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

SPRINGDALE.
BY JAMES P. McPHERSON, ESQ.

  SPRINGDALE, town No. 6 north, of range No. 7 east, lies fifteen to twenty-one
miles southwest of the city of Madison, and is traversed by the Madison and
Mineral Point, and the Madison and Wiota state roads, and the territorial road
from the Badger Mills to Blue Mounds.

  There are in this township some remarkable remains of that ancient people, who
are supposed to have inhabited this country prior to its occupancy by the Indian
races; the most noteworthy of which are to be found on section fifteen. Here are
three mounds about fifty feet apart, and extending east and west; they are
uniform in size, being about six feet in height above the surface of the
adjacent land, and circular at the basej where they are nearly forty feet in
diameter. Commencing at the distance of fifty feet from the most eastern mound,
and extending in an unvarying direction to the east, there is a long low ridge
or bank of earth, one hundred feet in length; the height of this ridge above the
surface of the ground on which it is situated is four feet, and measures six
feet through the base, north and south. A line drawn due east and west would
divide the three mounds and ridge exactly in the center. Being upon elevated
land, the view from the site of these mounds would, were it not for the
luxuriant young trees by which they are surrounded, be beautiful and commanding.
In the summer of 1870 one of these mounds was partially explored by Mr. Charles
H. Lewis, .a resident of the town, when a well preserved human skeleton was
unearthed, together with a stone pipe of curious workmanship, two stone knives,
some highly polished and perforated pieces of bone, and many stone implements,
the use of which is now unknown.

  These mounds and their contents are objects of great interest to the
antiquarian, as they point to the stone age of Wisconsin, and tend to the
elucidation of the great problem in regard to that extinct and mysterious
people, the Mound Builders of America.

  The town was settled in 1844 or 1845, the first settler being Mr. John Harlow,
who built the first house within the limits of the town. That house is still
standing on the farm of Mr. Patrick Casey, on section one.

  In 1845, Messrs. Michael Jacket, Wyatt Perkins, Perry Munger, Thomas Bentley
and others, settled in the northeast part of the town and commenced the
improvement of their lands. Mr. Perkins built a dam and saw mill on a small
branch of Sugar river. These were regarded by some of Mr. Perkins' neighbors, as
hindrances rather than improvements, and led to litigation, which resulted in
the removal of the dam and mill, and also Mr. Perkins, who sought a new location
for his mechanical industry.

  In 1846 Messrs. Thomas B. Miles, Axium Malone, Hawley Childs, N. H. Dryden,
Thore T. Spaanem, Morgan L. Curtis, John S. Berge, Henry Boland, Martin Nash,
Michael Johnson and others, moved in and occupied land in other parts of town.
In 1850 John Mitchell and James P. McPherson settled on section 24 and 25.

  The town was organized in 1848, the first election for town officers being
held on the second Tuesday of April in that year. Twenty votes were cast, and
twenty-one offices were filled, and the following named persons were elected,
viz.: Chairman, Martin Nash; Supervisors, Wyatt Perkins and Thomas Bentley; Town
Clerk, Robert N. Ashmore; Treasurer, Morgan L. Curtis; Collector, Axium Malone;
Justices, Martin Nash and Morgan L. Curtis; Commissioners of Highways, Thomas
Bentley, N. H. Dryden, and Robert N. Ashmore; School Commissioners, Hawley
Childs, Thos. B. Miles and "Wyatt Perkins; Assessors, Perry Munger and Thos. B.
Miles; Fence Viewers, Michael Jacket and Hawley Childs; Constables, Axium Malone
and John I. Berge; Sealer of Weights and Measures, Wm. A. Dryden.

  Of the twenty-one officers then elected, there are four of them yet residents
of the town, viz.: Messrs. N. H. Dryden, Thos. B. Miles, Michael Jacket and John
I. Berge.

  It was determined that no town tax should he levied, and that the officers
should receive no pay for their services for that year, but shortly after the
election, a special town meeting was quietly convened by the incumbents
interested, and a small town tax, sufficient to satisfy the office-holders of
those early days, was levied, and in due time collected.

  From 1848 to 1852, the population of the town was largely increased by
immigration, and nearly all the land was then entered and occupied by settlers
from the Eastern and Middle States, and from England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany
and Norway, who have devoted their attention and labor to the cultivation of the
soil. The natural facilities for manufactures of any description are but
limited, and agriculture has therefore been the occupation of the people, and
will likely remain so.

  The western branch of Sugar river runs through the west and southwest part of
the town, and the village of Mount Vernon. This village was platted in 1850-51,
by Mr. George G. Britts, who then commenced the improvement of the water-power
and built a saw mill. In 1852, Dr. P. Byam obtained possession of the village
site and much of the adjacent land, enlarged the village plat, and built a small
but well arranged grist mill, which has been of great convenience to the citizens.

  Near where the river enters the town, there is a place familiarly known as the
Mormon Baptismal Pond, because at an early day several of the followers of Joe
Smith, having come from the South after the government had ordered their removal
to Utah, and settled in several places in the west, among others here, where
they were accustomed to preach and baptize converts. The excitement at these
services is said to have been equal to any fair, and perhaps with but little
difference, as Saint and Gentile, for miles around, met more for the hilarity
incident to the occasion than for any great conversions that followed, although
some of the preachers were powerful orators. It is said that during the
baptismal rites the excitement would become so great that an occasional mistake
would occur as some poor unfortunate dog was forced into the river by wicked
Gentiles, and then seized by an excited Saint and devoutly immersed. These poor
animals were afterwards known as Mormon proselytes, put out on probation.

  Religious discussions between the Mormons and others were of common
occurrence, and three of their most eloquent preachers challenged a Mr Cameron,
a Scotch layman, to a public discussion of their doctrines in the school house.
Though a busy time among the farmers, they nevertheless assembled early in the
morning from far and near, to hear the combatants. The discussion continued the
whole day, and though the layman had persuasive and subtile orators to contend
with, he came out the victor, and not long afterwards, as well as by a number of
indescreet acts of a moral character, the Mormon cause began to wane, and
finally to move out of the town.

  The town is divided into five whole and three joint school districts, with six
school houses located in the town, two of which are stone and four are frame
buildings, all of which are in good condition. The citizens, at town and school
district meetings, have always evinced the interest they feel in the existence
and prosperity of our common schools, by providing liberally for their support.

  There are but two church edifices in the town, the Norwegian Lutheran,
occupying an elevated position on the prairie ridge, in section 8, and the
Baptist church, in Mount Vernon. A German Lutheran congregation meet for worship
in the school house of school district No. 3, on section 25, and a German
Methodist congregation meet at the houses of the members, in the same neighborhood.

  In 1859, Mr. George West opened a store on section 11, near what is now the
Clontarf postoffice. He continued in business about a year, and was succeeded by
Messers. Peter Quigley, John C. Thompson, Thos. Managan, and Patrick Carr. Mr.
Carr has continued in business there for about fourteen years, has a large stock
of goods, suitable for the locality, and does an extensive and increasing trade
with the citizens of Springdale, Verona and Cross Plains.

  The first postoffice in the town, Springdale, was established in 1850. Mr.
Thos. B. Miles was appointed postmaster, and retained the office until December,
1866, when he resigned.

  There are now three postoffices in the town, Springdale, on section 25, J. P.
McPherson, postmaster; Mount Vernon, I. G. Brader, Sr., postmaster; and
Clontarf, on section 12, P. Carr, postmaster.


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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