Lafayette County WI Archives History - Books .....Township And Village 1976
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 31, 2007, 9:00 pm

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

The Township of Blanchard and the Village of Blanchardville

    The early history of Blanchardville is virtually a history of the Town of
Blanchard. It was formerly part of the Town of Argyle and became a separate town
in 1869. Both the town and the village were named in honor of Alvin Blanchard,
the founder of the village.

    The Fretwell lead diggings in sections 27 and 30 of the Township of
Blanchard were discovered in 1838 and drew early settlers to the area. In 1840,
John C. Telly, Lucius Belden, Orsemus Laken, and John Uren came. They were
followed by John Bowser in 1841, James Smith and Gottfried Hoeffer in 1845, Tom
Ryan in 1850, Henry Mills and B. Smith in 1851, James Ingwell and George Russell
in 1852, John and Ed Robinson in 1853, and were soon followed by J. Cavanaugh,
James Etheridge, Mr. Dobson, Dudley Risley, C. Knorr, Josiah and John G. Baker,
J. Johnson, Alvin Blanchard and others.

    The Mormons established a settlement in 1850 on section 28, which they
called Zarahemla, and undertook to create a strong following, but with such
indifferent sucess that they soon migrated to other localities. They, however,
built a mill known as the Horner Mill on the Pecatonica.

    In 1855, Alvin Blanchard, a native of New York, paid $1500 for the Horner
Mill and surrounding land that became the Village of Blanchardville. It was soon
platted out in six blocks with six lots each.

    In 1857, Henry Mills erected the Blanchardville Hotel, Maj. Godfrey built a
home nearby, and C. Holverson opened a blacksmith shop. Dana Rockwell and C. F.
Trivet were also early settlers in the village.

    In the spring of 1867, the village was overtaken by a flood which did
considerable damage. Though Mr. Blanchard and M. L. Gould tried to secure the
bridge across the Pecatonica with chains, the flood swept the bridge down the
river with two men on it. They were rescued and the bridge rebuilt.

    The first child born in the village was William Blanchard, in November,
1856, and the first marriage was Alexander Hanson and Miss Jeremiason.



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A History of Blanchardville, Gem of the Pecatonica

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