Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-01-18
THE EARLY
History Of WauwatOsa.

house consisted of an indefinite number
of iron-wood trees fel1ed with the tops
pitched in together and other tree
tops thrown upon them. Our bed
was the earth, upon which we spread
the swamp grass, that we cut with our
jack knives, and our covering was a
single Indian blanket"
| Another has said: In building the
first log house, one was extravaganza to
pay more than seventy-fve cents in
money, which went for sash glass, one
board for a door, and nails for the
same. Some used more economy and
put in splints to represent n sash, and
pasted on newspaper for glass.
In few days there is rainy or windy
weather; then the settler splits bass
wood and fills up the cracks. Nov,
says. wife, that is good Then he
splits the logs and makes the floor, put
| ting the bed, table and chairs from the
ground on to the floor. oh! is not
this meet No palace ever gave greater
pleasure. When cold weather comes
he mends the cracks Why, did not
suppose one could make a log house so
comfortable! 1t is warmer than any
framed house / ever saw.
The pioneers of Wauwatosa were
driven to all kinds of expedients to
supply their wants. Most of their
time had TO be devoted to clearing the
land in order TO be self sustaining the
next season. The trees were cut down,
rolled together and burned. Very few
had oxen or horses the first few years.
In order to plant corn and potatoes to
live on the coming winter, they must
dig up the soil with hoes by hand, Pro-
visions were very high, coming mostly
from Indiana and Ohio
In October, 1898. Mr.. ]. NJ Warren
came with his family and built the
third house in the little clearing near
where the bridge now stands. Mr. Chas
Hart had erected n saw-mill back Of
the livery stable.) Mr.. Warren Sc
cured the right of putting in the saw
mill a small run Of stone for grinding
grists. The stones were eighteen
inches in diameter, and the grain had
to be ground over twice. This was
perhaps the first grist-mill in the
county. insignificant as it was,
! it served these pioneers a better
purpose, than grinding buck wheat
every evening in cotfee-mill as some
did. The -four being rather coares,
one good lady, having some Grape, took
a barrel hoop and made a sieve. She
not only kept it ior her own use. but
loaned it to everyone in the village.
All were very choice of it. Many Gus
toners at the mill had to wait not a
/ little for their grists. and Mrs Warren
/ cared for them in her hotel home. An
extract from a letter written by Mrs.
Warren to her Eastern friends, dated
March 30, 1889 gives quite vivid pic
ture of this home. "Our house is small
|
but a comfortable frame house There
are two others ON the other side of the
river, (Messrs. Hart's) A few rods tc
the west is a saw and grist-mill, in one
building, and then, there are log
houses on almost every quarter section
around us. Log houses are comfort
able and are generally as neat anG
clean as are your Massachusetts, man
sions. We are not troubled with clean
ing brass knockers and bell knobs, but
our wooden door latches speak of a.
much cleanliness as auy of those fix.
ings. Our shanty is located bv the side
of the Menomonee River. and very near
its banks, too. 1t is very pleasant t.
view from our window the beautiful
gurgling stream, as it passes rapidly
downward, and II is no less pleasant tC
listen TO it's rolling water at midnight
Settlers here build their chimnevs o.
sticks and mud, laid up like cob hons,
and plastered with mud; which ma
terials make good chimney in Wis
consin, but would take fire and bar.
down quiclSlyin Massachusetts Str.r.
Lavinia Warren.
During the long winter evenings
these dwellings were Illuminated by
piece of cloth in a saucer for wick
the dish being filled with lard or an,
kind of grease for fuel The more pre-
tentions used tallow candles. Otter
the receptacle for the candle, was .
square cut from board with three o.
four nails driven into it to hold tn,
candle. In many cases the molten g.,
low was made TO take the place of .
holder, being dropped upon ooarc
and the candle Undecided in i
before il hardened
Most Of the furniture was home
made. Luther Warren's cradle con
sisted of Eastwood log. split in two
and the center followed out. Rocker
were placed on the bottom. In TIM. III,