Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1912-05-02

cannot go back farther than '52 as
it was in the fall of that year that we
took up our abode in the then town
ship of Flora. The name by petition to
the legislature in '53 was changed to
the euphonic one of Fairfield.
At that time there were but few peo'
pie in the town and it was a great
event when new family moved In.
| recall the morning when / was called
to the door by good looking young
man, who asked to be directed to Bar
eboo while two young ladies sat in the
wagon waiting. In those days there
were roads every where, half dozen
or so tracks from Leach lake south to
! the cemetery. So to explain the differ
ent routes it took me some little time
| though told him "all reads lead to
Baraboo now instead of Rome" A
cousin of mine was with me that day
who had lived here for or 4 years. AS
l stepped back into the room she said'
"Why bless your heart, those people
know the way to Baraboo much better
than you do. They live only mile or
| two up the road north and they knew
you were a new conner and wanted to
see what you were like"
There was no church buildings in
priety, say no Sundays. 1t was said that
people who came from the east left
their religion behind. This however
was mistake as there were few
good Methodists who had service
occasionally in some private house or
schoolhouse, when fortunately they
had succeeded in getting one bull t.
/ think there were but two until some
time in the year '53. One man who had
a growing family being full of enter
prise and good works, decided to
build a schoolhouse on his own
hook. Accordingly he employed a
| contractor to go on and build one,
the employer furnishing the land. A
meeting was called soon after it's COM
pletion and he came forward and offer
ed the building at cost. At first there
was some demur as his were the only
children, save one, of school age with
in the district, but finally they voted
to pay the price and district No. had
a schoolhouse.
The First Church.
In the fall of 80, I think, a board
shanty was built at RusseIl's Corners
to be used as church building. The
minister, who rode Delton circuit that
year, came there occasionally and held
service. During the winter it was de-
cided to hold revival meetings for
week and Rev. Mullin had supervision.
He was one of the loud kind and
bitterly denounced all isms except
Methodism, declaring that ministers
of other denominations were not called
of God. One day, getting enthusiastic,
he stepped down from the platform
and in louder tones tnan usual SAID:
|
commission from on high and men of
earth, hands off,
It was told not long after that his
license were. revoked and the confer
ence had no further work for him.
There were no fences in the early days
and every mans herd of cattle
| roapo6 of tboir ouyp c0,oot mill ovaru
herd wearing bell which the owner
was supposed to be able 20 distinguish
from that of his neighbor. Sometimes
the cattle would wander miles from
home and be gone several days.
There was an elderly man,
local preacher, who had taken
up land and made farm,
only preaching as opportunity offered.
One day as he was holding forth at
Peck's Corners he suddenly stopped
and assuming listening attitude
said: "Hark! wasn't that a funk of
my cow bell?' 1t is supposed he was
mistaken as he Immediately resumed
the thread of his discourse and went
on to the finish.
Wedding Couple Came With Wagon
| and Oxen.
There were no home weddings where
there were invited guests for number
of years. Courtships there were, as
people fell in love in the early days
as well as in the, later, but when the
time came to marry the happy couple
unattended, went to Baraboo, Delton
or Portage to the priest or preacher
and were welded. [ attended service
one Sabbath in al log school
house when young couple rode up to
The door in a newly painted lumber
wagon drawn by fine yoke of oxen.
ha IBID