Waupaca County WI Archives History - Books .....Chapter XI 1890
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 June 26, 2008, 4:48 am

Book Title: History Of Waupaca Co., WI

CHAPTER XI.

TOWN OF MATTESON — HELVETIA — COUNTY DIVIDED INTO THKEE SUPERVISOR
DISTRICTS—BOARD ADJOURNS TO WAUPACA — COUNTY JAIL — COMMITTEE ON POOR HOUSE —
INSANE.

  The Board determined "That all that part of Township 25, Range 15, and
Township 25, Range 16, lying west of Wolf River, is annexed to the Town of Bear
Creek."

TOWNSHIP 25, RANGE 15.

  At a meeting of the County Board in November, 1859, the Chairman of the Board
was instructed "to procure the opinion of the Attorney General as to whether
Township 25, Range 15, is a part of Waupaca County or of Shawano County." If his
opinion should be in favor of Waupaca County, the Chairman of the Board and the
District Attorney were to take measures to compel the proper officers to make
returns to this County.

MATTESON TAKEN IN.

  At the annual meeting of the Board at Weyauwega, in November, 1860, Township
25, Range 15, was declared to be one of the towns of Waupaca County, and was
made a new town, to be called Matteson,—the town having been already organized
by that name, while in Shawano County, before the action of the Legislature.
Supervisor Matteson was declared a member of the County Board, without further
action of the town.

HELVETIA ORGANIZED.

  Township 24, Range 12, was taken from the Town of Iola, and Township 25, Range
12, was taken from the Town of Union, and formed into a seperate town by the
name of Helvetia; the first town meeting to be held at the school house in
Township 24, Range 12.

TOWN OF LARRABEE.

  Township 25, Range 14, was taken from Bear Creek, and made a seperate town by
the name of Larrabee; the first town meeting to be held at the school house in
District No. 2, of Bear Creek.

POOR HOUSE AND FARM.

  It was decided that the question of the purchase of a Poor Farm, and the
erection of a Poor House, would be submitted to the voters at the town meetings
in 1861.

SUPERVISOR DISTRICTS.

  At the annual meeting of the County Board in November, 1861, the County was
divided into three Supervisor Districts, as follows: . First District—The Towns
of Dayton, Farming-ton, Scandinavia, St. Lawrence, Waupaca, and Lind.

  Second District—Weyauwega, Royalton, Little Wolf, Lebanon, Mukwa, and Caledonia.

  Third District—Iola, Helvetia, Union, Larrabee, Matteson, and Bear Creek.

BOARD ADJOURNS TO WAUPACA.

  The Board adjourned to meet at Lord's Hall, Waupaca, November 13. Ayes, 13;
Noes, 8.

  In  November, 1862, the resolution passed in 1858,  abolishing the distinction
between Town and County Poor was rescinded.

TOWN OF DUPONT.

  November 17, 1864, the County Board set off Township 25, Range 13, from the
Town of Union, to be a seperate town by the name of Dupont.

COUNTY JAIL.

  At a special meeting of the Board, held April 10, 1867, a contract for
building a County Jail was let to S. R. Sherwin and R. R. Roberts, for the sum
of $7,725.

  A new seal was adopted for the Clerk of the Board. It bore the device of a man
chopping a pine tree.

  At the November meeting, 1869, a vote was ordered taken through the County at
the Spring election, on the question of purchasing a Poor Farm.

MUKWA GOES BACK.

  May 22, 1871, at a special session of the Board, the village plat of Mukwa was
vacated.

  The distinction between Town and County Poor was abolished.

A NEW FENCE AROUND COURT HOUSE SQUARE.

  June 12,1873, $400 was appropriated toward a new fence around Court House
Square, the Village of Waupaca to raise an equal amount.

  A building committee was appointed to erect suitable buildings to accommodate
the Poor of the County, said buildings not to cost more than $2,000.

  A committee was appointed to locate and purchase the grounds, not to cost more
than $400. The location was made at Little Wolf.

  November 18, 1873, the Poor House Building Committee reported that James
Meiklejohn had offered a donation of $1,000 provided the building was completed
within two years, according to a plan of Royal Green; and that they had accepted
the offer of Mr. Meiklejohn, and had let the work. They further recommended an
additional appropriation of $2,000, to complete the said building. The report
was adopted.

  By resolution, an appropriation of $50 was made "for the purpose of purchasing
a cane for James Meiklejohn, as a testimonial for the gift of $1,000 and forty
acres of land to the County." All voted aye, except Taylor.

  The Poor House Committee was authorized by the Board to go on with work on the
building according to contract.

  In 1875 the Board voted $1,000 towards building a place for insane on the Poor
Farm, and $500 for a furnace for the same.

  In 1878 the hospital, created and organized by action of the Board in 1875,
was reorganized for the purpose of a County Insane Asylum, according to the
Revised Statutes.

A WITTY MEMBER.

  In 1879, Supervisor Ratcliff offered the following resolution:

  "WHEREAS, The Village of Clintonville incurred considerable indebtedness in
perfecting its organization under the General Statutes; and

  "WHEREAS, Such indebtedness has been increased by the erection of a pound and
lock-up; and

  "WHEREAS, The radical inability of the inhabitants of said village, and a
conspiracy entered into and existing between the City of New London and the
Towns of Dupont and Matteson, to monopolize all matters of litigation, and to
retain all finable subjects within the limits of their respective corporations,
except when the County Board is in session, thus cutting off all sources of
revenue; therefore,

  "Resolved, That $500 be appropriated by this Board to bridge the deficiency
existing between the treasury of said village and a liquidation of said
indebtedness."

  The resolution was laid over under the rules.

  In 1880 the Board voted $15,000 to build a Court House, $3,000 of it to
beraised by taxation, the balance to come out of funds from the sale of County
lands, and out of donations. The City of Waupaca was to raise $7,000, and the
Court House was to be completed before January 1, 1882. The building
commissioners were J. W. Bingham, W. A. Weisbrod, and A. S. McDonald.

  In 1881 steam heating apparatus was ordered for the Court House.

REWARD OFFERED FOR THE ARREST OF THE MURDERERS OF BANKER H. C. MEAD.

  In 1882 a reward of $1,000 was offered by the Board for the apprehension of
the murderers of Banker H. C. Mead, of Waupaca.

  The Chairman and Clerk of the Board were authorized to borrow $10,000 to
settle County indebtedness for building the Court House, and to issue bonds
bearing 8 per cent, interest. A direct tax was to be levied in 1883 to pay such
indebtedness and interest.

  In 1886 the town system of supporting the Poor was restored.

COUNTY INSANE ASYLUM.

  An ordinance was passed for the building of a County Insane Asylum; the site
to consist of not less than 160 acres, and to be within three miles of the Court
House.

  The Asylum was to be built during 1887. The County was to issue bonds for the
sum required, not to exceed $30,000, the whole to be paid in eight years, with 7
per cent, interest. The ordinance passed by a vote of 16 to 15. At a special
meeting, April 27, 1887, the said ordinance was repealed, and a committee
appointed to take the preliminary steps towards a settlement with the
contractors for their damages sustained by reason of said repeal. Supervisors F.
M. Guernsey, I. M. Deming, and D. Wafler were appointed as such committee. June
11, 1887, at a special meeting of the Board, said ordinance -was again repealed.

  In November, 1887, doubts being entertained about the legality of the special
meetings -when action had been had in reference to the County Asylum, the
ordinance of 1886 was again repealed.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY, WISCONSIN.

By J. WAKEFIELD,
Historian of Old Settlers' Society of Waupaca County.

WAUPACA, WIS.: D. L. STINCHFIELD,
1890.

COPYRIGHT, 1890, BY J. WAKEFIELD AND D. L. STINCHFIELD.

Printed by D. L. STINCHFIELD, Waupaca, Wis. 
Bound by W. B. CONKEY, Chicago.


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