Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-06-05
GEN. SIMEON MILLS DEAD.
He was Closely Identified with the
Early History of the City
of Madison,

Madison, Wis, June '1;;-[Specia.l;; /
Gen. Simeon Mills, one of the two oldest
citizens of Madison and closely identihed
with the entire history Of the city, died
at 1:30 o'clock this afternoon after six
months illness from the grippe and gener-
al failure of old age.
Mr.. Mills was one of the two Oldest
living citizens of Madison, his only rival
as pioneer being Darwin Clark, who
survives him. Both came to Madison on
the same day, June 10, 1887. Mr.. Mills
was past 50 years old, being born Febru-
airy II, 1910, in Norfolk Litchfeld coun-
ty, Conn. Both his grandfathers were
father removed to Ohio and became one
of the pioneer settlers in the dense forests
of the Western reserve, where Simeon
was brought up to the active labor OF
farming in a new country. lie received
a good common school education, and
when 20 years of age taught district
school, but soon abandoned teaching for
a clerkship in a store On May u, 1884,
he was married to Maria Louisa Smith,
daughter of Church Smith. In the spring
of 1885 Mr. Mills made his first journey
West, going around the upper lakes on
the steamer Thomas Jefferson, on her
first trip to Chicago. In 1886 he visited
Wisconsin and when the territorial capt.
tai was located at Madison decided to
June 10, 1887, erected a small building,
16x1S, of hewn logs, purchased small
stock of goods at Galena and opened the
first store in the capital city OF Wlscon-
sin. A year later he returned to ONO
and. brought his wife to share his home III
the then wilderness.
When Mr. Mills arrived in Madison
there was no mail or mail route between
this city and Milwaukee, but IN the tall
of 1887 he made a contract with the
United States for carrying the mail pc
tween those points until July l., 1o42.
The difficulties of getting the mail through
twice a week with no houses between
Madison and Aztalan. and at rare inter
walls the remainder of the route, with
streams and marshes unbridged and roads
unbuilt, cannot be easily understood by
the present generation who think it rather
tiresome to spend three or four hours IN
covering the distance amid all the luXu-
res of the modern railway coach. The
task was accomplished, however, without
the loss of a single trip during the life
of the contract, d feat rarely performed
at the present time.
Mr.. Mills was appointed the first justice
of the peace in Dane county, and probably
the only one at that time between Dodge
vile and Milwaukee. When Dane coun-
ty was organized, in 1889, he was elect
ed one of the county commissioners, and
appointed clerk of the court, holding this
office about nine years. He held the
office of territorial treasurer when the
state government was organized, and was
elected the first senator from Dane coun-
ty; afterward renominatcd and declined.
In 1913 he was appointed one Of the re-
gents of the University of Wisconsin and
took an active part in the organization
and commencement of the institution,
purchasing its site and experimenting the
erection of its first buildings. In 1860 he
&oI 80 Of fhl
state hospital for the insane and was an
active member of that board for sew
enteen years. At the breaking out of the
rebellion in 1861, he took an active part
in the enlistment of troops by extending
material aid to the families of the earliest
volunteers. He was appointed paymastcr-
general by GOV. Randall, and during the
first year of the war dsbursed more than
81, 800 900 of the war funds of the state.
He was remarkable for quick perception,
sound judgment, thorough self-rellance,
great energy and unwavering persever-
ance. OF industrious and economical hab-
its. he accumulated competence, mostly
invested in lands and buildings and leaves
a comfortable fortune to be divided
among his heirs. His wife died about
three years ago. Two children have also
preceded him to the grave. Three are
still living: Arthur G., the only son, who
with his wife and child share the pa
ternal homo. Florence NJ, the oldest
daughter, was married in 1859 to DR..
Charles G. Hayes and is now living in
Hyde Park, Mass, and Genevieve the
youngest daughter, welded a few years
since.
In politics Mr. Mills was Democrat of
the Jacksonian type, but while he had
pronounced views he was never a poll
tician. In religion he always claimed to
be orthodox, having been early taught to
believe that God foreordained whatso-
ever comes to pass" He did not believe
that Providence ever helped those who
failed to help themselves or that the inter-
cessions of the creature with the creator
the burdens we bear, or added a single
grain to the product Of the land. He
often expressed the desire that he might
leave the world no worse than he found it.