River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-11-19
Ellsworth Business Men
Give a Spread in Honor
of the Event.
Board of Supervisors the
Guests of Honor.

ton OF P1erCe county, gave BAN
quet to the members of the county
board and other invited guests last
Friday evening.
The supper was provided by
Landlord Elliott of Hotel Lane and
was excellent both in the viands
served and the manner of service.
The feast was presided over by Dr.
]. w. Hancock, who acted both as
chairman for the occasion and as
POSTMASTER.
From necessity the hour of open
ing was rather late and supper was
not announced until after nine
O'Clock. For the first half hour the
attention of the guests was given
exclusively to the discussion of the
quality of the viands spread with
generous hand before them.
Including the honored guests,
members of the County Board, over
one hundred gentlemen were pres
ent.
After supper speech-making was
next in order. The first regular
toast was, THE Business Men of
Ellsworth, responded to in a hap
ply manner by District Attorney
George Thompson. This was fol-
lowed by the toast, "The County
Board of Pierce County," respond
ed to by E. ]. Fitzgerald, chairman
of the board. Judge Weld was
called on to respond to the toast,
pierce County" In his response
Judge Weld briefly reviewed the
early history of the county. Wen
dell Dodge gave some well-rendered
songs of a topical nature and was
heartily encored, after which volun-
teers were called on for speeches by
reclamation. A written response
by DR.. D. w. Woodwork, who was
not able to be present on account
of sickness, was read and listened
TO with much interest, the chief
theme being the members of former
boards not then present. Anecdotes
and hearty cheers completed the
program in the wee small hours of
the night.
Among the matters touched upon
by the speakers of the evening we
CLEAN the following data:
Pierce county was organized un-
der an act of the Legislature, March
IA, 1858, by taking the south part
of the territory then embraced in
St, Croix county, while Polk county
was organized from territory then
in the northern part of St. Croix
county. At that time all these
counties were sparsely settled and
there was hardly population enough
TO justify the change, but the ruling
political bosses deemed that some
additional representation was need
ed for political purposes and the
desire of the several sections of st.
Croix county for independent gov
eminent led to the division.
The first meeting of the county
board was held at Prescott Nov. Is,
1858. The procedure at the meet.
ings of the county board at that
time resembled that of the town
board rather than that of county
board. Among the first questions
that came up for consideration un-
der the new regime was a question
that has often vexed the county au-
thorities, namely: whether the poor
should be supported by the several
towns in which they were residents,
or become a county charge. 1t was
early determined that the poor
should be cared for by the county.
The act of the Legislature creating
the county of Pierce designated
Prescott as the county seat and con-
stituted the town board of Prescott
the county board. This board con-
sisted of Osborn Strahl, chairman;
silas Wright and Sylvester Moore.
At the first election held in the
new county of Pierce, Nov. Is, 1883,
ITO votes were cast and the follow
ing were elected county officers:
County judge, w. ]. Copp; sheriff,
N. S. Dunbar; treasurer, ]. S. Free
man; clerk of court, s. r. Gum;
county clerk, Henry Teachout; cor.
oner, ]. Olive; district attorney. r.
". Wise; surveyor, ]. True; register
of deed, ]. NJ. Whippie.
Early in 1884 the towns of Green
wood (River Falls) and Martell
were set off by the county board
and later several other towns were
organized.
AS the county increased in popu-
lation there was demand for a
more central location for the county
seat than Prescott, situated at the
extreme west line, and at an cleo