Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-09-29
L06RL HISTORY
Stn~-- "f Pioneer Life OF
Prominent Grant
Co. Family.

The nomination Of Mr.. John Ryan,
of North Andover, for the assembly,
will give an added interest to the
following article. It is part Of a
''semi-centenniaI history" sketch read
by Mrs r. b. Showalter at Cuba City
last spring at the soldiers reunion
there. Ii recounts interesting eXper-
fences in the life Of the present John
Ryan aud in the lives Of the family
of his father whose name was also
John Ryan.
John Ryan and his wife, Deborah
Sheedy. were both born in Ireland,
and were united in marriage in Lon
don, England The husband emil
grated to this country and located at
Albany, n. T.. where he had earned
money enough to pay her fare and
sent for his family. The writer Of
this sketch remembers well OF hear
ing his mother tell OF the slow tedi-
Gus Journey, and what hardships and
suffering they had to endure on board
the old fashioned sailing ship Of those
DAYS In 1887 they emigrated TO
Cassyille, Wis, in company OF
mechanics and common laborers got
ten up by General Dennison TO finish
the brick hotel now known as the
old Dennison House Luther Bas-
ford was one Of the number. John
Ryan, the father Of the present Ryan
family, was employed TO carry up the
walls and complete the brick work in
that year, 1887. the stone work Of the
basement being done the year before,
1886. The wife was a very indus
trious woman and the family now
numbered two sons and one daughter
1t was next TO impossible to get any
thing done ia such new territory.
She thought in order to nelp her hus-
band She would wash for the laborcrs
employed on the Deunison House,
One day she tells ~ hanging out on
the LINES a large washing and feeling
50 encouraged that She had earned
such a nice little sum Of money aud
how She was helping along. Imagine
her surprise. on looking out in the
early morn, not yestage Of the
clothes left she worked So hard to
hang out the day before. the Indians
having stolen every one Some OF
the Indians were honest, but the
majority would steal anything they
could lay their hands on All the
men We're out Of the settlement but
two. 0 carpenter BY the name Of
McNamec. and the cook at the hotel
whose name was Petty She asked
the first, McNamee. to 20 with her TO
the Indian camp TO try To ret the
clothes back. He refused saving let
everyone fight their own battles; he
was afraid he might loose his scalp.
She then asked Petty. he also refused.
She felt responsible for the clothes SO
she finally shut the three little ones In
the house. took good stick aud
marched right into the center OF the
Indian camp, about i half mile
away from her home There were
about one hundred Indians and they
were having a regular pow-wow She
asked for the chief; She made him
understand what his people had done
aud told him The bad man and
shook her stick In his face. The
Indians shook their heads and looked
quite desperate. The chief finally
ordered every thing returned, and if
ever there was happy woman, she
was one. To get them ali back They
were all stained with Indian paint
and ochre and had 10 be washed all
over I've also heard her tell of often
waking up in the morning aud ind
ing several Indians stretched on the
door before the fireplace fast asleep;
they had sueaked ia ou cold night
70 warm, after the family was in bed
asleep. Ii certainly takes courage to
live in such country. In those
early days the country was full OF
wild game and Indians John RYAN.
In company with few others. took a
trip across what i now known AS
Blakes Prairie. In the middle Of the
winter, TO look up 4 location for
farm; they were gone a few days and
came back entirely Disguised, saving
the country would never be Of any
use but for the Indians to hunt over.
He finally bought aud located ON 100
acres ~ ridge clay land near Cassville
and hnitt a log house aud lived there
shot me. TODAY the land is not
aol.I mate than Slo Sit Sl5 an acre
ard. moved "a Iowa and
1oue 6ae body OF land, or rather
eld land was NOT in market
then vas in Clayton county near
T0k er John RYAN died Oh
He 'h August lsti aged IS
years ne wife and tive child
rem The country being Wild and the
family Young the oldest Gully II wears
ota- mother thought it best to
move 80 Ca>sviilc where the
isus mad hough, TWO town lots
which ar still owned IN the family.
rhe widow afterward married John
Cary, Patch Grove. She died al
the a. u 81 years,
IN Il. sent John Ryan aud his tive