Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-07-11

Point. We resided in Milwau kee until autumn,
during which time | attended school In the ola
court house of that place.
dred inhabitants was the largest and most I'M
portant point, if / remember rightly. III IL the
vast expanse of country west of Lake Michigan.
Rt1t nv father was DESTROYS of reaching the point
selected bv him the year before, at the lake in
jefferson county, therefore, in the latter part OF
September, we were on the move again TO reach
what we had pictured to be the promised
land"
We left Milwaukee with two teams, one of
which was a wagon drawn by oxen. We passed
through Prairieville now Waukesha, which town
had only one log house, ana crossed summit
prairie and through OconomoWoc until we
struck the woods through which we Travelled
until we reached the present site of the city of
Watertown. All the improvements we found at
that place were the foundanons 1ot saW-mlll.
and one log house. A little beyond Watertown
was log house occupied by family named
Johnson where we stayed over night.
The next day was to finish our journey, and
we reached the ford at Milford just as the sun
was declining in the west, and were ferrled
across in a boat constructed OF two indian ca
noes, with split Eastwood planks upon which
the wagon rested. the horses and cattle fording
the stream. We were aided in this effort by two
old bachelors named respectively Drake and
Bartlett who had cabin there near the bank
of the river. After crossing the river we struck
across the opening, with no road, not even an
Indian trail. seeing no human being, nor even
shanty, until after dark. when we struck the
present site of Lake Mills, where, near the lake,
we found fOOrlesS shanty Shihgled with hay
stack. In this we made ourselves as comfortable
as we could. 1t was necessary to have better
habitation than this to live in during the winter,
and my father proceeded at once to construct a
log house. which was built and ready for occu7
pancy before very cold weather came In this
house we lived for several years. My father had
selected this site upon the stream near the lake,
with the intention of constructing a saw-m1ll
there; and in the winter of 1S37-3S and the
CDrin a hjC HnrtS
direction until the mill was completed which,
1 think, was the first one in Jefferson county.
By these means and under these circumstances
were my fathers family transferred from their
old home in the state of Vermont to their new
home in the Territory of Wisconsin. Our settle
ment at Lake Mills occurred III September, 1887.
My recollection of these early scenes, and the
incidents connected Herewith. are as fresh in
my memory to-day as though they had just oc
CURED. There were then but very few settlers
within the present limits of Jefferson county.
There we're settlements at Watertown, Aztalan,
Jefferson, Fort Atkinson and Lake Mills, COM
pr1sing only very few persons ct each point.
These early settlers were inspired not little by
the spirit of adventure. They left theic homes
in New England and New York, where the most
OF them were born, TO better their condition
They had read the wonderful tales which had
been told of this splendid country, and came to
1t to make homes for themselves and families.
They did not at first realize the hardshipS they
would be obliged to undergo, the privations
they would have to endure, and the many dis
couragements that were sure to meet them in
every step of their progress. If they had, be-
leve many of them would have remained home.
The first thing they had to do upon arriving
here was to roll up a log cabin and furnish the
place wherein their families could live. But
very little furniture could be brought from their
old homes: only very few articles which we're
most essential could be transported at that time;
no chairs, no tables no bed steads-nothing but
the old traditional feather bed and a meager lot
of crockery for the table
| remember we'll fbn oor ctrna tiOO of orr
log house. Logs were rolled one upon another,
and between the logs were put wedges of split
OAK filled or "chinked" in with mud from the
bank The floors were made from plank split
from oak; and the shingles were turned out in
the same manner. The table which we usedfor
many years was made from oak, and the chairs
we possessed were simply three. legged stools
with plank to cover the three legs: old settlers
have keen recollection of them. In the end
of the log house was an old-fashoned chimney,
made IN the usual manner. 1t was many years
after THIS log house was constructed, before a
frame house was erected In that portion of the
county. These old landmarks have now almost
wholly disappeared. and with the o.6 pioneers
will soon have to return to dust.
The early settlers of Jefferson county, so far as
| can remember, were all men of small means,
They had but little money. Many of them found
1t difficult to furnish bread for their families
during the time the ground was being clear
ed and broken in order 10 produce a crop. The
first township Org6niza ton was JefferSon. nclu6-
ing Aztalan, Milford, Lake Mills and Waterloo
At this time. and for several years subsequent
provisions were very high and The market fol
early settlers was Milwaukee some fifty or more
miles distant, with the roads almost impossible
/ remember that in the spring of 1888 we got ou
OF provisions, and my father started for Milwau-
kee tor some hour and pork. The weather was
unpropltlous the roads were very bad, and a f.
ter an absence OF Over three weeks, during which
period his family were much alarmed about his
safety. he returned having spent all of his money
for just one barrel of -four This was before long
nearly all loaned out to the settlers who had not
money enough ever for their necessary wants.
kindly and fraternal feeling prevailed most
emphaticallv among all the early settlers. There
was no lighting, no wrangling. They all agreed
and were DESTROYS of helping one another and
sustaining one another in whatever they had on
hand to do. If one had barrel of flour or a lit
tie pork, he most cheeTfuly loaned a portion OF
it to his neighbor. and thus some families were
enabled to subsist, that otherwise would certain.
~ have gone hungry.
1t hardly seems possible in this day of plenty
to realize the condition of things which then ex-
listed. There was period when the settlers in
the vicinity of Lake Mills and Aztalan really
suffered from hunger; they were apprehensive
that they and their families might starve to
death. remember meeting held one Sunday,
III log house at Aztalan occupied by Captain
Brayton, where the settlers came together to
consider this difficult problem which had be-
come to them a serious one: that is. what they
were TO do for something to eat. AT this meeting
the oxen IN the settlement, which were about
the only beasts OF burden, were counted up, and
SSlA144eeCC
settlers could subSist upon them. in case they
should be reduced to that extremity. The ques-
ton was most carefully and prayerfully cOnsid-
ered by the men and women who were present
at this meeting. I have seen my father with his
head bowed low upon his hands, IN deep
thought and meditation, and when my mother
attempted to arouse BIN by the inquiry Joseph.
what is the natter" he would lift his head and
say, olive, know not where we are to get pro-
Visions TO live upon much longer"
remember one instance when we were entire
~ out OF provisions of every kind, and my father
started III the afternoon for CAPTAIN Brayton's,
at Aztalan, to see if he could not borrow few
pounds OF Hour. The sun went down and he had
notyet returned; darkness came, andmy mother
and the children were much worried for fear
some accident had befalleh him. He had gone
on horseback leaving one horse in the stable.
Along about nine O'Clock we heard the neighing
of horse in the distance, which was answered
by another horse in the stable, and shortly after
my father emerged from the opening across the
creek and soon reached the door, leading his
horse, and from open door and by the light of
the fire which shown through it, we saw some
thing had happened to him. He held in his arm s
a little bag or bundle, and the first remark he
made to my mother was, "Olive we are ruined ~
He proceeded to relate that upon his homeward
way, in crossing the big slough, his horse STUN
hled upon the logs and had thrown him and the
bag of -four he carried. Tito the mire, where
horse and rider and -four remained until he
could pick hImselfup. He then grdsped the bag
of flour and carried it to cry land, the horse fol-
lowing. Thence he wendell his way homeward.
The -four had been soaked in the slough, and he