The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-01-12
THE OLDEST NATIVE.
CHAS. QUARLES HAS A NEW CANDI-
DATE FOR THE HIGH HONOR.
BE PROPOSES EDWIN Fl BACON
Former Kenosha Attorney Tells Reminis-
ences of Early Southport and Says he
Has Found Kenosha Citizens Every
where-A Wheat Center.

Wisconsin at the present time and in
this regard Hon. Charles Quarles has
proposed E. Fl. Bacon for this high
honor and in the Milwaukee Sentinel
gives the following story in support of
bis statements:
{" once thought I had found place
on this terrestrial ball." said Charles
Quarles, where | would not find any,
body from old Southport, now Keno
sha. I was way down on the neutral
strip between Kansas and the Indian
territory, and was travelling on another
fellows railroad pass. took my seat
IN the passenger coach and was feeling
pretty comfortable when in walked the
conductor, looked me over and said:
Hello, Quarles! How are you? /
used to know you back in old South
port"
[ didn't use the pass.
"Then stopped at Baxter Springs
and the landlord came up all smiles
before me and said:
"Ain't from old Southport"
"Since then have given up all at
tempts to find spot that has Dot been
invaded by somebody from ny native
village. You see Hudson Bacon l0cat-
ed on the present site of Kenosha in
1885, as the agent Of the Western
Emigration company, and took up 100
acres of land, the most he could hold.
The following year Gen. John Bullen
and all his kith and kin and collaterals
came on from Western New York, al
most depopulating that part of the
country, and Southport became a
thriving place. Then there was the
wheat war, about 1850, should say
and the crash followed, and the people
ecattered to all parts of the United
States.
"The wheat war? Why, you see that
was in the days before the railroads
were built in this western country.
The farmers from all over the state
hauled their wheat to Kenosha, or
Southport. and stored in warehouse
owned by man named Hutchinson.
Hutchinson sold the wheat certificates
and skipped to California. The farm
ers 1Ocked into town and proposed to
recover their grain by force; they
threatened to burn and sack the town.
The United States marshal was obliged
to protect the property and he did not
J propose to take any chances with an
undrilled posse, so he sWore in the
Milwaukee Light guard; they came
troOping down to Southport and the
farmers backed out. That little affair,
however, gave the place black eye,
! from which it did not recover until
about ten years ago, or until the farm
ers who had been swindled by Hutch
inson were dead. They could not be
persuaded that it was not scheme to
beat them out of their grain"
A son of Hudson Bacon, the first set
: tier of Kenosha or Southport, as it was
then known, is connected with the firm
of Smith, Thorndike & Brown, the
wholesale grocels of this city. His
name is Edwin 81 Bacon. He was born
in the log cabin erected by his father
} to hold that original claim, June II,
1887, and is said by his friends to be
the first white male child born on the
site of the present city of Kenosha,
which disputes the claim of Hosea
Barnes as the Oldest native of Kenosha
county. This was after the Western
! Emigration company, under the leader
ship of Gen. John Bullen, has arrived,
and there were five boys born in the
settlement within few months of each
other, all of whom were either blood
\ relations or relations by marriage.
They were E. 81. Bacon, now of Mil
waukee, Hiram Bacon, Alanson Bacon
land boy named Burroughs, who were
cousins, and Hosea Barnes, who is con-
nected with the others by reason of his
fathers sister becoming the stepmother
of Edwin Fl. Bacon, whose mother died
when he was five years old.
My father" said Edwin 81. Bacon
yesterday, 9" not only built the first log
cabin in Kenosha, but also the first
frame house, which is still standing
near the Island bridge. l left Kenosha
when | was IA years of age, but there
are many things connected with the
early history of the settlement that
impressed me forcibly. The most
prominent of these events was the mil
itary funeral given to Capt. Augustus
Quarles of the Fifth United States
infantry, who was killed at the battle
of Bhurubusco, Mexico, in 1848. He
was a cousin of j. Y. and Charles
Quarles of this city, and q brother-in-
law of Gov. Barstow. Soldiers from all
over Wisconsin attended the funeral.
By the way, Gen. Bullen, who was at
fho hood nf fho Woc%owu Epo;Oro <;n,