Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-07-22

beaver lam To-Day, CeleDraLng Gne
semi-centennial of the settlement of the
city. Since early morning the people
have been poured into town by teams
and trains, and swelled the attendance
to the proportions of a multitude. The
streets and sidewalks are full of men,
women and children. The morning
train from Milwaukee brought Gov.
Peck and the fire company of Hart
ford with a band of music, and
there was q great crowd at the
depot to welcome His Excellency.
Harder's Band and the Beaver Dam
Guards were drawn up in line and gave
Gov. Peck salute as he passed along
the carriage with Mayor Griffis,
Z. C. McFetridge and Judge
Ewell. Other carriages, with Judge
Sloan, George Congdon, John l.. Smith,
j. Williams, and others, fell in and
the procession formed for the parade of
the principal streets. The procession
was quite imposing, there being two
bands, two fire companies and a COM
pany of state militia, besides consider
able number of carriages, in line.
AN INTERESTING PARADE.
After parade through the principal
residence and business streets the car
riages dropped out and the people took
eligible positions from which to witness
the inspection of the fire department.
Gov. Peck, Mayor Griffis, Mr.. Thurston
and the committees got seats in a sec
ond-story office with the windows over
looking Front Street. It was designed
to fire an old unused mill, but every
thing here is so dry that the
mayor would not permit it.
At II O'Clock the alarm was
sounded and straightway the fire
| apparatus was gathering down the
street to the further end Of O
| business block. In few minutes
there were five streams playing
en- the stores, hotels and banks. The
display was creditable one. This aft
ernoon the procession was reformed
snd proceeded to Vita Park, where the
formal exercises began at 2 o'clock.
STORIES OF EARLY DAYS.
Vita Park is charmingly located for
a ceremony of this character, there
icing plenty of room and abundance of
shade. After music by the band
Gov. Peck delivered one of his charac
teristic speeches, putting the crowd in
good humor and provoking much laugh
ter. The historical address was then
delivered by J. j. Dick. He said:
| shall not attempt in this paper to give
more than an outline of the more import
ant events in the history Of Beaver Dam.
The able and interesting papers of the
Rev. J. j. Miter, 81. w. LandOr, and S. d.
Burchard have been freely consulted, and
every possible effort made to verify the
facts and dates presented. The territory
now constituting the state OF Wisconsin
| has been successfully claimed by Spain,
| France, England. Virginia, and finally by
the United States; and jurisdiction has also
been exercised over it by the territories of
Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. The
| county of Dodge was created by an act Of
| the territorial legislature passed Deem
| Der 7, 1886, ind was organized under an
| act passed January 13 1910; and on the
| lst day of March, 1874, Jefferson County
| county ticket was elected March l. 1874.
| Peter Y. Brown being elected sheriff, and
George w. Brewer being appointed under
sheriff: Mr.. Brewer was appointed sheriff
in the spring of 1916.
The city of Beaver Dam was created I'M
| der an act passed March Is, 1856. Prior to
| this time Beaver Dam was under township
| government. The first charter election
! was held June 2, 1856, and John Robinson
| has the honor OF being the first mayor of
| the city. There had been but few white
persons within the present limits OF Wis
possession Of the country IN February,
| 1853. 1t is now conceded that Jean Nic0l :
| let, in 1854, was the first white person that
| set foot upon the soil of the state. He was
the agent of Champlain, and during this
| year carried the banner for France along
| the Lower and Upper Fox into the interior
| of the state only three days from the port
| age separating the Fox from the WiScOn-
SIN. He then travelled toward the south,
! and visited the nation OF the Illinois.
| NicOllet was soon followed by fur traders
| and by French Catholic priests.
| The first settlers in Dodge County were
! Luther A Cole. John W. Cole and Amassa
/ Hyland, coming here in December, 1885.
| The present site of Beaver Dam was
known to white persons at an early day.
1t is quite possible that Nicollet passed
near OF through this part OF the country IN
| 1884, on his journey to the South. In 1919
James Duane DOty passed through Beaver
| Dam, camping over night near the site of
| the Clark House. and later, in 1S28-29, he
| and his wife campeG at the same place.
BEAVER DAMS FIRST SETTLERS.
| The first actual settlers on the present
| site of Beaver Dam were Thomas Mackle
| and Joseph G9tSchiuS. 1t is quite proba-
| ble that Mr.. Getschius first visited the
| place. Mr.. Mackle and Mr.. Gptschlus
| built a Shanty here in the fall of 1840
| George W., and John T.. Brewer lived with
| them the greater part of the following win
| ter; these parties were engaged during the
winter of 1901 in getting out timber for
houses to be erected the following spring.
Mr.. Mackie built his log cabin near and a
| little west of Mackie Spring, and occupied
| it with his wife Ann, and his daughter
Eliza Ann, in the month of March,
1841. About the same time Mr..
| G9tschius built log house
a little north and east of Mackie's house,
and occupied 1t with his wife Hanna
Maria, daughter of Mr.. Mackie low
Mrs. William Holt. The third settler here
was Moses Furmin, who came early in the
spring of 1871, and built his house on what
is now Railroad Avenue, ana occupied 1t
with his wife and two children. The
fourth settler was Jacob P. Brewer. Mr..
Brewer first settled at Fox Lake with his
family in 1886. He removed to Beaver
Dam with his family in the fall of lS41,
consisting of himself and wife Martha,
his father and mother, Paul and
Rachel Brewer, and his children, Euphe-
ma. George W., John L., Thomas j.,
Emily A. (now Mrs. e. Germany, and
Fyancis NJ, and occupied double log
cabin, previously built, near the site of the
present First National Bank Building.
The fifth settler was Abram Alderman,
who came here with his family February