Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-03-15
JEFFERSON TOWN PIONEERS

Prudence Has Always Reen shown in the
educational Growth OF this Township
and Good Teachers EMPLOYED The
First Settlers and FIRST Events Given
Jefferson is located in range 5, and
embraces congressional town Is. and
twelve sections of town H. and there
fore has an area Of about 80, 100 acres.
Coon town is on it's north boro ar. Viro-
qua and Franklin towns on its east.
franklin and Sterling towns on its
south, and Harmony and Sterling towns
on its western border. One branch of
the Bad Ak river takes it's rise in the
northern part OF this town. There ia
perhaps more than the average amount
of farm land in this town. The soil is
of the very best in the county. and
great care has been taken by the set
tiers to cultivate their lands in a proper
manner, and as direct result the town
has as many we'll titled and highly i'm
proved farms as any other township In
the county. There are many large and
comfortable farm homes in the town
and their surroundings indicate the
prosperity of their owners.
The first settlement in the town was
m'dA bv John Graham, 10 Jnly 1916.
&c. IN company with Lis three sons.
Thomas, Baker and Lamech settled on
section %, town ID, range 5. They
moved from Mercer county, Illinois,
VII four yoke of oxen. They left Him.
ols In the month of Aprll and came as
far as Grant county, where the family
halted, while Mr.. Graham and Jefferson
ID freese came on to Vernon county in
search OF lands suitable to make homes.
AT that date the only settlers 10 Vernon
couaty were Messrs. Rice and McCul.
lonsn. They found lands adapted to
their wants and sool returned to Grant
county for the family and were soon
settled, after fashion, in their new
frontier home. Mr.. Graham and his
sons erected rude log cabin and re.
sided there "monarchs of all they sur
veys l." until that fall, when they were
joined by William McMichael and fam
lily. Mrs. McMichsel was daughter of
John Graham. Mr. Graham erected the
first mill in Vernon county; he also laid
out the village of Springville. His death
occurred in 1862
The following are the names OF those
who settled in the town prior to 1850:
John Graham and his sons Lsmech,
Thomas and Baker, who came in July,
1916; William McMichael. Isaac Spen-
Car, Edmond Strong, Char es Waters,
Isaac Waters, Henry Waters, William
Spencer, Edward Cox, Daniel Cox,
Charles Cox, Samuel Briee, John Flick
and sons, Clement Spaulding, Clay born
Cheathsm, n Cheathsm, DR.. J. lei. Sud-
duth and Nicholas Murphy.
The Waters family, who came in
1858 or 1859, were the children of Isaac
ind Abigail CLARK Waters, natives of
Connecticut. The first to come was
Charles, who came at the time William
Spencer did and finally married his
daughter, Mary J. Charles followed
farming and the nursery business in the
town of Jefferson for many years, but
finally moved away and now resides in
Oregon. Henry Waters came previous
to 1850 He farmed, besides keeping
a store in Springville for time, but in
1884 moved to Nebraska Isaac Waters,
who was an unmarried man at the time
he came to the county, soon after mar
ried Martha Price. He remained about
ten years and moved to Minnesota.
Clark Waters was the last to come to
the county and he settled on section "a
Among the settlers of 1854 was Isaac
Williams, who settled on land afterward
owned by Colonel May. In 1865 Will
IAN Smith became resident of the town
and in the fall of the same year became
with Seth Hamilton in the
biacksmithing business. He came west
in 1856 by railroad as far as Madison,
and soon aft " wended his way overland
to Vernon county, where his brother,
[ W. Smith. had previously located.
Among other settlers of an early date |
was Nathan Slack, who settled on Sec
ion 30 in 1858 He first located in |
Liberty Pole in 1866 John Flick and |
his family, who were also quite early
settlers, lived near where Lamech Ora
nam sfterward lived. They remained |
where they FIRST settled until the time |
Of his death, Christmas day, 1865.
The first occurrences in the settle |
nent of country are ever of interest |
TO the reader OF local history, and we
give record of many of the first events
which transpired in the town:
The first marriage was SoImon Flick |
and Mary Graham, which took place in
1850 or 1851 The first death known |
IN the town, also in the county, was
William Lewis McMichael, sou of WILL
Jam and Eleanor McMichael. This o.
cured in 1916 The second was Thomas,
son OF John Graham, who died in the
winter of 1918, the first body inferred |
IN tne .Springville cemetery. The first |
shop was operated as early |
as 184S. The first school wae taught |
ov Henry Waters IL 1e443. The first |
school house was built in 1850, and was |
ocgted just north of Springville.
This town was organized in 1855, and |
was named IN honor OF Thomas Jeffer-
son. The early records are very in
and the only facts relating to
is early history is that the first super
visors were. Isaac Spencer, Charles Wa
5ers and James Marker, and N. W. Sax
ION as to-, : clerk.
The first postoffice established in the
own was at Springville, in l849. The
nail was received from Prairie du Chien
vice week. Edmond Strang was the
irst postmaster.
Educational No alters in the town of
Jefferson have ever been watched and
Jared for, even from the early pioneer
lays, with the greatest prudence and
wisdom, and none hut the best teachers
AVE been engaged TO teach the schools.
The first heralds Of the Cross in this
7icinity were from the Methodist Epis-
opal denomination. The first services
we're held in 1850, by Few. Perdun, at
he house of Isaac Spencer The United
Brethren organized society in 1859, at
which date Rev. Mr.. Smith officisted as
preacher. Among the first members
we're: l.. j. Wood and wife, J. Brown
md wife, Samuel Powell and wife, and
7. A Ssckett and wife, The Advent
christian church was organized as late
xnnn |