Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-04-08
John D. Jones Writes of the Early
Industry Near the Village on the
Wisconsin
OWNER PLAYED THE
JOKER WHEN ROAD
WAS BUILT IN 10
Author of the Letter Tells of Per-
sonal Incidents When He Resid-
ed in the Town

In regard to Flanders Dairy farm
and the introduction of herd of pure
bIooded Devon cattle, am certain the
date given by Mrs. B. N. Robinson is
too recent.
We moved to Merrimack in 1866 and
the dairy farm was in existence then,
and / am pretty certain 1857 or 1858,
would be nearer the time theNDevon
cattle were put on the farm. If they
were a direct importation from Eng
land ! never heard of it before, but
would not dispute it. One thing is
certain, they were pure blooded stock
and very handsome herd. / doubt
if many of this breed are in favor
now, as the Jersey is preferred for
milk and larger breeds for beef. Wal
ter P. Flanders was as popular in
Merrimack as Belzebub, as his meth
ods and overbearing disposition were
not the kind that makes friends.
He owned large share, of the
township and was opposed to any
progress that would cost him any
thing, or take any part of his prop
erty for the public good. If he had
been far sighted and liberal he could
have made money himself and given
others a chance About all the good
he ever did that | can think of was
to name the town by proxy. getting
Mrs. James G Train to name it8after
the county in New Hampshire, they
came from, "Merrimack" and don't
forget the ''k'.
Again when the c.. & n. w. r. was
Lodi to the pass through the bluffs,
by way Of Devils nose was not the
one now taken, but was south of G b.
raltar, crossing the Wisconsin about
two miles down the river, from Merri-
mack and then running north to the
nose. This shortened the distance
and gave much lighter grade, and
it seemed as if Merrimack would lose
the road, but Walter P had card
he had not played, and it proved to be
the joker. An old charter for a rail
road, controlling the pass mentioned,
supposed to have expired had been
renewed by Flanders and with this
he was in position to dictate which
route should be taken as well that a
station should be put where it now is
in Merrimack The next and only
other good thing he ever did was
when he died-and released his
strangle hold on the towns progress,
although it never has outgrown its
early misfortunes and remains stunt
ed. The dairy farm consisted Of all
the land lying south of the Sauk road
to the river, west about one mile UP to
the Sheppard farm There may have
also tame pasture and large amount
Of marsh land, bottom land, and tim
Der land that was used as pasture. In
addition was nearly a section Of wild
upland, oak openings, lying north Of
the village extending nearly to the
Owls head and from a line running
north from the present depot to the
river. This was what the farm had
to feed and pasture the cattle, some
Is to 100 head The plowland was
only ordinary and produced only me-
dunn crops of small grains and corn,
and the marshes furnished every poor
quality of hay. The principal pro-
duct of the dairy was cheese. as but
ter was not merchantable then as
now.
At the time of the arrival of the
Devon cattle, Mr.. Chrisler from West
Point, an old experienced dairyman,
assumed the Management of the farm
and for several years the farm pros
pered under his care but for some
good reason he left and went back to
his own farm in West Point.
Now this is how I know his coming
must have been in 1857 or 1858 His
youngest son Talcott, placed me in a
fight with Miles Coates for the champ
ionship Of the village school, and the
first thing Miles did was to hand me
a wallop on my nose, and the next
thing was done was a swift retreat on
my part, and I distinctly remember
/ the line of retreat, as across the
marsh to the old brickyard, thence
due north to the old hotel, my father
then kept, from whence my superior
officer ordered me to return to school,
and if / could not refrain from fight
ing, either take good licking or