Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1924-07-09

went were. George Gr60r, JdI16S I1lCh-
lin, VIM. Prior, Willie Humphrey, Mr..
Gilbert. Oscar Adams.
The latter was never heard of and
no one knows what ever became OF
him, whether he fell prey to the In
dams or some of the other dangers
such as starvation, thirst, killed in
quarrels, or by wild beasts, no one
knows.
About 1860 a railroad was built
along the Wisconsin river, Prairie du
Chen being our nearest railroad town.
A Military Ridge railroad was fos-
tered in 1869 by Nelson Dewey, VIM.
Humphrey, H. A. w. McNair, ID. f.
Parker, B. NJ Coates and others This
road was to run along the Military
Ridge to Fennimore, then Lancaster,
but needless to say we have no rail-
road today connecting us directly
with Fennimore and our dreams are
never disturbed with the shrieking OF
the iron horse as he gallops over the
Military Ridge road.
In 1878 a railway was planned to
connect Cassville with a road that
would run along Military Ridge. To
day there is no railroad nearer than
Bridgeport, through which the c. M.
& st. P road runs.
In the days of the earliest settle
ments everything was made in the
home. Wool was cut from the sleeps
| back, combed, corded, spun, and WOW
en- into cloth, the cloth was worn as
dresses, then torn up to make rugs
and other things.
| All the tools of the farm were made
| by hand and those that could not pos
sibly be made were bought. These
were used and preserved with the
greatest care. In early days the homes
were lighted with tallow candles and
later with oil lamps.
The first homes were built of logs
put together roughly. Some of them
had no floors except that provided by
natives. Most of the houses contained
one room and loft. Here both wax
ing and sleeping hours were spent IN
| the room used for all purposes. On
/ one end of the room house was placed
| a huge stone fireplace. Here the meals
were cooked and the family gathered
! for warmth and comfort. The chlnks
| in the logs were filled with mud in
the fall to keep out the cold but tax
en- out in the spring for ventilation.
The furniture would consist general
Nv of a few rude homemade pieces.
A dry goods box would serve as a
table and the chairs would be SLAP
nailed to two chunks. Dishes were
few and often the table had to be set
twice so the family might eat.
On winter evenings the families
would seek the shelter of the heavy
home-spun wooden comforters and lis
ten to the bowling of the wind, drift
inc of the snow, and barking OF the
wolves, in contrast to our evenings
listening to the radio and the ike.
Water was obtained from nearby
springs and therefore nearly every
cabin was located near spring.
The settlers often went weeks and
months without tea. coffee, sugar, mo-
lasses. and such things as we consld-
err necessaries today. Later on as
wealth increased frame houses were
built of many rooms and were a great
deal like our houses of today.
The first school was built on the
old Humphrey place exactly one mile
from where the school now stands
This school was built about 1850 and
was frame building. The first teach
err was Jake Gulick. He taught at
least two years both summer and win
ter terms. There were between 20 and
80 enrolled in school. The seats were
rude benches fastened together.
The teachers received about $12 a
month for wages and readers USED
were Saunders readers.
Other early teachers were Mrs. Lucy
Lynn and Mrs. Beardsley, who taught
in 1851. James Curtis taught term
I oil (NhOtfnV
Jane and Eliza Maggie.
The only church which has really
been in this district, was the old Cath
olic church located near the Lawless
farm. The first priest was Father
Gaultier, a Frenchman who Travelled
over a large amount of territory hold
ing services in private houses. He
said mass at the LaWless home for
about twenty families until they built
a church in 1853. This was frame
building and burned down.
About II years ago the congrega-
ton went together and bought 40
acres of land, part of which is used
as a cemetery. This church never had
a resident pastor 1t has always been
a mission of Prairie du Chen, Mt.
Hope or Bloomington The Magic GEM
etery kas so called because it was
the nearest to the Nagle farm. Here
the settlers were buried. The first to
be buried in this cemetery was Eth
cline Hicklin, the daughter of James
Hicklin The next was Mr.. Holmes,
who also lived at the Hicklin home
Mr. Warner was a member of the
legislature and held many important
position in Grant county, as we'll as
in the state He was q man who be-
lieved in development and did every
thing he could to forward it.
Captain H. F. Young was also one
of the important men of our cOmmun-
ity. He was captain of Co. F, 18th Wis
consin, in the Civil war. He became
resident of this community in 1850
and in 1878 settled on a farm now
owned by his son, Harry Young. He
~, Cd Dnlia Narnnr who died ON