Bayfield County History
extracted from
A Few Good Men of Wisconsin
1878

The first white man who came to the county was the Jesuit Allouez, who reach the bay, October 1, 1665. It is a tradition that he first occupied for a brief time a spot on section twenty-two of township fifty of range four, - at the place now known as Pike's bay, engaged in missionary duties amongst the Indians. Evidences of that settlement still exist. Thence he moved to the place now called La Pointe, on Madaline island, where he established the mission of the Holy Ghost.

The next known white visitors to any portion of Bayfield were Fathers Louis Nicholas and James Marquette, also Jesuit missionaries. By the close of the year 1671, all these fathers had left the vicinity, and their mission at La Pointe was abandoned. The next visitor was DuLuth, who traded with the Indians of "Chegoimegon" in 1693. Agents of France, fur traders, voyageurs, employees of fur companies and missionaries visited what is now Bayfield county at various periods from 1671 down to the year 1854, when speculators purchased lands of the United States -- the premonitory symptoms of white settlements. Elisha Pike with his family, consisting of his wife and two children, settled in Bayfield county on section twenty-one, township fifty, range four, in the year 1855, and purchased an old saw-mill of the American fur company. He also commenced farming. He still resides at the same place -- the first settler of Bayfield county. Mr. Pike was born in Augusta, Maine, in the year 1813, and moved here from Toledo, Ohio. His wife and children are still living. The son owns and operates a steam saw-mill in Bayfield.

The next early settlers were William McAboy and a party who came in 1856 to lay out the village of Bayfield. These were followed by John hanley, John Hamlin, Andrew Lute, Peter H. ley, S. s. Vaughn, John McCloud and others.

The schooner Algonquin was the first vessel that landed at Bayfield, which occured May 8, 1856. The Lady Elgin landed June 16, 1856, which was the first steamboat. During the year 1856, a saw-mill was built, a post-office established and other improvements made. The mail was carried by Indian packers over a trail to the St. Croix valley.

In 1857, the first school in the county was opened by private subscription, and the following year a public school was organized with Andrew Tate school superintendent. In 1857, Methodist and presbyterian church services were held. In 1858, a Catholic church was built, and in 1871 an Episcopal church edifice was erected. The first newspaper published in the county was the Bayfield Mercury, in the year 1857. In August, 1870, the Bayfield Press began its publication with Sam. s. and H. O. Fifield owners and publishers, in the immediate charge of the latter as editor.