Lafayette County WI Archives History - Books .....Moscow-Holland 1976
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 31, 2007, 11:40 pm

Book Title: A History Of Blanchardsville, Gem Of The Pecatonica

Moscow-Hollandale

    The Village of Moscow, located in the Township of Moscow was surveyed and
platted by Chauncy Smith in 1850. It had an interesting life before it finally
faded away when the Illinois Central Railroad passed through Blanchardville and
what is now Hollandale.

    In a sense, the death of Moscow became the birth of Hollandale. The Village
of Hollandale (Benville-Bjorn) was founded in September, 1887, by Bjorn Holland,
who bought land and built a shack on the present site and put in a stock of
goods to supply the construction crew then at work building the Illinois Central
Railroad to Dodgeville. The survey for the line was made in 1866 and in 1888,
the first train (a free excursion) was run into Dodgeville. The first telegraph
station was established in the little building that Mr. Holland used for a store.

    The Village of Hollandale was platted and surveyed by Robert Joiner and was
recorded in the register of deeds office in Dodgeville, Iowa County, Wisconsin,
in 1887. It was incorporated as a village in 1910.

    One of the interesting facets pertaining to the history of Moscow was the
organization of the Moscow Library Association. Mr. S. S. Holland was
responsible for conceiving the idea. In 1872, a society, the Moscow Circulating
Library Association was organized for the purpose of advancing general knowledge
among inhabitants of the township. The founders of the society were among
others, S. S. Holland, I. W. Chantland, Andrew Karnebru, John Bollerud, C. S.
Holland, and Erick Swiggum. It had about 200 members and a book value of
approximately $400.00.

    As an adjunct to the library association, a debating society was organized
with the aim of promoting general knowledge among its people.

[photo - Elmo Holt, owner of the violin on which Ole Bull played.]

    The society made it a custom of celebrating the 17th of May (the Norwegian
Independence Day). In 1873, Professor R. B. Anderson of Madison was engaged as
guest speaker. Ole Bull, a famous violinist of Bergen, Norway, was visiting in
the Anderson home, so he came down to Moscow also. The Monroe Brass Band
escorted them to the celebration grounds, stopping for a few minutes in front of
the hotel. Mr. C. S. Holland stepped out on the porch and gave an address of
welcome. The band played the favorite national song, "Snner av Norge."

    The people went to the celebration grounds where Lieutenant Chantland,
Professor Anderson' and Ole Bull spoke on the occasion of the "17th of May". Ole
Bull did not bring his violin with him, so he played on one that belonged to
Peter Holt, a great-grandfather of Elmo Holt of Blanchardville who inherited it
and who also plays the violin.

    The hotel in front of which Ole Bull stood is now located on Elm Street in
Blanchardville and is property of Vivian Ingwell. Alvin Blanchard bought the
hotel and had it moved down, as well as the Moscow grist mill which was last
operated by Warner Million. It was placed on Blanchard property south of the
present Donald Robb home, and it was used to shelter animals.

    The late Carl Hanson enjoyed telling about the grass-roots campaign of 1892
when Grover C. Cleveland was elected for a second term as President of the
United States. Mr. Hanson was only 11 years old when he attended a political
rally held one night in the school house which was located in the Village of
Moscow.

    Preparations had been going on all day and when the speakers finally reached
Blanchardville by train, the crowd was there to meet them with torches and
banners. The speakers, wearing "stove-pipe" hats, were escorted up the old
"Dug-Out" road to the Moscow school house. Bjorn Holland came to the doorway,
the night bright with flaming torches, and opened the meeting. Long speeches
followed; one of which was given by Robert L. Joiner, a surveyor from Wyoming
Valley, Iowa County. He was prominent in county and state politics.

    The late Carl Hanson and his sister, Julia Lyngaas, belonged to the family
of Mr. and Mrs. Hans Hanson, who emigrated from Elberom, Norway in 1866.


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A History of Blanchardville, Gem of the Pecatonica

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