Outagamie County, WI - "Stephensville Was Once Called Ellington Center" ************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************* Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives Subject: newspaper article "Stephensville Was Once Called Ellington Center" Submitted by: county coordinator EMAIL: jmmarasch@aol.com Date Submitted: 15 March 2000 Source: New London Press newspaper article from Bicentennial issue, undated. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Stephensville Was Once Called Ellington Center The village of Stephensville was once named Ellington Center. John Stephens, who owned mill property in the area, platted the village in 1856. Around 1857, county officials announced a village would be laid off in the town of Ellington. citizens were asked to vote on a name for the village. The name Ellington Center was chosen. But history books record that other citizens were apparently unhappy with the name. Forty-nine citizens signed petitions to change the village name to Stephensville, after its founder. Those early residents had their way, and only the oldest history books carry the name of a village of Ellington Center. No public roads led into Stephensville in 1850. It didn't make much difference, because there were only two houses in the village. One was hewed logs and one was a frame house built by William Bruce. The first settlers in the area cut the underbrush and logs to clear a path wide enough for their teams and wagons. The trail wound among the trees, avoiding hills and swamps. Eventually the trail was worn clear between Hortonville and Stephensville. Another path went to the junction of the Shioc and Wolf Rivers. Until 1849, mail was delivered only to Green Bay or Oshkosh. That year a post office was built at Appleton. Two years later, a weekly mail route was established between Green Bay and Portage. It was a 105 mile route. Stephen D. Mason was the first area postmaster. Like Hortonia, the town of Ellington formed in April, 1850, became settled around a sawmill. Exactly who built the mill and when is not certain, but it was marked on an early map as Thompson's Mill. It was known later by pioneers as Bruce's Mill, which became the settlement of Stephensville. It was operated by William Bruce until 1849, then by G.D. Aldrich. Lewis Thompson and family were the first white settlers and probably lived at the mill as early as 1846. Thomas and John Callan were the first farmers in the area in 1847. George Huss, a Mexican war veterans, came in 1849 on a land warrant and soon married Elizabeth Farnham, to record the earliest marriage in the town. Settlers before 1850 included H.J. Diner, John Schmitt, Henry Kethoe, Patrick Peu, Owen Hardy, John Rynders, Thomas Hillson, Wm. McGee, Charles Grounert, Frederick Lamm, Eliab Farnham, and J.D. Van Vlack. The Hardackers, who lived earlier in Greenville, with the Wickmans, came later. After 1850, the settlement progressed rapidly and some of the settlers of that year were Abel and Julius Greeley, Amos Johnson, O.D. Pebles, J.B. Lamm, Peter, Matthew and Nick Schmidt, J. Peu, Rodney Mason and John Welch. The township created March 12, 1850 was requested its name by John Rynders, after an eastern town in which he was born. The first meeting was held at the home of Chauncey Aldrich on April 2, 1850, with seven electors present. John Stephens bought the mill property and its surrounding land, and in 1856, he platted the village. Forty- nine citizens asked by petition to change its name to Stephensville, after its founder. Stephensville settlers were interested in education from the start. A three mill tax was levied for school purposes immediately after the town was settled. The area was divided into three districts. An apportionment from the state appropriation for schools provided money for a five-month school term. Mrs. Patterson taught in her home for three months and Jane Wickware taught for two months in James Hardackers' house. Three Kethoe and five Hardacker children attended these first schools. A frame schoolhouse was built later. Mrs. Mary Smith taught the first term there. By 1855, Stephensville was building its sixth schoolhouse. Sylvester Gurnee was the first schoolmaster in that school. 1867 was a record year for Stephensville. History books claim the village grew more that year than any other in its history. In the fall of 1867 Stephensville had two sawmills in operation. A grist mill was nearly ready for work, there were several stores, and one hotel owned by William McGee. Several mechanics worked in the village. The German and Irish population united to build a catholic church in Stephensville in 1867. The frame was up by mid-November of the year. Other churches joined the area later. A man employed at Thompson's mill was the first death in Stephensville. While working he fell into the millpond. He was helped out and went to get dry clothes. Records say he died soon after reaching the house. Another early settler drowned. Mr. Johnson, the first settler on the west side of the Wolf River, drowned in the early 1850's while trying to rescue some Indians. The Indians had been drinking and quarreling and had fallen into the river. Johnson also fell in trying to help them, and drowned. The Indians had burial places near Stephensville. One was located about 40 rods west of the village and the other was just east of the road entering the village from the south. Two graves, one at each burial grounds, seemed to be especially venerated. Early settlers found offerings of tobacco and flags there. The first doctor was Dr. Tabor, who came to the village after the war. Pew's hotel was the first hotel, although Mr. Pew noted that "whoever run the mill had a boarding house and every settler's house was a traveller's home."