From History of Reedsburg and the Upper Baraboo Valley, by Merton Edwin Krug, Publ. February 1929 by the author. Printed by Democrat Printing Company, Madison, Wis., Page 321-324

Freedom:

Freedom, the most southeastern of the ten square township, covered in this work, was first settled by white men in 1846, when R. N. Kingsley made a settlement on Section 2. He was followed by Samuel D. Sleutz, who settled on section 7 that same year. Rev. James Waddell was probably the next settler. He entered the south half of the northeast quarter of section 12, and other adjacent lands on February 11th, 1847. Samuel Hackett who came in 1848 was one of the earliest permanent settlers. He was born in the State of New Jersey in 1805, and after his marriage moved to Canada.

Timothy Hackett married Fannie J. Moulton, a native of Illinois, and had two children: Wesley married Inez Burt; and Major N. B. Hackett who married Anna Luckensmeyer. Frank Hackett, a soldier in Co. F, 3d W.V.C., lifelong farmer of Freedom, married first Pauline Wiggins, and second Miss Elizabeth Loomis. Her father, Jerome Loomis, was also an early settler of Freedom. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hackett had these children: George W. Joseph F., Samuel J., Joshua T., Mary Ann, John M., Jacob A., Martha E., Laura, Arthur J. and Ethel. Another early settler of this township was William Sproul. This gentleman was a native of Ohio, and his pilgrimage to the western frontier was by way of Indiana, reaching Sauk County in September 1848, locating in Bear Creek. The following spring, 1849, he purchased land in Freedom upon which he lived for many years.

His wife was Mary Statser, a native of Switzerland. They had several children: James, John W., Mary J., and Alice. James was a member of Company A, 19th W.V.I., during the Civil War. He was present at the capture of Richmond, and the first flag raised in the rebel capital was that of his regiment.George Nippert was another settler of 1849. He was the founder of a large local progeny. We would mention, also the Hill brothers who founded what is still known as the Hill Settlement, although they did not come until some time later.The Nelson family of which John F. Nelson was a representative came to Freedom in 1852, from Illinois. John F. was a member of Company F, 3d W.V.C. serving throughout the war. His wife was Ellen A. Delapp, a native of New York. John Wiggins, carpenter and lumber dealer for many years in North Freedom, we would mention also. He came to Sauk County as early as 1851.

The Zimmerly family came about the same time. Jacob Zimmerly, a son, for many years of local residence, was a member of Co. K, 45th W.V.I. He married Caroline Schellenberger. They had several children: Mary A., Charles R., John A., Alfred S, Louisa P., and John R.Another widely known early family were the Trumbulls. This family came from Montgomery County, New York to Jefferson County, Wisconsin, 1852, and to Freedom the following year. Edward N. Trumbull who was 9 years of age when his parents came to Sauk County, grew to manhood and spent his entire life in the community.

He was a member of Co. K, 6th W.V.I., and served throughout the entire Civil War. On May 26th 1867 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Waddell. She was the daughter of James and Betsy (Coverstone) Waddell, and may be called the "First Lady of the Town". (It will do at this point to make especial mention of Mrs. Trumbull, pioneer woman, lifelong resident of Freedom, still living, at the age of 80 years, active, beloved by the people of the town. Mary Waddell Trumbull was born May 17, 1848, the first white child born in the Town of Freedom.Of the settlers of 1855, we are able to make mention of a number. W. C. T. Newell was one of these. He was a native of Tompkins County, New York, and came to Dubuque, Iowa, in 1854, to Freedom the following year.

In 1856 he married Temperance Waddell. This lady was a native of Indiana, and was a sister of Mary Waddell Trumbull. The Newell children were: Mary, Clarissa, Alice A., Eliza E., George A., and Herbert.Joseph Lamport was another settler of 1855, a native of West Penard, Somersetshire, England. In 1819 the family immigrated to America. In 1833 our subject came to Milwaukee, when that place was a mere frontier settlement, and there he resided until 1855. He will be remembered for his association wtih Mr. Delapp in the sawmill at Freedom.

His wife's maiden name was Marietta L. Demuth, and she was a native of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Lamport had nine children: Priscilla E., George T., Mary J., Hattie A., James A., Clark, Clara (these two were twins), Ella J. and Grant. George T. was a member of the 3d W.V.C. during the Civil war. S. D. Slientz was another settler that year.The Shellenberger family which came to this vicinity in 1856 was one of the earliest of the German families. There were in this family a number of children, one of whom was August F. He married Miss Evelyn Hersinger, a native of the county.

Adolph Shellenberger is another name associated with the early German settlers of the town. Another family was that of John Seils. He was born in Pommern, Prussia, where the early life of John Seils was spent. He married his wife, Mina Milke, in Germany. They came to Freedom in 1868. Their children were: Mina, Augusta, Matilda, Hannah, Lena, Theresa, and Theodore. Other German families were John P. Bierlen and Henry Maertski.J. L. Girton, for many years an implement dealer of North Freedom was born in Lincolnshire, England and came with his parents to America in 1850, locating in New York.

From there the family went to Michigan, thence to Walworth County, Wisconsin, and in 1856 came to Sauk County. L. G. Girton married Miss Mary E. Powell, a native of Lockport, New York.G. W. Bloom, prominent citizen of Freedom for many years, came to Sauk County in 1850, to Baraboo in 1855, and to Freedom in 1860. He was a native of Bradford County, Pennsylvania. He will be remembered as the man who, with Mr. E. Kimball, in 1867 built a mill in the village of North Freedom.

Mrs. Bloom was Harriet Wilkinson, a native of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Bloom had five children: Deborah J., Selinda D., who married Charles W. Clark, William H., James E., and Hattie F.Gustave Scharnke, a native of Prussia, Germany, came with his parents to Sauk County in 1863. In 1876 he took possession of the sawmill, and in 1878 built the first grist mill to the township. The family of John Quandt came from Mecklenburg, Germany in 1867. His wife's maiden name was Louisa Prien.

E. Maxham, a native of Oswego County, New York, came to Wisconsin in 1846, to Baraboo in '56 and Freedom in '68. He was a prominent farmer of his time. The family of R. G. Carpenter came from Madison County, New York to Wisconsin as early as 1842, but did not come to Sauk County until 1866. His wife's maiden name was Jane Head. There were three children in this family: Rollin B., Oscar D., and Washington G.

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