Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-07-17
Ye Olden Time.
PAPER READ BY MRS. HELEN WHIPPLE
AT THE OLD SETTLERS MEETING AT
WATERFOWL, JUNE 20, 1889.

ter: Inresponse to your request that
/ write a geographic sketch of my
childhood days spent in the wilder
ness of Wisconsin, herewith submit
to you a few of the more interesting
and distinct Incidents or happenings
of long ago.
1t is now fifty-one years since we
first landed in Milwaukee. We came
down from Chicago on the ship Julia
Palmer, this being the only large boat
upon the lake plying between these
points at that time. The boat cast
anchor some distance out In the lake
and the passengers were taken ashore
In small boats. Stopping at Milwau-
kee for some time, we boarded with a
Mr.. Hurd on Walkers Point. My
brother, Enoch S. Darling, owned a
saw-mill at that time on Bark river,
some forty miles from Milwaukee. He
had built shanty there, SO with my
sister and elder brother, A. Brown,
and Lorena Carpenter, | went with
him there. My mother and younger
brother and myself returned to Chi
cago and went from there to Plain
field, where we remained until my
brother Enoch came for us in early
winter, taking us to what is now
known as Jefferson. My brother had
RATED lumber from Bark River in the
summer and built a small frame
house where the Jefferson house now
stands. This, with a log shanty on
the east side and one on the west side
of Rock river, was all that comprised
the so-called city of Jefferson. Sur
rounding us was a thick forest noted
for it's romantic beauty, and [ think
there is not a more beautiful site on
Rock river for q city than that dear
old home, Jefferson. Mr.. Hiram
Britton was our nearest neighbor
north, and his child was the first white
child born in the county. The next
neighbor north Of him was Timothy
Johnson, the founder of Johnson's
Rapids. There was cabin up the
Crawfish which was occupied by a
family named Kennedy. A little ways
from that was a shanty where two
bachelors named Andrew Lansing and
Rodney Currier lived. On the south
our nearest neighbor was Captain
Masters, and little farther south of
him lived a Mr.. Reynolds.
The next fall after we came to JET
ferson two families came there, one
by the name of Sexton, the other
Wheeler. They settled on the west
side on piece of land known later as
the Potter place. They, like all other
pioneers had little or no money, but
possessed undaunted courage and
genuine pluck and knew how to con-
jugate the verb economist in every
mood and tense. The forest afforded
wild game, such as bear, deer and
smaller game in abundance; also plen-
ty of wild honey, and Rock river sup
piled US with a quantity and variety
of fish which could be easily caught,
so that no one needed to go hungry.
The next season after we came to JEFF
ferson my brother Enoch planted
quite a quantity of corn and raised
from it what was called sod corn.
Our neighbors Sexton and Wheeler
not having been fortunate enough to
have done likewise, found themselves
short, so my brother shared his lot
with them. They came, got the corn.
took it home and planned it off with a
jack-plane They then put it into a
pan, mixed it up with water, then
put it into wooden trough, placed 1t
before the fire and baked it. This,
with some smoked fish, was pronounc-
ed a capital supper and all were as
happy, yes, happier by far than many
OF those who at the present day
abound in wealth and luxury.
The spring after we arrived at JEFF
ferson there came a Methodist minis
ter who had been sent west to preach
the gospel to the heathens. In this
year the first school house was built
in Jefferson. 1t was built on the
banks of the Crawfsh. Our first
school teacher was a Mr.. Ball, who
boarded at our house. During his
leisure time he used to line bees, and
as they were plenty we were provided
with wild honey in abundance. He,
however, did not teach long, for he
became crazy and ran away. A DIR.
Bicknell served as schoOlmaster for
the balance of the season. The fol-
lowing summer Miss Martha Fellows
taught the school, The first store in
the place was kept in one side of our
barroom by Mr.. Buck. The first
session of court was held at our house,
Judge Irwin presiding. The first chairs
that appeared in the settlement were
two in number. They were made by
a Mr.. Searles from splints, with a
iacknife, for my father and mother.
Afterwards my brother Enoch went
to Chicago and purchased dozen
chairs. He had pair of Indian
ponies; he would pack one and ride
the other. Ourprovisions came from
Milwaukee. He paid fifty dollars for
a barrel of pork and two dollars a
bushel for potatoes in Milwaukee and
packed them out with his ponies to
Jefferson.
The first Germans that came to JET
ferson were Mr.. Rocklaschef, Doctor
Rogers and a Hungarian count. Al
ter them CAME seven families whose
names were John Haas, August Wei
ter, Peter Miller, Peter Dam, John
Schultz, John Mailman, Jacob Simon
and Peter Nicholie. They had little
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