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

MIDDLETON
BY A. B. PARMENTER, ESQ.

  THIS township is situated near the center of Dane county, adjoining the
township of Madison on the west, and is known in the government survey as
township 1 north, of range 8 east. It is watered in the northeast part by
Pheasant Branch creek, which flows easterly through the village of the same name
into Lake Mendota. It is also watered in the northwest portion by Black Earth
creek, where on sections eight and nine there is a wide expansion known as Mud
Lake, and adjoining which are large and now very valuable marsh land, that
affords excellent yields of hay. This creek rises in what was formerly known as
the big marsh, which contains a rich and extensive deposit of peat. These peat
beds have been tested and found to be of a pure vegetable deposit, and at no
distant day, will be utilized as fuel.

  In the year 1838, the Hon. Thomas T. Whittlesey, from Connecticut, became the
purchaser from the government of a large tract of land at the head of Lake
Mendota, where he laid out the village of Pheasant Branch, and erected a steam
saw mill in the year 1849, which at that early day furnished large quantities of
hard lumber, which was used for building purposes in Madison as well as at the
Branch and surrounding country, until the completion of the railroad, when, a
more desirable article could be obtained.

  The surface of the township is diversified by hills and valleys, prairie and
oak openings; a little of it broken with limestone ridges. The land altogether
is rich and productive, and is under excellent cultivation.

  There are three villages in this town— East Middleton, Pheasant Branch and
Middleton Station. The C., M. & St. P. R. R. runs through the latter village,
entering on section 13, in the east, and passing out on section 7, in a western
direction. East Middleton has one store and a post office, and two organized
churches. The cemetery is also in this village. Pheasant Branch at one time bid
fair to exceed Middleton Station, if the railroad had only diverted its course
and passed through the former instead of the latter. A good grist mill was built
in Pheasant Branch by Wheeler & Gault in the years 1853-4, and was in successful
operation for many years. Before railroad communication, this was the central
mart for a large circle of trade. The village still continues to be a place of
considerable trade.

  The town has a population of over 1,700, and the village of Middleton Station
about 300. There are four post-offices in the town, viz.: Pheasant Branch, East
Middleton, West Middleton and Middleton Station. The latter village has two
church edifices, which are occupied by five religious denominations; two
organized temperance societies, the Good Templars and Mendotas; six secret
societies, six saloons, two doctors, but no lawyer.

  As an evidence of the amount of business done in Middleton, it is recorded
that for two successive months there was shipped every day from the station a
full train of freight cars loaded with grain, while there were taken in at the
several warehouses, and shipped in one day, fifty-two car loads. The same fall
there were shipped to Milwaukee 10,070 bushels of wheat, which, from the
statistics of that year, showed that it was more than Madison, or any other
station in the state, or even in five states, except Milwaukee and Prairie du
Chien.

  The town received its name from Harry Barnes, after a place in Vermont. It was
organized in 1847, and at its meeting in April, 1848, elected the following
officers:

  Thomas Whittlesey, chairman, Orson Cook, Linns M. Palmer, supervisors; F. J.
Starr, town clerk; Andrew Starr, assessor; John B. Colton, collector; La Fayette
Cleveland, George Taylor, constables; Hawley Cook, Andrew Starr, John B. Colton,
school commissioners; Benj. Cleveland, Geo. Taylor, Enoch Noyes, road
commissioners; Benj. Cleveland, Sen., treasurer; Benj. Cleveland, Jr., Orson
Cook, Linns M. Palmer, justices of the peace; Orson Cook, sealer of weights and
measures; Thomas T. Whittlesey, James D. Sanford, Linus M. Palmer, fence
viewers. They polled nearly twenty votes.

  The following firms are engaged in the purchase of cattle and hogs, and have
convenient yards and buildings erected for successfully carrying on their
business: Messrs. Dufrenne, Lyle & Richardson; Messrs. Richard Green & Daniel
Vernon; Mr. Fritz Elver.

  Mr. Richard Green has a large elevator, run by steam, and does an extensive
business in the buying of grain. Dufrenne & Lyle conduct a general merchandise
store, with a large and increasing trade. Drs. A. A. Rowley and S. C. Coolridge
have well selected stocks of drugs.

  The Washington Hotel is kept by Daniel Maul; American House, by Gerhard
Aussem; Mendota House, by Wm. Hoffman; blacksmith and wagon shops, by John
Prien, Herman Sass, H. Gerds, and G. H. Wolf; furniture shop, by Geo. Schneider;
undertaker, L. Goodman. There is also a large lumber business carried on by
Green & Kingsley, and a planing mill by A. B. Kingsley. House builders, H. P.
Rider, Thomas Fleming and John Sander; masons, E. Page, John Eventhal and John
Eggars; boot and shoe manfacturers, C. Lammert, F. Plath; gardener and fruit
grower, Henry Schuster; bee and honey dealer, John Elver. This business is
becoming quite general throughout the town.


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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