Indian summer. TIL
/ streets are wide and clean; the bushes
I streets being we'll graded and side
walked, while the back streets have
, natural pavement of the wonderful
! thick blue grass sod, which in summe
/, is carpet of verdant velvet, Stare
thlckly with yellow dandelions.
The business houses are mostly c
brick, two or three stories high, we
= and substantially built. Some of til
residences are very fine and nearly a
> of them are neat and tasteful. Their
is an entire absence of the wretche
novels and tumbledown shanties, which
es are so often a feature of railroad an