Fifty Years In The Northwest
addressed as _General_ Harriman; on his way home he was saluted as
_colonel_; when nearing Wisconsin, he was hailed as _major;_ in the
State, as _captain_; in St. Croix county and at home as Mr. Harriman;
when met by the boys, they greeted him with "_Hello, Sam._"
ST. JOSEPH
Includes the three lower tiers of sections of township 30, range 19,
fractions of range 20, and the six upper sections of township 29,
range 19. Willow river traverses the southeast corner. The surface
varies from undulating to hilly. In the eastern part of the town is
Balsam lake, a picturesque body of water two miles in length. There
are also two high elevations of land, or ridges, that serve as
conspicuous landmarks. The earliest settlers came in 1850, and located
on farms in different parts of the town. St. Joseph was organized in
1858. The North Wisconsin railroad passes through the southeast corner
of the town.
HOULTON.
Opposite Stillwater, on the shore of the lake, is a platted village
known as Houlton, which has improved much during the last few years.
J. S. Anderson & Co. built a large saw mill at this place, which has
changed ownership several times. The residences of the village are on
the high bluffs overlooking the lake, and commanding from a point two
hundred feet above the level of the water a most magnificent view,
including Stillwater, Hudson and Lakeland.
BURKHARDT VILLAGE
Is situated upon Willow river, just above the Falls. Joseph Bowron and
others built a mill here in 1851. The mill property changed hands many
times, and finally passed into the hands of Burkhardt. In March, 1887,
the mill was consumed, with a loss to Mr. Burkhardt of $100,000, an
immense loss, representing the earnings of a lifetime; but with
tireless energy Mr. Burkhardt went to work rebuilding, and, it is to
be hoped, will soon re-establish his thriving business. There is one
church near Burkhardt.
SPRINGFIELD,
At its organization in 1860, embraced its own territory and that of
Baldwin, set off in 1872. It now includes township 29, range 15. It
was originally covered with pine and hardwood timber. Within the last
few years it has been improved and much of the timber land is used for
farming. It is drained by the headwaters and tributaries of Rush and
Menomonie rivers. The West Wisconsin railroad passes through the
southern tier of sections, and a branch road, leading southward into a
pine district, has a junction at Hersey. Most of the early settlers
were Union soldiers. Among them were S. T. Adams, Thomas Ross, Isaac
Burgitt and Capt. Rogers. Springfield was organized Nov. 15, 1860,
with J. R. Ismon as chairman, and Perrin and Hall as supervisors.
HERSEY.
The village of Hersey, located on section 28, is a station on the West
Wisconsin and branch railroad, has a lumber mill, and is a flourishing
village.
WILSON VILLAGE,
Section 35, is also a station on the West Wisconsin road, and an
important manufacturing place. The village is owned and controlled by
the Wilson Manufacturing Company, which has a capital stock of
$150,000. There is one church in the village.
STANTON
Was set off from Star Prairie and organized Dec. 30, 1870, with
Trueworthy Jewell as chairman of supervisors. It is a rich prairie
town, well drained by the waters of Apple and Willow rivers, and well
cultivated. The North Wisconsin railroad passes southwest to northeast
through this town. Star Prairie village lies partly in this town and
partly in the town of Star Prairie. There are two church buildings in
the town of Stanton.
STAR PRAIRIE,
Township 31, range 18, was organized Jan. 28, 1856. At its
organization it included township 31, ranges 17 and 18, and north half
of township 30, ranges 17 and 18. The first election was held at the
house of B. C. B. Foster, in New Richmond. Apple river flows through
the town from northeast to southwest. Cedar lake, in the northeast
part, furnishes at its outlet a good water power. Among the first
settlers were the Jewell brothers, Ridder and sons.
HUNTINGTON VILLAGE
Is located near the outlet of Cedar lake and on the stream by which
the waters of the lake are borne to Apple river. It has a large
flouring mill.
STAR PRAIRIE VILLAGE,
Lying partially in sections 1 and 12 and partially in Stanton, has a
saw and flouring mill, a hotel, a school house and two churches, with
some fine residences.
HON. R. K. FAY, born in 1822, came from New York to Wisconsin in 1849,
locating at Princeton, where he resided for nine years, most of the
time engaged as the principal of the high school at that place. He was
a man of sterling character, who is remembered as an able teacher and
public spirited citizen. He has been assemblyman from Adams and St.
Croix counties, and a county superintendent of schools, and has taught
school forty-nine terms. When a member from St. Croix county, he
introduced the bill requiring the constitutions of the United States
and of Wisconsin to be taught in the common schools. He died at his
home in Star Prairie, Jan 5, 1888. Five sons and five daughters
survive him. His wife died about three years ago.
TROY,
Township 28, range 19, and fractional township 28, range 19,
consisting of about three sections, lying along the shore of Lake St.
Croix, has a fine frontage of bluffs overlooking the lake, with rich,
level prairie lands stretching away eastward. The Kinnikinic river
flows through the southeast corner of the township. It was organized
in 1851 as Malone, the name having been chosen by the Perrin brothers,
who came from Malone, New York, in 1851. The name, some years later,
was changed to Troy. The Hudson & Ellsworth railroad passes diagonally
through the township from northwest to southeast.
The village of Glenmont, section 25, township 28, range 20, lies on
the shore of Lake St. Croix. It contains a large saw mill, built by
the Lord brothers. It has since changed hands.
The village of East Troy, in section 36, has recently been annexed by
legislative enactment to the city of River Falls.
JAMES CHINNOCK, the first settler in Troy, was born in Somersetshire,
England, in 1810. He officiated twelve years at Bristol Harbor,
England, as superintendent of docks and vessels. He was married in
England to Harriet Owens; came to America in 1841, lived in Ohio until
1850, when he came to Hudson and immediately located a claim within
the present limits of Troy. He raised the first crop in the town, and
built the first house, of stone, for greater protection from the
Indians. Mr. Chinnock made his home upon this farm until his death in
1870. He left a widow and four sons, three of them farmers in Troy.
One son, James T., has been register of deeds for St. Croix county
from 1885 to 1888.
WILLIAM LEWIS PERRIN was born in 1825, and with his brother came to
Troy in 1851, where he has since lived. He has been a successful
farmer and public spirited citizen, and has filled offices in the town
organization. He was married in 1855 to Julia F. Loring. They have
three sons and one daughter.
WARREN,
Township 29, range 18, is a rich prairie town, drained by the
tributaries of Kinnikinic and Willow river. George Longworth and
family, of Waukegan, Illinois, settled here in October, 1855. In the
year following, Lyman and David Sanford, brothers, came from Ohio, and
made their home here. Mr. Longworth, in 1856, broke the first ground
on land now within the limits of Hudson. Henry M. Sanford came in the
spring of 1857.
Warren was organized as a town in 1860, with the following
supervisors: Beach Sanford, George Frissell and Seth Colbeth; L. J.
Sanford, clerk. A post office was established in 1860, and Mrs. Beach
Sanford was appointed postmistress, at Warren village, now Roberts.
The village of Roberts is located on the West Wisconsin railroad,
which traverses sections 19 to 24, inclusive, of this town. It
contains one elevator, one storage house, one feed mill, one cheese
factory, one machine shop, one syrup mill, several stores and shops,
one hotel, one school house, one public hall, and one church building
belonging to the Congregationalists.
No intoxicants are sold in the village. The first school was taught in
1859, by Jane Sanford.
JAMES HILL was born in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, Feb. 15, 1825, and
settled in Warren, St. Croix county, in 1863, where he engaged in
farming and dealing in grain. He represented St. Croix county in the
Wisconsin assembly of 1878-79-80.
TOWN PLATS LOCATED IN ST. CROIX COUNTY.
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NAME OF | TOWN | DATE OF PLAT. | SURVEYOR. | PROPRIETORS.
VILLAGE. | LOCATION. | | |
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Buena Vista |Hudson | In 1849 | Harvey Wilson |Louis Massey &
| | | | Co.
New Centreville|Rush River | Mch. 26, 1856 | Geo. Strong |Daniel
| | | | McCartney.
Hammond |Hammond | July 15, 1856 | A. W. Miller |Hammond &
| | | | Spaulding.
De Soto |Hudson | Aug. 15, 1857 | |Aptemards
| | | | Burkhart.
Somerset |Somerset | Aug. 28, 1857 |Geo. Strong |Harriman & Reed.
Glenmont |Troy | Jan. 5, 1858 |C. N. Bates |M. Bank, Lake
| | | | St. Cx.
Huntington |Star Prairie| Sept. 24, 1858|E. W. McClure |John Brown.
Gridley, New} | | | |
Richmond and} |Richmond | 1857 | |Gridley & Day.
Fremont } | | | |
Troy |Troy | Dec. 29, 1859 |J. A. Short |Cox & Powell.
Boardman |Richmond | July 5, 1866 |W. R. Anderson |Beebe &
| | | | Boardman.
Star Prairie |Star Prairie| June 15, 1870 |John McClure |Simonds &
| | | | Millard.
Baldwin |Baldwin | Mch. 14, 1873 |H. J. Baldwin |D. R. Bailey.
Roberts |Warren | Jan. 4, 1875 |Geo. Strong |Comstock, Platt
| | | | & Co.
Deer Park |Cylon | Jan. 25, 1879 |J. W. Remmington|J. A. Humbird.
New Saratoga} | | | |
Springs } |Stanton | Sept. 17, 1878|John McClure |A. P. Muggey.
Hersey |Springfield | Dec. 24, 1880 |Geo. Strong |L. T. Adams.
Cylon |Cylon | Sept. 16, 1884|Alfred Pierce |Beebe &
| | | | McNarama.
Emerald |Emerald | July 13, 1885 |Alfred Pierce |Hurd Brothers.
Glenwood |Glenwood | Jan. 2, 1886 |H. J. Baldwin |Glenwood Manf.
| | | | Co.
Wilson |Springfield | 1886 | |West Wis. Manf.
| | | | Co.
Woodville |Baldwin | 1886 | |Woodville Lumber
| | | | Co.
Wildwood |Eau Galle | 1886 | |St. Cx. L. &
| | | | Manf. Co.
Brookville |Eau Galle | 1886 | |Wood & Decker.
Houlton |St. Joseph | Not recorded | |
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