Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-11-05
LEAVES FROM LIFE'S HISTORY.

Did you ever stop to calculate the life
of man Did you ever pause to looE
into the horoscope of the past, if we are
allowed to use such term, and by cold
facts determine that the time man is
| permitted to travel the earth is short al
the most +? 'All the worlds stage,
and all the men and women merely
players; they have their exits and their
entrances, and one man in his time
plays many parts" Occurrences OF
forty years ago seem to have happened
yesterday. Sit down by your Ereside in
reverie, and soliloquy turn back the
hands of the clock and think over your
life. If you have time, read Ichabode
MarvePs "Reveries of q Bachelor or
"Brick" Pomeroy's Saturday Nights. ("
Either will do you good. The memory
OF man is treacherous. Often we can
not recall many of the interesting fea-
lures of our own life, or those of others,
until we are reminded of them; for this
reason a history of any community is
valuable. We delve into history once
in while because we believe it for the
good of the community especially to
the young generation. The cities of
Great Britain have system whereby a
complete history of the municipality is
kept, dating back for centuries. These
histories are kept in the public libra
ries. In this respect this country is
lacking-beeause of its fast growth and
strife of the people for the almighty
dollar. The people must therefore
sTust to the home papers or their pri-
vate records for history. The PILOT
wishes this week to refresh the mem
ory of some of our old residents and
give little knowledge regarding our
community's early life to the young
people. We may see fit to publish
more along this same line in the future,
and would be glad to have handed or
mailed us anything of this nature which
any of the old settlers recall. Here are
a few items culled from our private
collection of historical facts:
The first saw mill to be built in Wau-
sau was constructed by Geo. Stevens
in 1S39
Francis and Jane Bressett, who had
the distinction of being the oldest
couple in the county, came here in 1874.
Both passed away few years ago, Mr..
Bressett passing the century mark and
his wife was but few years younger.
Mrs. Louis Davis, who resides in the
town of Flieth, is daughter of this
venerable coupl
Thos. and Martin Lynch, who at one
time in our memory, were the earliest
residents of this community then living,
came here in 1910. They afterwards
moved up into Lincoln county and we
lost track of them.
Geo. Green, father of Rollin and Geo.
Green, who conduct the city bus line,
came here in 1S41. MIR. Green counted
500 Indians here at one time who were
migrating northward to make maple
sugar.
In an early day some of the Indians
had metal kettles for boiling their sap.
These they purchased from agents of
the Hudson Bay Fur Co. Others used
vessels made of birch bark and by dex.
ferrous and skillful manipulation they
could bring sap to the sugar stage in
them.
The first raft of lumber was run out
of Wausau in 1914. The first fleet of
lumber was run down the river in 1867,
leaving Wausau on March % of that
year. 1t was in charge of Hiram Stowe,
an adventurous and skillful pilot.
The first logging camp to be built on
the Eau Claire river was constructed in
1S42, by Orlando Rood.
The first man drowned on the Wis
consin river in this locality was
Frenchman of the name of Champagne.
The winter of 1923 was particular
ly severe one. Many of the Indians
perished from exposure and hunger.
They hung around the log cabins of the
settlers, begging, and the settlers many
times had to drive them away with
clubs.
There were no wagon roads in this
locality until 1845.
DIR. VIM. Scholfield, father of our
townsman and neighbor, VIM. Schol-
field, was the first man to introduce ro-
tary saws in the mills of this city, then
a frontier settlement.
AT the corner of First and Washing
ton streets, on property now embraced
in the public library park large In
dian mound was found. This mound
was dug into and number of skeletons
were found, buried head to head in the
form of star. The mound also con-
tanned pottery and implements of the
chase. The Indians buried there no
doubt were killed in some of the fire.
quent battles fought In this section be
tween the Winnebagoes and Chippewas
The population of the whole county,
then extending to lake Superior, num-
bered only 4S9 people in 1880. The
last census, two years ago, gave us
so, 249. with only small fraction of .the
same territory.
Under an act of the legislature author
izing the organization of the county
of Marathon. special election vas
held April 81, 1850, and the following
officers elected: sheriff, VIM. Wez-
inton; clerk of the court, county
clerk and register of deeds, Joshua
Fox; Surveyor, Henry f. Goodrich;
district attorney, John Rollins; super
visors, Andrew Warren, Jas. Moore, f.
M. Pancoast and John Stackhouse
Wausau was plated in 1852 and or
ganized as village in 1860 The first
officers were f. A. Hoffman, president
of the board of trustees Thos. Single,
clerk; j. A. Farnham, surveyor; Henry
| III. Lawrence, street commissioner: G..