Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-01-12

and Tim Bacon with the wild
! est girl of all. Across the river
we would meet the Jacksons,
| Garr1sons, Rossiers, administers,
| Le1nleys, Lyons and some l do
not call to mind, no one staid at
home for want of a partner.
There were no widows, and old
maids were unknown. \ new
print dress and "Bensley and
Lyons" string band was good
enough for us, and what good
times we did have.
| distinguished myself that
summer by introducing the first
hoop skirt and the first plain
German waltz, the kind where
we went round and round until
we were too dizzy to stand or
the fiddle strings broke. Ny
partner IN the waltz was Tom
Hunes, of Berlin, he was study
ing law and running the river to
earn money enough to take
him through the law school.
Susy Compton came one week
later With hoops and waltz,
| galore, but | was there first, for
which she said she would never
forgive me, but she did.
Dancing was the one recreation,
cards were only played in saloons
for money and a spiritual reform
had never at that time ventured
among us civilized heather, but
carly in the fall DR.. Whitney,
whose services were always in
great demand, had a man by the
historical name of Smith, i'm
ported from Waupun, where he
was not needed, and he stayed a
couple Of years, but as he seemed
better adapted to money getting
than soul saving, he left for a
more profitable field. He it was
who performed the ceremony
which made me the wife of dear
old Joe.
Many of the earlier settlers |
have not mentioned because they
did not dance. There was Grand
pa Tenant, the Neeves, SCOTS,
Rablins, and Ira Purdy, who
could tell the most wonderful
things of those early pioneer
days and the Simpsons l think
they were the first white settlers.
| shall always remember Mr.,
Sampson as bringing me a plate
Of fine white honey, when l was
i'll. l suppose Mrs. Sampson
had a hand in it for when was
she not thinking of, or doing for
sick people? Joseph and Mrs.
Wood come next in my mind.
Both gone, what kind friends
and neighbors we found in them.
The first early vegetables or
Spring chicken was none too
good for their friends, and how
good they were with their old
horse, as all the neighbors will
testify. And more than once
| have known Mrs. Wood to get
off a sick bed to make a party
for the boys, she was generally
worse after it but that was no
matter so the young people had
a good time E. D.. Hall, Tom
Burr and the McRaiths came the
Spring we did and at about the
same time. [ think Mr.. McRaith
was the first tailor, and the
Hawleys, what a funny man Mr..
Hawley was, his great forte was
Masquerade Balls and home
theatricals. He was always a
stage hero especially in "Toodles"
Funny little Jake Brands who
gave us Our wedding dance.
The Bakers, Hines, and Has
brOucks were there before us and
[ think Mr.. Hasbrouck has
honestly earned the title of the
"Village Blacksmith" he seems
always to have stood at the
forge and did the best he could.
George Hiles the "Pinery King"
was one of Wood counties early
settlers and Mr.. LaVigne was
also among them. l believe Mr..
Balderson was the first shoe
maker and Mr.. Warren the first
Cabinet maker and undertaken
Mr.. Brundage the LIST News
paper, and L. P. Powers the
first Attorney, a man of much
thought, and few words and
many kind deeds.
In the fall of 50 | went with
my husband to Kenosha for a
year and half, then it seemed
best for us to return, which we
did and engaged with my father
and George Brown in the lumber
business, in Seneca. Great
changes had taken place in that