HISTORY OF NORTHERN
WISCONSIN
JUNEAU COUNTY
Publisher: Western Historical Co., Chicago - 1881
Physical
Features
Juneau County is bounded on the north by Wood County, east by the Wisconsin
River, south by Sauk, and west by Vernon, Monroe and Jackson counties. It
lies in the heart of the State. It extends forty-two miles from north
to south, and at its narrowest point east and west, fourteen and one-half
miles, with a total area of eight hundred and fifty square miles. Throughout
the whole area, except the quartzite bluff at Necedah and points of limestone
in teh southwest portion, the lower sandstone is the surface rock. The
soil for the most part is a loose sand, derived directly from the disintegration
of the lower sandstone, but showing many marshes (some of large size), and
an occasional prairie. Except on the marshes, it is nearly everywhere
covered with stunted oaks, and toward the extreme north with Jack pines.
It presents the character of a level plain not worn into ravines, nor
yet rising abruptly; the entire surface is heavily drift-covered, with a
gradual rise to the north and west, attaining an altitude of four hundred
feet, on the southern edge, and along the Lemonweir about three hundred feet.
Dotting the central plain and rising abruptly from the level portions
are isolated mounds, or castellated peaks of rocks, "outliers," chiefly
constructed of Potsdam sandstone, that constitute the most marked characteristic,
except the quartzite mound of Necedah. none of these exceed a height
of three hundred feet, and but few two hundred feet; they register a denudation
of fully five hundred feet. The large outliers show more or less
vegetation, the smaller, which are thirty and one hundred feet in height,
often are of bare rock. There are also archean (Huronian) and Lower
Magnesian limestone cappings in the south portion. The high ground
that bounds teh plain on teh west, enters Juneau County on the west side
of Township 16, Range 2 east (Fountain), carrying on the county line a capping
of Lower Magnesian limestone. It trends it way southeastward across
Plymouth, Lindana, Wonewoc and summit, then veering more to the east, crossing
the townships of Seven Mile Creek and Lyndon, where it is cut through by
the Dalles of the Wisconsin. The Lemonweir and the Yellow are the principal
rivers, the former crossing diagonally, entering at the middle of the west
side and reaching the Wisconsin at Section 24, Township 15, Range 5 east.
The latter entering the extreme eastern border and joining the Wisconsin
after running nearly parallel with it at Township 15, Range 4 east. These
rivers have archean and sandstone sections; the former in teh Yellow exceedingly
rocky and much broken by rapids and falls. The sandstone sections are
comparatively sluggish and without rock rapids. The upper portions
extend into the pineries and much logging is done at times of high water.
They are also very valuable for water-powers.
Settlement
This history begins with the year 1832, at which date John T. De LaRonde, a native of France, and an attache of the Hudson Bay Company, came to the Lemonweir Valley - Ca-na-man-woi-Sipe, which means a child, or affluent. In the Summer of 1834, he established a trading-post, for the Winter, near the head of the river, and in 1837, built a trading-post, at To-kon-nee village, where Mauston is now situated, a small village of five or six wigwams, named after its chief, a mixed-blood of Winnebago and Menomonee origin, though his people were called Winnebagoes.
In the Winter of 1840, De LaRonde made up a quantity of square timber near his trading-post, taking his mill-site just where Mauston now stands. He was the first one to take square timber from the Lemonweir Valley, and also the first who undertook to construct a wagon-road from Portage to the Lemonweir and thence to La Crosse. This labor was begun the year of his arrival, 1840.
Previous to the treaty of Fort Winnebago, in the Fall of 1836, by which the Winnebago tribe of Indians ceded all of their lands lying south of the Lemonweir River and east of the Wisconsin to the General Government, the territory now embraced within the limits of Juneau and Adams counties was only known to trappers and Indian traders. After the treaty, Sauk and other counties west of the Wisconsin, began to be settled, but the country north remained a wilderness for some years; and not until the lumbering interests began to call operators into the valleys of the Baraboo, Lemonweir and Wisconsin, were any permanent settlements made.
By the treaty of Lake Poygan, in 1848, the Menomonee Indians ceded their lands lying west of the Wolf River and south of the Waupaca. The political history of this section dates back to the organization of Adams County, which formerly included Juneau. Adams County was established in 1848, by act of the Territorial Legislature and attached to Sauk County. It then included the country lying between ranges 2 and 7, embracing the present counties of Juneau and Adams and covering an area of fifteen hundred and sixty-six square miles. At that date the settlements were confined to the towns of New Haven and Dell Prairie, east of the Wisconsin, and the Lemonweir Valley on the West.
Up to the year 1851, the lumbermen were the pioneer settlers west of the Wisconsin. In 1849, the boundaries of the county west of the Wisconsin were changed - Sauk County borrowing, by act of Legislature, all of Township 14 and the south half of Township 15, from Range 1 east to the Wisconsin. In 1853, Adams County was organized for judicial purposes and attached to the Third Judicial Circuit; but later, during the same session, the Seventh Judicial Circuit was established, which included Adams. The boundaries of 1848 were restored, and the county seat located at Quincy.
No important change in the political history occurred until 1855, when Mauston, desiring to become the county seat, secured the passage of a bill through the Legislature, submitting the question of a division of the county on the line of the Wisconsin River, and the creation of a new county under the name of Juneau. The proposition of division was carried by vote of the people, and New Lisbon, by a little judicious influence, secured the passage of an act formally organizing the county and locating the county seat at that place, the act to take effect January 1, 1857. Mauston suffered her defeat for two years only, and then secured the passage of a bill submitting the question of removal of the county seat. A vote was taken at the general election in November, 1859. The returns showed 1,022 votes for removal and 1,522 against, New Lisbon polling 570 votes more than at the State canvass during the same year. The returns were protested by Hon. John Turner, of Mauston, one of the Board of Canvassers for that village, on the ground that over 500 votes had been cast fraudulently. From this time until l1864, the matter was in litigation, and was finally decided by the Supreme Court, Judge Pane delivering the opinion in favor of Mauston. Vide State ex rel., Field vs. Avery, 17 Wisconsin, 694-695.
New Lisbon, in 1867, succeeded in again submitting the question of removal to the people; but this time the vote was declared to be a tie, when, failing to secure a majority, the rival town gave up the fight.
The first permanent settlement made in the county was in the month of October, or November, in the year 1838. At this date, Amasa Wilson, C. B. Smith and R. V. Allen made a location in company, and built a shanty at the Dells Eddy for the purpose of getting out square timber for the lower river market. The shanty stood upon the rise of ground at the foot of the Dells where the house of Mr. Allen now stands, and where he has continued to live since the date of his first settlement. Mr. Allen can justly claim the honor of being the first and oldest permanent resident in Juneau county. These parties continued to get out timber until the end of the next Winter, when, by that time, the supply was about exhausted. The timber was rafted, run out of the river and sold at Galena. Mr. Allen continued to make his home at the Dells Eddy, and turned his attention to piloting rafts through the Dells in high stages of water. his house was for some years the only sign of civilization between Point Bausse and Fort Winnebago (Portage City), except Grignon's Trading Post - a distance of seventy-five miles by the river - and became a very convenient stopping place for teh raftsmen.
One of the earliest settlers, for even a temporary purpose, was Provonsal, the father of Frank Provonsal, killed a few years since by Bill Dandy, an Indian. The elder Provonsal built and for some years occupied a trading post near the bank of the Wisconsin, about two miles above the Pete-en-Well rock, in the present town of Armenia. About the year 1836, he built and occupied a trading post on the Lemonweir, near the present residence of Peter Arntz, in the town of Kildare. During ten or twelve years previous to his death Frank Provonsal lived with his family at Pete-en-Well Rock, at which place he owned and run the ferry across the Wisconsin River.
After the settlement of Allen, Smith and Wilson in Lyndon, at the foot of the Dells, in 1838, Charles Clemence was the next settler, locating in the town in 1850. Ephraim Kingsbury arrived in 1852, but remained only about one year, when he sold out to Lyman Dickens and located in the town of New Lisbon. In 1854, Charles Leach, Cornelius Collins and David Truell made locations, and from this time the town settled rapidly and became quite a successful farming region. Some of these early settlers became quite prominent in county politics. Mr. Leach served one term as Treasurer. He subsequently removed to New Lisbon and engaged in mercantile pursuits, remaining there until his death. Mr. Truell was elected Register of Deeds, holding the office for two years; in 1877, he served a term in the Legislature. He still resides on his farm at Lyndon.
Lyndon was organized at the annual meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Juneau County, November 1857, and was formerly included in the town of Kildare. The lumbering facilities afforded by the Lemonweir Valley called the first settlers to Kildare. Henry Carpenter, of Portage, and one Randall were engaged in logging on the river as early as 1848 and commenced the erection of a saw-mill on the river in 1849, in the present town of Kildare. They completed the mill and improvements in 1850, and, after running it one season, sold out their claim to Jacob Rodgers, who operated the mill until the scarcity of pine timber compelled him to abandon the lumber business some years after. Peter Arntz located in the town in the year 1852, building a steam saw-mill on the Lemonweir, about two miles from its mouth. He also abandoned the business for the same reason a few years after. Previous to the settlement of Mr. Arntz, Frank Webster and George Walker made claims and located on the Wisconsin, at the foot of the Big Dells.
Jacob Rogers was at one time quite prominently identified with the political interests of the county, and was elected Treasurer for one term. He removed to New Lisbon, but some years since changed his resident to Iowa, near Dubuque.
No permanent settlement was made in the town of Seven Mile Creek until 1851, although William Green made a temporary location in 1849. The only settlers in the town, as now organized, were William Taylor, Chauncey B. Strong, David Henry, Adam Stultz and Alonzo Andrews.
When the boundaries of Adams County were changed, in 1840, Sauk County included all of Township 14 and the south half of Township 15, extending from the west line of the present county of Juneau to the Wisconsin River. This strip of county, nine miles in width, north and south, at that date contained nearly all the settlements of the Lemonweir Valley. It was attached to Sauk County until the session of 1853, when the original boundary line of Adams and Sauk counties was restored. The first election of officers was held at Delton, Sauk County, in 1851. Chauncey B. Strong was chosen Justice of the Peace, and was the first Justice serving in the valley, in what was afterward Juneau County. It was at that time that the town of Lemonweir included the whole of the southern part of the present county of Juneau. From 1851 to 1854 the valley of the Lemonweir was settled quite rapidly. Among the early comers after 1851 were L. E. Saxton, C. W. Fosbinder, James Heavey, a Mr. McEntee, Patrick Smith, Robert Doyle, Patrick Moylan, John Furgerson, David Hughes, M. Mulloney, Thomas Hyde, John and Michael Powers, James Welch, Nicholas Brown. The majority of these located in the present town of Seven Mile Creek, the remainder within the towns of Lyndon and Summit, since organized.
The next election held in this district of the county was at the Stewart settlement. Fosbinder and Heavey were chosen members of the Town Board. Mr. Taylor was elected Assessor. His assessment district at this date included the present towns of Kildare, Summit, Lemonweir, Seven Mile Creek and a part of Lindina. The only main road leading to this section of the valley was the old road cut by the early logmen on the Lemonweir. This road crossed the Wisconsin at Newport and followed along the valleys, avoiding the swarms and other natural obstructions, but as the settlements increased good roads on the most direct routes were opened. A State road was laid out, leading west through the county, through the village of Mauston and New Lisbon, thence to La Crosse and the Mississippi Valley. The old Troy coach soon made its appearance and continued its regular trips until superseded by the Milwaukee & La Crosse Railroad, in 1857.
The town of Seven Mile Creek was organized by the Board of Supervisors of Adams County, November 16, 1655.
The town of Summit was organized November 15, 1855, and the first town meeting held at the house of Alexander Noble. Elias Kingsbury, C. Blish and Mr. Noble came in 1852 or 1853; Philo Sterling, J. B. and H. F. Potter in 1854; Peter Sterling in 1855; H. D. and E. T. Byington in 1856. At the first town meeting after the organization, L. E. Saxton was chosen Chairman of the Board, and J. B. Potter, Clerk.
The first school was established in 1855, in the "Potter District" - afterward known as "District No. 3." Miss Sterling, a daughter of Peter Sterling, now Mrs. Charles Huff, of Wonewoc, was the first teacher. The wages paid her were $1 per week, she boarding herself.
The writer here acknowledges obligations for assistance rendered in the compilation of this work to Hon. John T. Kingston, of Necedah, Mr. George Willard, of Wonewoc, and Mr. Amasa Wilson, of New Lisbon.
Press
The first newspaper of Juneau County was established in 1856, under the name of the New Lisbon Republican. R. B. Rice was its editor and proprietor; but its existence was only temporary, giving place to the Juneau County Argus in 1857, the leading Democratic journal of the county. The Argus was established in 1857, by james H. Wells, but the following year it passed into the hands of Edward Miller, who published it until 1862, when it was purchased by its present proprietor, Mr. M. F.Carney. The Mauston Star was founded in 1857, by D. McBride. The following year McBride sold out to B. E. Stevens and Hon. John Turner. Mr. Turner subsequently became sole proprietor, and the Star continued under his management until September 1, 1878, at which date the present proprietors, Messrs. J. F. Sprague & Son, bought him out. The Elroy Union appeared in 1873, but lived only a short time, failing to be a financial success to its owners, Messrs. Richards and Powers. The Elroy Head Light was established in 1874, by Messrs. Stokey & Carn. It existed under different managements until May, 1876, at which time it was succeeded by the Elroy Plain Talker, E. C. Ribbey, editor and proprietor. The Wonewoc Reporter, the only independent journal of the county, was organized in 1876, and is now published by Hon. T. K. Dunn.