Dane County WI Archives History - Books .....Fitchburg 1877
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 27, 2006, 8:34 pm

Book Title: Madison, Dane County And Surrounding Towns...

FITCHBURG.
BY DR. WILLIAM H. FOX AND WILLIAM VROMAN.

  FITCHBURG postoffice and election precinct were established and named about
1841, at the suggestion of that respected and esteemed pioneer patriarch,
Ebenezer Brigham, of Blue Mounds. The precinct included the townships of land
that now constitute the towns of Oregon, Fitchburg, Dunn, and, I think, Rutland;
the place for holding elections and postoffice, at Wm. Quivey's, half a mile
south of what is now called Oak Hall, in the town of Fitchburg. There were only
ten or twelve voters in the precinct at that time, and no laid-out road except
the old territorial road to Hume's Ferry and Janesville, which went by what is
now ex-Governor Washburne's place, and round the head of Lake Wingra or Dead
Lake, and then through Stoner's Prairie and southeast to Fitchburg postoffice,
continuing southeast on the ridge dividing the waters running to the Catfish
from those of Sugar river. The old Daniel Baxter road, so called at that time,
ran from the south part of Green county to Madison via where the village of
Albany on Sugar river now stands, intersecting the former a little south-east of
Fitchburg postoffice, and the lead teamster's road from Mineral Point to
Milwaukee intersecting it on Stoner's Prairie, east of these roads to Catfish or
Yahara river, and west to Sugar river. The country was then uninhabited. An
Indian trail which ran from their village, at the head of lake Kegonsa, crossed
Sugar river, where the village of Bellville now stands, and went on, I think, to
Prairie du Chien. This trail crossed the territorial road a little south of
Fitchburg Postoffice, and was the principal guide east to the Catfish or west to
Sugar river. Towards that river the country was then all oak openings, some
hilly, clear of undergrowth, so that it was easy to drive in any direction.
Towards Catfish the country was more level, small prairies and oak openings
clear of underbrush, the land undulating and mostly a good soil.

  In the fall of 1842, Geo. Fox and I, when looking land to locate on, left the
trail near where the Cemetery now stands, on the prairie north of the present
village of Oregon. "We switched off to the north through the woods, to see what
we could find, and pretty soon the woods began to look all the same. We were
lost, and as the day wore on and we drove pretty fast we began to have a regular
frontier appetite. After several hours we brought up at a hunters' camp, where a
great many deer and wild duck were hanging on the trees close by. The hunters
were absent, but we soon made ourselves at home, and, finding a little bread in
a bag, fried some venison steak, and had a delicious dinner, with a drink from
the spring near at hand. That spring is the Mr. Murphy spring, close by the road
at Lake View, and only about two miles from where we left the trail. We got back
to the prairie by following the Lake View stream on the south side, to the pass
through the hills where the railroad now runs, and soon made our way to the
Fitchburg Postoffice, which was also a hotel, kept by Wm. Quivey, where we met
the hunters, Messrs. Hume and Postle, from Hume's Ferry, on Hock river, at whose
camp we dined. They invited us to call again, and all had a good laugh at our
getting lost in the woods.

  There were then, I think, but Jos. Vroman's and three other families, in what
is the present town of Fitchburg.

  In the spring of 1843, Geo. Fox and myself commenced to break up and improve
the lands on which we still reside. John and Geo. Keenan also commenced to
improve farms close by us, and Messrs. Wm. True, Pritchard and Nott purchased
lands to locate on. That summer, many eastern people came out here viewing
lands. They liked the climate, soil and general face of the country; but thought
it very far to a mill or blacksmith shop. We had no church or school, and few
roads so they could not stand it. Our nearest mills were Mr. Hickcox's, in
Ridgeway, Iowa county, Beloit, and Columbus, either one about forty miles
distant. The nearest blacksmith shop was at Madison, a long road round the head
of Lake Wingra, and and [sic] the smith not always in a working mood, so that we
often had to improvise a shop to sharpen our breaking plows, by heating the
share in a fire made of chips, and beating it out on the heads of iron wedges
driven in a log.

  In the fall of 1844, Badger Mill was built by Joseph Vroman, with his brothers
George and William, the first settlers of Fitchburg, and William A. Wheeler, of
Verona. They gave a large party to celebrate the occasion, and the people for
many miles around assembled. The Scotch settlement on Sugar river was largely
represented, and Billy Ray played the Highland bagpipes, and the "Highland
Fling" was danced to perfection by many a lad and lassie, who are now
grandfathers and grandmothers. The mill was a great convenience to the
surrounding country, until the stream dried up (it has now been dry for several
years). Joseph Vroman owned the first reaping machine used in the town, about
1847. What the early settlers lacked in many of the conveniences, of life, they
made up in self reliance and that kind of genial good neighborship that is
usually found among the pioneers. They were hospitable, cordial, ready to do
each other a good turn, and were not much troubled with those kind of cast iron
conventionalities which take the heart out of social intercourse. They had few
elements of discord among them; no pimps; no whiners; and had not the fostering
care of that self-sacrificing class of people, whose principal occupation is
attending to other people's business, and repenting for other people's sins. In
the summer and fall of '44-5, settlers began to come in and buy up lands pretty
fast. Some were very poor and could not buy, but would claim or "squat," as we
called it, on a piece of land, and the earlier settlers to a man stood up for
those poor fellows to protect them in their claims, and keep new comers from
buying the lands, or "jumping their claims," as it was called. The Fitchburg
Mutual Protection Society was organized for that purpose; had a regular book for
each claimer to come and register his claim in, and any person jumping such
claim would be called to account by the society, which, in this neighborhood,
always resulted in having the land restored to the first claimant. Some of our
most thrifty, honest and respected citizens got their present homes in that way.

  Deer were still very plenty here in fall of '44. One of our neighbors had a
dog that caught a large buck by the hind leg, and by some means worried him
towards the house; the woman of the house, on seeing the deer approach, sallied
out with an axe and succeeded in dispatching him. Joseph Fox, now of Oregon,
happening to be pass by at the time, assisted the woman in taking care of the
carcass. That same fall there were a great many bears prowling about.

  Mrs. Geo. Keenan was spending the day at Geo. Fox's; in the afternoon she
started for home, about one and a half miles distant, carrying an infant in her
arms; about half a mile from her house she met a full grown bear on the path.
She would not turn out of the path into the tall prairie grass, lest she might
trip and fall; neither would the bear turn out, but raised himself up for the
usual mode of salutation, and as they met, placed his paws over Mrs. K's neck.
Mustering all possible strength, she held the baby tight with her left arm, with
her right dealt the bear a blow on the side of the head, and springing back at
the same time, got clear from him; she then took off her sun bonnet and flung it
on the path, which he stopped to smell and shake in his mouth, and thus enabled
her to get some distance ahead. But soon the bear caught up again and raised for
a charge. Mrs. K. turned and faced him, when with an angry growl he caught her,
and put one paw on the baby, causing it to cry. She struck him as before, and
sprang back, pulling the baby, while the bear also pulled, tearing off its
cloak, and then began shaking it in his mouth, while Mrs. K. again ran for the
house, which she gained just in time to save another attack. The next morning
the neighborhood turned out to hunt for the bear; did not find the old one, but
found two cubs in a thicket not far from the house.

  The Fitchburg election precinct was merged in the organization of the town of
Rome, A. D. 1345 or 6, which included the present towns of Oregon, Dunn and
Fitchburg, and was named Rome by some of the settlers from New York state. A
road having been laid out from Rooney's on the old territorial road, running
north to Madison, also one from near Rock county line running northwest to
Fitchburg Postoffice, these roads crossed where the present village of Oregon
now stands, and it being not far from the corners of said towns, it was called
Home Corners, and is yet known by that name.

  The town managed its own local affairs; three commissioners the county
business. At that time the settlers were mostly unacquainted with the luxury of
a county training school for legislative aspirants and other tax-eating systems;
consequently their taxes were light — about $1,600 in the town of Home for all
purposes — although roads had to be laid out and bridges and court house had to
be built. I was the first treasurer of the town, and as both myself and the town
supervisors were a little muddy on the law, I concluded to strike out of my bond
the word "law" and insert "justice," according to the best of my judgment. The
supervisors did not like to accept that bond, but one of them, Mr. Boise, father
of the present Mr. Reuben, of Oregon, said although it was a sort of a Hibernian
pioneer bond, yet he thought it would be all right, and they finally accepted
it. At that time it was the duty of town school supervisors to meet on a certain
Tuesday in April to apportion the school money to the several districts. They
met on the wrong day and concluded they could not legally apportion the money.
Several young ladies had taught school and they wanted their pay. The money was
in the treasury, but there seemed to be no legal way to get it out; then the
bond came to the relief of the girls. I suggested that if any school trustee
would state in writing that the girls had taught school and were justly entitled
to their pay, that I would pay them on receipt of such statement. It was
procured, and the girls were paid, to their great joy and satisfaction.

  About that time an amusing incident occurred, showing the vague and erroneous
ideas which prevailed to some extent in the eastern states regarding the western
frontiersmen. A man from Massachusetts came out to see the country and some land
in this town that he had bought without previously seeing. He came to my house
to pay some tax due on his land, and asked to see my books to learn the amount.
I took from a bureau drawer a large shot bag containing the town money and
papers, untied the string and took out a copy of the tax list. With an
astonished look he asked if that was the only book, and if I was in truth the
town treasurer. I replied that the settlers were mostly poor and did not care to
buy anything that they could just as well do without, and showed him how I kept
the account. I put the whole amount of money received into the bag, and when it
was paid out I put the voucher into the bag, so the account always balanced. He
appeared confused and frightened; said it might be all right, but he never saw
business done in that way; would prefer to go to Madison before paying his
taxes. My house was. a log one, and located in the woods, in a lonely place, and
he evidently thought that he had got into a trap, for after leaving my house he
tried to hire an escort to Madison for fear of being followed and robbed. At
Madison he found it was all right, then returned and paid his tax.

  In 1847 or 8, the town of Rome was divided, and the present town of Fitchburg
organized as the town of Greenfield, which name collided with Greenfield in
Milwaukee county, and caused some mistakes in mail matters, so it was proposed
to change the name of Greenfield, in Dane county, to Fitchburg, the name of the
postoffice, and which it still retains. The first town meeting was held at the
house of Mr. William Quivey, near Fitchburg Corners.

  There are nine district schools in town, and two churches. The one on section
35 is Roman Catholic, Rev. Father Butler, pastor; the other, on Syene Prairie,
Methodist Episcopal.

FITCHBUEG-BY WILLIAM VROMAN.

  Town 6, range 9, town of Fitchburg, is situated, in the central and southern
part of Dane county, bounded north by the town of Madison, west by the town of
Verona, south by the town of Oregon, and east by the town of Dunn. It is one of
the best agricultural towns in the county, with very little or no waste lands,
about equally divided between prairie and oak openings. The soil is very rich
and climate healthy. There are several creeks and springs, of which the Nine
Springs, situated in the northeast part of the town, are justly celebrated. In a
distance of some sixty rods, nine springs start out of the highlands on the edge
of the marsh, and form  a creek which empties into Third lake, giving sufficient
water to carry a mill. Upon this site the State Fish Hatchery House is now
located, and a splendid location it is for the purpose designed, having plenty
of pure spring water, and a fall of some fifteen or twenty feet to the marsh,
and no danger from overflow or freshets. It seems designed by nature for the
purpose now used. The state has erected elegant buildings, and the institution
is in successful operation.

  In 1837 the first farm was opened in the town by John Stoner, on section 17.
Stoner's Prairie was named after him. He never lived upon the farm, but resided
in the then village of Madison. He went out to the farm on Monday mornings and
took his rations with him for the week. He erected a shanty, open on three
sides, covered with oak shakes, which turned most of the rain; a fire in front
on the ground for cooking purposes; a bundle of straw and blankets; a few camp
stools, constituted the furniture in this cabin, in which he managed to keep
open house. Many a weary traveler and visitor has partaken of his hospitality,
and many a night has the writer of this slept with him in this improvised house,
open upon three sides, and nothing but the broad canopy of shakes.

  The first settlers in the town were George Vroman, Joseph Vroman and William
Vroman, in 1839. They opened a farm on sections 17 and 20, south of and
adjoining the Stoner farm, and in the fall of that year built a log house and
moved there. This was the first house built between Madison and New Mexico, now
Monroe. They were quickly followed by Dr. William H. Fox, George Fox, Joseph
Fox, James Fox, Rev. Matthew Fox, and the Rev. Wm. Fox, their father, (from
County Westmeatte, Ireland), William Quivey, Willam True, George and John
Keenan, P. Pritchard, __ Postle, Frank Nott, the Salisburys, Charles and John
Watkins. These were the pioneers of the town of Fitchburg; good, generous, true
hearted men, just the men to open up a new country; men that you could tie to;
that believed in the golden rule; men of whom you never asked a favor in vain;
you were welcome to their homes, and their latch strings always hung out.

  The times were hard, the people were poor, and they voted to pay their
officers fifty cents per day. The writer of this [Wm. Vroman, Esq.] was elected
road commissioner (an office now consolidated with the supervisor), and has now
a realizing sense of the labor performed for the money received. Three towns to
travel over, to lay out into road districts, appoint path masters, make out
warrants, and lay out roads. I spent twenty days in the service of the town, for
which I brought in a bill of seven dollars, and the town board cut me down to
four dollars. Four dollars for twenty days' work! Well, the people were poor,
and they said we must take turns in holding office. If the politicians of the
present day were paid as liberally, they would not be as anxious for office. The
next year the town was separately organized as the town of Greenfield, so named
on account of its green grasses and fields. It retained this name for two or
three years, when it was found that there was a town in Milwaukee county of the
same name, which had prior claim to the name, and as two towns of the same name
in the state made some confusion in postal matters, the name was altered to
Fitchburg. Our nearest grist mill, in 1839, was at Hickox, on Wisconsin river,
now Helena, some thirty miles distant. But mills soon sprung up all around us,
so that at Fulton, Rock county, Cookville, Dayton and Badger Mills, four miles
west of us in Verona, we had them somewhat nearer. The commerce of the country
at this early day was mostly carried on by Sucker team, a large Pennsylvania
wagon with from four to six yoke of oxen to haul it. We called them prairie
schooners, and they used to go in fleets, sometimes as many as eight or ten
wagons together. These covered wagons going over the prairie at a distance,
resembled very much a fleet of schooners, hence the name. Their principal
loading on the journey to Lake Michigan was lead, and the back freight sundry
goods for our merchants. They carried with them long goad poles, some ten feet
long, and a lash to correspond; you could hear the crack of their whip for a
mile away. They were the kings of the roads. Everything had to give way for
them, until stage coaches were put upon the road, when the drivers got long
stretches with knives in the end, and raked their teams, sending them bellowing
from the road, which caused them to give the stage coaches a wide berth.

  In those early days, before the preemption laws were passed, the settlers
formed claim clubs for the protection of those that were not able to enter their
lands. In the fall of 18M, I attended a meeting of one of their clubs, near
where George Fox now lives. The circumstances were as follows: Two men claimed
the same forty of land, one belonged to the club while the other did not; the
man that did not belong to the club having obtained the money first, entered the
land. A committee of the club waited upon him and insisted on his deeding the
land over to the first claimant; refusing to do so, they then called a meeting
of the club, and notified him that they would meet at his house on a certain
night, and use such persuasive arguments as would induce him to deed over the
land. He remained stubborn, so the club met at his house in the evening, some
fifty strong, with axes and guns. They surrounded his house in a rather noisy
manner, and a committee, sufficient to fill his house, entered with a justice of
the peace, the money, deed and all made out; he finally came down gracefully, by
signing the deed, and taking the money, and then acknowledging that he signed
the deed of his own free will and accord, without fear, favor, or intimidation,
although surrounded by some fifty noisy men, threatening all manner of things. I
do not think the deed was worth much, but it was never contested, and I think in
the end justice was done. Some societies were organized on the principle of
letting those that came in and entered claims, severely alone, agreeing to
neither borrow, lend, or associate with them, which soon brought them to terms.

  I think that Dr. Wm. H. Fox was the first practicing physician in Dane county
outside of Madison, and had a most extensive practice of thirty or forty miles
ride, which was done on horseback. I have heard him say that he has ridden many
a rainy day, Until his boots were filled with water. He was ready at all times
to render assistance, either as doctor or friend, and one of our most valuable
citizens.

  Some of the early settlers came into the county in large wagons drawn by oxen.
The wagons were covered, and whole families with their household goods would
travel in this way until they located. They had a long rope attached to the
oxen, and their stock tied on each side of the rope, with a yoke of cattle or
horses hitched to the end of the rope to keep them straight. There were also
what we called emigrants who came by land. Others would come in wagons, move
upon their land, turn their wagon-box upside down, and sleep under it; while
others would set boards around a tree and move in and cook their meals outside
in true camping style, and live in this way with no rent or hotel bills to pay,
until they could build their log houses. Others would join in with their friends
until they could make provision for themselves. Log houses were very elastic in
those days—-they were like an omnibus, never full, but always room for one more.

  The settlers in these early times were very friendly helping each other in all
things requiring assistance, and would go almost any distance to help. I
recollect being at the raising of a large barn, in 1839, in the town of Cross
Plains, on what was known as the Campbell Farm, near where Mr. Anderson now
resides. I think it was the first frame barn raised on a farm in Dane county. It
was a large barn and required a good many men to help in raising it. They came
from a distance of twenty-five or thirty miles around, from Madison, Sauk, Blue
Mounds, and Ridgeway, Iowa county, and a right jolly set of men they were, when
they got together on such an occasion. There were but very few settlers then. I
think there were only six farms opened in Dane county at this time. In the fall
of 1839, there was an election held in the county, for county officers, and only
about eighty votes polled, which also included Sauk county. I remember attending
a Fourth of July celebration, in 1845, in the Scotch settlement in the town of
Verona; the attendance was from the towns around. The programme was for fun
generally, and we had it. Rifle shooting for sheep, home-made Scotch whisky and
beer, playing base ball, dancing the "Highland fling" on the green, with Billy
Ray and his bagpipes for music. We had more real enjoyment than can be had at
any celebration at the present day. But as the mixing of Scotch whisky and beer
did not agree with all, some went home with a brick in their hat.



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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