Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-11-22


Van Burne and La Fayette, territory
low forming a part of the village of
Potosi, | noted places where once
stood large business houses and many
residences in the early pioneer days.
Some Old Time Store Buildings !.
In La Fayette three store buildings,
occupied by Coons, Wooley & Co.,
Mellichop & Co., and Brayton Bushee,
Longs Hotel, Capt. Craig's warehouse
Kinney & Augustine's team sawmill,
and buildings used for other business
purposes, together with many resi-
dences, nothing now remains OF those
historical buildings, all have been torn
down and removed, or left to go to
decay. AS | have heretofore stated in
earlier chapters of my history Coons
Wooley & Co., store building became
the property of James F. Chapman,
and in 1870 or II Chapman sold the
building to Nicholas Bonn, who re-
moved it and made barn of it, The
old building l believe, is yet in use.
Mellichop & Co. store building also
became the property of James F..
Chapman, who later converted it into
a barn. Bushels store building, the
hotel, and all other buildings in this
historic little village have either been
removed or left to go to rack and ruin.
Nothing remains to mark where Kim
ney e Augustin's saWmill stood but
stone smoke stack. The residence of
James F. Chapman, that adjoined the
COOns and WOOley store is yet stand
ing but has been remodeled into a
handsome building. 1t is now the
home of Robt Mcknight. The large
two-stOry warehouse that stood on
the bank of Grant river, then steam
boat navigable stream, had a $4,000
bushel grain capacity, was purchased
by Adam Schumacher some Is or 30
years ago, was torn down and the
material removed to his brewery in
Van Buren,. The stone in the founda-
ton that was about feet high was
broken UP and used on the roads.
Nothing can now be seen marking the
spot where the old warehouse stood.
The little log school house, the first
of it's kind in the town of Potosi, was
long ago torn down.
In early days there dwelt in Lafay-
cite an Irishman named Eugene Car
rigan, as a wit he had no equal and
always had a ready answer to any
question propOunded him. He could
keep crowd bursting with laughter
with his witty criticisms. 1t can be
truthfully said that he was the wit
test man who ever trOd the streets OF
Potosi A circus clown was no match
for him. After several years residence
here, he and wife, who was likewise
possessed of much wit, removed from
POtOsi to Dunleith. III.
The large steam saWmill built by
Geo. Kinney and Simon E. Lewis in
the early sixties yet stands near the
depot in Lafayette and is not used for
any particular purpose. In the his
toric village of Van Buren, there has
been many changes since its first set
Element along in the middle thirties.
But few of the first buildings that
were built in this once thriving viii
lage are yet standing.
The George Mederie brick store
building, that was afterward converted
into tenament house, is yet in a fine
state of preservation, and is owned
ana occupied by Killian StOckert as
a residence. Previous to Mr.. Stock
ert's ownership this building was
owned and occupied by Thomas Hy-
mer and family Mr.. Hymer died here
about % years ago.
A one-story brick residence built by
Simon E. Lewis, and occupied by him
and family prior to his removal up to
the village of Potosi, is now part of
Nick Schumacher's residence, but is
invisible, being encased with frame.
A one story brick residence built by
Thomas Porter, wins came to Van
Buren, in 1899 This building after
ward became the property of William
Hewitt, an early Van Buren, pioneer.
Mr. Hewitt died in this building and
shorty thereafter his widow, who by
the way, was sister Of Joel Pedlar,
who came to Van Buren, at an early
date and later became a prominent
citizen of British Hollow, married a
man named VIM Martin. Billie Mar
tin, as he was more Familiarity known,
was a quiet and inoffensive man and
well liked by every one. Billie was a
good stepfather to his wife's children,
among them being three sons, Nahum,
William and James Hewitt. All enlist
ed and served in the Civil war. An
other son, Albert Martin, was also
soldier in this war, enlisting when
very young.
Strange Disappearance
Billie Martin, one day in the middle
sixties, left his home to walk to Dun
leith, over the Potosi and Dunleith
road That was the last ever seen of
him. He had little money with him
and it was presumed that he was muir
dered and his body thrown into the
river There was a man living in a
house on this road who was suspected
of numbering poor old Billie, but in
those days Investigations were not in
order, and nothing was done. The
successful man, however, shortly af-
ter removed from these parts.
| heretofore made mention of the
large tow-story brick building put up
in 1888 by Richard Willmers, an en-
terprising German, who for many a
year conducted a store and second
saloon in the first story of this build
ing. The second story was used as a
hall, until he married, when it was
then converted into living roms.
r.