Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-06-03
HISTORY OF MARATHON CO.

The history of Marathon county,
published by Richmond-Arn Co. of
Chicago and edited by Judge Marchetti
is being delivered now, and it can be
truthfully said, that this book is all
that is claimed for it, a truthful mar
ration of past events from the begin
ming of the first settlement in Wiscon-
sin and the organization of Marathon
county to the present day. Its book
of nearly 1000 full sized quarto pages.
neatly printed en- good paper, bound
In full morocco, but its value consists
In the mass of information contained
therein. The following is an outline
OF the subjects treated n its 80 chap
tiers: Chapters l to t.eats of Wisoon-
sin as a territory, as Influenced by the
ordinance of 1887, the Indian occupa-
ton, Indian trader and the mission
airy; Negro slavery in Wisconsin, be-
ginning of numbering and descrip-
ton of the Wisconsin Valley. Chap
tiers to III, treats of early settlements,
the steamboat, first newspaper and
closes with the appearance of the first
railroad. Chapters II TO IA are devoted
to war times, Indian scare, railroad
litigation, timber left in 1875, schools
and county institutions. Chapters IA
to l6 are the political history and bio
graphies of senators and members of
assembly, population, roster of
county officials, and Bench and Bar.
Chapters II to 81 are devoted to Wau-
sau from it's rise as town to a village
and city, giving full narration of
the political changes, of its social life
and the forces which made for culture
and education, schools. societies for
the cultivation of music and song.
lectures, doings in old Music hall, and
many interesting occurrences, such as
the passing of the riyerman, and
Wausau in the Spanish-American war.
Chapters 30 and "a are given over to
a description of the incorporated vii
| lagos and towns and chapter 35 is en-
titled Distinguished Public Men
Past and Present, and is especially
interesting in giving a biography Of
the men who, in the past, have been
prominent in the development of the
county; then follow several hundreds
of biographies of representative men.
This is the first history of this county
ever written and many years will pass
before another one will be published;
but even such it will be of immense
value as reference work, and it de-
| serves to be on the shelves of every
school library in the county.
The people of Marathon county owe
a debt of gratitude to Louis Mar
chetti for his tireless efforts in giving
to them history from the very be-
| ginning of this section, which will be
invaluable to the present as well as
to future generations. Very few pos
sess the gift of writing Interestingly
upon matters of this nature. and
fewer yet have the disposition and
the energy to undertake such a work.
Judge Marchetti is not only a writer
of superior ability, but he is an I'M
firing worker as well, and has the
happy faculty of getting at facts and
compiling them in a most effective
way. In his preface Mr.. Marchetti
says:
| SIT is the aim of the writer to give
a narration of the causes which
brought this change and to speak of
| the events in this interesting period
of our state and county, and the lives
| of the pioneers, which rest now main
| ~ in tradition. If he has in some de-
| gree succeeded in this attempt, he
deems himself richly compensated for
the work. He has lived in WauSau
| continually since 1867, coming here
from his home city, Vienna, Austria;
/ he has seen Marathon county in its
infancy and has grown up with it.
He became early acquainted with the
| pioneers still living at that time, in
timately with many of them; he
speaks from the life in the mills, in
camps and on the river from personal
experience, and mingled with all sorts
of persons in the piaery, including
the farmers who had come to this
county but short time before.