Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-10-20

OI1WIOGQ L., WHO dSkcU IOG no re-
enumeration, only that his toll be paid
at the ferry across the Wisconsin river
which was ten cents each way; he al
WAYS tramped leaning on his cane for
his only support. Uncle Lisha was
very plain spoken man with an extern
sive knowledge of scripture; his home
~ illustrations were highly amusing
to the young but not effective nor
convincing to sinners. He always APP
that so. Pap?" Pap's response was.
Yes, bless the Lord Uncle Lisha
often said he would make us laugh if
we would not cry. Pap Blunt did
not approve of our levity, but his adj
monitions and eXhortations were as
evanescent as the morning dew when
Uncle Lisha returned with his funny
anecdotes and illustrations. Both
good old men in their way; they felt
it their duty to give us the gospel
without money or price. Their work
ended long years ago. peace to
their ashesnn Elisha Warner was one
of those brothers who came from Ohio
| in 1888. Two, Theodore and Elisha,
located in Crawford county near the
Wisconsin river, while Elisha and his
son Jared took up their quarters on
this side of the river in Grant county.
1t was an acquaintance With the
Warmers in Ohio that led the Kids TO
settle in the Pocket. Early in April
of 1914 VIM. Kidd, Sr, with his son
Edward and family and my father,
Joshua Bidwell, started from Salem,
Ohio, for the territory of Wisconsin,
bringing with them household eff
fects, farm implements, fixtures for
house building and machinery, by
way of the Ohio and Mississippi riv-
ers, as steam boating was the method
of travel in those days, while VIM.
Kidd, Jr. and the rest of the families
started across country in their prairie
schooners. All things considered our
trip was pleasant one; neither bad
weather nor mishaps interfered with
our progress until near the end of
our journey. We put out our team
and stopped for the night at Barber's
Mill on Grant river; there came up a
terrific storm in the night and when
morning dawned our covered wagon
was no where in sight. Search being
made it was found ended up in the
mill pond, the tongue driven down
into the mud between three and four
feet and broken off, and the contents
of our trunks were well soaked. We
had to await the making of a new
tongue before proceeding. We al
ways hired rooms for the night in
farm houses or inns for the women
and children. but some of the men
who drove slept in the wagon; luckily
our driver was in the house.
The party on the boat arrived first
and set themselves at work to prepare
shanties for our shelter from some of
the lumber purchased of the Warmers
for our future houses The boat party
had supplies of groceries, flour and
other provisions bought in ST. Louis;
thus all were made reasonably COM
Portable in a very short time. The
journey was completed in the middle
of MAY.
In a few months the Kids had
erected fine grist mill on the same
creek that furnished the power for
|
time a chair factory, lath mill and
other plants giving employment to a
number of persons gave the place a
very business-like appearance; hence
forth it was called Millville and the
Pocket became a tradition of the past.
Mr.. Kidd had planned to have my
father invest his means in a small
wooden mandatory so had purchased
a large flock of sheep which were
driven across the country from Ohio
by one of his sons-in-law This prov
ed bad investment as the long Jour
ney, sickness and wolves soon destroy
ed his fiocks, while my father who
had tired of factory life and business
decided to turn his attention to farm
ing, of which he knew about as much
as his ancient namesake did of mod
ern warfare. This failure of father to
enter into Mr.. Kidd's plan was keen
disappointment to him and was never
fully forgiven. Looking back over
more than half century the plan
would have proved profitable vent
ure as was demonstrated by Joseph
Horsfall who took up the business
few years later.
In the employ of Jared Warner
were quite lot of men whose names
are forgotten excepting the Rice
brothers, one of whom, T. W., a year
or two later married my second oldest
sister, both of whom are living in
Patch Grove, and S. X. Goodman who
had built log house nearly quarter
| of 10 ho
Firms. This house minus door and
window our family occupied later on
while building our house on the farm;
thus ours was the second family who
lived on the present site of the village
Mr.. Goodman's family occupied the
house the next year. Soon after 9TH
er houses and shops were built, and
in 1850 |. G. Try built small store,
stocked it with dry goods and groc-
cries and brought his family to reside