Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-08-22
In r Shkouong
Country

]
In company with DR. M. M. Qualfe
secretary of the State HISTORICAL so
ciety of Wisconsin, the writer TOOK d
moving picture view OF Fort Atkln-
son and the Koshkonong country re-
GENTLY and it is really astonishing
how much one can accomplish in a
few hours-visiting and sight seeing.
: + ! J
Fort Atkinson has been made known
by former Governor Hoard's Dairy
man. Jones' sausage and other &C
tivities. Fort Atkinson is rare
little city almost as large as Bara-
boo, a beautiful new concrete bridge
on the main street spanning ROCK
river. The town is named for Gen
eral Henry Atkinson, who chased
Black Hawk through the Koshkonong
country, and the leading h0tel is
named for the warrior, the Black
Hawk Inn. There is a tablet to the
pioneer general, fine new library
and every evidence of peace, pros
perity and happiness.
7 :
The central figure of all person
ages in Fort Atkinson is the former
governor, w. D. Hoard. He is 81
now: has reached the evening OF a
long. interesting and active life
The voters of Is and 80 years ago
will recall the foreign language
question was the leading element in
politics and the Bennett law caused
the defeat of Governor Hoard, land
ing Governor Peck in the state house.
The mind Of Mr.. Hoard is decidedly
clear and he discussed the days or
those great campaigns with a vigor
and clearness possessed by few men
of his span of years. Mr.. Hoard has
not forgotten the underhanded polit-
ical strategems that were prevalent
those days, all ending in his defeat.
The next issue of the Wisconsin Mag
azine of History will contain an ex-
haustive article by Miss Louise
Phelps Kellogg on the Bennett law
and this was discussed during the
call on the former governor.
+ + + !
The former executive resides in
a comfortable and spacious home,
visits his farm frequently, writes for
his papers and entertains numerous
visitors. These things keep him
busy. make the days glad and full OF
sunshine.
The former governor says the Ben
nett law originated in a very pecu-
liar way. Several strangers visited
Jefferson county, obtained the sig
natures of German farmers to notes
by fraud, the whole thing resulting
In loss and bitterness. Had the Ger
mans understood English this would
not have happened. In order to bene-
fit the German people of the state.
Mr.. Hoard fathered the law, it got
into politics, much discOrd resulted
and he was defeated. The campaign
of German propaganda had not yet
been born but had the law been en-
forced the reputation of Wisconsin
in the eyes of the nation at this time
would have been far different. The
light of experience has shown that
Mr. Hoard was right, that the growth
of the foreign ideas should have been
crushed for it has proven poisonous
influence The very fact that he was
so far sighted, will secure for the
venerable executive an appreciated
and lasting place in Wisconsin his
tory.
i + + i
The most interesting archaeological
object at Fort Atkinson is the intag-
Ito. Often Indians built, effigy
mounds by heaping up the earth but
in some cases the soil was scooped
out or incised. The intaglio at Fort
Atkinson is the last remaining OF
the many made by the Indians IN
Wisconsin. 1t represents an animal
and is as long as a large barn. At one
time there was an intagliO near the
home of A. G. Glover on Guppy
street, Baraboo but it has long since
been destroyed. The one at Fort
Atkinson was saved by Mrs. G. w
Dexheimer and other interested per
sons of that city. A small tract OF
land has been purchased and a park
established on the bank of the Rock
river.
= / + i
Mr.. and Mrs. H. L. Skavlem reside
in the western shore of Lake Kos
konong during the summer and in
GAINESVILLE when Old Boreas blows
Mr. Skavlem is naturalist and has
written not a little about his bird
nnd ON other subjects He is