Dane County WI Archives History - Books .....Black Earth 1877
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Book Title: Madison, Dane County And Surrounding Towns...

BLACK EARTH.
BY CLARENCE BURNETT AND A. J. FULLERTON.

  NOT a very remarkable village; yet, from its picturesque appearance, nestling
between huge chains of bluffs, its cosy dwellings, its excellent water power,
and its sprightly business aspect, is one to excite in the mind of the visitor a
desire to know something of its history. Hence this sketch.

  The ground it now occupies was formerly the home of the Winnebago Indians.
They were a peaceable tribe, and gave very little annoyance, save by their
incessant begging, and their propensity for "borrowing." Many amusing anecdotes
are told of them by early settlers, but our limited space forbids their mention.
The region abounds in Indian mounds; but perhaps the most remarkable among them
is that just south of the village, which represents the prostrate form of a
human being, and is several rods in length. It is supposed to mark the last
resting place of one of their numerous chiefs.

  About 1842 Solomon Hayden made his appearance upon the site which is now known
as .Black Earth. With him he brought one Charles Turk, and they commenced the
toilsome work of rearing a home and clearing ground upon which to raise such
articles as are necessary to existence. Mr. H. has the credit of building the
first house within the present township limits. It was a primitive structure,
such as all of us are more or less familiar with, and such as to-day would seem
impossible to class among what are known as residences. But in those days a
house was valued more for the shelter it gave than for its comely appearance. It
occupied a spot of ground just south of the present residence of Mr. John Hill.

  Just previous to the building of Mr. Hayden's house — about October, 1843— Mr.
Henry "Wilson arrived from New York, together with his family. He found himself
in a strange country, almost uninhabited, and without any means of sheltering
himself from the storms of the coming winter. Something must be done, and Mr. W.
at once set about building a temporary abiding place. When completed it was more
a wigwam than anything else, being built of such loose material as could be
readily found, and covered with the dry grass of the marshes, close at hand.
Here he wintered his family, cooking in the open air, and getting along with
inconveniences as only pioneers can. This will explain the allusions often made
to Mr. Wilson's spending his first Wisconsin winter in a hay stack. In the
spring following, on the completion of Mr. Hayden's house spoken of, the family
were moved to it, and there remained until Mr. Wilson's return from Milwaukee
and other points, where he had gone to purchase such articles as were needed in
clearing the land which he had settled upon.

  A start once made, the valley was rapidly settled.

  A few years later Mr. O. B. Haseltine came here from Vermont, and took up
land; and to him attaches great importance in Black Earth's history. Under his
direction, in August, 1850, the original village plat was made. It was surveyed
by David B. Jarvis, then county surveyor, and was composed of six blocks,
comprising the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section twenty-six,
township eight north, of range six east. The village took its name from a creek,
which passed through it, but was afterwards changed to Bay, and then again to
Black Earth, under which, in 1857, it was incorporated, with George High as
president. The incorporation act was for some reason done away with, and it has
since remained as it now is. The several additions were made in subsequent
years, but no particular importance attaches to them.

  The next stride city-ward was a grist mill. Seeing the need of such a branch
of industry, Mr. John B. Sweat purchased of Mr. Haseltine the site and
privileges of the present mill company, and built the mill. This he conducted
for some length of time, when he sold it to Mr. John Wall, who after building a
small addition, transferred it to its present owners, Messrs. Stanford, Logan &
Co. The mill as it now is has a reputation well to be envied, and is doing a
very extensive business, not only doing the custom milling for a large scope of
country, but shipping large quantities of fine quality of flour to the eastern
markets.

  Then followed a business venture in the form of a "country store," Elias Pound
being the proprietor. His place of business was where now stands the residence
of Mr. M. H. Myers. Old settlers tell what are to us marvelous stories of the
sale of eggs at three cents per dozen, butter at three cents per pound, and
other things proportionately. Success attending Mr. Pound, others were not slow
to see it, and soon afterward Messrs. High & Barber established themselves in
business.

  Our first hotel was the building which, with sundry additions, is now the
residence of Mr. J. Q. Stuart. It was kept by Mr. Jared Peck. The next was the
hotel which now stands and is known as the Valley House. This we believe was
first kept by Mr. Thomas Barber. Perhaps none of our "old timers" have acquired
a stronger hold upon the affections of the people than Mr. B. This gentleman
came over from England in 1848, arriving just in time to vote on the admission
of our state into the union. For eight years he tilled the soil, marketing his
products in Milwaukee, and frequently not getting enough for the load to pay the
expenses of the trip. In 1854, he moved to the village and engaged in the hotel
business, and afterward established the hardware establishment, in which he has
since remained.

  In the year 1845, the first school house was built. It was a modest looking
structure, and in keeping with the other buildings of that day. It was situated
between the present farm residences of James and John Turk. For several years,
the building served as a temple of learning and as a house of worship. With the
increase of population came a demand for more commodious quarters, which were
provided about 1853. This was a frame building, within the village limits, upon
the present school lot. This in turn became as inadequate to the demands as had
the old one in its day, and in 1859 an excellent two story brick building was
made in its place, and the old building sold to the people of Peter C. Paulson's
district, town of Vermont, where it was removed early in the following year. Dr.
S. L. Hooker and his estimable lady were the first to take charge of affairs in
the new building, and right well did they perform their duties. In 1874, a wing
was added and the school divided into four departments, in which form it now
remains, a pride to every citizen.

  In the year 1856, the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad, now Chicago, Milwaukee
& St. Paul Railroad, reached Black Earth. It was the original intention of the
managers to put up a large depot, round house, etc., provided the land could be
procured at reasonable figures. The owner of the land, in his cupidity, demanded
an exorbitant sum for the ground desired, which so enraged the company's
management that they refused to do more than put in a side track, and the
citizens were compelled to erect the first depot building. For many years this
bitter feeling existed toward the village, and but little was done by the
company in way of improvements until the extent of the patronage compelled the
company to look more favorably upon the village. Until within the past five or
six years, during which time the chinch bug has almost entirely destroyed the
wheat crop in this vicinity, Black Earth has ranked among the greatest shipping
stations on the line. At present, live stock is its chief export. During the
year 1876, there were shipped 91 cars of hogs and 85 cars of cattle, while only
about 38,000 bushels of wheat were shipped. The total freight shipments amounted
to 6,373,740 pounds. The receipts for the same period were 2,700,295 pounds.

  At the time this sketch is penned, the population of the town is about 1,000;
the village claiming a little over one-half of the number. The population is
mixed, being made up principally of Americans, Norwegians, Germans and English.
But little manufacturing is carried on, except in those branches dependent upon
the agricultural people for support.

  The business of the village at the time of this writing may be summed up as
follows: Isaacson & Nordrum, J. Bjornstad & Co., K. Erickson, Julius
Weissenborn, dry goods and groceries; T. Barber & Son, hardware; J. Holden,
drugs; A. P. Winden, merchant tailor; A. H. Anderson, confectioner and barber;
J. Schanel, furniture; Mrs. E. S. Parker, Mrs. H. Piper, millinery; Miss E. H.
Richards, Miss Mary Severson, dress making; George Zeller, hotel; Burnett & Son,
publishers Advertiser and general steam printing; C. Lange, Ed. Kirst,
harnessmakers; K. J. Mjelde, Gilbert Anderson, R. Lutzow, shoemakers; C. Peters,
photographer; Ole Rustebakke, jeweler; Peter Johnson, general machine shop; F.
Voss, O. J. Wick, M. Hanson, blacksmiths; U. D. Wood, P. Johnson, planing mills;
M. H. Myers, Ole Jordet, wagonmakers; John Peterson, carpenter; John Muskat, A.
A. Steensrud, Paul Copley, Meltzer & Peterson, saloons; Stanford & Logan, Ward
Brothers, Isaacson & Nordrum, grain buyers; John Adams, Isaacson & Nordrum,
Stanford & Logan, stock buyers; Ward Brothers, George Bate, lumber; Stanford,
Logan & Co., flour mill; E. H. Sackett, saw and carding mill; U. P. Stair, W. H.
Robbins, physicians; S. Charlesworth, lawyer and insurance agent; Manwaring,
Beatty & Wilson, proprietors Black Earth cheese factory; F. Hickstine, butcher;
S. Barker, drayman; William Showers, cooper.

  Its public edifices are, three churches—Methodist, Congregational and
Episcopal — a fine school building, with four separate departments, and a
two-story town hall, situated in the center of a beautiful park.

  With a good location, a splendid surrounding country, excellent water power,
and all advantages given by nature, the subject of this meagre sketch can well
claim a place in the front rank of Dane county villages.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Dane County Towns Section

MADISON, DANE COUNTY AND SURROUNDING TOWNS;
BEING A HISTORY AND GUIDE
TO PLACES OF SCENIC BEAUTY AND HISTORICAL NOTE FOUND IN THE TOWNS OF DANE COUNTY
AND SURROUNDINGS, INCLUDING THE ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNS, AND EARLY INTERCOURSE
OF THE SETTLERS WITH THE INDIANS, THEIR CAMPS, TRAILS, MOUNDS, ETC.

WITH A COMPLETE LIST OF
COUNTY SUPERVISORS AND OFFICERS,
AND
LEGISLATIVE MEMBEES, MADISON VILLAGE AND CITY COUNCIL.

ILLUSTRATED,
MADISON, WIS.:
PUBLISHED BY WM. J. PARK & CO.,

BOOKSELLERS, STATIONERS AND BINDERS, 11 KING STREET.
1877.

COPYRIGHT.
WM. J. PARK & CO. 1877.

DAVID ATWOOD, STEREOTYPER AND PRINTER, MADISON, WIS.

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