TOWN of Kaukauna.--The first white occupant of the territory, now Outagamie county, was Dominique Ducharme, who about 1790 or 1798 established himself on the bank of the Fox river, at what is now Kaukauna. Ducharme, though said to have begun clearing and making a farm, had Indian trading for his main purpose, and his settlement was not permanent. He secured Indian title to a large body of land, fronting on the river, extending back nearly three miles northwest. Several years later, probably 1817, Augustin Grignon, purchased of the Indians a similar tract in this locality, a part of which was of the land sold by them to Ducharme. This claim was patented to Grignon who occupied it permanently and engaged in the Indian trade there and at other points until his death. His son, Charles A., continued the business until the removal of the Indians and with his brothers, Paul and Alexander, took a prominent part in the town of Kaukaulan, which at that time included all of the inhabited portion of what is now Outagamie county.

"While at Kaukauna Charles A. Grignon, who was a passenger on the Bay City, pointed out to us a modest looking log house near the canal, and informed us that fifty-two years ago (1809?) he was born there. Half a century! What thoughts crowd the historical chamber of memory! Where are those who then peopled what is now Wisconsin? That little band of emigrants; that band of pioneers! Where are they? Only a few linger on earth." (Cor. Crescent, August 17, 1861.)

The government had brought the Stockbridge Indians to Wisconsin and they and the Munsees were occupying the south side of the river opposite Kaukauna. In 1823 Rev. Cadle established a mission among them. These Indians carried on farming to the extent of raising large quantities of corn, potatoes and small grain. A Presbyterian missionary succeeded Rev. Mr. Cadle and died in the work. In 1837 Rev. Father Theodore J. Van den Broek established a Catholic mission among the Menominees at Little Chute, finding in the field of his labors a few whites, among whom were the Grignons already mentioned. Paul H. Beaulieu, his wife, his son Bazil H. and a daughter. Paul Beaulieu settled on the south side of the river in 1835, where he had purchased from the government the saw and grist mill erected to supply the Stockbridges with flour and lumber and, lots 5, 6, 7, 8, section 21, town 21, range 18. In this purchase he was associated with James M. Boyd who, the following year, sold his interest to Bazil H. Beaulieu, and returned to Green Bay. Raphael St. Mary, Mons. Rentier, and Roland Garner followed to this settlement.

Joseph Lamure also purchased land south of the river about the same time, but not succeeding in getting patents at once, remained in Green Bay until July, 1839, when he, with his family, settled on the south half of lots 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, now in Buchanan. His family consisted of Mary, Josephine, William and Charles Lamure and an adopted son, Amable Asselin. "Roland Garner, a Stockbridge from Canada," says Alex. Grignon, "had a big farm at Combined Locks as early as he could remember." Garner's Landing was in the little bay near the Combined Locks station of the Northwestern Railway. Roman H. Beaulieu, a brother of Paul H., came to Kaukaulan probably with Paul, a single man who married after joining the settlement. James Porlier bought of the government the land now occupied by the roundhouse in South Kaukauna. He was a native of Green Bay educated in Canada, came probably about the same time as Beaulieu. Oliver Lemay was a millwright and worked in the Beaulieu mills. N. B. Desmarteau a Canadian settled in Kaukauna very early."

Ephriam St. Louis came to Green Bay, October 26, 1836, and later decided to move up Fox river. Entrusting his worldly effects, together with his family, to a canoe he worked his way to Little Chute, arriving in the fall of 1838, after a four days' voyage. He first put up a, temporary dwelling and claimed a quarter section at Kaukalin or Kaukauna and found there the following settlers, their chief business was trading with the Indians. Charles A. Grignon, Paul Ducharme, Jaques Paullier and Paul Beaulieu. In Little Chute Rev. T. J. Vanden Broek lived with and taught a large number of Menominee Indians. His improvements were a log church, bark covered, built by the Indians. The year 1839 marked the coming of George W. Lawe to Kaukauna, where he owned the Ducharme tract. He found here Charles A. Grignon, Ephriam St. Louis, James Porlier, Joseph Lamure, Paul H. Beaulieu and a few Germans. The mode of transporting merchandise in those days was by Durham boats, manned by workmen who poled them up the river to Grand Chute, portaging the rapids.

In the '30s and again in the '40s the town of "Kaukalan" was organized as a portion of Brown county, and included more than all the inhabited area of Outagamie county, notably that portion of Brown county in which Wrightstown is now located, whose founder, Hoel S. Wright, settling about 1833, identified himself so intimately with the interests and development of the settlement and the organization of Kaukauna that mention of him is due.

The town records of Kaukalan gave procedure of organization as follows: "Grand Cakalin, April 7, 1842. The electors of the town of Kaukaulan met at the house of Paul H. Beaulieux (Beaulieu) on Tuesday the fifth day of April, A. D. 1842, in accordance with a notice of the clerk of the Board of County Commissioners of Brown county, Wiskonsin Territory, and the law, authorizing the same therein cited. When they organized by appointing Hoel S. Wright, moderator; and Bazile H. Beaulieux, clerk; who were duly sworn to the faithful discharge of their duty. When on motion it was, Resolved, That the different town officers to be elected to serve for the ensuing year in the town, be chosen by taking the ayes and noes, whereupon the undermentioned persons were elected to the several offices designated, viz.: Charles A. Grignon, chairman; Paul H. Beaulieux and Hoel S. Wright, supervisors; Alexander Grignon, town clerk; George W. Lawe, treasurer; Bazile H. Beaulieux, collector; Joseph Lemieux (Lamure?), George W. Lawe and Lewis Crofoot, commissioners of highway; Hoel S. Wright and Alexander Grignon, assessors; Henry B. Kelso, Charles A. Grignon and G. W. Lawe, commissioners of schools; Lewis Crowfoot, sealer of weights and measures; Lewis Gravelle and Lewis Crowfoot, constables; Joseph Lemieux, Charles Maites, Alonzo D. Dick and Alex. Grignon, overseers of highway; Paul I. Beaulieux, Joseph Lemieux and Charles Maites, town viewers; Rowland Gardner (Garner), pound master. On motion resolved that there be a tax of one-fourth of one per-centum raised for a school fund; on motion, Resolved, That the Board of Supervisors be, and they are hereby authorized to establish the compensation of the several town officers for the ensuing year, where compensation is not established by law; on motion, Resolved, That for the ensuing year the town be governed by the Acts of the revised statutes of Wiskonsin, which relate to fences, their height, etc., and on motion; Resolved, That the next annual meeting be held at the house of George W. Lawe, and then the meeting adjourned sine die."

The Louis Crofoot mentioned as highway commissioner, lived six or eight years on the Meade's farm in Buchanan. Henry B. Kelso who was elected a school commissioner established a farm in section 7 back of Kaukauna at an early day; his son is still residing there. Lewis Gravelle, the constable-elect, lived in section 23, now in the village limits of Little Chute. Charles Maites lived about a mile from Wrightstown and Alonzo D. Dick kept probably the first tavern in Wrightstown; both were highway overseers. These men were all early comers and helped lay the foundation of the county.

At a special town meeting July 23, 1842, $200 was voted for a contingent fund and $24 for support of the poor.

In the fall of 1842 a party of German immigrants consisting of ten families and three unmarried young men came to Garners Landing. The families were those of John J. Dietzler, Peter Dietrick, Jacob Pauly, Michael Klein, John P. Heinz, P. H. Rausch, J. P. Schumaker, Mr. Frevel, John Kloefel, Anton Heuser, and the unmarried men were Mathias Klein, John Snyder and Jacob Snyder.

There was not at this time a road in that portion of the town now in Outagamie county and to these settlers, who were mostly traders and voyageurs, the river was the principal highway and means of intercourse. A military road had been cut out and made passable after the Sauk war about 1833 and the Stockbridges had trails or roads, portions of which were later established as highways are still in use.

The first road survey is recorded July 11, 1844, "beginning at a stake in the west side of the military road, three miles and a half southwest from Hall S. Wright's house and extends southwesterly to the town line of township 21, range 18."

George W. Lawe in a letter to the Pioneer Association says: "When I arrived in Kaukauna (1839), I found it a veritable wilderness, there were no roads and no way of traveling except on Indian trails or by water. Green Bay was our source of supplies and I was very desirous of opening wagon communication with that place. I went down to see Mr. Wright, the founder of Wrightstown, five miles down the river, he was a particular friend of mine, and had settled there four or five years before. I wanted him to run a ferry across the river so that we could reach the military road running from Green Bay to Fond du Lac. This he agreed to do if I would open a road from Kaukauna. to his ferry. I pledged my word I would do so at once. Much pleased in making such arrangement, the next day I called on my neighbor and laid the matter before him for approval, expecting him to aid me, but to my surprise I found he was opposed to any such radical change. He said: 'My father lived a good many years in Kaukauna and had no wagon road to Green Bay; he got along very well by traveling on horseback or afoot and I guess I can do the same.' Not to be overcome by this exhibition of conservatism, I resolved to try the head Menominee chief at Little Chute, Tyometaw, and see if he would not aid me. He summoned his young men to council and addressed them stating that they were all good Catholics and had adopted the customs of the white people and that I considered them citizens of the United States and perhaps they would be entitled to vote in a few years. As we were obliged to obey the laws of our country and spend two days working out our poll tax on roads, I told them I thought they ought to do the same, and I asked them to help me open a road to Wrightstown so that we could travel to Green Bay. The old chief got up and said that they must obey the laws of the country and further that it would be of great benefit to them to have such a road built. The young men answered, 'Yes, we will go.' The next day I had about fifty Indians to help me; in two days we had the road cut out. The next week we all worked together again and cut the road to Appleton. In these days of steam cars one cannot realize what a blessing such roads were to us. Yet they were not worked-out highways, but trails wide enough for wagons, from which logs and under brush were cut and removed."

After the town organization was effected a number of other German and French families settled in the vicinity of Little Chute and Kaukauna in the four or five succeeding years, coming singly or in groups of a few families, and it was probably during this interval the French settlement was formed in the vicinity of what is now the northeast corner of the town of Grand Chute. Among them were Raphael St. Marie, who lived on the McGuire road, section 12; Joseph St. Marie, Moses Boudouloir, Joseph de Marche, who lived on the French road; Emile, Joseph and Adolph Brouillard, Henry Louis and George Bissonette, Henry, Francis and Lisaret Van de Bogert in section 7, and others in Grand Chute. Benjamin Done, a Frenchman, came from Canada before the Hollanders arrived and built the first hotel in Little Chute. He started a farm near Wrightstown and then kept tavern. John Diederick came before the Hollanders and settled in what is now town Van den Broek; Joseph Hoffman came to the same town about the same time as the Hollanders. Matthias Oert came unmarried from Germany about the same time as the Kleins; Peter Renn early settled in Buchanan; Gabriel Brunette lived above Little Chute opposite Kimberly, early as 1840 or before; Francois Palladoux, a native of the "Soo," came about 1840-45; Francois Mellotte came 1846 or before from Canada, married and lived at Little Chute; Paul Thyboux was married when he came 1840-45, lived opposite Kimberly about the same time; Joseph Trudell came from Canada to Little Chute; Joseph Brouillard settled in Grand Chute; Thomas H. Clark, who settled on what is now Dr. Lord's farm in Van den Broek, was one of the early Irishmen; Oliver Le Court came early and ran Meade's farm in Buchanan; Moses Poquette lived on the Buchanan side below Combined Locks in the later '40s; Anton Loth came with the first Germans unmarried, settled in Buchanan; Henry Shearer, another early German, a mason by trade, settled before 1848 in Buchanan, later in Kaukauna; M. Crevier was an early comer to Buchanan; Michael P. Caulfield, an early teacher at Little Chute, was there in 1849; Peter La Fond kept the second tavern in Little Chute.

About 1843 the Menominees were removed to Lake Poygan, taking from Little Chute the greater number of Father Van den Broek's pupils and converts. Though the country was being settled with new parishioners, being fully persuaded of the grand opportunities offered in this region, he set about establishing a colony of his countrymen. In 1847 he returned to Holland, remaining until early next spring, extolling the advantages offered to emigrants to Wisconsin, and a number of families came with him, and many more during that year 1848. Among them, according to George W. Lawe, were Jacob Appleman, C. A. Hamer, Martin Gerrits, Herman Johnson, Theodore Johnson, J. C. Van Niel, Fred Speel, and others followed until in 1879 there was no land within reaching distance of the church and they went to Nebraska. Of these Alex Grignon says Appleman lived in Little Chute and was prominent in the affairs of the village, town and county. Martin Gerrets was a teacher and lived in Little Chute until his death. Another Martin Gerrits was a farmer back of Little Chute. C. A. Hamer was at first most of the time a teacher and lived at Little Chute. The first or second spring following his arrival he was elected supervisor, was later a county official, and was a leader among the Hollanders from the beginning of the colony. Jacob Van Niel, "the Flying Dutchman," lived in Little Chute. The Speels settled section 31, Buchanan.

Mr. Grignon, who was acquainted with most of the early comers, French, German, Irish, Hollanders and Yankees, identifies the following as being of the Hollander colonists who came in 1848 and who settled in what is now Little Chute village or town of Van den Broek: Theodore Jansen, John Derks, John Van Asten, Hubert Wyenberg, Peter Servass, John Tillman, Cornelius Hendricks, Nickolas and Martin van Gompel, Martin van den Heyden, Henry Leppens, Martin Gloudemans, Cornelius Geisbers, Henry and John Weyenberg, Matthias Hendricks, Theodore van den Oudenhaven, John and Henry Heitpas, John van Molle, John van Dommelin, Martin Gerrits, William and Peter Ebben, John Everts, Arnold van Handel, Henry Roosen, Joseph Forster, John van Lieshout, Martin Joosten, Walter and William Joosten, John Enright, Henry Bougers, John Geisbers, Henry Verhagen, John van der Wyst, commonly called John West, Peter Leurs, Martin Campon, John Campon and John Verstegen. Gerhard Koenen came 1848 to Buchanan; Steven Sanders came alone not long after the colony; Peter Boots arrived before Sanders and kept store with Van der Heuvel.

Jacob Van den Linden came in 1848, later lived in Appleton, then moved to Oconto. John Bergen came from Canada, married at Little Chute and later lived in Appleton. Isaac Hurning settled in section 8, Van den Broek, 1849-50; Anthony came about 1850 to Little Chute; Arnold Terstegen came a few years after the colony and also lived in the village. Arnold Hurkmans lived on Freedom road, Vandenbroek; Francis van Camp came after the colony to Little Chute; Robert Mitchell settled back of Kaukauna about 1850; Jacob Fey came early with his parents to Kaukauna. After the father's death the family moved out. John Hunt was early in Kaukauna, where his son kept the first store after the Grignon trading post. Chauncey Knapp was in Kaukauna before 1852, and about the same time McNeill MeMeloney, after working for a time on canal improvement, settled on a farm back of Kaukauna. His brother-in-law, McNowlen, came about the same time. A. C. Black was one of the first land speculators in Kaukauna, and had extensive holdings in various towns in the county. Peter Rademaker settled at Combined Locks in Buchanan; Phillips also came about 1848. Martin McCormick settled on a farm about a mile from Kaukauna. Thomas Robinson lived in Kaukauna. Alfred Aspinall settled in Buchanan, later in town Kaukauna, finally removing to Appleton. John Van den Linden went to Appleton. All these had come before September, 1852.

At the annual town meeting April 1, 1845, the moderator and clerk proceeded to receive votes for town officers. The act authorizing the voters of Brown county to change the system of their county government, and the act authorizing the supervisors of Brown county to raise money for certain improvements and for other purposes were considered. * * * On the question of county government the ayes were two votes and the noes 21. On the question of road tax the ayes were 22 and noes none. A committee to make nominations of officers for the ensuing year was appointed. They were elected as follows: Charles A. Grignon, Alexander Grignon and David P. Meade, supervisors; Alex Grignon, clerk; George W. Lawe, treasurer; Hoel S. Wright, assessor. Twenty-three votes were cast at this election, and the following year nineteen voters registered, the majority of whom were not favorable to state government, in the proportion of 13 against to 6 favorable. The question of road tax was again submitted, and as before was favorably regarded, 18 votes favoring and 1 opposing. The town meeting of 1847 had to consider local affairs only.

The poll list for 1848 contains 19 names, none of which were connected with the settlement at Appleton; therefore the separation of township 21, range 17, and townships 21 and 22, ranges 16 and 15, which were organized into the town of Grand Chute, April, 1849, did not materially affect the voters or official lists of Kaukaulan. A few officers had been elected from the territory now known as Freedom, which with what is now embraced in Center, was set off from Kaukaulan into the old town of Lansing, and organized September 12, 1849.

The elections and town meetings of Kaukaulan had been generally held at Grignon's store at "Grand Kaukaulan," but in 1850 Michael P. Caulfield, a resident of Little Chute, was elected clerk, and the town meeting of April, 1851, was held "at the town clerk's office, Nepomuc, Little Chute, town of Kaukauna, Outagamie county." Nepomuc is said to have been the name selected by Rev. Van den Broek for the village he platted at Little Chute, but after his death, fall of 1851, it fell into disuse. The county had just been created, and on the question of locating the county seat, Little Chute received 90 votes, Grand Chute six, "southeast quarter, section 6, 21, 19" received one vote, and the geographical center two, indicating a voting population of 99.

The town of Kaukauna comprised township 21 north, range 18 east, and the west half of township 21 north, range 19 east. Fox river ran through the town and much of the river improvements were upon its borders. Rapide Croche, Kaukauna, Little Chute and Cedar Rapids were the points where dams and locks were constructed and where an immense water power was secured. By 1857 there were three villages in the town: Springville, Kaukauna and Little Chute. This town was noted already for its Sulphur Springs, which had become popular. The Green Bay, Appleton and Madison Railway was projected through this town.

At the January session of the county board in 1858 two new townships were projected. Kaukauna was divided and a strip of territory a section and a half wide north of Fox river in town 18 was attached to Grand Chute and all south of the river was formed into a new town to be called Buchanan. The first town meeting was ordered held April 1, at the school house in District No. 6 of the existing town of Kaukauna.

The little village of Synderville, situated near Kaukauna, was the center of a new and excellent agricultural district in 1863. It came rapidly to the front by its thrift and increased population. Stores and shops were already there, and the village seemed destined for a large and substantial growth. In the fall of 1868 the town of Kaukauna was divided into two polling districts, the new one being at the schoolhouse at Little Chute. This arrangement was quite an accommodation to voters living in the western part of the town. In August, 1868, Daniel Trerice shot and killed a large deer in the town of Kaukauna, only a short distance from Appelton. He shot and badly wounded a smaller one, but did not succeed in catching it.

In 1868, according to John Jansen, there were living in the present town of Kaukauna Charles McCartey, Mr. Aspinall, John McGregor, Martin and Michael McCormick, Owen Daly, Dennis McCarty, Peter Rademaker, William Limay and John Limay (or Lambie), Mike Meloney, Peter Diederick, Mike Derks, Joe Duce and Mr. Kelso. Some of them had good farms, well improved. Several of the McDaniels came about this time.

In 1902, at the April session of the county board of supervisors, an ordinance was passed dividing the town of Kaukauna and creating the town of Vandenbroek, the line of partition was the range line between ranges 18 and 19, the eastern subdivision to continue as Kaukauna, the western to be organized as Vandenbroek.

The village of Little Chute, on the left bank of the Fox river, about five miles below Appleton and two miles above Kaukauna, dates its existence as a village settlement from the coming of the Hollander colonists, many of whom settled near the church. The village plat was made about that time for M. L. Martin, T. J. Vandenbroek and Ephriam St. Louis, and is described as "situated partly on section 21 and partly on section 22, township 21 north, range 18 east. The first settlement was made by Rev. Father Theodore J. Van den Broek, who after being some years at Green Bay, went twenty-four miles up the Fox river into the woods, to the Indians at Little Chute, then called La Petite Chute, where he designed missionary work among the natives. There were no habitations of whites, and to shelter the missionary Indian women built him a hut, or wigwam, of bark. It was about fifteen feet long and six feet high and was finished in half a day. In this he lived and began his teaching, using his wigwam for both house and church from Pentecost until the following October, 1837. His efforts were immediately successful and he soon had a congregation of fifty, who heard mass in the open air, and not long after the number had increased to 200. That summer with the help of his converts he built a log church, twenty-two feet wide, thirty feet long, roofed with bark. Joists were laid to receive a floor. The church was built without money and there were no boards for floor or seats, so the joists were made to serve as benches. The following year the floor was covered with boards, and a board roof took the place of the bark.

The first school house was built about 1844, near the new church grounds in Little Chute. The building was put up by the settlers, and teachers' wages and board paid by the missionary. The settlers, few in number, could not meet the expenses; the school was attended by five or six scholars.

"My congregation this year," writes Father Van den Broek, 1843, "numbers six hundred souls and the church is finished. . . . Last year Rt. Rev. Bishop Lefevre honored me with a visit; with cross and banner my Indians went in procession to meet him, and we sang on his arrival 'Ecce Sacerdos Magnus,' and other hymns in their language till we reached the church. Next day seventy received the sacrament of confirmation. At high mass all sang in their own language the Kyrie Eleison, Gloria, and in the afternoon, Vespers, likewise in the Indian language. You never heard finer harmony than the Indians sang in Gregorian chant. The Indians come to school to me every day to learn to read and write, as well as the different trades. * * * The land on which I live, La Petite Chute, is a very pleasant place, where on my arrival all was woods. I can now sow one hundred bushels of grain."

Rev. Mr. Yocum, in February, 1854, held two days of religious services at Kaukauna, there being a large attendance for that time. Little Chute was made a postoffice March 1854, and Peter Maas was appointed postmaster. In March, 1854, the Catholic Church at Little Chute, which for some time had been without a pastor, was supplied by an appointment of Very Rev. Bishop Henni.

"Little Chute.--This village, six miles east of Appleton, is the focus of a large settlement of Hollanders who are improving the country and acquiring a competency. Some twenty-five families have been added to the population of Little Chute and vicinity within the past month and we are informed that they expect at least fifty families to join them during the summer."--(Crescent, June 10, 1854.)

The improvement of the river at Little Chute by June, 1854, was nearly completed. A large number of men had been at work there for some time. Little Chute was one of the first settlements above Green Bay. It was the location of the Catholic Mission and had a large population of Hollanders in 1854. During the early part of the year large accessions to the settlement there were made. It was one of the busiest villages on the lower Fox river and occupied a beautiful location, and the adjacent towns were selling rapidly.

"A party of forty-three Hollanders passed through our village on Thursday afternoon, bound for the neighboring township of Kaukauna. We suppose they have located near the village of Little Chute."--(Crescent, August, 1854.)

In May, 1856, four Germans were drowned at Little Chute. A party of seven attempted to cross the river just above the dam. The boat capsized and they were carried over the dam and only three of the seven were saved. Those drowned, as remembered by Mr. Coenen, were Jacob Snyder, Philip Palm, Andrew Hartsom and his son, Michael. In February, 1861, the Catholic church at Little Chute was supplied temporarily by Rev. Mr. Speahrings, who hitherto had been stationed in Brown county. The Catholics of Little Chute in February, 1861, tendered him a donation visit and left substantial evidences of their regard for his services. A procession of horsemen bearing banners and wearing scarfs passed through Appleton escorting Rev. Mr. Speahrings to his new home. The streets at Little Chute were spanned with evergreen arches inscribed with appropriate mottoes. The church was tastily trimmed and many of the buildings were decorated. Early in May, 1861, the farmers of Little Chute invited their brethren in other parts of the county to meet with them the same month for the purpose of holding a series of stock fairs during the coming summer. Every one interested in good stock was asked to be present.

Early in 1862 a new flouring mill was planned to be built at Little Chute by John Verstegen; it was 36x50 feet and four stories high with two run of stone. The Zeeland Mills are still running, in 1911.

Early in 1863 large numbers of Hollanders settled in the vicinity of Little Chute. They were welcomed by the citizens and soon were in comfortable circumstances. Early in 1863 they began the erection of a new church. The structure was designed to be built of wood, but to have a stone foundation. In April, 1864, a mob at Little Chute destroyed the saloon and liquor kept by Mary Enright, a widow. They chopped the building to pieces with axes and then destroyed the house and contents by fire. The property burned was worth about $1,000. Later the county was compelled in a suit to make good the damage thus done. The Catholics of Little Chute, through the efforts of Father Spearling, began the erection of a new church edifice during the summer of 1864. The building was designed to be 44x110 feet. In September, 1864, the bridge across the river at Little Chute was finished and the people of Little Chute in general and John Verstegen in particular were given praise for the completion of this needed work. It added much to the manufacturing and milling facilities at Little Chute and was a great convenience to people there and at Appleton.

In the fall of 1865 the Catholics of Little Chute circulated a subscription to raise money with which to purchase an organ for their church. A goodly and sufficient amount was subscribed. The Catholic church in process of erection in Little Chute in 1867, under the superintendency of Thomas O'Keefe of Appleton, promised to be the largest religious edifice in northeastern Wisconsin. It was suggested that it would be transformed into a cathedral for the new bishop of Green Bay. Late in April, 1868, the store and dwelling house of Peter Boots at Little Chute was destroyed by fire. The loss was about $3,000, a portion of which was insured.

The cornerstone of the Catholic church at Little Chute was laid early in August, 1868, by Right Reverend Joseph Melcher, Bishop of Green Bay. At 9 o'clock the procession moved to the new church building. It consisted of the children, followed by the Bishop, the clergy, members of different societies and the mass of the people, all carrying banners and badges; the Appleton Cornet Band headed the procession. The Bishop performed the ceremonies in the usual imposing manner. The exercises consisted principally in blessing the place where the high altar was to be, where the corner stone was, and lastly the foundation of the church. In the cornerstone was placed a box of zinc, containing numerous relics. At this time Rev. A. J. Verberek was pastor of the Catholic church at that place. There were present Rev. F. E. Daems, B. DeGoey, Rev. H. Hoeffen, Rev. W. A. Verboort. The latter preached an eloquent sermon during the day.

The village of Little Chute was incorporated in 1899, with John A. Kilsdonk president, H. J. Mollen, H. J. Verstegen, Henry Wyenberg, George Van den Berg, James Gerrits and John Molitor, trustees; John De Bruin, clerk; John Lamers, treasurer. The officers at once set about public improvements and as a result can probably show more miles of good sidewalks and good roads than any other village in the county. The village has a good engine house and council rooms, an outfit of fire fighting appliances, and a good school building, in which both the grade and a high school course are taught.

Though located on an interurban railway having hourly service, and but a few minutes' ride from either Appleton or Kaukauna, Little Chute has as many prosperous business houses as commonly found in a village of its size, some of the stocks being exceptionally complete. December 4, 1906, the Bank of Little Chute was organized as a state bank, with a capital of $15,000. The officers were H. J. Verstegen, president; William Geenen, vice-president; P. A. Gloudemans, cashier, who with H. J. Mollen and Dr. Doyle constitute the directorate since the beginning. H. J. Stark is assistant cashier. The bank has prospered throughout its history, has a surplus in 1911 of $3,750, and is recognized as one of the most substantial institutions in this section. In the rear room is the postoffice.

The Valley Advocate of Little Chute made its initial appearance July 22, 1910, an eight-page, six-column, newspaper, published by F. G. Shirley, who has recently been appointed postmaster.

The present village officers are P. A. Gloudemans, president; Walter Wildenberg, John Williamsen, John Lom, George Heessackers and Barney Hietpas, trustees; Anton Jansen, clerk; Martin De Bruin, treasurer.

In 1902 the town of Kaukauna was divided, by action of the county board of supervisors, on the line between ranges 18 and 19, that portion lying in range 18 becoming a new town called Vandenbroek. At the first election, held May 13, 1902, the officers selected were Martin Weyenberg, chairman; Wenzel Heindl and Anton J. Vandenberg, supervisors; Anton A. Heitpas, clerk; John A. Gloudemans, assessor; John Hendricks, treasurer. Sixty-eight voters registered at this election. At the first town meeting, $1,000 was voted for general purpose fund; $500 for a bridge on Freedom road. In 1904 a thousand dollars was appropriated for Bungers bridge over the creek and an equal amount for general purposes.

Town of Buchanan.--This town was originally heavily timbered with maple, white oak, white ash, butternut, basswood, etc. The soil was very fertile and the water abundant and good. The old Beaulieu sawmill was built by the government in 1824-6-9, by John P. Arndt of Green Bay for the use of the Stockbridge Indians, upon whose reservation it was erected. In 1839 the Beaulieu grist mill was put in operation. B. H. Beaulieu secured the saw mill in 1835.

On July 8, 1800, Dominique Ducharme sold to Paul Ducharme lot 69, on the west side of Fox river, at the foot of Grand Kaukauna, bounded by the river. In 1825 Paul sold his tract to James Duane Doty; also lot 70 and lot 87. Other French and other claims along the Fox on both sides of the river were made by the following persons, with the dates attached: Charles Hyatt, Jacques Veaux, George Fourquette, Pierre Grignon, Basile Le Rue, Theresa Rankin, Francis Meldrum, Jean Bt. Laframboise, George Johnston, Isaac Jacques. These claims were made before 1828, and all were bought by James D. Doty. Later claims were held by A. G. Ellis, S. C. Stambaugh, the Grignons, James Boyd, Paul Beaulieu, Daniel Whitney, Morgan L. Martin, Joshua Hathaway, Charles R. Brush, Basile Beaulieu, T. H. Hubbard, Ebenezer Childs, Joseph J. Porlier, William Farnsworth, Byron Kilbourn, Joel Battles, M. T. Williams, John Lawe, Lewis Eaton, Michael Macobu, Joseph Pauquette, Joseph Lamure, Moses Panquette, John P. Arndt, Thomas Green, William Beaumont, Charles Corrough, James A. Armstrong, Sylvester Sibley, Josiah R. Dorr, Henry T. Stringham, Joel Battles, John B. Langlois, Francis Denoyer, Charles Ihric, Joel S. Fisk, Richard Lud, A. H. Green, Reed Bartlett, John Hulbert, Francis T. Catlin, Anson Dart, Richard Lord, Louis Harteau (lot 1 was owned by Paul Ducharme in 1823), Samuel F. Cutter, Daniel Ruggles, John Wolf, John F. Lessey, Conrad I. Coon, Nathan Goodell, John F. Meade, E. Monjou, William Dwight and others. Several of the above lived on this land, but the majority did not, merely being temporary owners.

The town of Buchanan was created by the county board March 1, 1858. All of Kaukauna south of Fox river was made the new town. The first officers were probably B. H. Beaulieu, chairman; William Lamure and John Dietzler, supervisors; Morris Ringrow, clerk; Peter Radmaker, treasurer; B. H. Beaulieu, Michael Klein and John Cabenson, assessors; John Hunt, William Lamure, Daniel Cline and John Cabenson, justices of the peace; Peter Kline, constable. The total vote was 32.

The most of the officers figured earlier in the affairs of the town but Morris Ringrow was a recent settler and lived in the western part of Buchanan. John Hunt was also a new-comer about the time of organization; Peter Rademacker was much earlier, though not of the first Germans.

While Buchanan was yet included in Kaukauna, settlements were made by the French by 1835 and afterward; by Germans in 1842 and Hollanders in 1848, and thereafter. (See elsewhere.) By 1858 much progress had been made and the first settlement may be regarded as well advanced and the territory well occupied. Among others not mentioned elsewhere were Davey, Rohan, Dan Clune, who lived back of Beaulieu's hill; Pat and Richard Powers and the Cobersons lived over near Holland town; H. Van de Kerkhoff and Michael Maloney lived also in eastern Buchanan; Louis Fourney lived opposite Little Chute; Cornelius, Louis and James du Bruin came with their mother and at first lived on the Meade farm; Anton Loth, a Prussian bachelor, lived near Darboy; the Palms and Phillips who settled about 1855; Peter Haupt and Jacob Jones, about 1857; Coenen, in the '40s; Renn and Sanders early; later Michael Brill, who settled in section 23 about 1863; Maitin Van Groll, a carpenter, came in 1848 and whipsawed the lumber for Coenen's house; his brother, Reinert Van Groll, came about a year later. In 1858 there were thirty-six men between eighteen and forty-five years of age listed fit for military duty, the next year there were sixty and in 1862 only fifty-three.

A large tract of land on the river in Buchanan was bought by capitalists in the fall of 1871, and included the Barber Smith place, B. H. Beaulieu's home, Gardiner's property and many other old landmarks. About $30,000 changed hands.

In the spring of 1892 the natural gas well in Buchanan attracted much attention. The pressure continued to increase. The owner used the gas to heat and light his property; he laid piping and put in burners; the gas was of a superior quality.

In 1835 Rev. Mr. Stevenson was pastor in charge of the Presbyterian Mission church of the Stockbridge Indians in Buchanan. Rev. Jesse Miner was here in 1828 and died the same year; the church was built in 1828 for these Indians. The settlers of Buchanan, as in Kaukauna, Freedom and Vandenbroek were of the Catholic faith.

On December 2, 1846, William Johnston and Henry Finch of Neenah took the contract to haul a load of goods for the first store in Neenah. On the 4th of December, with their load, they reached Lamure's in Buchanan, where they staid all night.

A new brick church in Buchanan was dedicated in October, 1871, and in 1907 the Church of the Holy Name was established at Kimberly by Rev. Lueck of Appleton, with a membership of about 70 families; now increased to about 150. A parsonage was built in 1909. A residence is now being built for the Sisters who conduct the parochial school in the basement of the church; four teachers are employed. Rev. F. X. Van Nistelroy is pastor. A Presbyterian chapel was built in 1909 at Kimberly, under the direction of Rev. Moone of Appleton. Rev. Thomas E. Owens, who was succeeded in 1911 by Rev. Willets.

The village of Kimberly dates its origin from the establishment of the Kimberly Clark mill, 1889, near the locality known to the early settlers as the Cedars on Fox river, and was incorporated in 1910. The village has a free library, a grade school in which two teachers are employed, well improved streets, sewers and crossings, and is making strenuous efforts to secure a bridge across the Fox river, September 5, 1911. At an election to determine whether the village should bond for $12,500, 130 voters favored and two opposed the bond issue. The Kimberly Clark Company maintain a foot bridge across the river and a free ferry on the canal, and during the seven months' navigation season, 1910, registered in round numbers 93,000 passengers, using the ferry only during the hours 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is claimed the number who crossed on the lock gates would easily make the total 100,000. The population of the village at incorporation was 613. The first village officers were: Dr. C. G. Maes, president; W. W. Johnson, Fred Kroenka, Anton Bos, Walter van den Elsen, John Guilfoil and Charles Werth, trustees; Victor Viaene, clerk; Jacob Verboten, assessor; James Kraun, treasurer; John J. Fox, marshal; George Roschek and Jacob Williams, justices; S. R. Stilp, supervisor. The same officers were reelected in 1911, except that William Lemmel and Henry Stuyvenberg were elected trustees instead of Guilford and Werth.

Town of Grand Chute.-- At the organization of the town of Kaukauna there were perhaps a few settlers in the northeastern part of what is now Grand Chute. During the six years following to 1848, several more came to that vicinity, forming the French settlement. Of these Raphael St. Marie was probably first. Bela B. Murch came to Grand Chute June, 1846, and bought land, which was entered June 29, in section 33. He, however, resided in Wrightstown until fall, when he built a shanty and moved in. His nearest neighbor was Burr S. Craft, whose land entry was made June 6 in section 33. The following year Mr. Murch built a frame house, and December 9, 1847, a son was born, who was thought to have been the first white child of American parents born in the county. This claim may be disputed by Charles A. Abbott, who, it is said, was born December 8, 1845, in Freedom. Burr S. Craft moved to Lecos Point, adjoining Murch, December of the same year. After building his house he went to Neenah for lime, which he brought in a bag on his shoulder. Returning that evening he was chased by the wolves. When he reached Mud Creek, which he had to cross on a log, felled for the purpose, the wolves were so near he got frightened, threw his bag into the creek, rushed to Murch's house and yelled: "Maybe you like that music, but d---d if I do." Obid T. Boynton, brother of Mrs. Murch, settled about 1847 in section 32. An elderly Frenchman, Retette Grignon, lived near the Grand Chute, which then swarmed with fish.

In the winter of 1847-8 Henry L. Blood had ten acres cleared in section 26, which was sowed to wheat, the first in town. A breaking outfit used in Grand Chute was a huge plow with a keen sloping coulter, drawn by twelve big oxen. With this outfit the roots of hazel and other brush were plowed out, the stumps of saplings removed and good sized roots of larger trees cut off and torn out. The men engaged in chopping for Blood boarded with Bela Murch, about two and one-half miles away, and carried their dinners to the clearing. One day while eating, the wolves drove them away.

Ezra L. Thurber, said to have been the first settler within the city limits of Appleton, came and established a claim in the spring of 1848, and built a shanty across the ravine west of what was later Pierce's Park, and the first child born in the city, says H. L. Blood, was his son and was born in January, 1849. Revs. Sampson and Smith and H. L. Blood, with Hoel S. Wright, surveyor, laid out the plat of Appleton, August 4 and 5, 1848, located in township 21, range 17, section 26, as follows: East half of southwest quarter, west half of southeast quarter and 31 acres of east half of northwest quarter of section 35, lying north of Fox river. Not long afterward the plat of the Town of Lawesburg was laid out by George W. Lawe, on part of fractional lot 1, section 26, and part of fractional lot 4, section 25, township 21, range 17.

The first team of oxen and the first wagon were brought by H. L. Blood, who procured them in Winnebago county, August, 1848, and set them to work drawing lumber from Oneida Mill at Duck creek, where a hundred thousand feet had been bought for the Lawrence buildings. To reach the mill he had first to open a road.

About the same time Robert R. Bateman and his son, R. S. Bateman, came with a team from Green Bay, by way of the St. Marie settlement, the last place where they could be directed to the future city. They then proceeded west to a section line which they followed south.

Hector McKay came to Grand Chute October, 1850, and settled northeast quarter section 32. F. C. Vandebogert came to Grand Chute, 1850, and in August purchased the fractional northwest quarter of section 7, township 21, range 18, Grand Chute. His brother, Henry, bought the quarter section lying south. Benjamin Proctor came in 1850, was a blacksmith and wagon maker. He is said to have built the wagon which brought the first load of lumber from Oneida. A couple of years after coming he and his son started a tool factory.

There were no roads; mail was carried on horseback once a week from Fond du Lac by way of Oshkosh and Neenah to Green Bay. Burr S. Craft secured an appointment as postmaster, and opened an office in a pine box fastened to a tree near his house at Tecos Point. In the spring of 1849 the post office was established at Appleton, with J. F. Johnston postmaster, and in July H. L. Blood began carrying the mails three times a week from Menasha, Neenah and Appleton to Green Bay, running a stage from Appleton and a row-boat from Appleton to Neenah and Menasha daily, carrying passengers and mails.

Among other early settlers were J.W. Cross, a Mr. Wotieman, D. L. Stinel, D. J. Fouler, Thomas Glede, John McGregor, P. J. Gates, Mr. Gates, A. B. Evarts, Henry S. Eggleston, John Stephens, Mr. Warner, a hunter, D. W. Briggs, William Rork, William Johnston, Anson Ballard, Rev. H. Smith, J. W. Woodward, Byron Douglas, C. G. Adkins, Winfield Scott, Frank Wing, J. W. Whorton, W. G. Whorton, Dudley Geans, John Moodie, Mr. Ford, Frederick Packard, John McPherson, Wm. Louda, Wm. M. Cloken, Isaac I. Buck, J. W. Holmes, John Ennis, E. W. Davis, Frank Bernard, S. H. Otto, W. Breitung and several sons; J. M. Steffens, George Lamphear, John H. Hart, Hanson Green, Jackson Tibbets, J. W. Wilcox, Warner B. Newton, E. L. Thurber, Aaron Messicae, F. R. Fuller, Jonathan Nye, R. A. Law, John P. Whip, John S. Eaton, A. S. Story, Otto van Heukelom, Sylvester Fairbanks, James Wood, Charles and Gideon J. Wolcott, W. May, Wm. McGuire, Arnold Beauiliout, Henry Bissonette, Hugh Sillars, John Nolan, Matthew Long, Patrick Hodgins, N. B. Crane, Richard Burke, John H. Bemis, Abram Wrongst, Timothy Heenan, H. W. Wroe, Nelson Mereness, Edward Hafner, Mrs. P. Webley, Wm. McGee, Timothy O'Leary, Seth Smith, Ed. Putney, Hiram Polly. Hector McKay, Alexander Ross, John, Samuel and Seth Childs all lived up near Mud Creek. Wm. Verity lived on farm in section 16, and with clearing land, hunting bear and deer and keeping bachelor's hall, made out to keep himself employed. The militia list of 1851 shows 159 names of men between 18 and 45 years of age.

W. H. Bogan, in section 16, Scarborough, on the Hortonville road; Sylvester Fairbanks in 21, J. C. Garland, Benjamin Olds, Curtis Stevens, J. C. Cross, Joseph R. Sears, S. W. Fitch, the Lockwoods, Charles Mory, Joseph Rork, Henry S. Fitch, McPherson, Caleb Preston, H. N. Day, J. H. Martin, the Webleys, James Gilmore, Harmon Jones, George Knowles, C. B. Brownell, Amos Story, Robert Morrow.

Under an act relating to the town of Grand Chute, "so much of the town of Kaukalieu in Brown county, Wisconsin, as is comprised in townships 21 and 22 north, of ranges 14, 15, 16 and 17 east, is hereby set off from said town of Kaukalieu and organized into a separate town by the name of Grand Chute, and the first town meeting shall be held at Johnston's tavern in the said town so set off on the first Tuesday in April next. This act shall take effect on the first Tuesday in April next."

State of Wisconsin, county of Brown: At the meeting held at the house of W. P. Tuttle, April 3, A. D. 1849, in Appleton village, town of Grand Chute, county and state aforesaid, Reeder Smith was appointed chairman; Seth W. Fitch, secretary; Henry L. Blood, R. R. Bateman and W. S. Warner were chosen judges of the election and qualified to enter upon the duties of their offices according to law.

It was voted that a tax of $200 be raised for the incidental expenses of the town for the year.

On motion of W. P. Tuttle it was voted that a tax of two and fifty hundredths dollars be levied on each quarter section of deeded land, giving each owner the privilege of working out the same at the rate of one and twenty-five hundredths dollars per day for work, and then on motion the meeting adjourned. -- (Town Record.)

At the election held April 3, 1849, Henry L. Blood was elected chairman; Julius S. Buck and William H. McGregor, supervisors; Julius S. Buck, Robert R. Bateman, Bela B. Murch and Samuel P. Blake, justices of the peace; Ezra L. Thurber, town clerk; Henry L. Blood, assessor; John Stevens, inspector of schools; Hiram Pally, treasurer and collector; Obed T. Boynton, John P. Parrish and William Carter, constables. Twenty-seven votes were cast.

April 23, 1849, a road was laid from the west line of the village of Appleton, at the terminus of College avenue, thence west 24 rods to a stake, thence south, thirty-seven degrees fifty minutes west, 93.61 rods to the corner of sections 28, 27, 34 and 35, and thence to Tecos Point and the county line. This was the first legally laid road in the town. Soon afterward a road beginning at the east end of College avenue, on the town plat of Lawesburg, running east of north one mile 5.64 rods. The road to McGuire's Corners was laid in May, and on the 12th Road District No. 1 was formed, covering the road to Tecos Point, and W. S. Warner appointed overseer. At a meeting of the board of supervisors, September 22, 1849, Alonzo Horton of Hortonville, was appointed overseer of Highway District No. 3; Hiram Polly, overseer of District 4 and James Ward of District 6. "June 28, 29 and 30," says H. L. Blood, "we laid the road to Hortonville and to Bruce's Mills." All these roads became very important thoroughfares, the road to Hortonville when extended through to New London, became known as the Plank road.

At the general election, November, 1849, fifty-two votes were cast. During 1849 many settlers had been locating in that part of Grand Chute now known as towns of Greenville, Ellington, Hortonia and Dale, which in April of 1850 were organized into three separate towns, Dale being yet a part of Hortonia, and when one assessor had made assessment in the whole territory of Grand Chute the preceding year, it was voted at annual meeting, April 2, to have three in 1850. At the same time the following was adopted: "Resolved, That for all time to come, and until otherwise ordered, that swine of every description shall not be free commoners, i. e., be permitted to run at large in the town of Grand Chute." One thousand dollars was voted for the building and repairing of roads and bridges; fifty dollars was voted for support of poor and one hundred for the incidental expenses of the town.

April 10, 1850, the supervisors ordered a road from the southwest corner of section 26, west to the town line, four miles, recorded as number 6. The first chattel mortgage was filed January 18, 1850. The highway commissioners, December 24, 1849, ordered a highway beginning at the west line of township 21, range 15, between sections 18 and 19, running thence east on the section line through ranges 15 and 16 to intersect the state road to Bruce's mill, and at same date ordered a road beginning at the point where the state road leaves the section line between sections 20 and 29, township 21, range 17, running west on the section line through ranges 16, 15 and 14 to Wolf river.

January 10, 1850, town superintendent J. F. Johnston announced the formation of three school districts.

Among the business men in Grand Chute in 1853 were: J. W. Woodward, G. G. Adkins, A. M. McNaughton, J. S. Buck, Phinney Bros., A. C. Darling, Bennett, W. S. Warner, Reeder Smith, Charles Mory, Peter White, Theodore Conkey, Jackson Tibbetts, John F. Johnston, Col. William Johnston, J. H. Marston, William and Joseph Rork, T. P. Bingham, A. B. Randall, Amos Story, George M. Robinson, A. B. Bowen, Dr. Byron Douglas, James Gilmore, Robert Morrow, J. P. Hawley, R. A. Lawe, C. P. Richmond and others.

Late in May, 1854, the citizens of Grand Chute voted to authorize the county supervisors to subscribe stock not exceeding $10,000 and to issue town bonds therefor, payable in fifteen years, to aid in the speedy completion of the Appleton and Stevens' Point plank road. The vote stood as follows: For the road, 141; against the road, 97; majority in favor, 44. "The plank road company has invested our supervisors with ample powers to locate, build and manage the road and from the known probity, enterprise and energy of the gentlemen composing the board we entertain no fears that they will make an injudicious use of such powers. Many of our citizens, and we are among the number, are opposed to loaning the credit of the town or county to such projects unless in cases where we are fully satisfied that an important road will not otherwise be built as soon as desirable." -- (Crescent, May 27, 1854.) * * * "Such is the amount of wealth in this town, due to the rapid increase in population and the excellent business facilities, that capitalists at home are ready to take a large proportion of bonds should they be issued by the board. Whether it will be for the interests of the town that they should be disposed of here or negotiated east where the competition would be greater, the town board are better qualified to judge than we are. Bonds running 15 years at ten per cent should command a handsome premium." -- (Same.)

In 1857 the town of Grand Chute embraced town 21, range 17, and included the city of Appleton. The city included the south sections of the township. In point of fertility Grand Chute was not surpassed by any town in the state. The fertility of its soil, the beauty of its forests, its convenience to market, the thrift and enterprise of its inhabitants, its improvements, both public and private, were all of the highest order. The forests had been felled by 1857 and the soil turned up to the sun, and many fine farms and meadows were to be seen on every hand. Numerous orchards were growing. The rapid development of Appleton greatly advanced the land in and near Grand Chute. At the start the settlers took pride in improving the town roads. The schoolhouses and churches some distance from Appleton were numerous at this time.

March 15, 1858, the territory of Grand Chute was enlarged by the additions of sections 6, 7, 18, 19, the west halves of 8, 17, 20, and all of 30 lying north of Fox river, in township 21 north, of range 18 east, which had previously been included in the town of Kaukauna.

In August, 1858, thirty-five German families arrived from the Fatherland and settled in the vicinity of Appleton. About the same time as many more Holland families came and settled in Buchanan, Kaukauna and Freedom. It was announced that within two weeks in August, 1858, over $10,000 was paid out for unimproved land in the vicinity of Appleton.

November 19, 1859, a committee reported to the county board that the plank roads were impassable, and that towns cannot repair them for fear the companies will put up gates and charge toll; that the charter cannot be repealed. The committee recommended that Appleton and towns make repairs on either of the roads, filing claims against such roads, and that no toll be collected until the towns be repaid with interest.

Among the leading farmers of Grand Chute in 1860 were the following: Barnes, Clarke, Putney, Darling, Rork, Woodland, Bogan, Morrell, Johnston, Ballard, Pearson, Fish, Murphy, Otto, Crane, Hodgins, McGuire, Bogart, Jackson, Wolcott and Heff. The first paring bee ever held in Outagamie county occurred at the residence of B. B. Murch in the town of Grand Chute in October, 1880. Mr. Murch had a large orchard and already raised considerable fruit, and the paring bee was given as a reward to his family and neighbors for their efforts to improve fruit in that community. In September, 1863, five bears were seen in Grand Chute within ten days. A farmer on the school section had a dog badly torn by one of these animals. Deer in considerable numbers were seen in that locality. A Belgian of the same vicinity reported that while hunting his cow his dog in advance was pounced upon by a panther and literally torn in pieces. "Lynx Killed. -- On Thursday, John Van Owen with an ax killed a lynx in the town of Grand Chute not far from the city limits. Another has been seen in that vicinity." -- (Crescent, January 25, 1868.)

In the fall of 1863 John H. Barnes of Grand Chute conducted one of the most extensive and most successful dairies in Outagamie county. He had one cow which gave 27 pounds, 14 ounces of milk at one milking. In September, 1875, Babcock and Schidmore, while hunting for deer in Grand Chute, killed unexpectedly a black bear weighing about 250 pounds. Almost from the start the town of Grand Chute wished to hold its annual elections in Appleton, because to do so was far more convenient; but permission was not granted until 1876, when provision to that effect was made in the new city charter.

Twenty farmers, owning 147 cows, were present at a meeting at the farm house of Myers Bros., in Grand Chute, February 11, 1885, and arranged for a cheese factory, to be erected on the northeast corner of Wickert's farm. Besides the farmers present ten or more others owning more than sixty cows were expected to send their milk. J. Gooster, C. Ballard and W. Doing were appointed a committee for the sale of cheese. The factory started about May 1, with Peter Towne, cheese maker, in charge.

Town of Freedom. -- The first clearing in the town of Freedom was made by a negro named Jackson. Mr. Beebe, who came next, found Jackson here. He had an Indian wife and one child, and had a clearing of nine acres. The negro lived for a while on the Oneida reservation, leasing from the Indians. Beebe settled on section 1. E. B. Abbott came next, in 1842, and bought the Jackson claim. Jacob Juley arrived in the spring of 1846.

After removing to Appleton Jackson acquired the title "General." He claimed his settlement was made in May, 1830. He died in September, 1879.

H. M. Culbertson fixes the date of white settlement at 1843, crediting the first white settlement to Elon B. Abbott, and the Beebe family about the same time. A published biography of Abbott states that after two years' residence in the Oneida settlement he located on the northeast quarter of section 11, in 1842. Prentiss Beebe located on lot 5, section 1, where he resided until his death; about 1849-50. Hiram Rhoads was another early comer, settling on the east half of southwest quarter of section 11, it is thought, soon after Abbott and Beebe. His land entry, October 2, 1845, precedes theirs by two days. The next land sale recorded was to Arthur B. McCallon, in section 15, in 1846. John Stafford, in section 10; Peter Jacob Juley, Joseph L. Sloan, John Hine and James Jackson, in section 15; Reuben M. Norton, in section 20, and China Adams, in section 2, all bought in 1847. Jacob Juley arrived in the spring of 1846. Thus the settlement of Freedom antedates any other of the inland towns of the county. The sale of land proceeded rapidly in 1848. The holders of Mexican land warrants began placing them; many by speculators who had no intention of settling, but in 1848 entries were made by the following, who became settlers: Patrick Roche, section 4; Alexander Bales and James A. Trotter, section 5; William Bales, in 6; Frederick Souders and A. S. Hartman in 8; Samuel Preston and Stedman Hager, in 9; John G. Siddons and Christian Hartman, in 17; Edward G. Smith and Henry W. Armstrong, in 20, all in 1848. Patrick O'Brien in 1849 bought in section 1, Albert Cook in 5, Patrick Monahan in 6, Jonathan J. Nye in 7, Jeremiah Foley in 9, William Monahan in 18, and John Shortell in section 28. In addition to these there were a number who bought lands already entered. Nicholas Juley, a German, came about 1847, to the locality of Sagole, or Freedom village. John Sanders, probably the first Hollander, settled 1848. John Hermes about that year, L. A. Hine, Newells, A. Casper, James Sanders; Ezra Kent in section 11 about the same time. James McCarty lived in 21, Martin Van Dyke came from Holland, and after stopping a year in DePere settled in section 14 in 1849.

Ethan Powers, a former lake captain, lived in northeast 29, on what is called the old Randerson farm, and was the only one there in 1850. In southwest 28 were Hugh McCann and his mother, and his brother-in-law, Barney Boyle, who came that year; Mike McCann, who came at the same time, worked at lumbering for several years before settling. John Doonican and J. M. Cox lived on the west town line road. Warren Newton and M. Roche were residents in April, 1850. Robert Sheriff came about 1851; John Garvey and his sons were early. In the early '50s John Shortell lived in 21; A. McNeal, John Van Den Linden, John de Young, the Smiths, Van Vleeks, Taylors, Nyes, Stedman and Joe Hager lived in the northern part of Freedom. Edwin Nye came in 1856. William Randerson, in 1856, on section 29. John Gehring settled, in section 33 in 1858; his brother, Gottlieb, coming at the same time. Fred Weise and other Germans came to section 6 in 1859. John Brinnan came early, squatted in northeast 28, endured extreme hardships the first winter, thought he must give it up, but in the spring made maple sugar, which he carried on his back to Oshkosh and got supplies and determined to hang on.

The first religious services were held in Mr. Sanders' house by Rev. Father Vandenbroek. The first church in Freedom was St. Nicholas. Nicholas Juley donated five acres for church purposes and upon it are now the church, school, pastor's residence, the sisters' house and the cemetery. The first church was built of logs; the next was a frame, then a stone church, which has been enlarged. A Methodist church was built in northwest section 7. A Congregational church was early organized and a good building erected in section 8. Death and removals so depleted the congregation that the church was sold to the town and converted into a school house. The cemetery on the northeast corner of section 8 is probably the oldest in Freedom. St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Freedom was organized 1869. From that date to 1895 but two pastors served the congregation. In 1889 the beautiful stone church was erected at a cost of $5,000, Rev. Gustave Dettman, pastor. The Moravian church is located on section 7; Rev. Frank Zeller is pastor.

There were a number of families, mostly more or less related, who settled about 1849 in the northern and northwestern part of the town. Among them were the Hartmans, Siddons, Souders, Trotters, Cox and the Bales. Coming from Indiana and settling as nearly in the vicinity of one another as possible, the locality was called "The Hoosier Settlement." Though at one time there were as many as twenty-six families, their descendants are said to be few in Freedom. The first postoffice was established in the Hoosier settlement and was called Freedom. The postoffice at the village was called Sagole and was discontinued after rural free delivery began. It is said Arnt Sanders was the first mail carrier. His route was from Green Bay through Freedom, Center and Ellington. In this work Mr. Sanders traveled afoot.

In 1854 Albert Cook claimed to have one of the best farms in the county. He was located in the town of Freedom. He owned 320 acres in a body, all under fence, and 130 acres of it cleared, of which 40 acres were in winter wheat. In the summer of 1856 improved land in the town of Freedom sold as high as $65 an acre. There was an abundance of excellent land still to be had in that vicinity at from $3 to $7 per acre. Center also contained land worth about the same. In 1857 the town of Freedom embraced township 22 north, range 18 east, all in Outagamie county, and north of the Indian reservation in the same town. A portion of the town, all that joining the Indian lands, was excellent farming land. The soil was of a sandy nature. Much limestone was found below the surface. This town was noted for its living springs and brooks. Irish, Germans and Yankees were there. It had good schools, good roads and an industrious population. In 1857 Andrew Cook of Freedom raised 100 acres of wheat which averaged nearly 30 bushels an acre. His farm was only four years old.

In 1856 the Bradys, Luke, Christopher and John, were here. Others were L. S. Augur, the Knowles, George, Henry and John; the Byrnes, William Bates, Henry W. Armstrong, Hughes, Pollock, Murphy, the Van den Bergs, John Hoks, Patrick Coffey and Sikes. The following year Van Sickle, Vanderlinden, Van Dunkel Berdenson, the Williamsons, Consodines, Hermes, O'Neal, the Wiesbars and Sullivans. In 1858 the Gardners, James and Solomon settled in Freedom. Others here that year were Christ, Miller, Frederick Stormer, N. V. Broekhoven, John Vincent, Ephraim Walker, Philander Hawes, John and Christ Jurry, E. Sargent, Philip Dodge, John and Constant De Young, Matthew Kirby, Anton Ketchoff, Theo. Myse, John Whitsky and Sam Kelly.

In the spring of 1859 by the setting off of Osborn the town of Freedom lost more than one-half its territory. The portion set off now composing the towns of Osborn and Seymour. New settlers continued to arrive. On the militia list for 1859 are found several new names, among them, Patrick Lennon, D. P. Church, Carneys, James Maher, Patrick King; John Reamy, John Darcey, John Vanderben, H. L. Van der Bore, Peter Pfennings, Gerhard Vandelour, Martin Van Nudon, John Vandeboom, Nicklas Shoemaker, John Abraams, Anthony Rothkopf, Dennis Suppels, Charles Grundorff and Frederick A. Knapp.

It was stated by the Crescent, in December, 1860, that the owner of a threshing machine in the town of Freedom cleared during the previous autumn $500.

In June, 1865, John Rickard announced that he had discovered copper in the town of Freedom. He produced specimens which he claimed were found on section 17, town 22, range 18. He was quarrying limestone and found a couple of specimens in the grooves of the rock two feet below the surface. One weighed over two and one-half pounds and the other weighed four ounces.

In December, 1878, Levi Parker, an Oneida Indian, killed James Garvey, a saloon keeper, at the village of Freedom by chopping him down with an ax, making four ghastly wounds, either of which was sufficient to cause death. Parker was promptly arrested and confessed the killing, but pleaded self-defense.

The history of Freedom as a body politic begins with the history of the old town of Lansing, which included, with other territory, the present towns of Freedom and Center. The settlement of Freedom antedates the other township of Lansing, and was in reality the parent organization from which has descended the towns of Center, Osborn, Black Creek, Seymour and Cicero.

The first annual town meeting of the town of Lansing was held September 12, 1849, at the house of Lewis A. Hine. At this time Lansing included the present towns of Freedom and Center, and other territory lying to the north, but since "no one lived there," of importance, and so far as this election was concerned the settlers in the southwestern part of Lansing were not represented among the officers elected. There being no poll list recorded, it is difficult to know if they were represented at this meeting. The officers elected were: Lewis A. Hine, chairman; Elon B. Abbott and Frederick Sanders, supervisors; Lewis A. Hine, town clerk; Alvin S. Hartman, treasurer; Elon B. Abbott, superintendent of schools; James Sanders, Elon B. Abbott, Lewis A. Iine and Prentice Beebe, justices of the peace; Lewis A. Hine, assessor; Alexander Bales and Chauncey Beebe, constables.

The matter of road making being of first importance, the new town at once voted a tax of seven mills on the dollar valuation for that purpose, and a two mill tax to defray all proper town charges and expenses. The first act of the town board recorded was the laying of a road, October 23, 1849, commencing at the town line between sections 6 and 7, running east in township 22, range 18, to intersect the Green Bay road at or near the southwest corner of section 1. Another road also beginning at the west town line at the corners of sections 18 and 19, running east until it intersects the Green Bay road near the southwest corner of section 15. The order for the first mentioned road was afterward revoked "on account of illegal proceedings at the time said road was ordered."

The Green Bay road mentioned was a road extending diagonally across township 22, range 18, from section 1, southwest to section 31, and extended through Grand Chute to Neenah and though thus mentioned, it seems was not surveyed nor formally established by the town until March 16, 1850.

Two school districts were formed December 3, 1849; the first to include all of the east half of township 22 and the fractional sections 34 and 35, township 23, range 18, and district two, included the remainder of the township.

More than twenty miles of highway were established by the board during the first half year of the town's existence. The total of taxes charged to the treasurer was $632.85, of which less than $500 was available for roads.

At the second town meeting, April 2, 1850, two tickets were offered, 22 votes were cast and in nearly every instance the result was a tie vote. It is not likely this result was induced by political differences, but it is thought probable that local considerations were the cause. The ties resulting by ballot were decided by lot, electing E. B. Abbott chairman, William Monahan and Nickolas July, supervisors; E. B. Abbott, superintendent of schools; William Monahan, town clerk; Arvin S. Hartman, treasurer; Lewis A. Hine, William Monahan, J. A. Trotter and William Byrnes, justices; Alexander Bales, Patrick Monahan and Warren Newton, constables; Hiram Rhodes and Alexander Bales were overseers in road districts one and two, respectively.

Forty-nine votes were polled at the town meeting in 1851, when it was determined to raise $1,000 for the improvement of highways, of which there were about thirty miles established.

The town of Lansing was divided and by an act of the legislature, June 5, 1852, that portion in ranges 18 and 19 was set off to form a new town to be called Freedom. The record of its organization is missing, but from other sources it is learned that S. M. Powers was chairman, in 1852, Albert Cook and James Taylor, supervisors, and H. P. Beebe, clerk.

Town of Greenville. -- The first land entry in Greenville was made by Francis Perry, April 17, 1847, but it is doubtful if he became a settler, the first entry for settlement being made by Seth J. Perry, December 22, of the same year. The following April Alexander McKenzie, John Culbertson, Sr., and his son, Matthew, came in. The elder Culbertson, who had settled in Indiana in 1822, and had reared a pioneer family, now came to Wisconsin to procure farms for his children. They entered several tracts at Green Bay, April 14. Matthew's selection was the southeast quarter of section 19, upon which, four days later, he began building the first shanty. The Culbertsons were soon followed by Edmund Hafner, in June, 1848. He stopped a week at Neenah, while he and his sons cut a way into Greenville where he had bought entire section 13. There were six sons and two daughters in his family, but his house offered shelter and was a home for new settlers coming into town.

Alva McCrary and family came that year, 1848, by ox team from Ohio, and in November, James and Isaac Wickware and two sisters, and James Hardacker and family came to section 5, where they had built a cabin in the summer. Mrs. Hardacker also was a sister of the Wickwares and until the following spring lived with them, where Louis Hardacker, the first white boy in Greenville, was born, January 6, 1849. That year Seth J. Perry brought his family from Walworth county to the farm he bought two years before in section 27, while Miles R. Perry and wife settled on section 26. They came from Otsego county, New York, by canal and lake, bringing ox team and wagon. They built a shanty 18x24 feet and to borrow a broadaxe to dress the timbers, Mr. Perry walked six miles; returning it at night, he was chased by drunken Indians. Mrs. Perry's first callers were fourteen Indians and squaws, who appeared at her cabin one Sunday morning, walked in and seated themselves on the floor. Once an Indian asked for a knife, which was loaned him. In a short time he returned it, bringing also a quarter of nice venison. Mrs. Perry's eldest daughter, now Sylvina Culbertson, born October 12, 1850, was the first white girl born in Greenville.

James Webley entered land in section 22 in 1848 and arrived with his family the following April. He started the first tannery to tan deer skins. His four and a half year old boy, in the spring of 1853, strayed in the woods and was lost, and though $300 reward was offered for him and several hundred persons hunted, he was not found, but three months later a child's body was found in a sink hole by Mr. Norton and identified as that of the lost boy and given burial, Elder Keval preaching the funeral sermon. Julius Perrot and wife came from Milwaukee in May, 1849, by ox team. Mrs. Perrot brought a cow. They sowed an acre and a quarter to wheat and reaped 700 bundles, which threshed with flails and winnowed with hand fans yielded 50 bushels. Mrs. Perrot herself underbrushed twelve acres of timber, and at nights packed many thousand shingles. Much of their timber was maple and in the spring of 1854 they made 2,800 pounds of sugar. John Jacquot came with the Perrots, bringing his bride; entered land in section 7, afterward living in section 18. Their eldest son died of scalding, 1854.

Simeon and Lorenzo E. Darling came to Greenville, 1849, living together the first winter. Charles Breiterick (Karl Breitrueck), the first German in town, settled in section 2, remaining until 1855, when he removed to the adjoining section in Ellington. Of him a pioneer says: "I met Charles Breitrich in the woods; he could speak no English, but when he understood I wished to go to Appleton, he went with me a mile or more out of his way to put me on the right path." James Thompkins, in 1849, also located on section 23, cleared his land and established a home. Clark and Roswell G. Wood came in 1849 or early in 1850. Seymour Howe entered land in 1848 and probably settled the same year for he was entertaining travelers early in 1849. His tavern was first in Greenville and the first this side of the "openings." Avery C. Grant and A. Calkins came together in the fall of 1850, and experienced the usual privations. "Grant came with a yoke of three-year-old steers and an old wagon; when he arrived had six cents in cash, was ten days on the road from Milwaukee; built a log house on section 8. They lived a number of weeks on corn bread for breakfast, mush for dinner and cold corn bread for supper, with molasses. They had one pan of flour and loaned half and did not know where the next was coming from."

Wilder Patch came in the spring of 1850, chopped and burned the brush off three acres and planted corn among the logs; began a house but needed more money; took a job of John R. Rynders, July 4; finished September 10, meantime living on what $5 would buy. Julius F. Mory came the same year, his family following from Germany three years later. John Culbertson followed his brothers into the wilds of Wisconsin in 1850, though in the two years of Matthews' residence many settlers had arrived. An election was held at which nineteen votes were polled, and the town was organized. About half the area of the town had been sold, mostly to settlers. Others who were in the settlement early in 1850 were James Wilson, Joseph Randall, William Bucholz, Patrick Liepke, William Prinderelles, Henry Glass, J. Nye, Hume Lathrop, Francis and Luther B. Mills and Solomon Glass.

John and Ludwig Bleick, with their parents, came about 1851, making the trip from Milwaukee with a yoke of oxen and a wagon in which they carried their household goods and a few supplies. Not a tree had been cut on their land when the family reached it. They built a small log shanty, roofed with spit basswood. That winter supplies were hard to obtain, the settlers had to go with ox teams to Green Bay to get flour and pork, though once John succeeded in getting fifty pounds of flour at Little Chute, which he, a boy of sixteen, carried home on his back, more than twelve miles.

George W. Boon and family, together with his parents, came to section 3 in 1851. The land was "all in the woods," a clearing had to be made and a house built, so it was not until 1853 that they resided in it. This house, a frame structure, stood on the road from the southern counties to the pine woods and was large enough to afford accommodation to travelers. Among others who were in Greenville early in 1851 were Leonard Dunkle, John Jordan, John Smith, Thomas and, Michael Powers, Joshua Howe, John Roberts, Griffith Jones, William Roberts, John H. Seger, John Quinn, Dennis McGraw, James Redmond and Washington Pooler. Jerome Lewis came that year and though his later residence was in section 12 of the town of Dale, he was identified with the early history of Greenville. New residents the following year were: M. J. Colby, Frederick Schebler, Frederick Keeler, Frederick Thomas, Michael Schinners, T. Wait and Thomas Marsdon. The Sweetser family came in 1852, the McLeods about the same time. E. S. Palmer came in 1853, soon followed by John Dey, who since 1849 has been living in the town of Grand Chute. A. P. Lewis and his sister, who later became Mrs. E. S. Palmer, Hiram and Joseph Jack and their families, came in 1854. John Schefe and family, Frederick Becker and the Angelroths, Scotts, Barclays and McGregors were here in 1853. Palmer settled on section 6, where he still resides. Of those here when he arrived, he alone is living in the town. His wife, who died October 27, 1909, was probably the last surviving daughter of the American Revolution.

Among those who came in 1852 or early in 1853 are Peter Smith, F. Tharnagel, T. Mullaine, Dennis Long, E. H. Stone, Wakefield and John G. Jewett.

"The town of Greenville is receiving a large and valuable accession to its population from the central and eastern states. Greenville contains some of the finest lands and some of the best improvements in the county. In June, 1854, considerable excitement was caused by the announcement that gold had been discovered along the river. An examination proved that the alleged gold was a large mass of copper which contained a small percentage of silver. This was the second discovery of large masses of native copper in this locality."-- (Crescent, July, 1854.)

"Greenville. -- Since last spring (1854) about 3,900 acres have been sold in this town to actual settlers. It is a most beautiful section of country." -- (Crescent.)

Philo Root came to the county in the fall of 1854, but did not settle in Greenville until he had taught school two winters in Medina. Hiram Jack built his cabin in section 6, broadside to the Appleton road. The door and window were on the sunny side, therefore not visible from the road. Settlers passing by would yell, "This is the house that Jack built; how does he get in?" The Jacks were among the first settlers to keep sheep, a difficult thing to do, because the predatory animals had a particular fondness for mutton and lamb. The wool was needed for clothing and stockings, the women (there were nine daughters and one son in this family), spinning the wool for clothing as well as for mittens and hose. John Dey lived four years in Grand Chute before coming to Greenville. He had a wife and two babies, ten cents in money, a cooper's kit and a little black cow when he reached Grand Chute in 1849. At 86 years of age he still resides on the same farm in section 7, Greenville, as ready to teach a Sunday school or attend a picnic as sixty years ago. Daniel and Martin Schulze settled sections 3 and 9 respectively. Scott on section 29, the Barclays and McGregors on the Appleton road. In October, 1855, a squirrel hunt on a large scale was held in the town of Greenville. The party dined at Bennett's Hotel in Hortonville. A large number assembled and killed approximately 500 squirrels.

Michael Woods in 1855 brought his bride to land he had previously purchased in section 12. Alexander Culbertson the same year came to the farm his father had procured for him seven years before, upon which no improvements had been made. He was followed by his sisters, Margaret and Nancy, and their father in 1858.

In November, 1855, the average price of improved land in the town of Greenville was $12 per acre. The farm land from the Kling schoolhouse westward through Greenville and Dale was one of the most beautiful tracts in the county. A good road was necessary to open that community to Appleton, and the towns were earnestly working to make it.

Probably the coming of no other settler was so far reaching in its influence or so beneficial to the county's agricultural resources, as was the advent of Louis Perrot, who with his father, Ferdinand, came in 1855 and. secured the Howe property. Louis Perrot was the father of the cheesemaking industry in Outagamie county, making cheese at first from the milk of his own dairy, then operating a private factory, receiving milk from his neighbors. He demonstrated to the farmers of Greenville, and later to the county, that by dropping wheat growing and taking up cheesemaking, they could free their farms of mortgages.

The town of Greenville in 1857 contained many of the best farms in the county. There were several large hay marshes on the south, which in time became famous for stock raising purposes. The land was rolling and the soil generally was of the best quality. Even as early as 1857 this town boasted of its rapid settlement, good schools, churches, excellent wheat crops, enterprising population and sleek cattle. Already there were many Germans in the town and many farmers were in position to give employment to German immigrants, who began coming at about this period, remained a few years, saved their earnings and bought tracts in newer towns of the county, in some of which it is asserted that practically all the German settlers worked awhile in Greenville before settling, thus indicating the point to which the town had advanced in a few years. That the wilds were not entirely conquered is shown by the following from an Appleton paper: "In September, 1858, Mr. McGinnis of Greenville was instantly killed in that town by a tree falling on him." That accidents of this nature did not occur oftener is by the old settlers themselves now considered remarkable. Another phase is here indicated: About the first of October, 1858, a huge bear weighing 400 pounds was killed with axes by Matt Long and his party of men on the Greenville road near Appleton. The bear was exceedingly fat and supplied the whole neighborhood with fresh steak. Another large bear was shot by Thomas Dunn soon after about two miles north of Appleton early in.October. The Crescent said: "Bears are more abundant in this county than when it was a wilderness," due no doubt to the juicy young pork the settlers were raising.

The settlement was now two years old; religious influences had prevailed from the start, but as yet no attempt had been made to bring together the adherents of the various religious organizations in the county until commencing the first of September, 1859, a large camp meeting was held in the town of Greenville and continued several weeks. It was held on the land of Mr. Wickware, near the Dye school house, and near the plank road from Appleton to Hortonville, three miles east of the latter place. At this time John Dye was postmaster at the Greenville post office. During the camp meeting a large number of Oneida Mission Indians encamped on the grounds. The leading ministers in charge were Revs. James T. Suffron and William Colburn. These Oneidas were not casual visitors, but took a prominent part in the services, particularly in singing.

In 1863 the farmers throughout the county organized farmers' clubs, or societies, for the purpose of improving agricultural methods and live stock, and acted in conjunction with the County Agricultural Society. One of the strongest was in the town of Greenville; A. P. Lewis was its president and Louis Perrot its organizer. At one of their meetings they thanked Dr. Douglas, secretary of the county society, for the skillful and successful manner in which he had conducted the county fair in October. The enormous acreage put under cultivation in the ten years preceding in Wisconsin and other states was affecting the market. Farmers must by scientific methods lessen the cost of production, and, as usual, Greenville was in the forefront of progress.

In the fall of 1863 another large and successful camp meeting was held in the town of Greenville under the auspices of the German Reformed Church.

In May, 1864, a terrible fire raged through the greater part of the town of Greenville. It seemed at first as if all property would be swept away, but by great exertions buildings were saved and the fire was checked and turned in a direction where it could do little harm. Thousands of rails were burned and men, women and children were burned out of work and out of homes. This fire worked double havoc and imposed greater hardship owing to a large percentage of the men being at the time far from home in their country's service.

In 1865 Louis Perrot of Greenville exhibited in Appleton a load of splendid tobacco which he had raised on his farm. It was of the Havana variety, and was fully grown and perfectly cured -- a practical demonstration of the adaptability of Greenville soil to diversified farming. It was along the line of stock improvement and diverting the farmers from wheat to dairy farming that Perrot and his associates expended their energies. That the methods advocated were practicable is shown by the following: "Louis Perrot of Greenville has made more money out of cheese manufacture than from double the amount of capital and labor invested in other farming operations." -- (Crescent, December 11, 1869.)

The change to dairying has long since been effected, practically the entire area being now devoted to that industry. The building of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railway afforded better shipping facilities. The principal highways are among the best in the county. The farm buildings, large and substantial, the soil rich, generally well drained, make the town rate among the best in the county.

On March 12, 1850, the territory comprised in township 21 north, range 16 east, was created a separate town of Brown county, and April 2 of that year an election was held and the town organized with officers as follows: Isaac Wickware, chairman; Hume Lathrop and James M. Wickware, supervisors; Simeon Darling, Matthew Culbertson, Seymour Howe and Isaac Wickware, justices of the peace; Lorenzo E. Darling, town clerk; Simeon Darling, assessor; Matthew Culbertson, treasurer; Lorenzo E. Darling, superintendent of schools; Lorenzo E. Darling, James M. Wickware and James Wilson, constables; James Webley, sealer of weights and measures. Nineteen votes were polled. At this town meeting a town tax of one-half of one per cent was levied. Road tax was fixed at two days' labor on the highway for each quarter section of land, with road wages $1.00 per day. At a special meeting of the town board, April 30, it was voted to raise $500 to repair roads and bridges. They levied three mills on the dollar for school purposes. May 10 the town was divided into six road districts.

The religious history is similar to that of Hortonia, Ellington and Dale. The same priests and preachers who had labored there held services in homes and schoolhouses here. Probably the first religious organization was a Sunday school held in the schoolhouse in District No. 1, organized not long after the schoolhouse was built. It was non-denominational in character. John Jewett was the superintendent. This school was maintained until the organization of the church and a Methodist Sunday school at Medina. Another early Sunday school was held in schoolhouse No. 4, with John Dey superintendent. After the organization of the Baptist and Congregational churches at Hortonville and the Methodist Church at Medina, most of the English-speaking Protestant families found church homes there. An Evangelical Lutheran (German) and a Catholic congregation were organized, both having resident pastors, while a German Evangelical Church is served by a minister of Appleton.

The first cemetery was a neighborhood burying ground, near the southwest corner of section 17. It was never deeded nor dedicated to the purpose and interments discontinued after the land changed ownership. A square acre was secured by the town board, a little north of the old ground, platted and lots sold September 1, 1860, and most of the bodies were removed from the old to the new cemetery. After the lots in this cemetery were all sold a new site was purchased and platted a little south of the town center.

Settlers of American birth, of English and Scotch ancestry, and settlers of German and Irish nativity followed closely one another into Greenville. Haphner, the first to bring his family, was Irish. The Wickwares, Culbertsons, Scotts, McCrarys, McGregors, Barclays and McClouds were Scotch. The Schulze, London and Kaphingst families, Christ Zachow, Henry and Hubert Wolf, Joseph and George Moder, Adam Frederick and Fritz Miller were early Germans. Among the Irish families were Gartlin, McGarvey, Monahan, Farrell, Long, Nolan, McGinnis, McGrath, McInerny, McGahan and others, jolly, warm-hearted and hospitable. "I never entered an Irish home that I was not pressed to stay for whatever meal might be next," says an old-time town assessor, "and though the fare might be scanty the hospitality was freely tendered. I sat at one table whereon was only dried fish, and felt I was welcome. I called at another house to make assessment. 'You must be tired and hungry,' the woman said, arid started to get me food. She opened her cupboard, threw up her hands in dismay and exclaimed: 'Divil a bit of bread have I in the house. Davy has eaten it all up. But never mind, sit ye down an' I'll make ye some'; which she immediately proceeded to do.

Town of Hortonia. -- This town derives its name from its first settler, Alonzo E. Horton, and at the time of its organization comprised all of the townships in range 15 in Outagamie county. In 1852 the town was divided, that portion lying north of Wolf river to form a new town called Embarrass. The following year the town was again divided, setting apart all the territory in township 21 north, range 15 east, to form the town of Dale. This separation leaving only about seventeen square miles in Hortonia, it was deemed advisable to add to its area, which was done later by taking sections 1 to 6 inclusive from the town of Dale and including them in Hortonia. Since that action there has been no change of boundary or area, except in forming the Third ward of New London. A limestone ledge may be traced from the county line, traversing more than half the length of the town from west to east. From this rock a superior lime is made, having unusual binding quality, and a limekiln has been maintained near the county line for more than fifty years. Water of fine quality is usually easily procured at moderate depth, except on lime ridge, where it is more difficult to reach the waterbearing strata. Many of the artesian wells particularly about Hortonville, have sufficient "head" to form constantly flowing fountains.

Settlers in the prairie or sparsely timbered counties to the south and southwest needed shingles and to satisfy their demands Knapp Brothers made hand shaved shingles in a cabin on the site of Hortonville in the winter of 1847-8. At this place they were merely squatters and it is doubtful if they were actual settlers in Outagamie county. Following them, early in the spring of 1848, March 3, Alonzo E. Horton entered a tract of land, the southeast quarter of section 35. His selection was determined by the fact that here Black Otter creek would afford sufficient power to operate a saw mill and the region about was covered by a heavy growth of fine timber. Late in the summer he returned with a force of men and began putting in a dam, digging a race and building a saw mill, which began making lumber about the first of August, 1849. In November of that year was filed the plat of the village of Hortonville. He did not long remain in the town of his founding, however, removing after the sale of his properties to California, where, in San Diego, his death was not long since reported.

Few of the men who engaged with Horton in building the mill remained to become actual settlers. Captain Joel Tillison was one, and he became the pioneer lime burner of the town. Obadiah A. Blackwood arrived in time to help finish and start the saw mill and being an experienced lumberman he engaged with Horton and successors for about eight years, sawing lumber and rafting it to Mississippi points as far as St. Louis. He bought land and cleared it, living not far from where the Northwestern depot now stands. He afterward removed near New London in Hortonia, where he cleared another farm. Alvin Orvens, who came November 20, lived not far from the Northwestern depot, but after about thirteen years sold out and removed to Michigan. Henry J. Whicher became a settler early in the spring of 1849 and that summer built a hotel, which was called Pinery House, the first in the town. He, too, was transient, as soon afterward he sold to Burton, from whom it passed to Hampsen, who continued the business.

Luther Morton came June 1 and began clearing the southwest quarter of section 35, but he, too, sold and passed on. James, McMurdo came to identify himself with the development of the town and county, arriving June 3, "possessed with a spirit of perseverance and a fixed purpose to deal honestly with all men, and lived to reap the fruits of industry, honesty and integrity, with full purse and a happy home." Henry Kethroe came in June also and remained a short time before settling in Ellington.

But eight settlers had preceded Matthew McComb when he brought his bride of three months to Hortonia on July 2, 1849, in company with Hugh Leslie and his family. Leslie and McComb had entered land in section 28 about a month previously, but when coming to settle became confused and located on land belonging to Simeon A. Shephard, thinking it was Matthew McComb's tract. Here, says Matthew McComb in pioneer sketches, "they lived for nearly four weeks, having nothing but the canopy of Heaven for their curtain; there was not one shower of rain; during this time they built a shanty and the question arose how and with what shall it be roofed? Being greenhorns and unskilled in the use of the axe they never thought of making troughs for the roof, so they concluded to wait until Horton commenced sawing logs in the mill about August 1." They secured the first lumber sawed and made their roof. They remained in this shanty in which there was neither door nor window, until September, when, having constructed shanties, each with his family removed to his own tract.

The Simeon A. Shephard mentioned by McComb had a tract of land also in section 28, but whether his settlement preceded that of McComb and Leslie or was some months subsequent we are unable to fully determine. That he came with his family at an early day is certain and that he identified himself with the welfare of the community is shown by his election to office in the town.

Mason C. Hulbert, who also came in August, was the first store keeper. On the corner of Oshkosh and Main streets, directly opposite the Arlington Hotel, he erected a story and a half frame store building, which is still in use on the same site. Goods, which were brought from New York, occupied the lower room, while the room above was a haven in which many settlers' families found shelter while their own cabins were being erected. Hulbert's connection with the store was brief for in January of the following year it passed into the hands of Briggs, Pelton & Company.

Thomas Ogden came also in August. His cabin, with those of Matthew McComb and Julius G. Nordman, were the only ones on the road between Hortonville and Muckwa and were known as the Irishman's, the Englishman's and the Dutchman's. Thomas Easton and John Easton came in October and the latter built a hotel on Nash street at a point about opposite the Arlington livery barn. It has since been removed to the front of the same lot, corner of Nash and Appleton streets, where it is used as a dwelling.

Norman Nash came the last of November and built a hotel, which he called the Hortonia House, on the corner of Main and Nash streets, on the site of the present Arlington. He had it finished and furnished and ready for the accommodation of travelers about August 1, 1850. Some time later Platt Rudd secured the hotel and operated it several years. Lucius Collar at a still later date kept tavern there. David Briggs, Platt Rudd, Byron Pelton and George L. Merrill became identified with the town when, June 27, 1850, they purchased the stock and store building of Mason C. Hulbert.

Oliver Poole and family came February 28, 1850. "Aunt Sally Poole" was the home doctor for the settlement, ministering not only to physical but to spiritual ills, in sickness a nurse and in the house of sorrow a consoler and comforter. Of Mr. and Mrs. Poole it is said: "Their home has always been an asylum for the poor, a hospital for the sick and a home for the homeless, irrespective of nationality or color." In her ministrations Aunt Sally assisted the stork on more occasions probably than any regular practitioner ever resident in Hortonville.

Moses W. Allen came in 1850 and commenced a mercantile business, purchasing of Briggs, Pelton & Company the stock installed by Hulbert. As may be imagined his stock was not an extensive one, consisting "mostly of notions, a few groceries, some blue calico and denim and a little red flannel." His trade at first did not warrant his continual presence in the store and a part of his time was occupied at the saw mill, where with a lathe he turned spindles and rounds for chairs. It is said, however, "he was an adept at storekeeping and became very successful" in Hortonville. He was a good man and citizen and firmly believed in and advocated the efficacy of cold bathing and installed at the saw mill the first shower bath in the village.

J. J. Steffen, Matthias Klein and Andrew Cornish became settlers in May. Cornish first kept a store, which he left to preach the gospel and soon afterward removed from town. Ira Hersey came in the fall of 1850 and lived in town until sometime in the fall of 1872, when he removed to Kansas. He was by trade a miller. Joseph Clark, who came the same fall, lived in the village until he could build his home. A year or two later he went to Green Bay and procured the first mill stones brought to the town. They were installed in a shanty at or near the saw mill and used for grinding corn. Ira Hersey operating the mill. He had been operating a makeshift outfit at the same mill for a time before. So far as can be ascertained no flour was made in either grinding apparatus. Leonard Steffen canme May 7, 1851, and bought a farm a half mile west of Hortonville. With the exception of a few years he spent his life in town. John McMurdo came June 8, purchased improved land of his brother, James, who had preceded him, and began farming. He also, as opportunity afforded, followed his trade of millwright, among others erecting the flouring mill of Briggs and Sandborn. Augustin C. Briggs came in the fall of the same year. In 1856 he built a fine hotel for the time, which now, after fifty-five years, is still offering entertainment to the traveling public and is known as the Gates House. The first guests of this house were entertained in the basement at a Fremont campaign banquet, the house proper not being completed. Isaac Leach and sons, Eli, Ell and Alden, became settlers Decenmber 23, 1850, and with them came Joseph Clark, who lived in town to the time of his death, about 1877. George Tiplear settled the latter part of June, 1852. He was a blacksmith and established his shop on the south side of Main street, on the present site of Graef's store. While there is record of an earlier blacksmith shop in 1849 it is thought to have been a forge used in building the saw mill machinery and not a general custom shop. Elder William Mitchell, a Baptist minister, settled on a part of the northeast quarter of section 35 and began clearing his farm and holding religious services in the school house at Hortonville and at other points in the settlements of Ellington, Greenville and Dale. At the organization of the church in Hortonville he became its pastor.

In the fall of 1852 William W. Briggs, David Briggs and H. B. Sanborn secured the unsold portion of the village plat and the saw mill and the following years built as good a flouring mill as any in the county, thus adding more to the comfort and welfare of the settlers than any one who preceded them. Soon afterward the property was divided, David Briggs taking the saw mill and timber land and William Briggs and Sanborn taking the grist mill and village plat. Jacob Steffen and family became settlers October 16, 1852. Stephen A. Thompson came in November. Francis Steffen came with his parents and after the war settled on section 33. The Pettibone family and Mr. Jack came in 1853 or early in 1854. In that year the village of Hortonville promised to be the most prosperous inland village of the county. It had two stores, one of which was opened by Mr. Norward. The amount of travel through that point was very great. Many strangers visited that section looking for permanent homes.

"In April, 1854, the house of Oliver Poole at Hortonville was totally destroyed by fire, whereupon the neighbors immediately assembled and erected him a new one. That is the way we do up things in this country." -- (Crescent.)

The citizens of Hortonville celebrated the Fourth of July, 1854, appropriately. The committee of arrangements was A. C. Briggs, E. E. Leach, W. Clarke; and the marshals, J. Hersey and N. Nash. W. Jones and Rev. A. C. Lathrop were the orators. Delegations from New London, Dale, Greenville and Ellington were present. Mr. and Mrs. Rudd furnished dinner for all who required it. Many toasts were responded to by Rev. A. C. Lathrop, E. S. Welch, W. Jones, M. W. Allen and others. Among the toasts were the following:

"The Fugitive Slave Law. -- May we soon see it universally declared unconstitutional and void." "Judge Smith of the Wisconsin Supreme Court -- May he never repent declaring the Fugitive Slave Law unconstitutional." "The People of Hortonville and Vicinity -- May this not be the last time they celebrate the day of independence and freedom in a manner worthy of the occasion." "The Mosquitoes -- Though they sting, yet rather would we bear their bills than fugitive slave bills and Nebraska bills." D. E. Woodward in August, 1854, was appointed postmaster at Hortonville, vice M. W. Allen.

Quite a number of Buckeye farmers have settled in the vicinity of Hortonville within a short time. Four or five large bears have been killed in the Wolf river region near Hortonville during the last week. Black bears are very plentiful in that vicinity. Mr. Woodward has built a very handsome Gothic store at Hortonville. The village is improving. The adjacent country is also rapidly advancing." -- (Crescent, August, 1854.) "A Great Crop -- Mr. Leach of Hortonia raised 55 bushels of corn to an acre of land this season." -- (Crescent, 1854.) Mr. Leach, being a. settler of December, 1850, his farm was less than four years old and stumps and roots covered fully one-third of his ground. In October, 1855, Hortonville boasted of a flouring mill for custom work. This mill proved invaluable to that portion of the county and to the settlers and lumbermen up the Wolf river, making the village a base of supplies, whose importance increased each year. In 1856, the village of Hortonville, on the plank road, about fourteen miles from Appleton and two miles from Wolf River, was growing rapidly. The soil was excellent and it was believed the village in a short time would show a population of one thousand. An excellent water power was utilized and there were also established a large saw mill and a flouring mill, a large hotel, two general stores, several mechanics, a neat school house and two hotels.

About 1856 Lucius Collar purchased the Hortonia House and kept tavern. About this time is dated the advent of Cyrus H. Wire and family, John and Anthony Logan and Edward Gowell, the latter engaging in lumbering and operating a steam mill. S. S. Whitman bought the water power mill of Briggs and ran it until its days of usefulness were over. Moses Allen, the first real storekeeper in Hortonville, was succeeded by Woodworth, and later Grant, after whom the stock passed to Charles and Herman Buck. Otto Buchman started the shoe business in the later '50s, and Julius Zuehlke came in 1855, followed the next year by his father, who settled on section 29.

The Maas family came about the same time, remaining in town six or seven years; the Rideouts appeared somewhat earlier; Freeman Nye got land in what is now the southern section of Hortonville; John T. Rose came in the fall of 1855 and about the same time Anton Stroinsky, Gottleib Kraus and the Matz brothers came, settling along the "plank road"; the Waterman family came also about that time; the Knaaks settled on Wolf river, section 20, and in addition to clearing a farm established the first brick yard in Hortonia, probably the second in the county, the other being at Appleton; the Steigs came earlier, about 1855; John Foy came about 1851; Mr. Bosworth, who afterward platted an addition to New London, came about this time; Chauncey Carpenter arrived about 1856 or 1857 and bought a quarter section of Julius G. Nordman; Nordman, though living over the county line in Waupaca county, owned two quarter sections in Hortonia and was in a way identified with the town and its early settlement, coming about 1849; Patrick Mulroy came later to section 5 and Patrick Dacy to section 6.

Dr. Perry was practicing in Hortonville in 1856 and was probably the first resident physician. Prior to his coming physicians, when needed, had to be called from Neenah or Appleton. Later doctors in Hortonville were Dr. Bowen and Dr. Mills. Louis Jacquot came in 1856, at first doing carpentering and farming. From his youth he has been closely identified with the business of the town and village, the greater part of the time in an official capacity.

Through Hortonville ran a large stream of water which emptied into Wolf river. There had been erected an extensive dam and the water power was well secured. Several mills, flour and saw, were already in operation in 1857. They furnished an excellent quality of flour and large quantities of lumber for local improvements. There were several dry goods stores, grocery stores, two large hotels; in fact, Hortonville, in 1857, boasted of one of the best and largest hotels in northern Wisconsin. The village was located midway between Appleton and the vast pine regions on Wolf river. This fact gave it a steady travel and made it the center of improvements. A good road ran from Hortonville to New London, which latter was the steamboat port of Wolf river. A contemplated line of railroad ran through Hortonville from Appleton to New London. Hortonville was then and is yet one of the most important villages in the country. In 1857 Briggs and Sanborn completed a new mill to which they added steam power. Sylvester S. Whitman came in 1858 and, purchasing the water power saw mill, began lumbering and making matches. Before coming to Hortonville he had been two years in Oshkosh, where he made the first matches manufactured in the state.

In January, 1859, the congregations at Hortonville presided over by Rev. William Mitchell and Rev. Edward Peterson, surprised their pastors and made them valuable presents of money and supplies. In the spring of 1859 Daniel Huntley's school in the village of Hortonville held a public exhibition that was attended by almost the entire village and community. The scholars acquitted themselves greatly to their credit and as a whole the school was pronounced a success and the teacher was continued in his position. In September, 1859, a lodge of Good Templars was instituted in the village of Hortonville by the district deputy, J. F. Johnston. A large number of Good Templars from Appleton assisted in the organization and in the initiation of the new candidates; 27 citizens of Hortonville and vicinity united with the order. It was stated in August, 1860, that the Hortonville Lodge of Good Templars had a membership of over 140. It was less than a year old and was the largest of that order in the state. In August, 1860, Benjamin Rideout, a millwright engaged in a steam mill at Hortonville, was caught in the machinery and instantly killed. He left a wife and five children.

Joseph Clarke of Hortonville exhibited a live calf about a week old at Appleton which had but three legs; the right foreleg was missing. The calf did not seem to miss it as it ran along as lively as any other youngster. In February, 1862, Hortonville had three or four stores, six or eight shops, two taverns, a neat church and another one nearly built, a large steam saw mill, and a population of several hundred. In June, 1862, the steam saw mill at Hortonville and the planing mill of W. F. Hardacker, were destroyed by fire. The steam mill was owned by Briggs and Culbertson. There was no insurance and the loss was heavy. This was a hard blow to that thriving village.

The building of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad gave Hortonville an impetus few interior villages enjoy. During the past season Emil Schwebs has built an elegant brick residence; F. Florbou a frame residence of goodly proportions; August Schwebs, a large dwelling; S. S. Whitman, a new building for grocery and dwelling combined; W. H. Rideout, a very handsome new dwelling. W. E. Clark built an elevator of extensive capacity; J. P. Hews, a neat residence; J. H. McMurdo, extensive improvements on one of his dwellings; Conrad Peters has added material improvements to his residence.

"The business firms of Hortonville are all stanch, reliable and enterprising. W. K. Rideout is a leading manufacturer in the village, making lumber, sash, doors and blinds. He has expended upward of $1,000 in improvements the past year and his facilities are first class. He gives steady employment to eighteen hands. A. Graef conducts an extensive flouring mill and deals heavily in general merchandise. Improvements amounting to $1,500 have been put in his mill this past season, making it now first class.

"W. E. Clark deals heavily in grain, has an elevator.and presides over the Troy House. Few firms in the county do a larger, more thriving business than H. T. Buck & Bro., general merchants. F. Fleichauer, tanner, is turning out fine grades of leather and a good deal of it. J. Kline in his new shop is doing heavy business blacksmithing. A. Haller, tinner, makes himself very useful to the community. M. Ritger, wheelwright, is an excellent workman. A. Buck, O. Buchman and A. Kenesil are separately engaged as boot and shoe makers. Julius Zuehlke and John Miller deal out the ardent. Fred Herbst is proprietor of the Hortonia House. Mrs. Susan Gillespy is the landlady of the Belmont House. Emil Schwebs blacksmithing and wagon making; Collar Bros., butchers; Joseph Nagreen, cabinet shop and store; S. Nash, tailor shop; Mrs. S. E. McMurdo, millinery. Total business for the village for the year was $101,000." --(Post, December 3, 1877.)

From this period new settlers were fewer; new families appeared from time to time, but they had not the task of clearing like those who preceded them, for by the early '60s most of the land was improved. The most of the late comers were German born, who have always been hard-working, enterprising and thrifty. Since 1890, when it was 867, the population of the town has decreased to 654 in 1900, and the census of 1910 showed a population of only 597.

The first town meeting for Hortonia was held at the store building formerly occupied by Mason C. Hulbert on the first Tuesday in April, 1850. Norman Nash was chosen chairman, Byron Pelton and Oliver Poole inspectors and George L. Merrill, clerk of election. All being young and inexperienced and having no statutes to guide them, they adopted the following oath for the inspectors and the clerk of the meeting, not because they wished to take the name of God in vain, but they considered it to be in a businesslike manner. Following is the oath: "You swear by God that you will support the constitution of the United States and this state, and that you will conduct this meeting to the best of your ability, so help you God." Oliver Poole administered the above oath to the chairman and the chairman to the two inspectors and clerk. At this town meeting J. Wakefield was elected chairman; Norman Nash and Byron Pelton assistant supervisors; Byron Pelton, clerk; Benjamin Williams, treasurer; William Benedict, assessor; J. Wakefield, town superintendent; John Easton, J. Wakefield and William Benedict, justices of the peace; Lewis Hyde and Thomas Easton, constables. J. Wakefield resigned his office as chairman and Norman Nash was elected chairman in his place. No bonds were required from any of the town officers, and no record of the town meeting or meetings of the town board are accessible, if in existence. The total number of votes cast was seventeen.

At the building of the Northwestern Railway the town voted aid by the purchase of stock to the extent of $7,000, which was afterwards sold at about one-half of its par value. In connection with this sale the records of the town contain a curious entry regarding the advisability of such sale, concerning which it was said to the board: "If you sell this stock for which an offer has been made, and the price goes lower, you will be honored, but if it advances you will be damned." Since the stock advanced the entry is of interest.

The present officers of the town are Anton Gittu, superintendent; George McDermott, superintendent; Charles Radichel, treasurer; Henry Repetzke and Ed Sawall, justices, and E. S. McDermott, John Schroeder and George McElroy, constables. The town apart from Hortonville village has an area somewhat less than twenty square miles in extent, in which the population is 597. The farms are devoted to dairying and stock raising, the value of all stock being placed in 1910 at $61,306. The first grist mill was one purchased of Mr. Howe in Greenville by David Briggs & Company, though a bark mill had been used at Horton's saw mill for grinding corn. This grist mill was a one-man, hand power machine, having a capacity of five bushels of corn per day.

The first schoolhouse was built in the summer of 1850; the first teacher was Emma B. Leach, who began teaching that year. The first church was built in 1859, though two churches were organized in 1854; the first preacher was Andrew Cornish, who came in 1849. The first blacksmith shop was built in 1849; the first flouring mill in 1856; the first barrel of whisky was retailed by Captain Tillison in 1849; the first birth in town was that of a daughter of Thomas and Lucinda Easton in March, 1850; the first death was that of Sarah A., daughter of Norman and Matilda Nash, April 22, 1850. Among the early deaths in Hortonia was that of a daughter of Oliver Poole. There being no established burial place she was interred in a grove near the middle of her father's farm. Others of the early settlers who rested from life's burdens found repose in this spot, which Mr. Poole permitted to be used as a free burial place, and was so used for many years. Though interment there ceased long ago, it is still a sacred city of silence.

The first. marriage, says Matthew McComb, extracts from whose writings follow, was contracted between John A. Hewitt and Susan A. Sheldon, who came from north of Wolf river, then a part of Hortonia. The marriage ceremony was performed by John Easton, justice of the peace, at Matthew McComb's cabin in the month of April, 1850. The river was swollen by spring floods, and the bridegroom and bride built a raft of driftwood, got on board and crossed the river, but became entangled in the trees and bushes on the south side. Finding they could proceed no further with their unwieldy craft, yet not willing to return unmarried, they joined hands and plunged in and waded forty rods or more through two and a half feet of water to the shore. After the ceremony the groom, taking his wife by the hand, said, "Let us go home," and they returned in the manner they came. The narrator continues: "Many waters could not quench their love, neither did the floods drown it."

The first roads in the town were those made by the settlers getting to their land, who naturally chose the easiest available routes.

An attempt was made and a considerable amount of money secured to cover the road from New London to Appleton with planks, and establish a toll road, by reason of which it acquired the name, and by old settlers is still called "the plank road," somewhat derisively, since it is said that no plank was ever laid except a short distance near Appleton.

The first limekiln was operated by Joel Tillison, northwest of the village about 1853 or 1854, and later Le Fevre began burning at a kiln on the county line road, at which place lime of a superior quality has been made ever since.

Hortonville. --June 21, 1854, there was received for record a plat of "the town of Hortonville, devised at the instance and under the supervision of Samuel T. and Augustin C. Briggs, Sandborn & Briggs, Norman Nash and Platt Rudd; together with descriptions and details, in part as follows: "Town of Hortonville is located on the northeast and southeast quarter of section thirty-five (35) in township twenty-two (22) north, of range fifteen (15) east, in the county of Outagamie, state of Wisconsin."

This platt included the territory comprised within Appleton, Division, Elm, Nash, Maple and Cherry streets; Maine to Mill street, Mill street to the creek, up the creek to Oshkosh street, thence to the intersection of Main and Appleton streets, and including also block No. 3, south of Appleton street. The blocks, lots and streets are described in figures "as they appear on a plat of Hortonville, purporting to have been drawn by Myron Baughton, in accordance with a survey made by him and placed on record in the office of the register of deeds for Brown county, under date of November 5, 1849." It will be seen from the foregoing that Hortonville as a village dates its origin from the earliest settlement. It was there the first settlement was made, there was the first industry, the first hotel, store, churches and school, and the first roads centered there, yet its growth did not long keep pace with the growth of the farming districts of Hortonia, for the development of farms and consequent removal of the timber destroyed the chief industry of the earlier days of the village. No other industries being at once secured to supply the lumbermen's place, the growth of the population was retarded, but the village has always maintained its position and prominence both as a market and base of supply for the town of Hortonia and a large territory adjacent. It was not until 1894 that definite steps were taken to bring about a village organization apart from the town of Hortonia, when in September an election was held to determine the will of the electors relative to incorporation. At this election, of 171 votes cast, 101 favored incorporation. At the first election, October 27, of the same year the following officers were elected: President, L. Jacquot; trustees, M. Ritger, O. M. Poole, D. Hodgins, A. Graef, H. Diestler and Frank Schmidt; clerk, F. M. Torrey; treasurer, Charles Collar; assessor, H. T. Hunt; supervisor, Robert McMurdo; marshal, Jaco