Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1891-07-23

Beaver Dam to-day, celebrating the
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 a 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 depot platform and entered
i the carriage with Mayor Griffis,
L.. c. McFetridge and Judge
] ElweIl. Other carriages, with Judge
sSloan, George Congdon, John L. Smith,
H.. j. Williams, and others, fell in and
sthe 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 Hdmber Of carriages, IN line.
AN INTERESTING PARADE.
III After a 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 sec
ond-story office with the windows over
Iooking Front Street. 1t was designed
10 fire an old unused mill, but every
thing here is so dry that the
mayor would not permit 1t.
At II O'Clock the alarm was
Bounded and straightway the fire
apparatus was gathering down the
street to the further end Of g
there were five streams playing
On the stores, hotels and banks. The
display was q credtable one. This aft
ernOon the procession was reformed
and proceeded to Vita Park, where the
Formal exercises began ut 2 o'clock.
STORIES OF EARLY DAYS.
ETA Vita Park is charmingly located for
a ceremony Of this character, there
being 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
Yer. Inc ulSIOIICdl dtluIc0S was bLCA
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, II. w. Lan1Or, 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 or Wisconsin
has been successfully claimed by Spain,
France, England. Virginia, and finally by
the United States; and jurisdiction has also
Y Been exercised over it by the territories OF
Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. The
county of Dodge was created by an act OF
Che territorial legislature passed Decem-
Der 7, 1886, and was organized under an
act passed January Is, 1910; and on the
Ist day of March, 1874, Jefferson County
was separated from Dodge. The first full
eorrty ticket was elected March /. 1874.
Peter V. Brown being elected sheriff. and
George w. Brewer being appointed under
heritf: 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
conSin up to the time the British took
Possession of the country IN February,
1763 1t is now conceded that Jean Nicol :
lei, in 1884, was the first white person that
set foot upon the soil of the state. He was
the agent of Champlain, and during this
wear 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 or through this part of the country IN
1854, 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 1S2S-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 Gmtschius. 1t is quite proba-
bic that Mr.. Gptschius first visited the
place. Mr.. Mackle and Mr.. GntschluS
Quilt a shanty here in the fall of 1910.
George W., and John l.. Brewer lived with
hem the greater part of the following Win
winter of 1901 in getting out timber for
hOuSes to be erected the following spring.
Nh. Mackie built his log cabin near and a
little west of Mackie Spring, and occupied
iii with his wife Ann and his daughter
Eliza Ann, III the month of March,
IS41. About the same time Mr..
GptSchius built log house
Alittle north and east of Mackie's house,
and occupied 1t with his wife Hanna
Maria, a daughter of Mr.. Mackie, now
Mrs. William Holt. The third settler here
was Moses Furmin, who came early in the
bring of 1S4l, and built his house on what
10 now Railroad Avenue, ana occupied 1t
With bis wife and two children. The
10urth settler was Jacob P. Brewer. Mr..
Grower first settled at Fox Lake with his
1amily in 1886. He removed to Beaver
lam with his family in the fail Of lS41,
eDnsisting of himself and wife Martha,
ms father and mother, Paul and
Rachel Brewer, and his children. Euphe-
ma, George W., John L., Thomas j.,
Emily A. now Mrs. Z. GERMANY, and
Roy NJ iAI