Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-10-28
OLD HOTEL BUILT TO TAKE
THE CAPITOL TO CASSVILLE

i was closely identified with Cassville's
| development and whose homestead,
now comprising about 750 acres on
the outskirts of the village, is a won
derful attraction to tourists and sight
Seers.
Out of Cassville about one mile up
north is the old home of Nelson
Dewey. The original comprised an
estate of 1900 acres which has since
dwindled to about 700 acres.
Fine Old Buildings
The house itself was the finest resi-
dence in Wisconsin for many years.
1t is three-story brick building in
New England colonial style with
Gothic dormers. One of the first hot
air heating plants in Wisconsin was
installed in the new residence. In for
mer years the grounds of the estate
were laid out in formal gardens and
were meticulously cared for. The
house, outbuildings, and barns cost
the governor $4,000.
In front of the farm house lies the
silver sheet of the Mississippi and in
back of it rises an immense rocky
bluff partially covered by flowers and
trees. Foxes and wolves are still oc-
casionally seen about the estate and
their holes can be discovered on the
bluff. Flowers which grow on the
crest of this rocky wall are said TO be
more beautiful than anywhere else in
the olcality.
Long Stone Fence
Surrounding the estate are II miles
of stone fence, which Dewey had built
when labor was scarce in Cassville to
give employment to any who desired
it. 1t was a hobby of the governors
to keep everyone employed in his ma
tive village at all times. This was and
other improvements on the estate,
such as roads and bridges over ra-
vines, estimated to have cost the gov
ernor $4,000.
In 1873 a big fire Quilted the man
sion, leaving only the walls standing.
These walls were retained when the
present structure was built. Dewey,
with his beautiful home burned and
his fortune dissipated in the Cassviile
venture, was unable to rebuild imme-
diately and moved into the Denniston
house. There he spent the remainder
of his life until he died.
Upon DeWey's death the estate
which was heavily mortgaged, passed
into the hands of Walter NeWberry,
congressman from Chicago and an old
friend of Nelson Dewey. 1t is now
owned by Wilbur M. Carter, Bloom
ington, ILL.,, who has rented it out to
tenants. Many of the outbuildings are
in disuse and the whole estate shows
the signs of neglect
Kept Big Stable
In the old days of Cassville, the
block facing the river and opposite
the Denniston house was kept by
Dewey for his horse stables and pri-
Vate tracks where he trained thorough
bred horses. He was very proud of
his fine stables and spent consider
able money on their upkeep. Old res
idents can still recall the days when
the governor would drive down the
streets of the village in his shining
black coach drawn by sleek, high
stepping horses, the finest equipage
that money could buy But Dewey was
not pretentious man and reserved
such display for very special occa-
siOns.
Governor Dewey is buried at Ian
caster where the state of Wisconsin
recently erected an imposing monu-
ment to his memory in the court house
square. A fine painting of Governor
Dewey hangs in the executive man
sion at Madison.