Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-03-29

Personal Mea lion OF Many of the Oh
Settlers Coming TO the Township Dul
ing the SOS The First Events and Othe
Items OF Interest to Those Residir
Therein.
That part OF Vernon county know
as the town of Liberty, is situated i
congressional township IL, range
vest, end contains about twenty -fou
sections OF land. II is bounded on th
north ~ the towr of Webster. on tn
east by Richland county, on the sontI
by the town of Kickapoo, and on th,
west by the town Of viroqua. The tow
is watered by the Kickapoo river and it,
branches, which flow in southerly di
rection. In the eastern part of th,
town there is much timber, while In til.
western there are more prairie openings
One of the striking features of the towr
Is the numerous springs which gusl
outfrom the sides of the high bluff,
and rocky ridgee, their water final,
terminating in streA ms having sufficient
fall to give fne mill power.
Among what may oe termed the earl,
settlers OF the towa are the following
q w. Wise. Allan Rusk, George P
Martio, Jonas Groves, John II. Joseph
James Gilman, S'mnel Graham, Samuo
Fish, Stephen A. Fish, James Schoolery
james w. Hunter, John w. Church
Frederick Groves and Stanley Stout
The first settler was James Gilman. who
settled on section 5 in 1853, where hs
lived for many years and then moved tt
Viroqua, where he died. liz December
1852, Allen Rusk, then resident O,
Lancaster, Grant county, hauled a load
OF merchandise to Liberty Pole for Hen.
ry McOaulley, who .ept store at the
latter pieoe. A t,r delivering the goods
Mr. RusL went to Viroqua to visit some
old acquaintance who had settled there
some time previous. While on this visit
accompanied by some of his friends, be
started out to look up location for bis
future home. They went east as far as
the Klckapoo, then followed the stream
down to the mouth of Bishop Branch,
and the latter stream back to Virouua
Mr.. Rusk did not select a site at this
time, but returned to Lancaster, and in
October, 1858, removed his family to
Viroqua. In the spring of 1854 he pre-.
empted the southeast quarter OF section
10, town IL, rarg e 8 west, and at once
commenced the improvement of the
same, but did not settle there until
April, 1855 1t was through his efforts
that the territory in which he located
was set off from Viroqua and organized
as the town of Liberty. The name was
suggested by Mr.. Rusk, and at the first
election he was elected chairman of the
town board and justice OF the peace
lie has since held various local offices
and for two terms represented his dis.
tr'ct in the assembly. F.. l. Turner
On the 18th day of April. 1854, entered
land IN La Crosse county, and soon
aftar returning to his home in New
York, returned and erected log house
on section IS, town IL, range 2 west
where he also entered land, and In the
fall OF that year moved his family from
the east. In 1856 Mr.. Turner erected
a saw mill, end one year later q grist
mill. which he operated until 1864. when
he sold to a. @. Cushman. In 1856 he
moved across the line into Vernon
county. In 1865 he moved to Green
Bay. and in the fall of 1880 he removed
to Vernon county. George W. Wise,
one of the first settlers, settled ON sec.
ton IL. town -, range 8, in 1865
William @. Groves settled in town IL,
range 3. in 1856. George P. Martin
settled on section 8, the same year,
where he remained until 1881, when he
moved to Nebraska. Jonas Groves also
settled the same year on section s..
john r. Joseph settled on section 9 in
1855. He remained there about fifteen
years and moved to Iowa. Another set
tier OF that year was John w. Hunter,
who located on section 10, where he re-
manned until death, in 1872. Among
the pioneers of 1856 was James Schooley,
who settled on section Is. He moved
to Kansas just before the Rebellion, but
afterward removed to Liberty tow, aud
still later returned to Kansas Samuel
Graham settled on section 5 in 1866,
where he farmed for several years ar d
then moved to Colorado. Samuel Fish
settled on section 8 in 1855. He en-
listed in Company O. 18th Wisconsin,
was wounded at Shilo, and died from it's
effects soon after. About the same time
or little after, Stephen A. Fish, father
OF Samuel Fish, came to the county for
settlement and died some years later,
} chm W. Church settled on tine south
west corner OF section II in 1855 SO.
When the war broke out he enlisted in
Company A, 25th Wisconsin. He was
brave soldier and good man. He
was accounted one OF the best marks
men in the company, and it was often
remarked by his comrades that upon
the discharge of his gun there was one
less rebel to fight. Just before his fatal
wound he was climbing over the earth
works, and was told by Colonel Rusk he
was in great danger, but Church re
piled: "JusO let me drop one more OF
them" William Turner died April l,
1865. He came to Wisconsin with his
son, to assist him in building mills
His wife died eleven years later. Stsn.
ley Stout, native Of Erie county, New
York, came to Liberty township in 1857,
where he now resides. He learned The
drug business in the city OF Buffalo
For several years he was employed In
the drug store of Nichols Bros in Viro.
qua, occasionally handling coffee sacks
and turning helping hand in the Other
departments of the store. He enlisted
in the United States service but was re-
jected on account Of physical disability
r. ii. Buchanan arrived at Springville
October, 1859, and resided near there
until 1862, when he settled on section Q
Liberty, where he had entered lsud ii
1855.
The fret birth in the town of Liberty
was j. n son OF Allen and Mary Rusk
born October %, 1855. The first death
was child of George p. Martin, who
died in 1856, and the remains were bur.
ried on their farm on section 9. Tht
same grounds were afterwards selected
for the town cemetery. The first mar
risge in the town was Sanford Hanchet,
and Ann Harris, who were united in
matrim my in 1866, by Allen Rusk, ther
justice OF the peace. Another MARI
age which occurred about the same dat.
was that OF johnson Fuller to Saral
Graves. This couple had to present
themselves to Robert Wilson, a justics
of the peace, who performed the cere
mony under large oak tree near th,
Indian mounds around which Their,
hon nc co Ynuah r,,vufarv