HISTORY OF THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY - CHAPTER 15 Menomonie and
Dunn Counties - Continued


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Transcribed and contributed to the USGenWeb Archives by Timm
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Faithful Record of all Important Events, Incidents, and
Circumstances that have Transpired in the Valley of the
Chippewa from its Earliest Settlement by White People,
Indian Treaties, Organization of the Territory and State;
Also of the Counties Embracing the Valley, Senatorial,
Assembly and Congressional Districts, and a Brief
Biographical Sketch of the Most Prominent Persons in the
Settlement of the Valley. BY Thomas E. Randall 1875.  Free
Press Print.  Eau Claire, Wisconsin

CHAPTER 15 Menomonie and Dunn Counties - Continued

Most men, like Ortogrul, when he saw in a vision, the
avenues of wealth floating towards him, one a foaming
mountain stream, the other a rippling rill, if told to
choose between them, would say as he did, 'let the golden
stream be quick and violent;' But not all the men would be
so wise as he when looking again he beheld the former dry
and dusty, while the latter increased in volume, and, with
returning consciousness, 'determined to grow rich by silent
profit and persevering industry.'

Whether the members of the firm of Knapp, Stout and Company,
had read and profited by Adison's ideal type of true method
of accumulating wealth, is not essential to our purpose; but
we see in the slow, cautious onward steps of this now
opulent Company, a remarkable instance and exemplification
of the 'Spectators' rules for becoming rich. In one
essential particular, this company inaugurated a new and
better system. Hitherto every mill Company on this river,
had sold whiskey to their men, and at the expiration of the
term of service, almost everyone found themselves in debt.
Their employers justified themselves n the plea, that these
men would have liquor, and if they did not keep it for them,
a 'saloon would have started at their very door,' and they
might as well or better do it, that for some worthless crape
grace of a gambler to get the profits of the traffic. And
every invoice of good ordered by one of these establishments
included as the first item, from one to fifty barrels of
whisky, 'Goodhues' best, and a curious record was, the
account against one of these old soldiers at the end of the
year, running about thus: 1st 3 drinks, 25; 1 plug tobacco,
75; $1.00. 2nd 1 pint whisky, 50cts.; 6 drinks, 50; $1.00.
And so on month after month.

Not after this fashion did J.H. Knapp and Company, commence
their operation in this valley, and although repeatedly
told, that the business would not pay without the profits of
whisky, they paid not the slightest attention to the
warning, but neither dealt in strong drinks, themselves, nor
allowed others to bring it on their premises, if they could
prevent it, and it is due to this stringent policy in
opposing intemperance, that so few crimes have been
committed in that locality, it being a notable fact, that
the Circuit Calendar exhibits no instance of a capital
offence being charged against any person in Dunn County
since its organization in 1857.

The only murder that is known to have been committed on the
Red Cedar, since the death of McCann, was the killing of
William Wickham in 1850, by an Indian known as the brother
of the 'Big Scoundrel.'

For five years the company kept the one little old mill
running by day and night, carefully husbanding its earnings,
paying off old claims against the property, and accumulating
means to build a new and larger establishment on the main
stream, and in August, 1851, had the satisfaction of cutting
lumber in this great mill, then the largest and best
appointed of any on the Chippewa waters; the millwright was
the well-known Mr. Downs, who introduced the Stearns water
wheel, and all the modern improvements of that time.

In 1848, another mill was erected on the Red Cedar, about
halfway between this mill and the mouth, by Hurd and Bullard
and Company, and with good financial management would have
done a good business. It is now owned by the Menomonie
Company. The partners in this company residing in Menomonie
are in some respects less fashionable than most men of
affluence, being blessed with large families, and to provide
for their education together with the children of other
families, and to secure religious instruction as well, a
school house was erected in 1854, and the services of the
Reverend Joshua Pittman were engaged to fill the position of
both teacher and preacher, an arrangement, which continued
some four or five years, and was probably the first school
opened in this valley. It was succeeded in 1856, by the
regularly organized district school. The first meeting held
in the place, or in the county for divine service, was in
the summer of 1852, by the Reverend Mr. Mayne, before
mentioned. During the summer of 1855, most of the pinelands
on the Red Cedar had been brought into the market and
considerable quantities sold to nonresident parties, one of
whom was the Honorable C.C Washburn, who also took 12,000
acres on other branches of the Chippewa River at the same
time. These latter entries were sold the following year to
first Morrison and Woodman, and by them to Mr. D. Shaw &
Clark, father of Dewitt C. Clark, of Eau Claire. In order to
make the former available, Mr. Washburn erected a steam
sawmill at the foot of Nine Mile Slough, on the Chippewa
River, and about the same distance from the confluence of
the Chippewa and Red Cedar.  This was in 1857, and about the
same time Mr. Downs erected a dam across the Red Cedar, and
built a mill at Downsville. These last name establishments
were rather sickly. Starting into being just at the
inopportune moment of the terrible year of crushed hopes and
broken promised, of fruitless endeavors and financial ruin,
neither ever recovered from the staggering blow, and a few
years later these mills and the pine timber land belonging
to them were sold to the more stable company at Menomonie.
In the spring of 1849, Perry Curtis and his brother opened
what was afterward a large farm, near the Eau Galle mill, in
company with Carson and Eaton who furnished the means, and
were to share the property equally. This was the first farm
commenced in the county, but the next year Mr. Franklin
Ames, from Massachusetts, selected lands near by on which
himself and sons opened out farms in the following year,
1850, and the first district school in the county was
organized here in 1856.

In March, of this year, 1856, the act was passed to organize
the county of Dunn with Dunnville for the county seat. The
election for county officers was not held until some months
later, and the fist term of Circuit Court was held in
September 1857. S.C. & E.B. Bundy were the first lawyers
settled in the county, one of whom was elected district
attorney.

Like many other new counties, the question soon arose for
the removal of the county seat. A few parties had invested
in Dunnville property, supposing it would continue the
permanent shire town, but it made feeble resistance. And in
1859, under legal provisions for a vote of the people, a
majority were in favor of Menomonie, which had that year
been laid out, and immediately began to assume a high
position in the sisterhood of villages.

The test of executive ability, either in public or private
affairs, is exhibited in making appointments to subordinate
positions, and few business firms have discovered wiser
discrimination, or been more fortunate in the choices of
agents than Knapp, Stout and Company. In their early
struggles a young smooth faced, long nosed, keen eyed man, a
native of Prairie du Chien, was selected as foreman to take
charge of the boating and running of lumber in summer, and
in the organizing logging camps in winter, driving in
spring, etc., energy, decision, untiring industry and
unswerving fidelity, soon won the confidence of his
employers, who in 1860, offered him a fourth interest in the
fast accumulating property, on favorable terms, and Andrew
Tainter became a millionaire.  And now his palatial
residence out vies all others in the village in its interior
appointments, its lawns, fountains, deer park, costly
statuary, and in the taste and elegance of all its
surrounding, evincing a degree of culture and refinement,
which seems to anyone acquainted with his rough and tumble
early life, utterly incompatible with his, to say the least,
not elevating associations.

But as success is the criterion, and touchstone by which all
human estimates and conditions are determined, Andrew has
won the highest consideration.