The first three
counties in Wisconsin were formed in 1818: Brown County in the east, Crawford
County in the west and (now defunct) Michilimackinac in the north.
As the population increased, Iowa County was
added in the southeast in 1829 and Milwaukee County was added in 1834. In 1836
the Wisconsin Territory was created which led to the formation of 15 new
counties within the territory: Calumet, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green,
Jefferson, Manitowac, Marquette, Portage, Racine, Rock, Sheboygan, Walworth and
Washington.
Sauk, St Croix and
Winnebago counties were formed in 1840; Richland in 1842; Bayfield and Chippewa
in 1845. In 1846 Columbia, Lafayette and Waukesha counties were organized, Adams
in 1848 (the year Wisconsin was admitted to the union as a state), and Kenosha
and Marathon in 1850. Door, La Crosse, Oconto, Outagamie, Vernon, Waupaca and
Waushara were all organized in 1851, and Kewaunee in 1852. Buffalo, Clark,
Jackson, Ozaukee, Pierce, Polk and Shawano were organized in 1853, while
Douglas, Dunn, Monroe and Trempealeau entered in 1854. Burnett, Eau Claire,
Juneau and Wood formed in 1856. Green Lake and Pepin counties formed in 1858,
Barron in 1859. Ashland County was established in 1860, Lincoln in 1874, Taylor
in 1875, Langlade, Marinette and Price all in 1879. Florence County was
established in 1882, Sawyer and Washburn in 1883, Forest and Oneida in 1885. In
1893 Iron and Vilas counties were formed, and Rusk County was established in
1901.
Wisconsin's 72nd (and
so far, final) county was formed in 1961 when the reservation of the Menominee
Indians was recognized as a county.
CONTENTS – Volume I
CHAPTER I—PRE-GLACIAL EPOCH— GEOLOGY 25
Facts Derivable from
Geological Surveys— Rock Measurements Underlying
Strata — Glaciers and their Traces.
CHAPTER II— NATURAL
FEATURES 29
Surface of the County
— Heights Above Sea Level— Prairies, Openings and
Forests — Water
Courses — Lakes ami Their Soundings Natural Products
Timber— Climate — A Memorable Season.
CHAPTER III— INDIANS—
MOUNDS— GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 38
Indian Occupation —
British Direct Native Hostility -Black Hawk Chief Big
foot — Mounds and
Relics — Geographical Names and Their Origin.
CHAPTER IV—
SETTLEMENT OF THE OLD NORTHWEST 42
Conditions
Surrounding First Settlers— Character of the Pioneers Birth-
places of Earliest Men of Walworth.
CHAPTER V— SURVEYS—
GENEVA LAKE TROUBLE
Contest at Lake
Geneva — Christopher Payne Claim-marks Peace Restored
—Arrivals al Other
Towns — The First Settler Contested claims Land Sales.
CHAPTER VI— POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 53
Wisconsin Admitted to
Statehood Location of Walworth County Organiza-
tion of Towns —
Congressional and Legislative Districts Judicial Circuits.
CHAPTER VII— POLITICAL REPRESENTATION 58
First Representatives
In the General Assembly- First County Officers First
Meeting of the Board
of Commissioners- First Grand and iviit Jurors
Extracts from the Records.
CHAPTER VIII COUNTS BUILDINGS AND POOR FARM 64
Commissioners select
Location for County Seat Firs! C a House Second
Court lions.- Second
Jail and Register's Office Present Court House The
Present Jail -Fire Proof Vaults Care for the Poor.
CHAPTER IX- THE BENCH AND BAR 72
Hon. David Irvin—
Journal of the First Day's Proceedings in Court Earlj
Jurors— Roll of
Attorneys, 1839 18 Judges of the First Circuit Attorneys
from 1848 — Jury Commissioners.
CHAPTER X OFFICIAL ROSTER
Eminent Men from
Walworth Constitutional Conventions Probate Judges
— County Judges Court
Commissioners State Senators Members of Assem
biy— Chairmen of
County Board of Supervisors County Clerks County Treas
urers — Sheriffs —
Clerks of the Circuit Court — District Attorneys — Registers of
Deeds — County
Surveyors — Superintendents of School — Superintendents of
Poor and Insane.
CHAPTER XI— DIVISIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES 97
Party Lines Clearly
Drawn in Early Elections — Early Election Returns — Sub-
sequent Political
Ratio — Progress of the Republican Party.
CHAPTER XII— MILITARY HISTORY OF WALWORTH 104
Territorial Militia —
The Sixth Wisconsin Regiment — The Civil War — Response
to the President's
Call for Soldiers — Wisconsin's Record — Aid Rendered by
Women and
Non-Combatants — Grand Army of the Republic — Walworth
County Soldiers and
Sailors' Association — Soldiers' Memorial Roll — Spanish-
American War —
Enlisted Men from Walworth.
CHAPTER XIII— NOTEWORTHY INSTITUTIONS 158
Yerkes Observatory —
State School for the Deaf — State Normal School — North-
western Military Academy.
CHAPTER XIV— WALWORTH COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY 170
Fair and Cattle Show,
1850 — Subsequent Fairs — Fair Grounds — Officers of the
Society.
CHAPTER XV— CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS 176
Early Religious
Meetings — Organization of Churches — Baptist Statistics for
1909 — Other
Denominations — Public Schools — Early Sentiment Strong for
Education — School
Superintindence - — Present System.
CHAPTER XVI— ROADS AND RAILWAYS 183
Indian Trails —
Highways Established b Legislature— Present System — Rail-
ways — Collapse of
Some Early Railway Plans — Public Land Grants.
CHAPTER XVII— COUNTY HISTORICAL AND OLD SETTLERS SOCIETIES 193
Early Provisions for
Preservation of Local History — Organization of Old Set-
tlers' Society —
Officers of the Society— Incorporation of the Walworth County
Historical Society — Members.
CHAPTER XVIII LOCAL EDITORS AND AUTHORS FINE ARTS 199
Writers of Earliest
County History Occasional Writers — Newspaper Editors
Local Poets — Song
Writers and Musical Composition — The Palette and
Brush — Oratory.
CHAPTER XIX MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS OF INTEREST 209
Early Temperance
Societies Saloon Licenses — Civic Societies — Freemasonry
Lodges, I'ast .nil]
Present Other Societies -Turtle Creek Drainage Distriet
Troj Drainage
District Commissionerof Roads— Assessor of income Tax —
The Speculative
spirit Melodrama in Court Early Educational Efforts
Early Teachers
Noteworthy Events— Dairy interests Early Births Early
Marriages in Memoriam-
Losses by Fire.
CHAPTER XX TOWN OF BLOOMFIELD 226
Origin of Name
Natural Features Agricultural Returns -Population — -First
Permanent Settlement
Early Families Civil-war Soldiers from Bloomfield—
Town Officers — Genoa
Junction — Religious Societies — Commercial Interests —
Village Organization.
CHAPTER XXI— TOWN AND VILLAGE OF DAKIEN 240
Area — Natural
Features — Statistics — First Settlers in the Town — Early Growth
—Official Roster.
CHAPTER XXII— TOWN OF
DELAVAN 248
One of the Original
Civil Subdivisions — Natural Features- Land Area Pop-
ulation — Early
Arrivals — Official Lists of Town and City.
CHAPTER XXIII— CITY OF DELAVAN 257
Colonel Phoenix, the
Founder, and Other Early Business Men Hotels and
Taverns — Commercial
Enterprises — Advent of Railroads — The Press — Religious
Societies —
Educational Interests — Public Library — Water Works Fire Depart-
ment — Delavan Guards
— Cities of the Dead — Official Roster Post office History
— Population.
CHAPTER XXIV— TOWN OF EAST TROY J72
Description — Natural
Features — Land Area — First Settlers — Official Roster
Village of East Troy
— Churches — Newspapers — Village Organization Post
office — Public
Houses — Business Items.
CHAPTER XXV— CITY OF ELKHORN 286
Speculative
Enterprise — The Embryo City — Early Coiners— Additions to the
Village — Location
and General Natural Features of the City Churches and
Schools — Business
Interests — Banks and Bankers— Brick and Tile Making
Religious Societies —
Newspapers — Public Utilities— Official Roster.
CHAPTER XXVI— TOWN OF GENEVA 316
Origin of Name—
Description Natural Features Area Population Land
Office Patents —
Early Settlers— Official Roster.
•CHAPTER XX \ II— CITY OF LAKE GENEVA 324
First Settlers at
Geneva Lake— An Historic Contest and lis Outcome — Early
Owners of Land—
Taverns and Hotels Other Early Comers Religious Socie
ties Early Business
Men — Schools Newspapers ICoung Men's Christian Ass..
ciation — Public Libraries—
Hanks Waterworks and Electric Lights Fishing
and Navigation—
Cemeteries— The Lake Shore Village and City Charters
Official Rosters —
Population and Valuation.
CHAPTER XXVIII TOWN OF LAFAYETTE 349
Description— Natural
Features Agricultural Statistics and Valuation First
Immigrants— Land
Entries— Well Known Names in IM'J Official Rostov,
CHAPTER XXIX- TOWN OF LAGRANGE.
Natural Features First land Claim Other Immigrant Arrivals Land
Entries -Prominent
Pioneer Families Valuations und Statistics Popu
lation -official
Roster— Churches.
CHAPTER XXX TOWN OF LINN 366
Origin of Name Area
Natural Features Crop Acreages first Settlers
Official Roster.
CHAPTER XXXI -TOWN OF LYONS 372
Naming of the Town —
Boundaries — Elevations — First Settlers — Immigrants
Of 1840 and Later
Years — Village Of Lynns -Business &Religious Interests
Village Platted—
Village of Springfield: — Noteworthy Events — Statistics
Official Boster of
the Town Bcliirioiis History— Postmasters.
CHAPTER XXXII— TOWN OF RICHMOND 384
Location— Natural
Features— Education — The Pioneers and other Early Set-
tiers — The Nova
Seotian Settlers— The Methodist Chinch— Farm Statistics
Population — Official
Roster.
CHAPTER XXXIII— TOWN
OF SHARON 392
Location and
Description — Crop Acreages — Population — The First Comers —
Laud Entries— Allen
Grove— Noteworthy Events — Religious Societies— Official
Roster — Tillage of
Sharon — Schools — NEwspapers — Churches — Bank — Ceme-
tery — TowN Officers.
CHAPTER XXXIV— TOWN OF SPRING PRAIRIE
Origin of Name —
Primitive Condition of the Land— Streams — Land Area— Crop
Returns — Population—
First Settlers* — Honey Creek— Vienna— Voree — Franklin
Early Village
Business Interests —Religious Societies — Schools — Official
Roster.
CHAPTER XXXV— TOWN OF SUGAR CREEK
Name Derived from
Local Industry— The First Settler— Other Pioneers— A
Well Known Early
Tavern— Tibhets — Churches — Insurance— Land Area and
Crop Values —
Population— Town Officers. Past and Present.
CHAPTER XXXVI— TOWN OF TROY
One of the Original
Towns— Lakes and Water Courses— Land Area— Crop Re-
turns—Early Settlers—
Village of Troy— Troy Center— Local Interests— May-
hew— Little Prairie —
Adams— Official Roster.
CHAPTER XXXVII TOWN OF WALWORTH
Land Elevations—
Streams— Geneva Lake— Land Area— Crop Statistics— Pop-
ulation— Early
Settlers— Land Patents— Postoffices— Churches— Schools— Big
Foot Academy— Village
of Walworth — Fontana — Williams Bay— Official
Roster.
CHAPTER XXXVIII TOWN OF WHITEWATER
Origin of Name
Surface of the Land— Lakes and Streams— Land Area— Farm
Statistics The First
Comets Land Salts — Live Stock Breeders — Official
Roster.
CHAPTEB XXXIX CITY OF WHITEWATER
Early Use of Water
Power other Early Utilities— Town Organization Ad
vent of Railroads
Business Enterprises Taverns and Hotels Banks and
Bankers Religious
Societies Education Libraries Military History Public
Utilities Village
Incorporation official Roster- Population.
CHAPTEB XL MAKERS OF THE COUNTY
Biographical and
Genealogical Notes of Early and Prominent citizens of Wal-
worth County.
Volume II - BIOGRAPHICAL
HISTORICAL INDEX