Outagamie County, WI - "New London 1864"
       
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Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives
Subject: newspaper article "New London 1864"
Submitted by: county coordinator 
EMAIL: jmmarasch@aol.com
Date Submitted: 15 March 2000
       
Source: New London Press newspaper article from Bicentennial issue, undated.

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New London 1864
     On New Year's day, the temperature bottomed at about 36 degrees below zero.
     Capt.  Enos F. Drummond died on January 3 at his home in Hortonia.
     The Baptist and the United Brethern churches were organized in New London.
Catholic services were held at the old "Wisconsin Home", owned by Charles Sambs, located near the foot of Smith
Street.  A Catholic Church was constructed west of where DuRite Plumbing presently stands, most of it built by
members of the congregation under the supervision ofMichael Hickey and Charles Sambs.  A Directory of Catholic Churches in Wisconsin, Wisconsin Historical Society
(1941), pages 78-79, lists the discontinuation of the St. Francis Church at Northport in 1864, and the new church in
New London became St. Francis in 1864, until it acquired its legal title "Most Precious Blood".
     Rev.  M. Retzer was listed among the early church records.  He may have been Mathias Retzer who enlisted
in the Union Cavalry from New London.  Rev.  Christopher Verwyst was the first resident priest, about or shortly after
the new church was built.  He was the same Rev.  Verwyst who became the famous Indian missionary in the
northwestern section of Wisconsin.  St. Finbar's (St.  Patrick) of Lebanon began in 1866 and St. Bridget of Northport
about 1877 or possibly sooner.     According to the Waupaca County Deeds Register, Bishop of Milwaukee Diocese, John M. Henni returned to
August Bolinski the title to two acres of land in Section 24, except a parcel that measured five rods long by four rods,
which was the grave yard.
  During one snow storm in Feb. 1864, 23 inches of snow fell in Appleton, the accumulated snow level in the woods
was 31/2feet, heaviest, and the deepest in memory of old inhabitants.
  The Wolf River in New London was open for navigation on March 15.  Owing to the rainy weather, the maple
sugar yield was unusually light.  In June there was a drought, the worst so far.  On the 9th there was a killing frost.  In
July, at Hortonville there was a storm in which it blew, rained, and hailed.  According to Ryan's History of Outagamie
County, "Immensedamage was done to every industry."
  In the general election of November 1, President Lincoln carried Mukwa Township 136 to 79, but General
McClellan carried Hortonia 67 to 55.
  Effective on Nov. 18, 1864, Joint School Districts No. 3 and No. 5, consisting of New London and the
surrounding area, merged as one.  Available information seems to indicate that the schools on McKinley Street, in
Globe Hall, and at Little Prairie were used until the construction of a large frame building was completed on the
present site of the Lincoln School.
  About 1863, Theodore C. Earle taught the advanced classes, almost equivalent to that of high school, upstairs of
the Globe Hall.
  During the latter half of December, there were several intensely cold days.