The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-09-07
THOSE EARLY TIMES,
Annual Gathering of the Old Settlers
OF Kenosha County at Pad
docks Lake Yesterday.
A GREAT CROWD ATTENDED.


Grafton f the Day.-The Long Memorisl
List is Read-other Incidents of the
Picnic.
| Old Settlers day has come and gone
again, and this morning the people OF
the county are ready to settle down to
normal life again.
The great meeting at Paddock's lake
| Thursday was one of the most success
full ever held in the history of the As
ISOLATION. Everything combined to
make the day a success. The weather
was perfect, and the amusement
arranged for the day was all that could
be asked for. The crowd began to
gather early. They came from all
directions and in all sorts of convey
ances. Long before the noon hour
the grounds were filled to their great
est capacity, but still the people con-
tinued to come.
Kenosha sent delegation of fully
nine hundred, headed by Deacon
Dewey, while Racine sent a delegation
of over a hundred, headed by Col. A.
P. Dutton, whose long association with
the Old Settlers of Kenosha county has
made him literally one of them, and no
old settlers picnic would be complete
without his presence. During the day
it is estimated that fully 5000 people
were on the grounds.
AS one old settler put it, ''There were
more well dressed, good looking, we'll
fed, intelligent people on the grounds
than were ever associared together in
Kenosha county before"
The program of the day as an
nounced was carried out in the after
noon, and the early morning hours
were given up to pleasant reunions of
friends of early times. It is reported
that fully half the big crowd on the
grounds had lived in the state for a
half century or over, and many reun-
ions were held under the trees where
friends met who had not seen each
other for years. Lots of amusement
was furnished for the young people.
Ali sorts of stands were given the
liberty of the grounds, and it was pos
sib1e for all to find entertainment.
In the afternoon the pavilion was
packed with people. After selection
by the band and a patriotic selection by
quartette, Rev. Henry L. Brown was
introduced as the speaker of the day.
Rev. Brown had chosen as a theme the
subject "Some Early Hoosier School
Masters" His address was a splendid
effort, and drawing lessons from the
early pioneess of Hoosierdom he paid
touching tribute to the pioneers of
those early days in Wisconsin. Many
times during his grafton Mr.. Brown
was interrupted with spontaneous
applause.
Besides the grafton of the day other
speeches were made by A. P. Dutton,
of Racine; ]. S. B1a11ey, of Union
Grove, and James Cavanagh, of this
city. A large number of old settlers
were called upon and responded extern
poraneous1y. While the exercises
were going on in the pavilion the young
people amused themselves with athletic
sports in all parts of the grounds.
One Of the most interesting features
of the day was the reading of the an
nua1 memorial of the association,
which was read by the secretary, r. F.
Roberts. The memorial role shows
that ninety-six members of the asso-
citation had died during the year just
passed. Of this list many are the
names of people who have been very
influential in the development of
southern Wisconsin. Among the
names read were those of William
Lynch. who died recently at the age of
1OO'years; Gurdin Gi11ett, aged 81, who
for many years was member of the
board of education of the city; Stephen
Burroughs, who was the first mayor of
Southport; Jacob G.. Gottfredsen, an
early pioneer brewer and business man;
Mrs. Frances Dye Hotchkiss, a well
known opera and concert singer; Ed
ward Balm, the millionaire wagon
maker; Mrs. Maria r. Bacot, who, for
many years lived at the French court
during the time of the third Napoleon;
Mrs. Ruth Herrick Blake, the first
school teacher in southern Wisconsin;
Thomas English, the pioneer harness
maker of Kenosha, and Lathrop Bur-
CESS, for some time a member of the
state assembly from this county.
| After the meeting in the pavilion
closed with the entire audience singing
''My Country it's of Thee, the people
began to leave for their homes, and
when the Kenosha crowd left at
O'Clock the grounds were comparatively
deserted. In the evening a dance was
given at the pavilion, at which over
three hundred couples were in attend
ance.
In ali the meeting this year was the
most successful gathering of the old
settlers ever held in Kenosha county.