Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-01-25
FORMER FACTS OF FOREST.
The Principal Water Courses that perme-
ate its Beautiful Valleys and the First
Events of its Settlement

Events of its Settlement.
I'm giving n general resume of The settle-
hent or the townships of Vernon county as
well as the first events of Importance trans
plrIng therein, the CENSOR would be glad to
M, hc.t i We names q each and every old set
dier VINO ilrst settled in the county, but the
Data at hand is not as exact as should be nor
Goes 1t include all of the pioneers.-ED.J
The town of Forest is located on tbe
northern line OF the towns in Vernon
county, and is the first west OF Hills
boro, the northeastern town of the eoun-
ty. liz is bounded on the north by
Monroe county; on the east by Hills
boro town; on the south by Union
town, and on the west by the town of
Whitestown. This town is known as a
congressional township six miles square.
and containing 23,040 acres. In 1880
the population of Vernon county was but
70, 235, and each of these, with the ex-
ception of The surplus 1876, could have
been located in Forest own, settling
one person on each acle of land. The
town Is we'll watered by three main
streams and their tributaries. Warner
creek rises in the northeast quarter of
section 81, aud flows southerly and
westerly through sections q, 81, 80 and
81. On this latter section it unites with
the northern bran CHI, which fuds a head
on section 30 and takes a southwt sterly
course till it reaches the main channel.
The north branch of Billings creek en-
ters the town on section 4, and passes
through sections 5. s and 7, leaving
the town on the southwestern quarter
of section 7. Tue south branch of Bill
ing's creek rises near the center OF
section IA, aud flows westerly through
sections IA, Is, %, 81, 20 and 10, leav-
ing the town near the southern line OF
section 49, Tive ether streams flow
through the town. One rises on section
Ii, and takes northel!y course through
section 2. and the other Uses on section
20 and flows easterly through section
%. The surface of the town is very
rolling and of rough character, but
very fine farm lands are found on the
bluffs, while those in the VALE VS. are bet
ter adapted to the raising of stock on q
large scale.
La MAY, 1855, Waldo Stewart came
into what is nov the town of Forest,
and selected quarter section of land
on section &c, which he entered, and or
which he resided till 1879. He then
sold the old homestead and removed to
Illinois, where he died in 1881 The
second settler was native of the Screen
Mountain" State. This was Nathan
Sherman. He located 200 acres on sec
tion IL, and moved there in the fall of
1866. John c. Tabor made settle
ment here in 1866, entering lard on
section L. The same year Mr.. Emo
and family removed out here from Con.
necticnt and located so acres on section
81. A son of Mr.. Emo, Edgar by name,
still resides in the town. Germany fur
nished another settler in 1855, Henry
Stelting. He entered $50 acres of land
on section 3. Thomas Andrews and
Jonas Hubbard came in the early spring
of 1856, and settled OF section 49, Al
bert Kies came about the same time and
entered land on section u. Old Yer
mont again furnished a new citizen and
j. b. Nofsiuger was made chairman of
the town board in 1857 and held that
Office for eight years. These early set
tiers we've soon followed by Cyrenius
Lumbart and Matthew Ellis; Samuel
Baldwin, who settled on section IL;
john ". Williams, who located on sec
ton ] 5, anG many others whose names
car not be recalled.
The first settler was Waldo Stewart.
who located in May, 1855. The first
person deceased was Albert Kies, il
1856, the same year he came. The first
birth in the town was Sarah, daughter
of Philander and Miranda Chandler
The first school was taught in 1856 ia 8
log house, thrown together to take adj
vantage of the school fund. Tt was
built on the southwest quarter of the
northwest quarter of section IL Rosel
dab Sherman taught the first school
The first marriage 10 the town was Jas
Morgan to Mrs. Jerusha Kies widow of
Albert kies, deceased J, in 1857, Benja-
min Roberts, justice OF the peace, off
ciating. The first sermon was preached
by Rev. Israel Burch, in Mr.. Sherman's
log mouse, IN 1000.
In the spring of 1856 permission was
esked of the county board of supervis
ors for the erection of a new town, to be-
called Forest. The request IVES granted
and the town set apart. On tho first OF
April, the came year, an election was
held ard the following officers elected:
Chairman Giles White; assistants, Nathan
Sherman and j b Nofsinger.
Clerk-Wiliiam q. Stelting.
Treasurer-John Q. Tabor.
AssessOr-Gies White.
superintendent OF SchoOIs-John @. TABOR
The first to organize religions So
ciety was the United Brethren sect, in
1856. The first pastor was Rev. Doo
little. The Christians also formed so
ciety at an early date, and continued
about FOUR years, holding meetings at
the Forest school house. The Wesle-
van Methodist church, of Forest town,
WAS organized in 1857 at the residence
of John Markee, by Rev. Cooley, who
preached the first sermon. The first
poetoffice was established at Mount Tia
Dor, located on section l, in 1856.
Clark Tabor was the first postmaster
In 1884 the town contained two bury
ing grounds, the oldest of which is'on
the southwest quarter of section l, the
other on section 26, near the church
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