An Intensive Architectural and Historical Survey Report of La Crosse County.

Transcription

1 An Intensive Achitectual and Histoical Suvey Repot of La Cosse County. Containing thee epots of suveys of the La Cosse County Heitage Coido, Southen La Cosse County, and Nothen La Cosse County compiled in 995,998, and Povided by: La Cosse County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission 400 4th St. N. La Cosse, WI

2 LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido LaCosse County, Wisconsin Intensive Suvey Repot Achitectual and Histoical Suvey Repot Pincipal Investigato, Babaa M. Kooiman, M.A. Histoian, Ty VanCuick, B.S. Pepaed fo the LaCosse County Histoic Pesevation Sites Commission LaCosse County, Wisconsin August 995

3 The LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido Intensive Achitectual/Histoical Suvey Poject has been funded with the assistance of a gant-in-aid fom the National Pak Sevice, U.S. Depatment of the Inteio, unde the povisions of the National Histoic Pesevation Act of 966, as amended. Histoic Pesevation gants-in-aid ae administeed in Wisconsin in conjunction with the National Registe of Histoic Places pogam by the Histoic Pesevation Division of the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. Howeve, the contents and opinions in this publication do not necessaily eflect the views o policies of the National Pak Sevice o the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. Intensive Suvey Poject Staff U.S. West Reseach, Inc. Public Histoians, LaCosse, Wisconsin Pincipal Investigato: Babaa M. Kooiman, M.A. Poject Histoian: Ty VanCuick, B.S. Poject Administato: Anthony Godfey, Ph.D. Allfieldwok, including photogaphy, was conducted by Babaa Kooiman. Methodology, achitectue, histoic oveview and suvey esults wee pepaed by Babaa Kooiman. Thematic chaptes wee witten by Ty VanCuick and edited by Babaa Kooiman. Acknowledgements U.S. West Reseach, Inc. appeciates the assistance and suppot of the many people who have assisted on this epot. The following list of institutions, oganizations and individuals contibuted to the final outcome of this epot. We wish to thank anyone who may have been inadvetently omitted fom this acknowledgement. LaCosse County Boad James Esham, County Boad Chai Paul Webe Cheyl Stephens, County Boad Chai secetey LaCosse Histoic Pesevation Sites Commission Cal Pedetti, Chai Robet "Enie'' Boszhadt, Poject Diecto James Bindley Benda Jodan King Holley Hilbet "Bandy" Siegle Babaa M. Kooiman, ex-officio

4 Table of Contents Chapte Suvey Methodology Field Suvey Histoical Reseach 2 Identification and Evaluation of Significant Popeties 3 Citeia fo Evaluation 3 Citeia Consideations 3 Pepaation of Inventoy Cads and Intensive Suvey 4 Pepaation of Distict Suvey Foms 5 Chapte 2 Histoical Oveview 7 Chapte 3 Settlement The Land Ethnic Settlement 2 Gemans 3 Nowegians 4 Bitish-Iish 4 Bohemians 4 Chapte 4 Agicultue 7 Gain and Livestock Poduction 8 Daiy Poduction 9 Tobacco 20 Milling 20 Coopeatives 2 Influence of the Raiload 2 Chapte 5 Industy 23 Milling 24 Lumbe 24 Canning 26 Bewing 27 Manufactuing 28 Chapte 6 Tanspotation 29 Mississippi Rive 29 Railoads 30 Roads 30

5 Chapte 7 Education 35 Pimay Schools 36 Seconday Schools 38 LaCosse County School of Agicultue and Domestic Economy 38 Chapte 8 Commece 4 Goods and Sevices 4 Specialty Stoes 42 Hotels and Saloons 42 Utilities 43 Chapte 9 Religion 45 Methodists 45 Baptists 46 Lutheans 47 Pesbyteians 48 Chapte 0 Achitectue 49 Residential Achitectue 49 Commecial and Industial Achitectue 56 Religious Achitectue 57 Educational Achitectue 58 Engineeed Stuctues 59 Chapte Notable People 63 Nichols Family 63 Hamlin Galand 63 Thomas Leonad 64 Joseph Hussa 65 Chapte 2 Suvey Results 67 List of Intensive Suveyed Popeties 67 Poposed National Registe Histoic Disticts 7 Chapte 2 Recommendations 73 Geneal Obsevations 73 Social and Economic Benefits of Histoic Pesevation. 73 Tax Incentives fo Rehabilitation of Histoic Buildings. 74 Potection fom Fedeal Pojects 75 Wisconsin Histoic Building Code 75 Recommendations fo Futue Action on Pesevation Bibliogaphy Appendix

6 Chapte Suvey Methdology The LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido Achitectual and Histoical Intensive Suvey was conducted between Novembe 994 and Juy 995 by histoical consultants U.S. West Reseach, Inc., based in LaCosse, Wisconsin. The suvey consisted of a numbe of final poducts: Intensive Suvey Foms Intensive Suvey Repot The scope of wok fo this poject was initially established though the econnaissance suvey of the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido, which had been conducted in by U.S. West Reseach, Inc. The final ecommendations and findings of that pevious inventoy wee outlined in the document entitled LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido Poject, LaCosse County, Wisconsin, dated 30 June 993. Among the ecommendations petinent to this study ae the following: ' Intensive Achitectue/Histoical Suvey The econnaissance suvey which was conducted in was not inclusive, due to limitations o the poject USWR (the consultant) suggests that an intensive achitectual/histoical suvey be completed befoe futue wok is begun. The intensive suvey insues that all histoic esouces within the poject bounday ae identified and ecoded, and that potential National Registe eligible popeties ae moe intensively eseached fo development of histoic context. Futue suvey wok should also include the city of LaCosse and the city of Spata as anchos at each end of the coido. Histoic Context Themes In ode to place all histoic esouces in thei pope context, the histoic context themes must be developed. The State Histoical Society of Wisconsin has developed a Cultual Resouce Management pogam which has identified the histoic themes which ae pevalent in the state. These themes ae developed within a statewide context, and ae used to develop local contexts... Development of histoic themes also assists histoical esouce oganizations, such as the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Commission, in identifying ae and unusual popety types and styles. Based upon the ecommendations mentioned above, the scope of wok fo this poject included an intensive suvey of popeties within the boundaies of the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido and the development of histoic contextual themes which ae petinent to events and popeties located within the boundaies of the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido. The methodology fo poducing the final suvey epot will be outlined below. Field Suvey The field wok fo the intensive suvey was conducted in Novembe-Decembe 994. Among the ecommendations in that ealie epot was to intensively inventoy the fifty popeties identified as potentially eligible, and add appoximately twenty moe to the intensive suvey list. Duing the

7 2 field inventoy, an additional 7 popeties wee identified by the field staff, including popeties in the villages of West Salem, Bango and Onalaska, as well as the ual aeas. Additional houses, famsteads, paks and bidges wee added to the inventoy. Black and white photogaphs wee taken of each popety, as well as notes wee taken fo each popety on desciption, date, and othe petinent infomation. All popeties wee plotted on a site map. Photo inventoy cads wee geneated and all infomation about each popety was enteed into the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin's database, HistoiBase. Buns Town Hall, LC 04/20 Histoical Reseach Histoical eseach elated to the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido poject was tailoed to meet a couple of diffeent goals. Fist, geneal histoical souces about the histoy of LaCosse County wee consulted in ode to wite the histoic oveview section. These same histoies, as well as specific community histoies, and souces about ethnic populations in the aea, wee utilized to wite the thematic chaptes. Finally, city and county tax olls, Registe of Deeds ecods and oal inteviews wee utilized to established constuction dates and fist owne names fo many of the specific popeties.

8 Most of the infomation utilized to compile this epot was obtained fom the LaCosse Public Libay, Muphy Libay at Univesity of Wisconsin-LaCosse, and the LaCosse County offices. The histoical content of this epot and intensive suvey is not intended to pesent the definitive histoy of the LaCosse Rive Valley. The intent of this epot is to document peiods of the egion's histoical development in elationship to existing standing buildings and stuctues. It should be noted that sites of an achaeological natue wee not included in this epot, howeve a numbe of petinent studies have been made about the pehistoy of the LaCosse Rive Valley. Identification and Evaluation of Significant Popeties As pat of an ongoing evaluation of popeties fo intensive histoical eseach, an analysis of histoical data on paticula buildings was detemined by the consultant in tems of thei histoical and achitectual significance. Opinions of significance ae based on National Registe of Histoic Places citeia utilized to guide State and Fedeal agencies in evaluating nominations fo the National Registe. The citeia ae as follows, accoding to National Registe Bulletin 5: How to Apply the National Registe fo Evaluation (U.S. Depatment of Inteio, 99). Citeia fo Evaluation The quality of significance in Ameican histoy, achitectue, achaeology, engineeing, and cultue is pesent in disticts, sites, buildings, stuctues, and objects that possess integity of location, design, setting, mateials, wokmanship, feeling and association, and: A: That ae associated with events that have made a significant contibution to the boad pattens of ou histoy; o B: That ae associated with the lives of pesons significant in ou past; o C: That embody the distinctive chaacteistics of a type, peiod, o method of constuction, o that epesent the wok of a maste, o that possess high atistic values, o that epesent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; o D: That have yielded, o may be likely to yield, infomation impotant in pehistoy o histoy. Citeia Consideations Odinaily cemeteies, bithplaces, o gaves of histoical figues, popeties owned by eligious institutions o used fo eligious puposes, stuctues that have been moved fom thei oiginal locations, econstucted histoic buildings, popeties pimaily commemoative in natue, and popeties that have achieved significance within the past fifty (50) yeas shall not be consideed eligible fo the National Registe. Howeve, such popeties will qualify if they ae integal pats of disticts that do meet the citeia, of if they fall within the following categoies:

9 4 A: A eligious popety deiving pimay significance fom achitectual o atistic distinction o histoical impotance; o B: A building o stuctue emoved fom its oiginal location but which is significant pimaily fo achitectual value, o which is the suviving stuctue most impotantly associated with a histoic peson o event; o C: A bithplace o gave of a histoical figue of outstanding impotance if thee is no appopiate site o building diectly associated with his (o he) poductive life; o D: A cemetey which deives its pimay significance fom gaves of pesons of tanscendent impotance fom age, fom distinctive design featues, o fom association of histoic events; o E: A econstucted buildng which accuately executed in a suitable envionment and pesent in a dignified manne as pat of a estoation maste plan, and when no othe building o stuctue with the same association has suvived; o F: A popety pimaily commemoative in intent if design, age, tadition, o symbolic value has invested it with its own exceptional significance; o G: A popety achieving significance within the past fifty (50) yeas if it is of exceptional impotance. Pepaation of Inventoy Cads and Intensive Suvey such as building Big Ceek Mills, LC 03/08

10 5 type, style, and mateials. A black and white pint photogaph was mounted to the back of each inventoy cad, and these cads then became pat of the file system which is maintained at the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. Intensive suvey infomation was enteed into the HistoiBase database fo all inventoied popeties as well. Additional infomation as known, such as constuction dates, owne names, and histoical backgound was added to the data which was enteed into the database. Had copies wee pinted fo the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Commission, and floppy disks wee submitted to the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin as pat of the final deliveables fo this poject. Pepaation of Distict Suvey Foms Two potential histoic disticts wee identified duing the couse of this intensive suvey. The St. Johannis Chuch Histoic Distict in the town of Bae, and the Commecial Steet Commecial Histoic Distict in Bango wee each identified as histoic disticts. Boundaies fo the disticts wee set fo the poposed disticts based on achitectual significance, histoical significance and visual cohesiveness of the disticts. Maps wee made of the histoic disticts delineating boundaies, steet names and contibuting/noncontibuting popeties within the boundaies. Contibuting popeties eithe ae significant histoically and/o JBS*N«- """" achitectually, ^ *-*Zf< ttat -ia-^.i^, o at least do not detact fom the Swathout House, LC 8/3 oveall sense of visual cohesiveness of the distict. Non-contibuting popeties detact fom the visual cohesiveness of the distict.

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12 7 Chapte 2 Histoical Oveview The aea of La Cosse County was fist inhabited by Native Ameican people about 2,000 yeas ago, but the fist Euo-Ameicans did not begin to settle in the aea until the 850s. The name "La Cosse" is deived fom Fench tades who in the late 700s witnessed Native Ameicans playing a type of ball game on the paiie which they called "la cosse". The fist Euo-Ameicans to pass though the aea of pesent-day La Cosse wee a goup of missionaies in 680, but the fist attempt at settlement did not occu until 84. In this yea Nathan Myick built a cabin on Baon's Island and began tading with the Winnebago Indians (Histoy of La Cosse County. 329,339). In 85 Cawfod County was divided, which esulted in the fomation of the aea which was to become La Cosse County. The village of La Cosse was chosen to become the county seat (Histoy of La Cosse County: 328). The boundaies of the county wee changed seveal times with the pesent boundaies being established in 98 (La Cosse County Agicultue: 2). Pesently the La Cosse Rive Valley encompasses six municipalities, including La Cosse, West Salem, Bango, Onalaska, Bae Mills, and Rockland. The city of La Cosse was founded by Nathan Myick who established the fist pemanent settlement in 84 (Histoy of La Cosse County: 339). The village of West Salem was fist founded in 858 when a aiload line was constucted though the township of Hamilton. The land fo the ail line was povided by Thomas Leonad south of the village of Neshonoc. The stoe ownes of Neshonoc moved thei businesses close to the ail line and established the community of West Salem (Histoy of La Cosse County. 695). In the sping of 854, the oiginal plat fo the village of Bango was laid out on land owned by John Wheldon, the founde of Bango (Histoy of La Cosse County. 79). The village of Onalaska was bon when Thomas C. Rowe, a native of New Yok, settled on the pesent site in 85(Doblie: 0). The La Cosse Rive Valley is located in the townships of Onalaska, Buns, Bae, Hamilton, and Meday. The Township of Onalaska was ceated in 854 and by 900 compised ove 30,000 aces (Doblie: 57). The fist settlement in the township Bums occued in 85, but the fist town meeting in Buns was held on 4 Apil 854 (Histoy of La Cosse County. 72). The town of Bae located in the Bostwick Valley had Euo-Ameican settlement as ealy as 850, with the oiginal town being oganized in 853, howeve the town was eoganized in 874 (Histoy of La Cosse County. 7). Hamilton was oiginally included in the town of Neshonoc which was oganized in 853. Hamilton was fomed out of the consolidation of Bae and Neshonoc townships in 866, although the township of Bae banched off in 874 (Histoy of La Cosse County. 702).

13 8 The settlement of La Cosse County is centeed between 850 and 900. The westen fontie had eached the state of Wisconsin by 840, and by 850 it had spead to the Mississippi Rive and La Cosse County. Duing this peiod of settlement, people of Geman and Nowegian heitage wee the lagest ethnic goups of immigants comingfomeuope to the LaCosse aea. Othe majo ethnic goups wee Bitish-Iish, Fench, Dutch, and Bohemians. La Cosse County was a popula site fo settlement because it was easily accessible by wate. The Mississippi Rive povided an excellent means of tanspoting settles. The La Cosse Rive Valley was also popula to settles because of agicultual potential of the land (Wingate: 54, 55). Ealy development of the La Cosse Rive Valley can be attibuted to the ise of the lumbe industy in the latte half of the 800s. The pine foests of nothen Wisconsin held a vast supply of lumbe which was havested by ealy settles. La Cosse County was diectly affected by the gowth of the lumbe industy, because theflatpaiie along the Mississippi Rive was an ideal location fo sawmills. The villages of Onalaska and La Cosse developed in pat because if the wealth and pospeity that was bought to the aea due to the lumbe industy. The the saw mills and doo and sash companies povided jobs fo the esidents of La Cosse County, and attacted a lage numbe of settles to the aea. The pospeity of the lumbe industy lasted only until the 890s when the supply of and demand fo lumbe declined (Doblie:6). The ich soil of the La Cosse Rive Valley was one of the factos that bought settles to the aea. Ealy settles tuned to faming as a way to suppot themselves and thei families on the newfontie.the main cop gown duing the peiod of settlement was wheat. Wheat was a popula cop because it had a low initial cost, was easy to gow, and it had a high yield. Wheat poduction in Wisconsin lead to the establishment of the gain milling industy. Evey small community in the La Cosse Rive Valley had a local mill which pocessed wheat into flou. The cultivation of wheat povided a eliable income fo settles, but like the lumbe industy, wheat poduction declined damatically in 890, and as a esult so did the milling industy (Thompson: 0-5). The development of the La Cosse Rive Valley was diectly influenced by the expansion of the aiload to the valley. In the 850s, ailoads began to speadfommilwaukee to the est of Wisconsin. Thefistaiload to each La Cosse was the La Cosse and Milwaukee Raiload in 858 (Gegoy: 375). By 893 thee majo aiload lines wee unning though the valley (Nesbit, 985: 7). The influence of the aiload led to the establishment of West Salem, Rockland, and Bango. The aiload opened the doo fo the tanspotation of aw mateials, manufactued goods, and peoplefomthe La Cosse Rive Valley to commece centes such as Milwaukee, Chicago, and St. Paul. La Cosse County's ealy histoy is maked by pospeity, but by the tun of the centuy, the county's economy seemed to be less than stable. The esidents of La Cosse County wee able to ovecome the downfalls of the lumbe industy, wheat cultivation, and milling by tuning thei attention to daiying. The intoduction of the daiy cows to La Cosse County was vital to the continued economic gowth of the county. Daiying povided a stable economy fo the county's

14 9 esidents. The soil in the valley was well suited to the cultivation of cops such as con and hay which wee needed to feed the daiy heds. Milk poduction led to the ceation of local coopeatives that specialized in butte and cheese poduction. The ability of the people of the La Cosse Rive Valley to diect thei effots towads daiying has allowed fo the continued gowth of the county. Following 900, daiying has developed into the leading industy in the state of Wisconsin as well as in La Cosse County. It has been agicultue that has povided the esidents of the La Cosse Rive Valley with a stable economy. The size of fams in La Cosse county changed vey little between 890 and 950; fams aveaged 54.4 aces in 890 and 68.0 aces in 950 (La Cosse County Agicultue: 8). Agicultue has continued to be poductive because of the developement of new technologies, in addition to the fact that fames have shifted fom focusing on one cop to a vaiety of cops. The continued gowth of the La Cosse Rive Valley can be attibuted to the local people who have caied on the taditions of the ealy settles. Today agicultue dominates the La Cosse Rive Valley, and the villages such as West Salem, Bango, and Onalaska have developed into thiving communities, each with its own poductive business and commecial disticts. La Cosse County is anchoed by the city of La Cosse which is one of Wisconsin's leading uban centes. Although the La Cosse Rive Valley has became densely populated, the land has not lost its beauty. The ealy settles wee intigued by the numeous bluffs and coulees of the La Cosse Rive Valley, and that same beauty in addition to the local histoy of the towns and villages, is attacting visitos to the valley today.

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16 Chapte 3 Settlement Since the landing of Jean Nicolet at the banks of Geen Bay in 634, the state of Wisconsin has attacted foeign settles (Nesbit: 0). Wisconsin was attactive to settles fo vaiety of diffeent easons, but the one featue of Wisconsin that stands out is its natual esouces. Wisconsin has always been ich with an abundance of wildlife. The fo tade bought the fist Euopeans to Wisconsin. The fu tades wee then followed by lead mines who sought to gain fotunes fom digging into the soil of southwesten Wisconsin. The esouces of the state called out to people who wanted a chance at a new and pospeous life. The lumbe industy povided job oppotunities fo immigants who wee looking fo altenatives to faming. The vaiety of cultues bought by the immigants helped to shape the social and political views of Wisconsin, and the nation. Wisconsin was oganized into a teitoy in the yea 836 and at that time the population of Euo- Ameican settles was, 683 (Nesbit: 9). The state at this time was in its infancy, but the ich natual esouces called out to settles who began to pou into Wisconsin. The population of Wisconsin between 840 and 860 gew fom 30,945 to 775,88. Wisconsin was a popula destination fo the Euopean immigants as well as people who aleady lived in the United States and chose to elocate futhe west. Available lands in La Cosse County wee mostly settled by the tun of the centuy, and the census of 90 ecoded a county population of 43, 996 (Economic Development Summay: 35). Afte the tun of the centuy La Cosse County was known as the most populated county in the Mississippi egion which included Monoe, Venon Tempealeau, and Jackson counties. The Land Wisconsin at the time of settlement was heavily foested, but to the ambitious settle it offeed many oppotunities. The abundance of lumbe led to Wisconsin becoming a national leade in the lumbe industy. The pice of land in Wisconsin was an attactive featue to settles. By 850 the westen fontie had advanced as fa west as the Mississippi Rive. The availability of land fo a low pice dove settles west. The govenment sold land fo $.25 pe ace which was vey affodable fo most settles. A peson could puchase eighty aces of land fo one hunded dollas. With the passing of the Homestead Act of 862, new westen teitoies became even moe attactive because the act made govenment land fee. Because of the populaity of land in La Cosse County, a land office was opened in June 853, located in the village of La Cosse (Wingate: 55). Wisconsin's location was a facto in the settlement of the state. Wisconsin is bodeed to the noth by Lake Supeio, to the east by Lake Michigan, and to the west by the Mississippi Rive. The availability of wateways meant that Wisconsin was easily accessible to the easten populations. The Geat Lakes, in addition to Wisconsin's numeous ives, acted as tanspotation outes fo supplies

17 2 as well as people. La Cosse County could be eached by taveling on the Mississippi Rive and then banching off on the La Cosse Rive. The lack of oads duing the 850s esulted in making wateways the pimay method of tanspotation (Nesbit: 8, 973). Afte 847 the Geat Lakes became an impotant tanspotation oute (Wingate: 50). Befoe this time, the commonly tavelled oute lead along the Ohio and Mississippi ives. Milwaukee, located on the shoes of Lake Michigan, became a popula pot of disembakment. Afte settles aived at Milwaukee, thei oute to westen Wisconsin was eithe by land o wate. The wate oute was by the Rock and Mississippi ives. The oveland oute led fom eithe Chicago o Milwaukee to Watetown, Potage, Mauston, and Spata. The wate oute was a geate distance, butfeefomthe peils of the oveland oute (Nesbit: 50). The establishment of the Chicago and Milwaukee Raiload in the 850s, and then to La Cosse in 858, opened Wisconsin to the cities of the East. The aiload was an effective method of tanspotingfeightas well as people acoss the county. The constuction of ailoads and the outes which they tavelled geatly influenced the outes of settlement. La Cosse was at this time diectly linked to New Yok by ail. New Yok became inceasingly moe popula as an immigant pot because of the ailoads link to the west (Wingate: 6). Ethinic Settlement Many of the ealy settles of Wisconsin chose the aea of La Cosse to settle because they wee ecuited. In 852 a law was passed which povided fo a Commissione of Immigation to eside in New Yok City. The immigation commissione was esponsible fo infoming new immigants about the oppotunities that wee available in the state of Wisconsin. Immigants based thei decision of wee to elocate on the infomation that was available to them. The fist commissione of Immigation fo the state of Wisconsin was Gysbet Van Steenwyk. Van Steenwyk was himself fom La Cosse and pobably influenced a numbe of immigants to settle in La Cosse (Wingate: 56, 57). Infomation about Wisconsin was impotant in influencing new immigants to settle in Wisconsin, but infomation in the fom of lettes fom Ameica also helped people decide to emigate. The ealy settles of Wisconsin commonly wote lettes to theifiendsand families back in thei homelands. These pesonal lettes bought to life the tials of life in Ameica. Often these lettes would be passedfompeson to peson in counties such as Noway, which esulted in a lage ciculation of infomation. The lettes of ealy settles povidedfist-handinfomation to the people of Euope and wee moe influential than the books and pamphlets that wee distibuted aound Euope. The lettes acted as a link between the old wold and the new. Euopeans wee given confidence to attempt the move to Ameica as they wee spued on by the knowledge that they knew someonefomthei family o home village in the new county (Wingate: 58). Pospective immigants had infomation available to them in the fom of lettes, books, pocket maps, pamphlets, and newspape advetisements. In addition to the Commissione of Immigation, states advetised the appealing featues of thei egion in a vaiety of publications which wee ciculated in

18 3 Euope. State govenments put foth an effot to ecuit immigants to populate thei paticula states. The states of the union had to pomote themselves, because ival states wee doing the same thing (Wingate: 58-59). In ode fo settles to suvive financially they had to have some souce of income. Most of the people who came to Wisconsin could wok the land and suppot themselves though agicultue. But immigants also found altenative employment oppotunities. Wisconsin was a majo poduce of lumbe and the lumbe industy offeed a lage numbe of jobs fo immigants. La Cosse's location on the Mississippi Rive gave it access to the pine foest of the Chippewa and Wisconsin ive valleys, thus positioning LaCosse as a cente fo the lumbe industy. Additionally, wealth geneated by the lumbe industy caused a temendous amount of new constuction which equied skilled labo. Jobs wee available to immigants in many diffeent industies. The development of La Cosse as a city led to an incease of commece and manufactuing. This job maket of La Cosse County offeed employment oppotunities to immigants (Wingate: 59). The counties of Euope in the 800s wee heavily coupted and many people looked to the United States fo political feedom. The land of the westen fontie povided people with the oppotunity to own land and gave them a ight to paticipate in the political system. In Euope political powe was often contolled by an elite uppe class. In Ameica, unlike many Euopean counties, the common peson was entitled to an equal vote. Wisconsin was a state that was libeal towad foeignes. In Wisconsin only one yea of esidence was equied fo paticipation in voting by white males. Wisconsin at its time of induction to the Union, was debt fee and theefoe had lowe taxes than neighboing states. The politic and social feedoms of Wisconsin made it an attactive state fo immigants (Wingate: 55-56). The settlement of Wisconsin and the pattens which it followed can be linked to the ethnic goups who moved into the state. Each goup followed movement and settlement pattens which distinguish them fom othe ethnic goups which esided in the state. In 905 the settlement of La Cosse County had eached the point whee settles could be found in almost evey aea of the county. It was duing this yea that a census was taken which boke down population in elation to ethnic goups. The population of La Cosse County in 905 was 42,850. The 905 census listed twenty-one diffeent nationalities in La Cosse County, but athe than dealing with all of these goups, this epot will focus on the majo ethnic goups (Wingate: 65,66). Gemans The Gemans made up the lagest single ethnic goup in La Cosse County in 905. The Geman people chose to settle in Wisconsin because of the state's climate which was favoed by the Geman people. A lage concentation of Gemans could be found in the southen egion of La Cosse County due in pat to the influence of the Catholic Chuch which had established in LaCosse. The fist and second bishops of the La Cosse Diocese wee oiginally fom Bavaia (Wingate: 69).

19 4 Nowegians Nowegians wee the second lagest ethnic goup in La Cosse County as of 905. The Nowegians wee a goup that held stong cultual ties to thei home county. They wee the most homogeneous of the ethnic goups in tems of eligion and language. The aeas in the county whee the Nowegian people settled wee almost exclusively Nowegian. This goup camefomthe counties of Hedmak and Oppland in Noway. The Nowegians tended to settle in goups that epesented thei home towns and local dialects. The immigantsfomnoway wee inteested in Wisconsin because the climate was compaable to that of thei homeland. These people wee inteested in obtaining land on which they could pactice agicultue. The Nowegians concentated thei population in the nothen and nothwesten aea of La Cosse County (Wingate: 74). Bitish-Iish Of all of the immigants that settled in Wisconsin, the English wee the most easily assimilated into the Yankee cultue. The Bitish did not aive in the west with thei entie families' possessions, instead they had typically been in Ameica fo a few yeas and slowly made thei way westwad. The Bitish settles wee likely to be businessmen and pofessionals, athe than fames. Unlike othe immigants, they did not settle in aeas whee thei cultue was exclusive (Nesbit, 973: 52-53). Many immigantsfomthe island of Geat Bitain settled in La Cosse County. Two of the main subgoups of the Bitish-Iish wee the Welsh and the Iish. The village of Bango, which was established in 854, deived its namefombango, Wales. Bango, Wisconsin, was the cente of Welsh settlement in La Cosse County (Wingate: 67). The Iish came to La Cosse County by aiload. Many Iish wee involved with the constuction of the aiload itself. The Iish wee not inteested in agicultue, instead they pefeed to locate in uban aeas. The Iish often became involved with politics and fo this eason they favoed Wisconsin's libeal political policies (Nesbit, 973: 54). Bohemians The Bohemians as a goup aived late than the othe majo ethnic goups in Wisconsin. The Bohemians at the time of settlement wee pat of the Austian-Hungay Empie, but due to fundamental. They came to La Cosse County with plans to fam the land. The majo aeas of settlement occued in the southeast cone of the county. This aea is commonly known as Bohemian Ridge and Bohemian Valley (Wingate: 72). Upon aiving in La Cosse, many immigants took tempoay esidences at a camp named Castle Gadens. Castle Gadens was an immigant camp that was founded by a Nowegian and a Geman, Chales Solbeg and Fedeick Fleishe. The camp was located in an ideal location, between theiveand the Milwaukee Raiload depot. The camp encompassed one squae block and was suounded by a high boad fence. The immigants made use of a shed which was divided into sections fo individual families whee they could stay until they aanged fo moe

20 5 pemanent esidences. Each day as the tains aived in La Cosse, someone associated with the camp would meet the new aivals and povide them with food and medical cae. The camp acted as a haven fo the immigants until they could contact fiends and elatives, o they obtained employment (Wingate: 6). Wisconsin was a state that had appeal to immigants fo a vaiety of diffeent easons. The climate in coopeation with the natual esouces of the state wee compatible to the needs of the immigant fanne. Wisconsin was simila in many ways to the homelands fom which the majoity of immigants came. The settles of Wisconsin all shaed the same goal of ceating a bette life fo themselves and thei families. The pattens of settlement in Wisconsin and in paticula La Cosse County follow the needs of the people who came to this state and established themselves on the westen fonties. The immigant's unique cultual beliefs and pactices helped shape Wisconsin, fo example the pominence of Wisconsin as a bewey state is due in pat to the lage Geman population. Wisconsin's ethnic goups helped to shape the state, and in etun the state, like the est of the United States with its divese population, began to change its new esidents. The pocess of Ameicanization caused the immigants to lose some of thei stong ethnic customs and become Ameican. Although the immigants belonged to diffeent ethnic goups, the tials of ceating a new life on the fontie tansfomed them all into Ameicans.

21

22 7 Chapte 4 Agicultue The settlement of Wisconsin could not have happened if not fo faming. Ealy in its settlement histoy Wisconsin attacted people who saw faming as a way of life. The people who came to Wisconsin wee inteested in owning and woking thei own land. The land in the west was full of oppotunities fo people who woked had. When a family came to Wisconsin, they would often settle on a piece of popety with the goal of poducing a living. The land was cleaed and seeds wee planted. Faming allowed people to sustain themselves in the tems of food and clothing. The land povided food fo the dinne table, and though efficient pactice, agicultue led to a suplus, which could then be sold in ode to buy goods which could not be poduced in the home. The histoy of agicultue in La Cosse County centes aound thee impotant changes: () the change fom poducing cops mainly fo the home to wheat poduction, (2) changing fom wheat poduction to livestock, (3) the gowth of daiying (La Cosse County Agicultue: 2). The La Cosse Rive Valley has a vaiety of soil types that ae divided into thee egions - uplands, ive teaces, and bottoms. The soils of the uplands cove the ound idges and some of the lowe valley slopes which with the addition of fetilize can be vey poductive. The ive teace soils ae mostly silty loams which ae poductive fo a vaiety of cops. The aeas of the La Cosse Rive Valley which ae commonly flooded compose the bottom soil egion (Wisconsin Rual Resouces: 29). La Cosse County has a climate that is maked by wide vaiations in tempeatue, the aveage tempeatue in Januay is 5 degees Fahenheit and in July 74 degees Fahenheit (Soil Suvey: 76). The gowing season on aveage is 63 days long, anging fom Apil 29 to Octobe 9. La Cosse County eceives an aveage of inches of ainfall pe yea, a suitable amount fo the vaiety of cops gown in the county (Soil Suvey: 76). An examle of a typical famstead in the La Cosse Rive Valley is the Richads-Hause Fam (LC 08/07) located on County Highway S in the township of Onalaska. The fam house, constucted in 902 by R.L. Richads, is a two-stoy Queen Anne Revival home, built of ed bick and sits on a foundation of heavy cut-stone. The house is accompanied by a vaiety of outbuildings which include a main ban, ganay, ice house, chicken coop, con cib, milk house and machine shed (Rausch: item 7, page -3). Histoically the famstead was located on taxable aces, and the land was puchased by R. L. Richads of New Yok in 90. The Richads family maintained the fam until 92 when it was sold to William C. Hause (Rausch: hem 8, page 2). The Richads-Hause Fam is a good example of a family opeated fam in La Cosse County. The fam may have been involved with wheat poduction like the est of La Cosse County duing the nineteenth centuy, but thee is not enough infomation known to suppot this statement. The Richads-Hause Fam economy was most likely based on the sale of eggs, ceam and some meat poducing animals fo cash, howeve faming was usually diected towads gowing poduce fo home consumption (Rausch: item 8, page 3).

23 8 Gain and Livestock Poduction The ealy Euopean settles of Wisconsin cultivated wheat as thei fist cash cop. Wheat was a elatively easy cop to gow. Once the plowing and sowing was done in the sping thee was no need fo futhe wok to be done until the wheat was havested in the fall. The limited amount of wok needed to aise the cop made it attactive to fames because of the high pofitability. Howeve, wheat did have a numbe of disadvantages. It was had on the soil because it depleted the soil of nutients, and the yield vaiedfomyea to yea. The pice of wheat was closely detemined by the law of supply and demand which in tun led to an unstable maket (Thompson: 3). Wheat emained the pimay cash cop thoughout the 800s. The gowth of wheat can be attibuted to the development of agicultual machiney that was suited to paiie conditions. The self-scouing plow invented by John Deee, which eplaced the heavy wooden beaking plow, allowed fo an incease in the numbe of aces a fame could cultivate. The easten pat of Wisconsinfistbegan wheat poduction on a lage scale. The gain slowly began to make its way west. In 869 westen Wisconsin, which includes La Cosse and Monoe County, composed 6% of the state's total aceage of wheat. Wheat was slow to gain populaity in the westen egion of Wisconsin, but wheat maintained its populaity as the state's main cash cop. Wheat eventually established itself as an impotant cash cop in the west whee it developed a stong following. By 909 westen Wisconsin compised of 32% of the state's total wheat poducing famland (Wyatt, vol.2: 2-5). The late 800s saw a decline in the poduction of wheat. Easten Wisconsin began the tend to abandon wheat fo othe cash cops such as con and hay. Wheat poduction began to fall duing the 850s when fames expeienced a decease in cop yield. Insufficient ainfall was commonly blamed fo the poo yieldfomyea to yea, but soil depletion was the majo eason fo the decline of wheat poduction (Nesbit, 973: ). The southeasten egion of Wisconsin began to shift awayfomwheat as a cash cop duing the 870s. Wheat poduction moved to the westen potion of Wisconsin due in pat to the intoduction of the aiload which opened the fetile lands along the Wisconsin and Minnesota bode. In 869 wheat poduction in Wisconsin accounted fo ove one million aces of famland, howeve by 909 wheat was planted on only 40,000 aces with westen Wisconsin leading in wheat poduction. While wheat was the ideal cop fo pionee fames who needed a cash cop that geneated a substantial pofit, Wisconsin fames tuned awayfomwheat as thei main cash cop by the ealy 900s, although wheat poduction did expeience a boom duing Wold Wa I (Thompson: 0-5). The fames of the La Cosse Rive Valley aised a vaiety of cops and livestock. The most common cops in Wisconsin befoe 900 wee com, oats, wheat, and hay. Wheat was the numbe one cash cop, but the impotance of livestock to the Wisconsin fame led to inceased cultivation of feed cops. Animal husbandy was a majo pat of evey fam. Daught animals wee needed to wok thefields,and cows and poulty wee aised fo milk and eggs. Livestock wee unable to fulfill thei dietay needsfomgazing alone, so feed cops wee equied (Wyatt, vol. 2: 5-).

24 In ode fo a fame to be able to suppot a hed of cattle, he had to be able to incease the pofitability of the hed. If a hed of cattle was being aised in ode to poduce milk fo sale, the fame had to incease the hed's yield by feeding them oats and hay. Feed cop poduction became one of the top pioities of fames thoughout Wisconsin. Oat, hay, and con poduction gained populaity as makets fo hogs, beef cattle, and daiy poducts, such as cheese and butte, became available to ual fames due in pat to the aiload in 856. The need fo animal to wok the field was appaent to the fist settles of Wisconsin. The fames of the La Cosse Rive Valley wee no diffeent then the est of Wisconsin in thei need fo daught animals to pull baking plows and wagons. Ealy fames elied on thei livestock to povide them with food fo the table as well as help in woking the land. Fam animals wee also aised fo milk, eggs, wool, and meat. Initially fannes aised cash cops such as wheat in ode to make the money needed to pay fo thei fams. The decline in the wheat maket in collaboation with the development of feed cops caused fames to tun to animal husbandy and an altenative to cash cops. The demand fo meat and daiy poduction ceated a viable maket allowed fo fames to aise livestock fo the sole pupose of sale (Wyatt, vol. 2: 8-). The fist settles of Wisconsin intoduced cattle to the state. The settles needed oxen fo woking thefieldsand commonly some cattle wee aised in small numbes fo beef. The boom in cattle poduction occued afte 870 with the ise of the daiy industy. Fames began to convet theifields to feed cops and pastue land poduction because of the ising demand fo beef and daiy poducts. Daiy poduction bought heds of Holsteins and Guenseys to all pats of Wisconsin. Holsteins wee the popula choice by most fannes but Guenseys wee stongly concentated in westen Wisconsin (Wyatt, vol. 2: 8-5). Daiy Poduction Daiy cows wee commonly seen on small ual fams because they poduced milk which was used by the fame's family. The establishment of coopeatives and new types of high yield feed cops made lage scale daiy poduction pofitable. As ealy as the 850s fames in La Cosse County and thoughout Wisconsin began to shift away fom wheat as a cash cop and tuned to daiy. Holsteins and Guenseys wee aised fo thei milk, which could then be pocessed into butte and cheese. The impotance of daiy was evident by the numbe of ceameies and cheese factoies in La Cosse County. In 859 La Cosse County was poducing 00, ,999 pounds of butte. By 907 ceameies wee located in Bae Mills, Bango, Holman, La Cosse, Mindoo, and West Salem; cheese factoies wee in located acoss the county in aeas such as Bango, Dutch Ceek, Middle Ridge, St. Joseph's Ridge, Washington, Shelby, and Geenfield (La Cosse County Agicultue: 4). Two of the moe pominent daiy businesses in the county wee the Bango Cheese factoy, established in 890 and the West Salem Ceamey Association, stated in 886. The Bango Cheese factoy specialized in poducing Bick and Swiss cheeses (La Cosse County Agicultue: 9

25 20 4). Ceameies and cheese factoies whee often opeated by a coopeative. The coopeative was fomed by local fames who pooled togethe esouces in ode to puchase a ceamey o cheese factoy. The coopeative would opeate the factoy using milk supplied by fames who wee membes of the coopeative. The fames would be paid fo thei milk and the cost of gatheing the ceam would be coveed by the coopeative (Leonad's Deam: 44). Though local coopeation and paticipation by fames the cost of pocessing daiy poducts was kept to a minimum while the pofits wee etuned to the fames. Daiying statedfomhumble beginnings, but it gew to become the leading industy in La Cosse County. The evidence fo this can be see in the following statistics. A poduction of 480,000 pounds of ceamy butte in 885 expanded to 3,756,000 pounds by 950, and cheese poduction osefom38,000 pounds in 885 to 2,825,000 pounds in 950. The poduction of condensed and powdeed poducts inceased fom 33,000 pounds in 92 to 5,03,000 pounds by 950. And the manufactuing of ice ceam in La Cosse County was 50,000 gallons in 950 (La Cosse County Agicultue: 4). Tobacco Tobacco was one of Wisconsin's cash cops which povided the fames of La Cosse County with an altenative to wheat. Tobacco was suited to the fam lands of Wisconsin due in pat to the climate and soil type. Tobacco gown in La Cosse County was categoized as ciga-binde leaf. This type of tobacco was not, as the name implies, used exclusively as ciga binding. The quality of tobacco is dependent on yea to yea poduction. Tobacco was bought to the La Cosse Rive valley by Nowegian settles who had tobacco gowing knowledge. The poduction of tobacco is closely detemined by maket and climate. The demand of tobacco has vaied geatly though the yeas which esulted in an unstable maket. Combined with the vaying climate of Wisconsin, tobacco had the potential of poducing high pofits fo fames. In a yea of ideal weathe, tobacco gowes poduced a high quality poduct that netted a substantial pofit. The sale of tobacco occued only afte the tobacco had been havested and died. Dying sheds can be commonly seen among the outbuildings of fams in Wisconsin. The fanne acted as his own agent and sold diectly to tobacco buyes befoe the fomation of the tobacco pool and the Wisconsin Tobacco Association (Wyatt, vol. 2: 7-2). Milling The agicultual industy lead to the necessity of milling. The suplus of cops, which esulted fom effective faming, wee sold to ean money fo the puchase of othe goods. The mill was an opeation whee local fames bought thei gain to be pocessed. Gains like oats and wheat wee gound intoflou,conmeal o feed fo livestock. Milling was a diect esult of agicultue and is theefoe mentioned in this chapte. Futhe development of milling as a majo industy in

26 2 La Cosse County will be discussed in the thematic chapte on industy. Coopeatives Wisconsin fames wee often not individually able to affod the cost of tanspoting thei poducts to maket, no they wee necessaily able to buy lage agicultual equipment like theshing machines. The fomation of a coopeative was the answe to cutting the costs fo a single fame by dividing the cost among a lage numbe of fames. Coopeatives wee oganizations o entepises that wee owned and opeated by local membes. Fannes who shaed an inteest in daiy o cattle poduction fomed coopeatives in ode to incease thei pofits be loweing individual costs and ceating a viable maket fo thei cops. Wisconsin's lagest agicultual commodities, including daiy, livestock, canbeies, and tobacco, had thei own local and state wide coopeatives. Local livestock associations wee a type of coopeative that assembled and shipped livestock fo its membes. Coopeatives helped egulate livestock poduction by educating membes about the newest dietay and beeding pactices, as well as infoming fames about makets, egulations, and pices (Swoboda: 68). Daiy poduction in Wisconsin was centeed aound coopeatives. Local fames would pool thei esouces in ode to ceate a ceamey. The ceamey poduced butte and cheese which helped the coopeative membes in two ways. Fist it ceated a maket fo the membes to sell thei milk, and second the membes pofited fom the butte and cheese sales, In 925 Wisconsin anked fist in the nation in numbe of daiy coopeatives. Local coopeatives wee linked to statewide associations such as the Wisconsin Cheese Poduces' Fedeation, which opened state and national makets fo coopeative membes (Swoboda: 65). Canbey gowes of Monoe County could find a maket fo thei cops by belonging to the Wisconsin Canbey Gowes' Association (Swoboda: 66). Wisconsin also had a coopeative fo the tobacco gowes, the Wisconsin Tobacco Association. Coopeatives seved the pupose of helping fames maket thei poducts. As agicultue developed in La Cosse County, a numbe of oganizations that suppoted agicultue began to suface. In Octobe of 858 the La Cosse County Agicultual Society was oganized and held thei fist annual fai. The oganization owned popety nea West Salem that was used fo exhibition puposes fom 859 to 88. The Nothwest Hoicultual Society was ceated in 879 and held a fai in 88 which was associated with the Wisconsin State Hoicultual Society. And in 868 the La Cosse Boad of Tade was oganized; although the boad was pimaily associated with the pomotion of towns, it did suppot agicultue (La Cosse County Agicultue: 4). Influence of the Raiload The success of agicultue in the La Cosse Rive Valley was aided by the intoduction of the aiload. Daiy poducts such as butte and cheese, as well as livestock had to be shipped to a viable maket. The aiload povided a way fo the fames of ual La Cosse County to each the makets of lage cities like La Cosse, Milwaukee, and St. Paul. In 858 with the opening of a tunnel at Tomah, the Milwaukee Road aiload began to each towns in the La Cosse Rive

27 22 Valley. The aiload had been opeating on a egula schedulefommilwaukee to New Lisbon since 857, but the ail did not each West Salem until 874 (Leonad's Deam:22). Duing this time peiod the condition of oads, whee they did exist, was vey poo. The aiload was the only eliable means of tanspotation. The agicultual industy heavily elied on the ailways in ode to tanspot cops and poduce to distant makets. The pactice of aising livestock fo sale was geatly influenced by the availability of makets. In addition to livestock, the aiload hauled feight such as wheat,flou,vegetables, live stock, daiy poducts, and fam implements (Memois: 73). The influence of the aiload and the pospeity it bought with it was so geat that towns often elocated in ode to be in the path of a aiload. The towns of West Salem, Bango, and Rockland wee all established along of the aiload lines. The establishement of La Cosse County can be attibuted to the lumbe industy; howeve it was agicultue that povided a stable yet poductive economy fo the county. La Cosse County was able tofindpofit in agicultue duing its ealy stages of settlement fom wheat poduction, but it was the adaptation of livestock poduction and then daiying that continued the economic gowth of the county. Agicultue spawned the gowth of othe industies such the manufactuing of agicultual machiney, ceameies, cheese factoies, milling, and ailoads.

28 23 Chapte 5 Industy The state of Wisconsin is commonly seen as being a stong agicultual state, but it also has had a histoy maked by industy. The ealiest of Wisconsin's industies wee intended to meet the needs of the settles, and to take advantage of the state's esouces. Ealy industy was aided by wate powe. The abundant steams and ives founded in Wisconsin, poweed ealy industy. Sawmills and gist mills wee among Wisconsin's fist industies. The ealy settles came to Wisconsin because of its abundance of natual esouces. They began to take advantage of Wisconsin's fetile soils and planted cops. The fames of Wisconsin began thei cultivation of the soil with the planting of wheat. This ealy cash cop gew well and became a valuable commodity which led to the establishment of Wisconsin as a stong agicultual state. Agicultue developed apidly with the poduction of wheat, but it was the daiy industy which povided a stable agicultual based economy fo Wisconsin. The soils of the state made it possible fo the canning industy to develop, because cops such as peas, beans, and beets could be gown. Agicultue povided a basis fo many of the leading industies of Wisconsin. Wheat was the most impotant industy duing the 800s fo the state of Wisconsin. Wheat was a cash cop that was gown by the majoity of Wisconsin's fames, because it was a cop that could be planted fo a small cost and the yield poduced a lage pofit. The eason fo wheat's populaity can be cedited to thee factos. The fist facto was the ability of wheat to gow in Wisconsin soils. The second facto was the open paiie lands of southen Wisconsin, which allowed lagefields to be planted. And the thid eason was the aiload, which as ealy as the 850s povided a eliable mode of shipment fo the gain (Thompson: 39,40). Duing the 880s the wheat industy began to shaply decline. Continued seasons of poo yields in addition to a decease in maket demand, contibuted to wheat's decline. Howeve, the city of La Cosse, unlike othe state shipping centes, continued to gow in wheat expots. La Cosse was able to thive due in pat to its location. While wheat declined in easten Wisconsin in the late 800s, the fames of westen Wisconsin wee leading the state in wheat poduction. La Cosse continued to be an expote of wheat gown in westen Wisconsin and Minnesota until the end of the nineteenth centuy. Also, wheat that was gown in the Dakotas passed though the pot of La Cosse (Economic Development Summay: 20). Befoe 900, the fames of Wisconsin wee tied to a onecop system of agicultue. The appeal of wheat as a cash cop was so geat, that fames ignoed othe types of cop cultivation such as oats, con, and hay. The cash of the wheat maket in 893 put an end to the single cop cultivation pactices of Wisconsin fames. The fames of Wisconsin tuned to daiy faming as an altenative to wheat cultivation (Thompson: 20). Wisconsin's teain, with its olling hills and valleys, was fa fom being ideal fo wheat, howeve the daiy industy was well suited to the

29 24 state's natual geogaphy. The daiy industy became the dominant industy in the state of Wisconsin. Milling The agicultual development of Wisconsin led to the establishment of the milling industy. The suplus of cops, which is the esult of effective faming, can be sold to ean money fo the puchase of othe goods. The mill was an opeation whee local fames bought thei gain to be pocessed. Gains like oats and wheat wee gound intoflou,conmeal o feed fo livestock. The mill owne would often chage fo the sevice povided by keeping a potion of the fame's gain. Afte the gain was pocessed, the fame could use o sell the pocessed gain. The local mill such as the Steensen Mill (not extant) in West Salem owned by Hiam Lovejoy and Oin Van Nees, was built along side aiveo lage steam. The wate povided powe to tun the lage ginding stone. "The mill was used to gind hominy, patent flou and feed."(kindschey: 34). Some gains that wee pocessed at a mill ae gaham buck wheat, middlings and conmeal scatch feed.(kindschey: 34) Milling was atfista local business whee the local mille poduced enoughflouonly fo the fames who bought thei gain to the mill. The city of Milwaukee began to poduceflouon a lage scale because Milwaukee had access to the aiload and the Geat Lakes. This allowed fo Milwaukee to eceive lage amounts of gain as well as being able to ship the pocessedflouout of the state. Gain poduction inceased with theiseof wheat as Wisconsin's leading cash. The wheat maket in the state eached a peak in 860 with a bumpe cop. The following yeas saw a shap decline in wheat poduction oveall in the state. The decline of the wheat industy usheed in the decline of the milling industy (Thompson: 43). La Cosse was a popula site fo industy because of the ailoads which an though the city. The La Cosse Rive Valley was geogaphically an ideal oute fo east/west tanspotation access. The ailway an though the La Cosse Rive Valley to La Cosse and then tuned noth towads St. Paul, Minnesota. The aiload povided a eliable way of tanspoting poducts to majo makets such as Milwaukee. The Mississippi Rive's steamboat taffic was also an altenative to the aiload and bought poducts to the cities along the Mississippi Rive such as St. Louis. The ability fo the esidents of La Cosse County to each the tanspotation outes of the aiload o the Mississippi Rive was a facto in the development of the industial base of the county. Lumbe La Cosse acted as an impotant pot fo the lumbe industy fo a couple of impotant easons. Fist the Black Rive, which teminates at the Mississippi Rive in the city of LaCosse, was a main oute fo tanspoting havest logs out of the nothen Wisconsin foests and to the sawmills of Onalaska and LaCosse. The logs weefloateddownsteam whee they eached a slough whee the logs wee soted and sent to diffeent mills. Noth of Onalaska and La Cosse a seies of booms wee set up that diected the logs towadthe pope mills. This system of booms in

30 25 coopeation with the mills that lined the shoes of the Mississippi Rive wee the second eason fo La Cosse's involvement in the lumbe industy. Sawmills established along the Black Rive and the Mississippi Rive fom nothen Onalaska to southen La Cosse between 850 and 900 (Doblie: 5,6). The lumbe industy dominated the economy of La Cosse and Onalaska in the second half of the 800s. Many of the immigants who tavelled to the La Cosse Rive Valley came in seach of jobs and wee able to find them in lumbe industy. Laboes wee needed not only to cut the timbe in nothen Wisconsin, but to see that the logs eached thei destinations at the sawmills. The logs which wee sent down ive wee often placed togethe in log afts so that they could be shipped down ive. Logs which wee simply floated downsteam often did not make it all the way to thei destination because they often became caught along the banks of the ive. To avoid this hazad, the logs wee bound togethe in lage afts which wee then paused down ive by steamboats (Nesbit, 973: 302). The Black Rive flowed into the Mississippi at a point just noth of Onalaska. Once the logs neaed the mouth of the Black Rive, they wee funnelled into a seies of pies and log booms which soted the logs. The logs wee then sent on the final leg of thei jouney which ultimately led to the sawmill. The wide open plain of La Cosse was conducive to the constuction of sawmills. La Cosse and Onalaska became lage lumbeing centes. In the mills of these towns, thousands of boad feet of lumbe wee pocessed into cut boads, shingles, siding, and doos. These poducts wee in high demand to the settles who wee establishing themselves in the teeless paiies of the Geat Plains (Doblie: 5,6). The lumbe industy bought wealth and pospeity to La Cosse County, but as with wheat the industy, eached a peak and then expeienced a shap decline. By 890 the lumbe industy had havested the majoity of timbe fom the foests of Wisconsin. With no poduct to sell, the lumbe maket which had helped to establish and develop the aea of La Cosse quickly disappeaed (Nesbit: 308). When the lumbe maket began to falte, the communities that elied on the lumbe industy fo economic suppot had to look fo othe means of economic gowth. La Cosse continued to gow because it was the only sizable community between Milwaukee and the Twin Cities of Minnesota. La Cosse developed altenative industies to fill the gap left by the lumbe industy. The city became a cente fo agicultual equipment manufactuing, and because of the city's stong Geman heitage, a majo bee poduce (Economical Development Summay: 2). The city of La Cosse was unquestionably the egion's industial leade. The industies that could be found in ual La Cosse County wee aw mateial oientated industies such as ceameies, gain elevatos, cheese factoies and slaughte houses (Economical Development Summay: 22)

31 26 Canning Fuit and vegetable pocessing had been viable industy in Wisconsin since the late 800s. Wisconsin's stong agicultual base povided thefuitsand vegetable fo a pocessing industy, and by the second decade of the twentieth centuy the state was one of the leading poduces of canned poducts in the nation. Although the canning industy of Wisconsin was centalized aound the easten aea of Wisconsin, the Onalaska Pickle and Canning Compnay was a leade in canning fo westen Wisconsin. The Onalaska Pickle and Canning Company was oiginally founded in 90 as the J. S. Gedney Pickle Company. The company conveted a bulding (08/02) which was at one time pat of the Onalaska Bewey Company. The company chose Onalaska as a location fo the canning opeation because of the city's ideal tanspotation facilities (Doblie: 28). The canning pocessfistdeveloped in Fance and was not intoduced to the United States until 89. Small vegetable gadens began to appea acoss the state as Wisconsin became settled. The soils of Wisconsin wee fetile and suppoted a vaiety of cops, and lage yields of peas in the east led to pofitablefeshmaket sales. By 880 a few communities along Lake Michigan had developed small canning opeations. The ealy canning opeations wee basically home spun industies, family owned and un. Lage scale canning poduction did not occu in Wisconsin until the tun of the centuy (Wyatt, vol. 2: -) The canning industy in Wisconsin developed slowly befoe 900 fo a vaiety of easons. Lage scale poduction of cops equies a lage wok foce duing the planting and havesting peiods. Canning companies needed lage numbes of eliable laboes to wok the fields. Thefieldsof peas and beans that wee used fo canning cops wee owned by the local canning companies, because pivate fames did not have confidence in the ealy canning industy. As the canning industy became inceasingly pofitable, individual fannes began to plant thei ownfieldsof vegetables destined fo canning. The canning industies slow gowth was also due to the lack of appopiate machiney. All of the havesting had to be done by hand which was labo-intensive. Afte 900 the canning industy began to gow at a steady ate due to inventions of and impovements in machiney (Wyatt,vol. 2: -4). The canning industy of Wisconsin poduced a vaiety of canned fuits and vegetables, with con, peas, and beets being the most pofitable. Peas weefistcanned in Wisconsin in 887, but the cop became established between 897 and 920. Pea poduction was aided by the development of new machiney which inceased the amount of peas that could be pocessed. Befoe 920 Wisconsin was esponsible fo poducing one thid of the nation's total poduction of peas. Afte 920 the amount of peas poduced in Wisconsin amounted to ovefiftypecent. Wisconsin is located at the nothen limit of the con belt, but the state was still able to poduce a substantial amount of sweet con fo canning. The majoity of the confieldsof Wisconsin wee planted as feed cops to suppot Wisconsin's daiy industy, but sweet con is the second lagest

32 cop canned in Wisconsin (Wyatt, vol. 2: -5). The canning of con dominated the ealy canning industy of Wisconsin, but afte 900 con was passed in poduction by peas (Kause: 56, 7). The fames of Wisconsin gew cops of beets which esulted in the pocessing industies of suga poduction and beet canning. Gaining pominence duing the 920s, Wisconsin beet poduction povided thity pecent of the nations total poduction fom 920 to 950. Beet poduction lead to two diffeent food pocessing industies in Wisconsin. Beets wee canned fo consumption as vegetables, but suga beets wee poceed fo suga. Both of these industies wee centeed in the easten pat of Wisconsin. This aea was bette suited fo the gowing needs of beets. Due to limited tanspotation, beet pocessing facilities wee located a shot distance fom the fields. Wisconsin's canning industy was impotant to the oveall economy of Wisconsin, but La Cosse County was not a leade in the industy. La Cosse County fannes contibuted to the industy by cultivating peas, con, and beets. The lage canning plants of Wisconsin wee mostly located in the easten pat of the state, yet La Cosse County had been the home of fou canning plants (none extant) (Wyatt, vol 2: -). As with many of the othe industies in La Cosse County, the canning industy was pevalent because of the county's location. The faming community poduced cops which wee pocessed in local plants, and the access to the aiload povided a tanspotation oute fo aw mateials as well as the shipping of finished poducts. Bewing Because of the lage Geman population in Wisconsin, the state has been noted fo its bee poduction. The Geman influence has affected the development of beweies in La Cosse County. In 860 La Cosse County had at least five beweies in opeation, the most notable being the City Bewey of John Gund and Gottlieb Heileman (854). Bee poduction was a popula business in Wisconsin because of the availability of hops, baley, and fesh wate. Wisconsin also had a eliable supply of ice, and the constant incease in Geman immigants povided a skilled wok foce. The cente of Wisconsin's bewing industy was the city of Milwaukee, which had a lage Geman population, but bee poduction had spead to nineteen counties by 880 (Wyatt, vol: 9-0). The bee industy expeienced a notable peiod of gowth between 860 and 880. Duing this peiod, impovements in machiney and the bewing pocess contibuted to inceased poduction. Finding a maket of Geman-bewed bee was not a poblem. The gowing public was fond of the Geman-bewed bees, because in compaison the English ales, the Geman bees wee lighte and moe palatable to the geneal public. By the tun of the centuy the bewing industy was fimly established in Wisconsin and beweies began to consolidate. Beweies oiginally poduced bee fo a local maket, but the incease in public demand fo bee led to the consolidation of Wisconsin beweies, with many small companies closing. The bewey industy encounteed a set back in 99 with the adopting of Pohibition. Pohibition and the Geat Depession of the 930s hut the bewing industy, howeve technological innovations duing Wold Wa II

33 28 evolutionalized the industy. In the village of Bango the Hussa Bewey Company (LC 04/06, LC 04/05) was one of the most poductive beweies in the county. Founded in 860 by Joseph Hussa, the Hussa Bewey Company shipped its poduct thoughout the county, as well as to distant makets in Milwaukee and Chicago. The Hussa Bewey poduced two outstanding bees, Paagon and Cystalline. The bewey suffeed fom afiein 9 that destoyed pat of the bewey, but the company was able to suvivefomthis disaste. Ove 600 baels of bee was stoed in undegound tunnels which wee unhamed by thefie (Bango Histoical Society: 2). Manufactuing Fom ealy times thee developed in the county manufactuing industies that wee connected with fam poduction. Some notable fam implements manufactued in LaCosse County wee the Smith and Meill Clippe Theshing Machines in 86, A. Hischheime's La Cosse Plow Woks in 863, and the B. Otto and Joseph Bate invention of the twin binde in 867. The manufactuing industies in the La Cosse County have been vey influential to the development of the city and communities within the county. La Cosse is unique in the fact that it was able to compete with lage manufactuing centes such as Milwaukee and Chicago. La Cosse, because of its location on the Mississippi Rive and also having access to majo aiload lines, was able to impot the needed aw mateials fo manufactuing as well as being able to shipfinishedpoducts to consumes. La Cosse was able to poduce goods fo the fames of La Cosse County as well as Wisconsin and Minnesota (Nesbit, 973: 332). The expansion of fanning in the Midwest demanded new machiney in ode to incease the amount of cops that could be cultivated. Thefistmanufactues wee compised of local caftsmen who poduced a limited amount of poducts. The lage scale manufactues wee stated by businessmen who had funding fom easten banks. The individual caftsmen possessed the skills fo manufactuing, but they did not possess the money to expand thei opeations. The industies of ealy La Cosse County wee centeed aound the abundant natual esouces that wee found within the county's bodes. The lumbe industy was the fist majo industy in the county which bought people to the aea in seach of employment oppotunites. Lumbe also was esponsible fo establishing an economic base fo towns in the county such as Onalaska. The lumbe industy faded in the late 890s but the county was able to tun towads agicultue in ode to suvive. Agicultue has developed into the count'ys leading industy. Theiseof agicultue, especially daiy poduction, caused industies like the manufactuing of agicultual machiney. La Cosse County's industies wee aided in pat to the availiblity of tanspotation in the fom of the Mississippi Rive and the access to aiload lines.

34 29 Chapte 6 Tanspotation The development of Wisconsin was diectly influenced by its tanspotaion facilities. Tanspotation povided a way fo people to move fom the east with the hope of settling in Wisconsin, and it also established a vital link between Wisconsin and the cities in the east. In a time befoe moden communication links, Wisconsin elied on its wateways and ailoads to connect the state to the est of the county. The state of Wisconsin was fotunate to be located with Lake Supeio to the noth, Lake Michigan to the east, and the Mississippi Rive to the west. La Cosse County's development was shaped by its location on the Mississippi Rive, and eventually by the aiload oute which an though the LaCosse Rive Valley. Mississippi Rive Fo thousands of yeas the Mississippi Rive and its tibutaies have been used as outes of tanspotion. The Mississippi Rive povided Wisconsin's fist inhabitants, the Native Ameicans, with a tanspotation oute in addition to abundant natual esouces. Afte the discovey of the Mississippi in 673 by Maquette and Joliet, the ive caied fu tades and Euopean settles to the egion. The ive and its tibutaies allowed access to the pine foests of nothen Wisconsin. With the intoduction of the steamboat, the Mississippi linked La Cosse to ive pots noth and south. La Cosse's location made the city an ideal location fo steamboats to stop in ode to take onfiewoodfo the ships boiles. Fom the 850s to the pesent, La Cosse has seved as a habo and ive landing (Cultual Resouce Management: 3-5). Theiveopened up westen Wisconsin to immigation and settlement. People who wee inteested in settling in Wisconsin had an available means of eaching the state. The ive duing the suge of settlement in the 850s povided a oute fo settles fom the east via the Eie Canal to the Ohio Rive and finally noth on the Mississippi. Mississippi steamboats caied lage numbes of settles to Wisconsin until the 870s, when the ailoads became a popula method of tavelling. The height of La Cosse's involvement in Mississippi Rive tanspotation came with the lumbe industy. Nothen Wisconsin offeed a seemingly endless supply of pine foests duing the 800s. The wateways of the Wisconsin, St. Coix, and Black ives povided access to these pineies. La Cosse and Onalaska wee founded due to thei location whee the Black Rive joined with the Mississippi. Because of this location, La Cosse and Onalaska wee in ideal locations fo the placement of lumbe mills. Afte being cut, the logs wee floated down ive to the mills whee they weefinishedinto lumbe. La Cosse and Onalaska between 850 and 900 wee the sites of a lage numbe of saw mills. The lumbe industy bought pospeity to westen Wisconsin in the fom of employment opputunities.

35 30 Railoads The inteio of Wisconsin was made accessible to tanspotation by the constuction of ailoads. The aiload was designedfomthe beginning to ship gain, fus, lumbe, lead, and agicultual poducts acoss the state and county. In addition to tanspoting feight, the ailoads also caied passenges, as indicated by the many immigants who tavelled to Wisconsin by aiload. The lead industy in southwest Wisconsin ceated a demand fo an economical method of shipping lead oe to pots along the coast of Lake Michigan. Railoads wee the answe to coss-state tanspotional needs, because they wee faste and theefoe moe economical than othe oveland outes. Howeve, fo the aiload to be moe pofitable fo its investos, Wisconsin had to develop a stable agicultual-based economy. The cost of laying tack was expensive and aiload investes needed to be able to get a etun on thei money. The lead egion did not poduce a sufficient amount of oe to be the aiload's sole suppote. Lage scale agicultue was needed in ode fo Wisconsin to develop its aiload system. The La Cosse & Milwaukee Raiload wasfistoganized in 852, and was thefistaiload to each La Cosse, in 858. The aiload headed nothwest fom Milwaukee to Watetown, and then on to Potage andfinally to La Cosse (Gegoy: 375). Thefinalstage of the line's constuction tavelled though the La Cosse Rive Valley. This oute was the long path which the aiload could tavel to each La Cosse. In 876 the Geen Bay and Minnesota aiload company completed seven miles of tacks which connected Onalaska to La Cosse. The city of La Cosse aised $75,000 in bonds fo the completion of the line, which demonstates how impotant the aiload was to the community (Gegoy: 38). The influence of the aiload was so geat that some villages such as Rockland wee founded on the diect path to the aiload. The pospeity that the aiload bought to a village was so geat that villages would often move thei locations in ode to be connected with the aiload. The villages of Bango and West Salem also developed when they each elocated by a couple of miles to be along the path of the aiload in 858. West Salem was peceeded by the village of Neshonoc, but the ealy village was not in the path of the aiload, so a station was constucted about of a mile south of Neshonoc and became known as West Salem (Byant: 207, 224). By 893 the La Cosse Rive Valley had thee diffeent aiload lines cossing though the aea. The Chicago and Nothwesten Railway Company had a line that wentfommilwaukee though Madison to La Cosse, and the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway Company an fom Milwaukee to Potage and then though Spata on the way to La Cosse. Running along the Mississippi Rive was the Chicago, Bulington and Nothen Raiload Company which connected La Cosse to Onalaska and then to cities in the noth such as Winona and Wabasha (Nesbit, 985: 7). Roads Thefistoads in Wisconsin wee a combination of tails and potages used by Native Ameicans. Ealy fu tades and missionaies made use of the netwok of tails that linked Native Ameican

36 villages and tading posts. Settles widened the existing tails in ode to make them passable fo oxen-pulled wagons. Stagecoachs and wagons foged the ealy oad sytems which wee ough tails at best. Duing Wisconsin's teitoial peiod, the militay felt that it was neccessay to constuct oads fo the pupose of tanspoting supplies between fontie fots (Wyatt, vol. 2: 7- ). As the population of Wisconsin gew with an inceasing numbe of immigants, the public demanded a bette quality of oads. Agicultue in Wisconsin was steadily inceasing and fames equied oads in ode to tanspot thei cops to maket. The state met this demand by passing laws which called fo the constuction of state oads. The esponsiblity fofinancingthe constuction of state oads was given to the local govenments. Many oads wee founded by donation fom the local citizens. In 845 an ox and wagon tail was blazed fom Paiie du Chen to La Cosse (La Cosse County Agicultue: 4). The 850s saw La Cosse become a focal point fo oveland outes; shot stagecoach outes and wagon oads. In 850 a oad linking La Cosse and Spata was constucted. This oad followed the LaCosse Rive Valley, a length of nealy 27 miles (La Cosse County Agicultue: 4; Westen Histoical Company: 393). Taveling on the ealy oads of Wisconsin was not always an enjoyable expeience fo the tavele. The oads often took ound-about outes and wee usually in poo condition. The ealy oads wee dit paths that had been cut though the dense foest. If the funds wee availible, a oad may have been constucted on wooden planks that wee placed togthe on the gound. Wisconsin's weathe took its toll on the oads, which wee fequently mud-clogged, full of uts, and lacked sufficient bidges (Wyatt, vol. 2: 7-2). Wisconsin's constitution stipulated that the state was not to be involved with the constuction of oads. The state was only esposible fo the administation of fedeal gants intended fo tanspotation impovements (Nesbit, 985: 39). Legislatue in 849 placed esponsiblity fo oad constuction onto local govenments, who in tun passed esponsiblities to oad disticts within the townships. Local citizens would then elect a neighbo to ovesee the collection of funds fo oad constuction. This pocess did vey little to impove the condition of oads in the state (Nesbit, 985: 4). In 893, the oads of Wisconsin wee aided by legislation that did away with oad disticts, giving esponsiblity to the town boads who collected funds in cash. This pocess was moe efficient than the old system. The oads also ecieved a boost fom the Fedeal Postal Sevice, which was expeimenting with ual postal delivey, and theefoe demanded impoved oad conditions (Nesbit, 985: 45,46). Afte the tun of the centuy, the oad system was a geat impovement ove the olde oads. Pio to 900, the appopiation of funding fo oads was handled by local govenments, whee the local citizens did not feel that it was neccassay to tax fo oad constuction. In 96 the fedeal govenment began poviding funding to the states fo the pupose of oad constuction. The constuction of oads was then contolled by the state, esulting in an impoved oad system (Wyatt, vol.2: 8-2). In 950, La Cosse County had ove 800 mile of public highways, compised mostly of county o town oads. Fou Fedeal Highways an though the county, one of them 3

37 32 being U.S. Highway 6 which an eastwad fom the city of La Cosse (Soil Suvey: 75). Bidge, LC 8/28 bidges wee often wooden coveed bidges (none extant), that wee designed fo hoses and caiages. These bidges howeve wee not suitible fo automobiles and new bidges had to be constucted. Bidges like the concete bidge (8/28) constucted on the notheast cone of Highway 08 and the La Cosse Rive, and the ion ove-head tuss aiload bidge (9/03) wee constucted fo the pupose of tanspoting automobiles and tains acoss the ive. The development of La Cosse County is due in pat to the county's location which is conducive to tanspotation outes. La Cosse County is located on the Mississippi Rive which has been a majo tanspotation oute fo thousands of yeas. The Native Ameicans wee thefistpeople to tavel on the Mississippi in canoes. With the intoduction of Euopeans and Euo-Ameicans to the aea, the Mississippi was a key oute fo the tanspotation of people and supplies. The lumbe industy in La Cosse County is closely tied to theivefo tanspotation of logsfomthe foests to the mills, and then to makets futhe away via the ive noth and south. The fist oads though the La Cosse Rive Valley followed Native Ameican tails though the coulees, and the age of the aiload bought ail lines to La Cosse County. The ealy ailoads took the path of least esistance which was though the La Cosse Rive Valley to La Cosse. Today's moden highway system follows the same pathways to coss La Cosse County. Tanspotation outes have played an impotant ole in the development of La Cosse County by poviding a means of tanspoting people and supplies to the county as well as accessing the majo cities of

38 the Midwest like Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis, and St. Paul. 33

39

40 i T F Chapte 7 Education Duing the 830s, a lage numbe of settles fom the easten United States as well as Euope began to move into the state of Wisconsin, causing a ise in the state's population. These men, women, and childen who chose to settle in Wisconsin came fom diffeent backgounds and possessed a vaiety of values and beliefs. Many of Wisconsin's new esidents believed that education was the key to a life of pospeity fo thei childen. Popula demand fo a fomal education system in the state, in addition to nation-wide movements towad impoved education uged law makes to establish a educational system in the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin was bought unde teitoial ule with the odinance of 787 which called fo the fomation of thee to five new teitoies. The land of Wisconsin was divided between the teitoies of Michigan and Illinois until July of 836, when Wisconsin was ecognized as a teitoy (Doudna: 2). Education in Wisconsin began with the 787 odinance which called fo the encouagement of schools and fomalized education. The ealy schools of Wisconsin wee fomed unde the school laws of Michigan; the laws wee then tansfeed to the Wisconsin teitoy in 836. The Michigan laws stated that evey community with fifty o moe families must establish and suppot a common school, and with the addition of evey hunded families the community was equied to ceate an additional school. In Wisconsin this law was modified in ode to oganize school disticts. Each distict was equied to elect thee diectos who would then be esponsible fo choosing a location fo the school, hiing a teache fo a minimum of thee months, and levying a tax on the attendance of students. The cost of education fo the Childen of families unable to affod to send thei childen to school, was assessed against the entie distict (Doudna: 2). The movement fo the fomation of Wisconsin into a state was bought about due to the incease of population in the teitoy. Duing the teitoial peiod, Wisconsin gew in size fom,000 to 300,000 esidents (Doudna: 3). Wisconsin's bid fo statehood was aided in pat by the need fo a state school system. The constitution of Wisconsin, which was fomulated in the constitutional convention in 847, called fo the establishment of nomal schools in addition to a school fund. The constitution had povided a means of education fo the childen of all people, fo tained teaches, and fo libaies (Doudna: 3). Funding fo the establishment of public education came fom the ceation of a numbe of diffeent funds, which deived money fom the use of fedeal land. The common school fund was ceated in ode fo the schools of Wisconsin to be suppoted. The fund woked in the following manne. Lands ganted to the state by the geneal govenment fo educational puposes was to be set aside fo the school fund, and its income was used to suppot common schools, libaies, academies, and nomal schools. The nomal school fund was ceated in 857, and eanings fom the sale of lands wee given to the state by the fedeal govenment (Doudna: 5). Land, which was

41 36 commonly classified as swamp land, was given to the state with the intent that a potion of any pofitsfomthe land use would be diected towads the suppot of education. The Univesity Fund also acquied funds fom the use of fedeal land. In 836, an Act of Congess ganted the teitoy of Wisconsin two townships fo the establishment of an institution of highe leaning. This land amounted to 46,000 aces, and in 854 two additional townships wee established. The poceeds of thefisttownship amounted to $50,000 (Doudna: 6). These funds suffeed fom couption at the administative level, howeve the funds did contibute to the bettement of education in Wisconsin. The govenment on state and national levels wee tying to ceate a system of education though the nation, but the oigins of education in states such as Wisconsin can not be found in the acts and laws of the state's govenment. Instead the histoy of individual communities and the people who founded the pionee towns ceated thefistschools. The ealy settles of Wisconsin wee animated about educating thei childen. As a community was settled, the fist buildings to be constucted wee houses, chuches, and school houses. Ealy settles believed in the impotance of stong eligious and moal chaacte, and theefoe following the constuction of a place of woship as a means of education was ceated (Nesbit, 973: 74). Most of the time the cost fo aising a school was accomplished without the suppot of taxes. This coopeation by the local citizens to pool thei esouces in ode to establish a school demonstates the impotance of education to the ealy esidents of Wisconsin. This movement of community-suppoted schools was maked by the local citizens desie fo afeeschool system whee the community could detemine what cuiculum would be taught (Nesbit, 973: 75). By 907, La Cosse County was divided into 70 school disticts with a total of 70 school buildings (Byant: 33-34). Due to continuing incease in students, the numbe of school disticts inceased to the level of 72 in 97, although the numbe of buildings had dopped to 65 one-oom schools. In 927 the La Cosse County Supeintendent of Schools epoted that thee wee 3,000 students in La Cosse County being taught in 73 ual schools by 04 teaches. Of the 73 ual schools, only nine buildings had moe than one oom. The school of the 920s may have been only been one-oom buildings, howeve they geneally possessed text books, hot lunch equipment, playgound equipment, and sanitay wate fountains (Byant: 78). Pimay Schools The ealy school buildings wee simple in design and built to seve the pupose of housing students and thei teaches duing the school day. In 852 thee wee,730 school buildings in Wisconsin, 66 of bick, 74 of stone, 82 weefame,and the est of the schools (778) wee log buildings. The majoity of the buildings wee void of comfotable funitue and blackboads (Doudna: 3). The ealy schools wee equipped with wood buning stoves, and wate fo dinking had to be bought infoma neaby well each moning. The educational system continued to expand and by 923 the numbe of one-oom schools had isen to 6,475, although most of the schools wee located in ual aeas (Wyatt, vol. 3: 2-7).

42 37 Thoughout the development of the the educational system of Wisconsin, one constant was the involvement of the students in the cae and upkeep of the school. Thelma Haas, who attended Evangelical Luthen St. Johannis School fom 926 to 939, ecalls how each day the students would bing wate fom a neaby well to the school, cay wood inside to fuel the stove fo heat, and afte school, a few students would stay behind in ode to sweep the school house (St. John's Ev. Luthean School: 6). The ealy esidents of La Cosse County believed that the school seved the pupose of educating the pupil with academic knowledge and moal values. The cuiculum that was taught conveyed the attitudes of the local communities. The cuiculum was divesified and included geogaphy, spelling, aithmetic, histoy, language and gamma, and penmanship; fo the paochial schools lessons in eligion wee also taught (St. John's Ev. Luthean: 3). It is also inteesting to note that many of the schools that wee located in aeas of stong ethnic populations, languages othe than English wee often taught. The communities of Nowegian and Geman populations taught students thei native languages in addition to English. In some cases, all of the daily lessons wee taught in exclusively in thei mothe tongues. Rockland School, LC 03/07 School (05/8), and Fauve Hill School (LC 9/22) built in 924 ae examples of small ual school houses. The West Salem School (06/26) constucted in 97 is an example of a school in an uban setting in the La Cosse Rive Valley. The schools in La Cosse County wee not exclusively public. The St. Johannis Evangelical Luthean School (05/20) was a paochial school

43 38 that was suppoted by the chuch, and added a eligious influence to the daily cuiculum. Seconday Schools The need fo seconday education developed in the state of Wisconsin fo a numbe of factos. The apid spead of votingightsgiven to white males, and eventually females and people of colo, the incease of immigants fom Gemany and Ieland, and the ise of industialization of the Ameican economy, wee all factos in theiseof seconday education. These factos led to a need fo afeedemocatic seconday school system (Wyatt, vol. 3:3-). In the peiod befoe 848 most of the schools in Wisconsin wee small one- oom school houses, whee a single teache instucted pupils of a wide ange of ages. Thee was little effot made to classify to students, who often anged in agefom5 to 8. The couses of study wee limited to fulfilling basic levels of education including eading, witing, spelling, and aithmetic. The schools duing this peiod wee efeed to as public schools, but funding did not come solelyfomthe govenment. The funding came patlyfompublic taxation, andfompivate donations and subsciption (Wyatt, vol. 3: 3-). When the state of Wisconsin was settled, seconday education was commonly offeed though academies. Academy was the name given to school whose pupose was to educate students past the elementay level. The cuiculum of the pivate academies was focused on language, mathematics, liteatue, and moden histoy. The pupose of the academies was to futhe the education of students and to poduce well-ounded citizens (Wyatt, vol 3: 3-2). When the state legislatue began to move towads the establishment of a public school system, the need fo seconday education was ignoed because it was the common feeling that pivate academies would continue to meet the needs of seconday education (Wyatt, vol. 3: 3-2). The city of Onalaska had an academy which was known as the Onalaska Academy (non extant), established in Mach of 854 (Doblie: 93). Seconday education eceived a needed boost in 875 with the passing of the Fee High School Law. This law encouaged local disticts to pool thei esouces in ode to fom a high school. The most significant pat of the Fee High School Law was the stipulation that the govenment would supply one half of the cost fo the school. A special popety tax was to be levied fo the pupose of suppoting high schools in Wisconsin (Wyatt, vol. 3: 3-4). This law encouaged the ceation of high schools thoughout the state, and in 900 the numbe of high schools was 209. The seconday education movement continued to incease and in 944 the numbe of schools had eached 44 (Wyatt, vol. 3: 3-5). As the numbe of high schools inceased, thee was a continuing change in the cuiculum. Students became inceasingly inteested in agicultue, home economics, and commecial couses (Callahan: 333). La Cosse County School of Agicultue and Domestic Economy In 907 a goup of fames fom the West Salem aea petitioned the state school supeviso fo

44 the establishment of an agicultual school. In Mach of 908 the La Cosse Boad of Supevisos voted in favo of the plan, and the La Cosse County School of Agicultue and Domestic Economy (not extant) was ceated. The pupose of the school was to educate young men and women to be good citizens, and to pepae them fo a pofitable living (Doblie: 9). The school offeed a vaiety of classes anging fom daiy husbandy to needle wok to U.S. histoy and physics. The school was vey popula in the fist yeas of its ceation, because La Cosse County esidents could attend fee of chage, but by 97 enollment had fallen to the point wee the continued existence of the school was bought into question. In 925 a yea that maked the fifteenth yea of the schools opeation, attendance levels had continued to dop, and the school was closed at the end of the school yea (Doblie: 93). The school system in the state of Wisconsin which establishes and contols the opeation of education in the state, including La Cosse County, is vey simila to that of its neighboing states. Wisconsin educational laws called fo the ceation of a state Depatment of Public Instuction headed by the state supeintendent (Hendeson: 73). The depatment of instuction is esponsible fo the education of Wisconsin esidents, a task that is accomplished by ceating pimay, seconday, and college level schools. The depatment is also esponsible fo the egulation of teaches and cuiculum. The schools of Wisconsin and the Depatment of Public Instuction all evolved out of the single oom school house fist stated by the ealy settles of Wisconsin. It was the desie of the esidents of Wisconsin to povide a means of education to thei young people, and this desie developed into the system of education that can be seen today in La Cosse County and the est of the state. 39

45

46 4 Chapte 8 Commece Development of commecial centes is an integal pat of the expansion and pospeity of all communities. Ealy commecial development tended to suppot the basic needs of settles, howeve, as pospeity came to settles and commecial business people alike, an inceasingly wide selection of commecial goods and sevices wee also made available. The commecial development of the LaCosse Rive Valley villages eflected the tends of simila villages fom the mid nineteenth centuy to the pesent. Goods and Sevices In La Cosse County's ealy development, people wee in need of clothing, food, hadwae, and othe manufactued goods. Residents acquied these goods and sevices fom the geneal and dy good stoes which established within the county's villages. The fist signs of commece in La Cosse County came in the fom of ealy fo tades who exchanged fus fo a vaiety of goods with Native Ameicans and EuoAmeican huntes and tappes. As villages established and developed, stoes, estauants, saloons and stables wee constucted in the centes of the villages, theefoe constucting a commecial distict. The gocey stoe povided necessay food, clothing, and housewaes to the esidents of a community. In the village of Onalaska, esidents could obtain staple goods such as flou, suga, and canned food fom the Buttles and Piece Geneal Mechandise Stoe (not extant), which was in opeation in 884. Thompson and Bailey's geneal stoe (not extant) was located on Thid and Main steets in Onalaska, and the Gundeson and Kuge Building in Onalaska, which was located on the noth side of Main Steet between second and thid steets, had a geneal stoe on the its lowe level. This building was emodelled in 950s and became Naas Clothing Stoe (Doblie: 23) Osca and Pete Peteson wee well known goces in the village of Onalaska; thei fist gocey stoe was opened in 898. The Peteson stoe moved its opeation on two diffeent occasions, but continued to do business until 943 (Doblie: 22). Financial institutions have played an impotant ole in the economy of La Cosse County. Banks povided money fo fames to puchase land to stat fams, and fo stoe ownes to build o expand thei opeations. In the village of Onalaska the Onalaska State Bank was a pominent bank. The bank opened fo opeation in 900 and was located at the notheast come of Main Steet and Second Steet (extant). Duing the 950s the bank eoganized into the Bank of Onalaska (Doblie: 26). The fist bank to be established in the village of Bango was opened in the dugstoe of Alex Johnson in 88(Kindschy, 98: 44).

47 42 Specialty Stoes While the gocey and dy good stoes supplied the staple goods, it was the specialty stoe which offeed a diffeent kind of manufactued poduct. The Nelson Shoe Stoe in Onalaska was opeated by Theodoe Nelson. The stoe was opened in 870 by Theodoe Nelson's fathe and emained in business until the 950s. The stoe eceived most of its ealy businessfommaking shoes fo the logges. Each pai of shoes was constucted by hand and the whole pocess fom stat tofinishtook an entie day. Nelson's shoes offeed the sevice of caulking shoes fo logges. Shoes that wee won by the log olles weefittedwith caulks, wedge shaped pieces of metal that wee pounded into the soles of shoes in ode to povided taction (Doblie: 2). The local dug stoe povided the esidents of towns such as West Salem, Bango, and Onalaska with medicine and othe items needed to insue good health. In Onalaska, the Aldich dug stoe was in opeation fom 888 until the 950s. As of 98 the oiginal Aldich Dug stoe, 24 Main Steet, was occupied by Tom Monsoo News (Doblie: 48,27). The dug stoe owned and opeated by Alex Johnson (not extant) in the village of West Salem opened in 88 and the stoe also seved as a post office and bank. In the village of Bango, Jacob Wateman opened a dug stoe (not extant) in 865 (Histoy of La Cosse County: 724). Hotels and Saloons The towns of the La Cosse Rive Valley, because of thei location on the majo aiload lines, attacted visitosfomall pats of the county, who wee often in town on business o wee taveling though on thei way to a othe destinations. The need fo ooms to ent was answeed by the constuction of hotels. Hotels such as the Jeffeson and Riveside (not extant) in Onalaska offeed ooms and food to visitos (Doblie: 23,24). The hotels wee a popula place fo dining because of the foods and dinks that wee seved on the pemises. In 857 Thomas Dutche opened thefisthotel in the village of West Salem (not extant) on the cone of Main and Leonad steets (Histoy of La Cosse County: 695). In the ealy histoy of the La Cosse Rive Valley the most popula place of entetainment fo adult males was the taven o saloon. The saloons wee a thiving business fo communities, although the establishments weefownedupon by many chuch-going esidents. Duing the 880s the Gust Elstom's Saloon and Billiad Hall (not extant) was in opeation in Onalaska. Saloons wee vey popula in Onalaska because of the lage numbe of wokes employed by the towns numeous lumbe mills. One entie block on Second Steet was known as the saloon stip because of the numbe of saloons located thee (Doblie: 2). As the population of a community gew the need fo geneal infomation about local and national events developed. Newspapes wee commonly found in opeation in the small villages of the La Cosse Rive Valley. The West Salem Jounal was established by Geoge M. Reed in 886 with thefistissued being pinted on 9 Septembe 886. Some of the aticles in thefistissue discussed the opening of school, the hop havest, the county fai, and the speading of hog cholea

48 (Kindschy, 98: 43). The La Cosse County Recod was the fist newspape in the village of Onalaska. The newspape fist stated pinting in 855 and was an eight column weekly pape (Doblie: 9). Utilities The communities of La Cosse County fom thei ealy beginnings had stoes which povided esidents with needed supplies and manufactued goods, but as the communities gew in size new demands wee ceated. The development of new technologies allowed fo communities to benefit fom sevices such as public wate, telephone sevice, and electicity. The village of Onalaska had one of the ealiest wate towes in La Cosse County. The stand pipe wate towe (not extant) was constucted in 896 by the Nichols Lumbe Company in ode to supply wate to the lumbe mills of Onalaska. The stand pipe had a capacity of 66,000 gallons and was able to foce wate though the wate mains of the city. The stand pipe was used by the city of Onalaska until the 960s when a esevoi was constucted (Doblie: 68). Onalaska was also fotunate to have telephone sevice as ealy as 899. The Onalaska Telephone Exchange offeed sevice to seventy phones and thee ual lines in 899. A majo impovement to telephone phone sevice occued in 924 when an undegound cable system and a new telephone building wee constucted. Sevice in 924 included 6 local phones and 53 ual phones (Doblie: 22,23). The village of West Salem had electical sevice in 896, povided by the McMillian Mill and Powe Company. The Neshonoc Mill which buned in 895 was eplaced by the McMillian Mill and Powe Company who constucted a new powehouse (05/09) in the same yea. The mill was changed into a powe plant which bought electicity to the village in 896. The Mc Millian Powe Company chaged ates of $.25 fo eight lights, $.50 fo ten lights, and $.67 fo fifteen lights a month. The sevice was offeed eveyday fom sunset to sunise. The Swathout family puchased the powe plant in 897. Electical lines began to each out to ual popeties in 99 towads the town of Bae. Also in 99 West Salem installed steet lights (Kindschy, 98: 5). In 940 the oiginal dam was eplaced by a new contete dam (05/09). The new dam was fouteen feet high and one hunded and fifty feet long. Wok was also done to the powehouse which included the addition of a new geneato (Kindschy, 98: 36). The commecial distict was vital to the developement of a community. The stoes that lined the main steets of towns such as West Salam and Bango povided the esidents of that community with essential goods. And the utilities which developed as the community gew offeed new technological beakthoughs like electicity and phone sevice. The downtown distict often becomes the cente of the village because of the activity of people buying and selling poducts, as well as attending to finacial mattes at a bank, o even dining at a local estauant. Commece is theefoe vital fo a community to fully develop and pospe.

49 44 I) && A /. Neshonoc Dam, LC 05/09

50 45 Chapte 9 Religion One of the factos that bought Euopean settles to the Ameican West was the seach fo eligious feedom. Since the days of the Mayflowe and Plymouth Rock, people have been coming to Ameica in ode to pactice thei own eligious beliefs in peace. Religion was an impotant pat of the ealy settles' lives, and thei beliefs ae as vaied as the people. The La Cosse Rive Valley has a long histoy of eligious influence, and it is this influence that helped to ceate a identity fo the people and communities of the La Cosse Rive Valley. Methodists had a geneal Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chuch, 03/2 desie fo missionay wok thoughout thei histoy. The Chuch membes commonly come fom the middle class, but the chuch attacts people fom all classes. The Chuch has two odained odes, deacons and eldes. In Ameica the Methodists have an episcopal tadition, with an

51 46 established system of disticts pesided ove by a bishop. The Methodist Episcopal Chuch was the foeunne to the United Methodist Chuch. The Methodists fist aived in the state of Wisconsin aound 830 in two main aeas, Geen Bay and Platteville. The Methodists in Wisconsin continued thei tadition of missionay wok by eaching out to Geman and Scandinavian immigants (Wyatt, vol. 3: 4-4). The Methodists in the La Cosse Rive Valley wee spead thoughout the aea. The Rockland United Methodist Chuch emains standing today. And the village of West Salem also had a stong following of Methodists who oganized in 854. The enollment of West Salem Methodists was limited in the ealy yeas, but in 859 a evival and camp meeting oganized by Reveend John Medd inceased the chuch's membeship. In the yeas following the camp meeting of 859 the Methodists of Buns joined togethe with the Methodists fom West Salem (Kindschy, 98: 26). In Onalaska the United Methodist Chuch was oganized in 856 by Reveend James L. Lake. The Onalaska United Methodist Chuch had only eleven membes fo the fist ten yeas, but in 90 the chuch's membeship had gown to 23 (Doblie: 29). The Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chuch was oganized in Bango in 859. The Calvinistic Methodists ae one of the many diffeent banches of the Methodist faith. The Calvinistic Methodists of West Salem conducted sevices in the small community until 96. The oiginal chuch (03/2), built in 859, is still standing in the village of Bango, although it has not been used fo eligious sevices since 96 (Bango Histoical Society: 6). It is inteesting to note that the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists of Wisconsin wee assimilated into the Pesbyteian Chuch of the United States of Ameica in 920 (Wyatt, vol. 3: 6-2). Baptists The modem Baptist chuch can tace its histoy to the ealy seventeenth centuy when a sepaatist movement fomed within the Massachusetts' Puitanism. The sepaatist movement was begun by John Williams who expessed views that questioned the Puitan beliefs. Fo this action Williams and his followes wee expelled fom the chuch. This goup fomed the fist Baptist Chuch in Ameica, and by the end of the nineteenth centuy the Baptists wee the most numeous evangelical goup in Ameica (Wyatt, vol. 3:2-). In Wisconsin the Baptists found a stong Scandinavian following, including Danish, Swedish, and Nowegian Conventions. The Geman people of Wisconsin wee also known to convet to Baptist beliefs, but they did so with less abandon than the Scandinavians (Wyatt vol. 3: 2-4). Baptist wok among the Nowegian people fist began in Illinois duing the 840s. The fist stictly Nowegian Baptist Congegation in Wisconsin was established by Reveend Westegaad in 866, and a second Nowegian Congegation was oganized in 869 at Halfway Ceek (not in suvey aea) in La Cosse County (Wyatt, vol. 3: 2-5). The Fist Baptist Chuch of Bango (04/09) began constuction in 860 and was completed in 864. The congegation was fomed out of the joining of the Bae congegation, which was oganized in 855, and the Welsh Baptist Chuch (Bango Histoical Society: 3).

52 47 Lutheans Histoically the Luthean Chuch is a Potestant denomination that is based on the doctine ceated by Matin Luthe in the sixteenth centuy. In Ameica the Lutheans fo the most pat wee of Geman descent with a faction being Swedish. Fist and lagest Luthean synod in Ameica was founded in 748. As the Luthean beliefs spead acoss Ameica, othe synods developed, specifically the Nowegian Synod, established in 853, and the Swedish Augustana Synod in 860. The Lutheans have histoically been bound togethe by faith and pactices athe than by oganization, but the incease of new synods pompted new oganization. By the end of Wold Wa I h was appaent that a national oganization was nealy impossible, and instead small faction began to fom togethe. Fo example, thee Nowegian goups united in 97 to fom the Nowegian Luthean Chuch of Ameica, and also the Ameican Luthean Chuch was fomed out of 45 diffeent goups (Wyatt, vol. 3: 3-, 3-2). One of the most pominent Luthean chuches in the La Cosse Rive Valley is St. Paul's Evangelical Luthen Chuch (04/0) of Bango. St Paul's was fist oganized in 888 when Pasto Richad Siegle of Bae Mills began to bing togethe the Geman speaking people fom the aea of Bango in ode to fom a congegation. The fist sevice was held in the Baptist Chuch (extant) in Decembe of 888. Attendance at the fist sevices was encouaging enough that sevices wee continued on a egula basis. In Septembe of 889 the congegation felt that they had gown to the point whee they could officially oganize and on 26 Januay 890 the congegation was oganized with eleven membes (St. Paul Luthean Chuch: 5). Sevices continued to be held in the Baptist chuch fo two yeas until the congegation acquied a new building which was oiginally a school house (not extant). The new chuch was dedicated in 890 with two sevices, one in Geman and the othe in English. The acquisition of the congegations own chuch was key in the gowth of membeship. In 893 enollment had climbed to 40 families and the congegation joined the Wisconsin Evangelical Luthean Synod (St. Paul's Luthean Chuch: 6). In 908 the chuch decided to constuct a new chuch in the village of Bango. The chuch (04/0) was dedicated on 0 Octobe 909 and the chuch is still in use today (Bango Histoical Society: 4). In the Town of Bae, St. John's (St. Johannis) Luthean Chuch has been a pominent stuctue since 887. The oots of the congegation go back to the fist settles who aived in the Bostwick Valley in 853 (Centennial of St. John's, 987: 3). St. John's was oiginally founded as a mission by the Fiedeich Spain, Adam Mille, and John Mille families. Ealy sevices wee held in pivate homes, since the fist chuch (not extant) was not constucted until 87 (Kindschy, 98: 29). Afte constuction of the pesent chuch(l 9/06) in 887 the congegation gew apidly. The founding membes of St. John's feh stongly about education, theefoe the Evangelical Luthean St. Johannis School (9/04) was ceated in 890. The 890 school is pesently pat of the St. John's complex in Bae Mills which also includes St. John's Chuch (9/06) and the St. John's Pasonage (9/07). St. John's was a popula congegation in Bae Mills patly because it was the only Luthean chuch in the aea befoe 900, and also because of the Chistian education that was povided by the congegation's school (St. John's, 986: 20).

53 48 A goup of Lutheans wee holding meetings in the village of Neshonoc, nea the pesent-day village of West Salem, in 887 unde the diection of Reveend Richad Siegle of Bae Mills. Sevices wee held in the Baptist Chuch of West Salem fo fifteen yeas, and in 902 the congegation had gown to the size of 30 families and 00 communicants. In this yea the congegation dismissed themselves fom the Bae Mills Chuch in ode to set up thei own chuch. The new chuch (07/02) was dedicated in Apil of 902 and named Chist Luthean Chuch (Kindschy, 98: 29-30). Chist Luthean Chuch is a membe of the Wisconsin Synod and the 902 building can still be found in West Salem, adding to histoic significance of the village. Pesbyteians Pesbyteianism in the United States is taced back to Scottish and English Pesbyteianism, which is deivedfomthe Potestant Refomation. The fathe of Ameican Pesbyteianism was Reveend Fancis Makemie, who established the fist geneal pesbytey in 706, which evolved into the Pesbyteian Chuch in the United States. The Pesbyteian Chuch is maked by thei missionay wok, polifeation of education, and thei coopeation with the Congegationalists to wok in unison on the fontie. The Pesbyteians also believed in a stict policy of esident pastos who peached and taught in an assigned aea (Wyatt, vol. 3: 6-). In the La Cosse Rive Valley the Pesbyteians wee pesent in the village of Neshonoc. The West Salem Pesbyteian Chuch has evolved out of the Pesbyteian Society that was oganized at Neshonoc in Januay of 858. The fist chuch (not extant) was constucted in 857, and the Pesbyteian goup moved to the village of West Salem in 884, whee the pesent chuch (06/24) was constucted in 890 (Kindschy, 98: 28-29). The people who came fom diffeent pats of the United States and also Euope with the intentions of settling in Wisconsin bought with them distinct cultual beliefs. It is these beliefs in coopeation with ethnic backgounds that defines people. Religion has always been impotant to the esidents of the La Cosse Rive Valley which is appaent when one consides the amount of eligious oganizatons in the county. Histoically a eligious oganization was ceated shotly afte the establishment of a community. The eligious beliefs of ealy settles ceated a moal code which govened thei daily lives, and this custom has been handed down fom geneation to geneation. These eligious beliefs ae pesent today as ae some of the ealy houses of woship; theefoe eligion povides a link between the past and the pesent.

54 49 Chapte 0 Achitectue The buildings of the LaCosse Rive Valley epesent a numbe of diffeent stylistic influences spanningfomthe mid-850s though the peiod of this study, the mid-940s. The LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido Intensive Suvey study identified a total of 67 popeties potentially eligible fo the National Registe of Histoic Places. Most of those which wee detemined potentially eligible meet Citeion C (see Chapte fo definition of the National Registe Citeia) fo thei achitectual distinction. Citeia which has been established by the National Histoic Pesevation Act and the Histoic Pesevation Division of the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin wee used to detemine the achitectual, histoic and/o engineeing significance of all esouces. Thefistbuildings to be constucted in the LaCosse Rive Valley by Euo-Ameican settles wee built of log. In 842 Nathan Myick built a log building (not extant) fo his tading post on the east bank of the Mississippi Rive immediately south of the confluence with the LaCosse Rive, and shotly theeafte added a waehouse, blacksmith shop and ban (not extant) to his buildings. By 843 Myick constucted a small house constucted of hewn lumbe with lath and plaste walls and a shingle oof. In 845 M. J.M. Levy came to LaCosse fom Paiie du Chien, some sixty miles to the south. He established his family in a log house at what was to become the cone of Peal and Font steets. Howeve, less than a yea late Levy constucted the fist fame building (not extant) between Paiie du Chien and Red Wing, Minnesota. The house, attached to his oiginal log house, came to be used as a taven until it was destoyed by fie in 862 (Gegoy: v.2; 582). In the sping of 854 in what was late to be the town of Washington in LaCosse County, John Johun built a log cabin and soon theeafte had a numbe of neighbos. The village of Bango was laid out in 854 as well (Gegoy: v. 2; 595). Though none of the LaCosse Rive Valley's oiginal log cabins appea to be extant on site, many of the late houses, commecial buildings, and industial buildings emain in the ual aeas and villages of the valley. Residential Achitectue The vast majoity of popeties detemined potentially eligible fo the National Registe wee esidential popeties. Residential achitectue, by its pue volume as a popety type, has lent itself though histoy towad a wide vaiety of achitectual styles. Most of the styles which appea in this study as potentially eligible fo the National Registe ae biefly descibed with local examples cited.

55 50 Venacula The venacula foms of achitectue fo esidential buildings cove a wide ange of buildings, howeve, in geneal the tem "venacula" efes to esidential, commecial and industial buildings which ae devoid of achitectual onament, and wee usually constucted by local caftsmen and buildes. Examples of venacula foms in esidential achitectue include the font gable, side gable, gabled ell, coss gable, one-stoy cube, and two-stoy cube. Most of these foms wee geneally constucted in Wisconsin between 870 and 920. "I The LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido poject evealed a few examples of venacula fom esidential buildings. The house (8/06) located at 44 Fouth Avenue South in Onalaska is a coss gable fom, constucted in cica 890 of wood fame with a font wap- Coss Gable House, LC 8/06 aound poch, a side bay and a ea one-stoy ell addition. The house (8/08) in Hamilton Township on Highway 6 is a two-stoy cube. Constucted cica 90, this building is constucted of bick, and featues a wap-aound poch, one-ove-one sash window, a hipped oof and hipped-oof domes. The house (8/22) located at 355 W. Fanklin Steet in West Salem is a late vesion of the twostoy cube. Constucted cica 925 of bick, it featues a small potico ove the font doo, a hipped oof with hipped-oof dome, and a two-tone appeaance to the oveall body of the house, with bick on the fist stoy and wood shingle on the second stoy. Octagon The octagon style was geneally constucted in Wisconsin between 845 and 860. It was fist populaized in the mid-nineteenth centuy by Oson Squie Fowle who pupoted the octagon one

56 of the most functional, economical and natual of configuations fo buildings, paticulaly houses. He felt that the eight-sided house would be cheape to build because the exteio walls would enclose a geate numbe of inteio squae feet than a house built of the same amount of mateial in a squae configuation. He suggested that it would be easie to heat in the winte and ventilate in the summe. 5 (05/03), listed Palme-Lewis Octagon, LC 05/03 on the National Registe in 979, was built in cica 855 and is located just notheast of West Salem. In 858 the Palme-Gullickson Octagon House (06/02) was built at 358 Noth Leonad Steet in West Salem. This house was also listed on the National Registe in 979. Obsevation of these two unusual houses eveals one of the majo flaws of the octagon design. It is difficult to attach a gaceful addition to them, making them impactical fo expansion. Gothic Revival The Gothic Revival style is anothe ealy design found in Wisconsin. Because it was pimaily built in the state between 850 and 880, it is a elatively ae style in the state. The Gothic Revival style in esidential achitectue is chaacteized by steeply pitched oofs, pinnacles and battlements, as well as the standad pointed ach, most commonly seen in window and dooways. Houses often display decoative bageboads and usually a veanda o poch. Most ae constucted of wood.

57 52 The only extant example of the Gothic Revival style in the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido is the house located at 3 Jeffeson Steet (07/06) in West Salem. Constucted cica 865 immediately noth of the Thomas Leonad House (06/6), it is believed to have been built by Leonad fo Gothic Revival House, LC 07/06 his daughte. This house featues a symmetical coss gable plan with steeply pitched oofs, decoative bageboad and a veanda poch. Finials jutting up fom the gable peaks accent the decoative natue of this cottage. Italianate The Italianate style, which is distinguished by wide ovehanging eaves, pominent backets, gently sloping hipped o gabled oofs, and often a polygonal o squae cupola on the oof, was popula in Wisconsin fom about 850 to 880. A distinctive featue of the Italianate style is the onate window hoods, which ae often ounded. The massing of Italianate style houses is often boxy and squae. Building mateials ae geneally clapboad o bick, though stone examples do exist in the state. The LaCosse Rive Valley exhibits a numbe of impessive Italianate examples. The house located in Buns Township on Highway 62 (05/02) was built cica 875. It was constucted of ceam bick, and featues a hipped oof with a squae cupola, and backets. Anothe fine example of a bick Italianate style house in the West Salem aea is the Hiam Lovejoy House (05/4) located on CTH M at the intesection with CTH B. This house is a gabled oof vesion of the Italianate, with an ached window in the gable, backets, and a pominent squae cupola.

58 53 The Italianate style house located at 436 Noth Leonad Steet (05/35) in West Salem is a clapboad vesion of the style. It is two stoies, with two-ove-two sash windows, a squae cupola, hipped oof, and a veanda poch. Hiam Lovejoy House, LC 05/4 Queen Anne The Queen Anne is one of the most pominent nineteenth centuy styles found in LaCosse County today. Geneally popula in Wisconsin fom 880 to 90, the Queen Anne style is chaacteized by iegula plans and massing, a vaiety of suface textues,

59 54 pojections and oofs. Shingles and clapboad siding ae often combined on the exteio to ceate textue. Roofs ae geneally steeply pitched and often featue ound o polygonal cone tuets. Wap-aound veandas ae common, and decoative featues included tuned and sawed gingebead and bageboads. A numbe of significant examples of Queen Anne style houses wee found to be potentially eligible in the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido poject aea. The cica 880 house (06/9) located at 05 Noth Rose Steet in West Salem is a good example of the Queen Anne style, with its coss-gable oof, onate shed oof poch with tuned posts and spindles, multiple bay windows, and use of clapboad and wood shingle to decoate the exteio. The house (8/07) located at 530 LaCosse Steet in Onalaska, constucted cica 880 of woodfame,is anothe nice Queen Anne example. It featues a coss gable oof, wap-aound poch with tuned posts and spindles, and decoative backets in the gables. The house (06/20) Queen Anne Style House, LC 06/20 located at 34 Noth Rose Steet in West Salem was built cica 890. It featues classic Queen Anne elements such as a gabled ell plan with a second stoy octagon shaped tuet culminating fom the point of the gables joining. Numeous bay windows, poches with tuned posts and spindles, a vaiety of window types, and decoative wood panels on exteio walls as seen on this house ae all typical of the style. i i "I T I

60 55 Paiie School The Paiie School style is a pevalent style in the uppe Midwest. The ealiest examples came fom Chicago in the late nineteenth centuy and examples can be found into the 920s. The style is geneally featued by hoizontal lines, low, long hipped o gable oofs, banded windows in hoizontal ibbons, and a belt couse o shelf oof between stoies. Though the buildings themselves, which wee geneally wood, stucco o bick, tended to be faily simple, onamentation was often found in the windows though the leaded glass. Paiie School designs also geneally featue inteio additions such as built-in cabinets and benches. Two examples of the Paiie School style ae extant in the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido poject aea. Both examples ae found in West Salem. The D. Guy Wakefield House (06/03) is located at 346 Noth Leonad Steet. It is a two-stoy bick building with a cossed hipped oof, bick on Samuel Hape House, LC 06/22 the fist stoy and stucco on the second stoy, a one-stoy addition on the font, and the typical ibbon windows. The Samuel Hape House (06/22) is located at 224 Van Ness Steet. It is a two-stoy bick building with a ectangula plan, bick fist stoy and stucco second stoy, hipped oof, cente entance and windows which ae gouped, though not banded. Bungalow The Bungalow style was one of the moe popula ealy twentieth centuy esidential achitectual styles. Constucted in Wisconsin geneally between 90 and 940, the Bungalow featues ae evident in low pitched hipped o gable oofs, lage, open poches, pominent oof backets, low, hoizontal lines, and geneally constucted of wood, stucco, and sometimes bick. Most wee one

61 56 o one-and-one-half stoies tall, though two stoy vesions wee often subdued visually to give the house a one-stoy look. One good example of the Bungalow style was identified as potentially eligible in the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido study. The house (8/05) located at 445 Second Avenue Noth is a one-and-onehalf stoy side gabled example with a low pitched gable oof, which extends to Bungalow Style House, LC 8/05 \ include the poch, a gabled oof dome, and wood siding with stucco in the second stoy. Commecial Achitectue Commecial achitectue in the late nineteenth and ealy twentieth centuy was widely vaied like the esidential achitectue of that peiod. Often commecial achitectue boowed elements fom some of the esidential styles, such as Italianate, Queen Anne and Neo-Classical Revival. Howeve, the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido study aea featued pimaily ual and small towns and most of the commecial achitectue identified was Commecial Venacula in fom. Commecial Venacula was seen in commecial disticts all ove the Midwest fom cica 850 to cica 920. They ae simply-designed commecial buildings which include lage etail show windows on the gound stoy, with uppe stoies featuing simple window openings. Some sot of decoative conice teatment was common, such as compound bick cobeling, wood moldings o metal fiezes with finials o thick cobels on the ends. Tansoms often beak the fist fom the second stoies visually. The best examples of commecial venacula fom buildings ae located in the poposed Commecial Steet Commecial Histoic Distict in Bango. One of the best examples in the

62 distict of Commecial Venacula is the building at 55 Commecial Steet (03/05). Constucted in 898, it is a two stoy bick stuctue with lage stoefont windows, a tansom acoss the font, and a second stoy bay window. A cobelled conice caps the building. The building at 56 Commecial Steet (03/20) is a one-stoy example of the commecial venacula fom. It was constucted in 89 of bick and featues a cente opening with side windows, tansom, and a simple cobeled panel between the tansom and the pedimented conice. Religious Achitectue Religious achitectue in the mid-to-late nineteenth centuy tended to, fo fist geneation buildings, eflect moe utilitaian featues than onate featues. Ealy chuches wee simple in plan and othe than a few basic needs, including open inteio space and the location of a pulpit at the fa end of the typically ectangula building, these ealy chuches wee often devoid of stylistic featues. As congegations gew and populations became moe pospeous, second geneation chuches wee often constucted, eflecting the inceased wealth with lage, moe onate chuches which emphasized popula stylistic tends which wee common fo chuches. Spies and belltowes, apses and stained glass windows wee typical of second geneation chuches. 57 The LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido exhibits a few examples of potentially significant chuches. The oldest is the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chuch (03/2) built in 859 at 504 Commecial Steet in Bango. This is an excellent example St Paul's Luthean Chuch, LC 04/0 of a fist geneation chuch. It is a font gable fame building with a smalle gabled entance. It featues lage, nine-ove-nine sash windows and is absolutely devoid of decoation. St. John's Luthean Chuch (9/06) in Bae Township was constucted in 887 and is moe

63 58 typical of the second geneation chuches. This lage building is bick and exhibits Gothic Revival featues such as lancet windows with stained glass, a squae belltowe and six-sided spie. It has a ectangula plan with ea apse. St. Paul's Evangelical Luthean Chuch (04/0) at the nothwest cone of Noth Sixteenth and Badge steets in Bango, constucted in 909, is also Gothic Revival in style. This bick building featues a gabled oof with paapeted facade, a cone squae belltowe with a ounded tuet and spie, lancet stained glass windows, and a six-sided apse. Educational Achitectue Educational achitectue begins as ealy as thee was settlement in a community. Though initially schools wee often held in homes o chuches, by the late nineteenhundeds, vitually evey township had a numbe of ual schools. These schools wee often one-oom, one-stoy fame w St Johannis Evangelical Luthean School, LC 05/20 buildings, though some communities built in bick. A good example of a ual school in the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido poject aea is the Smith Valley School (08/08, listed NRHP 98). It is a one-stoy font gable bick building, constucted in venacula fom with segmental ach windows and a simple belltowe. As the school system became bette funded by the govenment in the late nineteenth and ealy twentieth centuy, many schools wee built on standad plans. This is likely tue of the Rockland School (03/07), located at the notheast cone of Oak and Cente steets in Rockland. Constucted in 928, this hipped oof one stoy bick school is also venacula in fom, with segmental ach windows, concete wate couse, and a font gable pojection. Anothe example of an ealy twentieth centuy school that was pobably built accoding to standad plan was the

64 59 Fauve Hill School (9/9), built in 924 in Meday Township on Highway 6. This one-stoy bick school featues a hipped oof, cental entance with potico poch and sash windows. Paochial schools wee constucted accoding to whateve plans the affiliated chuch goup chose. The only extant paochial school extant in the poject aea is the St. Johannis Evangelical Luthean School (05/20). This one-stoy bick school was constucted in 890 in association with St. John's Evangelical Luthean Chuch (05/22), located in Bae Township on CTH M, east of Bae Mills. The school is a font-gable building with double font doos and a hipped oof belltowe. It has a moden addition on the east side. Engineeed Stuctues Due to the fact that the LaCosse Rive uns though the middle of the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido poject aea, a numbe of wate elated stuctues ae extant in the aea. Fom the time the ive valley was settled in the 850s, until technology allowed, most of the ealiest Bidge, LC 05/32 bidges wee likely wood fame, though none ae extant. The oldest extant bidge in the aea is the ovehead tuss bidge on Old Highway B nea Gill Coulee Road in Hamilton Township (05/32). This bidge, constucted of ion, was built cica 900, pio to the time when the state highway depatment began designing standad plan bidges. This paticula bidge is pin-jointed, as opposed to iveted, which allowed the pats to be manufactued elsewhee, shipped by pats, and assembled on the site without the use of specialized iveting tools. This bidge is the only one of its kind in LaCosse County. The othe extant ion ovehead tuss bidge in the poject aea is the aiload bidge (9/00)

65 60 which is located in Bango, nea James Steet and Sixteenth Avenue South in the city pak. Built cica 900, this lage bidge was iveted. Today it is pat of the LaCosse Rive Bike Tail. Anothe aiload bidge was built diectly noth of 9/00 in Bango. This bidge (9/0) was constucted of einfoced concete in 9. It featues a lage ach which allows the ceek to flow undeneath. Two concete oad bidges wee constucted in 926 nea the Neshonoc Dam on Highway 08 in Hamilton Township. These bidges (8/28, 9/7) wee both constucted at the same time by appaently the same contacto. They ae einfoced concete with concete side-ails which featue collonettes. The bidges ae suppoted by einfoced concete pilings. Anothe bidge which was built in this same ea, howeve constucted of dessed limestone, is the Vetean's Memoial Pak bidge (8/0). Built in 927 at the same time as the pak, the bidge is a single span bidges with a single ach, and has low stone walls on the sides. The final engineeing stuctue of note in the LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido is the Neshonoc Dam (05/09). This dam, constucted diectly south of the Neshonoc Powehouse (05/09) was constucted to eplace an ealie dam which was contempoay with the Neshonoc Dam, LC 05/09 powehouse, in 940. This dam, which featues an open flowage and two tainte gates fo flowage contol, was built to continue contol of the LaCosse Rive at Lake Neshonoc, and to povide continued hydoelectic powe to the village of West Salem.

66 \o.., li;.-,-:4.*j..~j!;..'* fc..

67

68 63 Chapte Notable People Thoughout the witten histoy of the La Cosse Rive Valley thee has been mention of the fist Euopean settles to migate to the aea in seach of land and oppotunity. But who ae these people who took the challenge of cleaing land, building homes, and establishing communities though had wok and dedication? They ae the people who ae esponsible fo the towns which ae pesent today. Thei influence can still be seen on stoe fonts, steet signs, and local land maks, theefoe they deseve ecognition. The following is a sample of some of the notable people who have helped to shape the histoy of the La Cosse Rive Valley. Nichols family The Nichols family stands out in the histoy of Onalaska, Wisconsin. The family eceived its pominence due in pat to thei pospeous lumbe industy which was a majo employe in the community fom 8S6 until 920 (Doblie: ). Chales Mason Nichols, the family's patiach, moved to Onalaska fom Dane County, Wisconsin in 852, and eected a sawmill on the east side of the Black Rive in Onalaska. The mill was known as the C. M. Nichols Lumbe Co. until 87, when the business was sold to his son Chales Haskell Nichols. Chales, along with his bothe Fank Eugene, incopoated the lumbe company in 887. F.E. Nichols, bon August 0, 845 in Madison, Wisconsin, lived in Onalaska in a house located at 42 Noth Second Steet (08/05) along with his wife Doa Geen. The Nichols home was the cente of social activities of Onalaska, and is noted as being the fist esident in Onalaska to have gas lighting. F.E. Nichols continued to live in the Onalaska esidence until his death in Febuay of 920 (U.S. West Reseach, Inc., sec. 8: -6). Hamlin Galand One of West Salem's most pominent esidents was Hamlin Galand, bon 4 Septembe 860 in the village of West Salem. Duing the Civil Wa the Galands moved fom West Salem to Iowa. In 876 Hamlin Galand became a pupil at Ceda Valley Seminay in Osage, Iowa. Afte gaduating in 88, he began taveling acoss the United States, and in 893 he puchased a house fo his paents in West Salem (06/30). Though a fie in 92 destoyed a potion of the home, Hamlin epaied the damage. Galand continued his taveling thoughout the United States, yet he maintained his popety in West Salem whee he often spent his summes with his family. Following his death on 4 Mach 940, he was buied in his family's plot in the Neshonoc cemetey. Galand achieved his notoiety because of the numeous books he had witten. Galand based his woks upon his own life expeience, tuning biogaphy into histoical fiction that potait the lives and stuggles of the people of Ameica's Midwest. Main Tavelled Roads,

69 64 Son of the Middle Bode, and The Tail Makes ae examples of Galand's woks that wee based on his life in the Midwest. Galand eceived numeous awads fo his liteate woks; in 98 he was elected to the Ameican Academy of Ats and Lettes, he was awaded the Pulitze Pize fo the best biogaphy in 92 fo his book, A Daughte of the Middle Bode, and in 926 the Univesity of Wisconsin pesented him with the degee of Docto of Lettes (Kindschy, 98: 08-7). Thomas Leonad The founding of the village of Neshonoc can be attibuted to Thomas Leonad. Leonad was bon in Mineva, New Yok, 29 Octobe 806. He was maied on 27 Septembe 830 to Belinda Mason, and they lived in New Yok fo twenty yeas befoe moving to Wisconsin in 850. Leonad Leonad House, LC 06/6 is tuly the fathe of Neshonoc, because afte he aived in the aea of pesent day West Salem, he gave away land to a vaiety of goups and oganizations, including the Baptist, Methodist, and Congegational chuches, and fo the Methodist pasonage. He also supplied land to the aiload, assoted businessmen, the Hamlin Cemetey, and the La Cosse Seminay. Leonad's fist home in Neshonoc was a small log cabin which would be the fist of fou homes in the village. The last home, which is pesently located at 99 Jeffeson Steet, West Salem (06/60) was constucted in 859. Leonad was also the fist fanne in the aea to pactice daiy faming (Kindschy, 98: 9,20).

70 Joseph Hussa Joseph Hussa was bon in Czechoslovakia and came to the United States in Octobe of 849. Hussa was tained as a bewmaste in Pague and upon eaching Wisconsin, he settled in Juneau and Sauk counties. In the village of Watetown, Wisconsin, Hussa built a bewey, but he sold the business in 855. In 860 Hussa moved to Bango, Wisconsin whee with the help of some fiends, puchased a two-stoy building within the village. This building was the beginning of the Hussa Bewey Company (04/06) of Bango, Wisconsin; it is not known if the oiginal building is pat of the pesent bewey complex. As business fo the bewey gew, Hussa constucted a home fo himself and his family (04/05) as well as a new office building in 904 (04/04). The Hussa Bewey became known thoughout the state as baels of Hussa's bee wee shipped by hose tain acoss Wisconsin. The Hussa Bewey Company emained in opeation until aound 920 when the bewing opeation was tuned into canning plant (Bango Histoical Society: 2).

71 "I "I

72 Chapte 2 Suvey Results List of Intensive Suveyed Popeties La Cosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido Total Popeties Intensively Suveyed and Potentially Eligible fo the National Registe = 66 Peviously suveyed = 49 New suvey = 7 Listed on National Registe = 5 Detemined Eligible by State = Map Code Numbe Histoic Name (if Known) Location Date LC 03/02 House Rockland, 02 Ondell St. cl900 LC 03/07 Rockland School Rockland, NE cone of Oak/Cente St. 928 LC 03/08 Big Ceek Mills Buns TP, Big Ceek Rd., mi. N US LC 03/2 Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chuch Bango, 504 Commecial St. 859 LC 03/4 Commecial Building Bango, 507 Commecial St. (Bango Commecial Distict) c.930 LC 03/5 Commecial Building Bango, 55-7 Commecial St. (Bango Commecial Distict) 898 LC 03/6 Commecial Building Bango, Commecial St. (Bango Commecial Distict) c.905 LC 03/7 Commecial Building Bango, 529 Commecial St. (Bango Commecial Distict) c.900 LC 03/8 Commecial Building Bango, 535 Commecial St. (Bango Commecial Distict) c.900 LC 03/9 Commecial Building Bango, Commecial St. (Bango Commecial Distict) c.905

73 68 LC 03/20 Commecial Building Bango, 56 Commecial St. (Bango Commecial Distict) 89 LC 03/2 Commecial Building Bango, Commecial St. (Bango Commecial Distict) 900 LC 03/22 G. Bosshad Building Bango, Commecial St. (Bango Commecial Distict) 900 LC 03/23 Meye Building Bango, Commecial St. (Bango Commecial Distict) 899 LC 04/02 G. S. Cotton Building Bango, 66-8 Commecial St. 898 LC 04/04 Hussa Bewey Office Bango, 70 Commecial St. 904 LC 04/05 Joseph Hussa House Bango, 74 Commecial St. 88 LC 04/06 Hussa Bewey Bango, W end of Commecial St. 858 LC 04/08 Wm. Pice House Bango, HON. 7th Ave. c.880 LC 04/0 St. Paul's Ev. Luthean Chuch NW co. N. 6th and Badge steets 909 LC 04/7 M.C. Mengel House Bango, 304 S. 7th Ave. c.900 LC 04/20 Bums Towne Hall Bums TP, Hwy 62,.5 mi. S of CTH B c.90 LC 05/02 House Buns TP, W side Hwy 62,. mi. N. Jones Rd. c.875 LC 05/05 House Buns TP, N side Hwy 6,. mi. E CTH D c.880 LC 05/09 Neshonoc Dam/ Powehouse Hamilton TP, NE come of Hwy 08/La Cosse Rive 895/ 940 LC 05/ F.W. Labus House Hamilton TP, W side Hwy 08,.2 mi. S. Walke Rd. c.905 LC 05/4 Hiam Lovejoy House Hamilton TP, W side CTH M, 75' S. CTH B c.875 LC 05/9 J.W. Ranney House Bae TP, NE come of Old CTH M/Swamp Rd. c.890

74 69 LC 05/20 EL. St. Johannis School Bae TP, S side CTH M,.5 mi. W Russian Coulee Rd. (St. Johannis complex) 890 LC 05/2 House Bae TP, S. side CTH M,.5 mi. W Russian Coulee Rd. (St. Johannis complex) c.890 LC 05/22 St. John's Luthean Chuch Bae TP, S. side CTH M,.5 mi. W. Russian Coulee Rd. (St. Johannis complex) 887 LC 05/23 St. John's Pasonage Bae TP, S. side CTH M,.5 mi. W. Russian Coulee Rd. (St. Johannis complex) c.890 LC 05/24 Bae Town Hall Bae TP, S. side CTH M,.5 mi. W. Russian Coulee Rd. c. 900 LC 05/26 Conad Mille House Bae TP, N side CTH M,. mi. W. Russian Coulee Rd. c.900 LC 05/32 Bidge Hamilton TP, Old B,. mi. E Gill Coulee Rd. c.900 LC 05/33 Palme/ Lewis Octagon House Hamilton TP, US Hwy 6, E side,. mi. N CTHC c.855 LC 05/35 House West Salem, 436 N. Leonad St. c.875 LC 06/02 Palme/Gullickson Octagon House West Salem, 358 N. Leonad St. 857 LC 06/03 D. Guy Wakefield House West Salem, 346 N. Leonad St. 93 LC 06/6 Thomas Leonad House West Salem, 99 E Jeffeson St. 859 LC 06/7 House West Salem, 43 Jeffeson St. c.875 LC 06/9 House West Salem, 05 N. Rose St. c.880 LC 06/20 House West Salem, 34 N. Rose St. c.880 LC 06/22 Samuel Hape House West Salem, 224 Van Ness St. c.930 LC 06/30 Hamlin Galand House West Salem, 357 W. Galand St. (NHL/NRHP 979) 893 LC 07/06 House West Salem, 3 Jeffeson St. c.865 LC 08/05 F. E. Nichols House Onalaska, 42 N. 2nd St. (NRHP 993) 888

75 70 LC 08/07 Richads-Hause Famstead Onalaska TP, CTH S, E side,.2 mi. S of CTH S and SN (DOE 986) 902 LC 08/08 Smith Valley School Meday TP, 430 Smith Valley Rd. (NRHP 98) 887 LC 8/05 House Onalaska, 445 2nd Ave., Noth c.925 LC 8/06 House Onalaska, 44 4th Ave. South c. 890 LC 8/07 House Onalaska, 530 La Cosse St. c.880 LC 8/08 House Hamilton TP,. E of Moos Rd and Hwy 6 c.90 LC 8/09 House Hamilton TP,.6 mi. E of Moos Rd and Hwy 6 c.880 LC 8/0 Veteans Memoial Pak Hamilton TP, S of Intesection of Hwy 6 and Hwy BM 927 LC 8/5 House West Salem, 42 N. Leonad St. c.900 LC 8/22 House West Salem, 355 W. Fanklin St. c.925 LC 8/23 House West Salem, 34W. Fanklin St. c.930 LC 8/28 Bidge (concete, oad) Hamilton TP, NE Cone Hwy 08 and La Cosse Rive 926 LC 8/3 Swathout House Hamilton TP, NE Cone Hwy 08 and La Cosse Rive at Neshonoc Dam c.930 LC 8/34 A.B. Newton House Bango, 606 Cadinal St. c.880 LC 9/00 Bidge (ion, aiload) Bango,.2 mi. W of James St. and 6th Ave. S. c.900 LC 9/0 Bidge (concete, aiload) Bango, N. of Bango St., One Block W. of 6th Ave. S. 9 LC 9/03 House Bae TP, S. side CTH M,.5 mi. W. Russian Coulee Rd. (St. Johannis complex) c.890 LC 9/20 Bidge (concete, oad) Hamilton TP, Cone of Old Hwy 6 and Hwy LC 9/22 Fauve Hill School Meday, TP. mi. E of Hwy PA and Hwy 6 924

76 7 Poposed National Registe Histoic Disticts St Johannis Evangelical Luthean Chuch Histoic Distict The poposed St. Johannis Evangelical Luthean Chuch Histoic Distict is located in the township of Bae, a few miles east of Bae Mills on the south side of CTH M,.5 miles west of Russian Coulee Road. It is compised of six buildings, five contibuting and one non-contibuting to the poposed distict. The cente of the complex is the St. Johannis Evangelical Luthean Chuch (05/22), a lage bick Gothic Revival chuch with a cente bell towe and spie, gabled oof, and taditional ectangula plan. The St. Johannis Chuch was constucted in 887. The suounding buildings wee constucted to suppot the activities of the chuch. The St. Johannis School (05/20) was constucted to the west of the chuch in 890, and though has been alteed though additions, still etains its oiginal section and continues to function as a Chistian elementay school. The emaining thee contibuting buildings ae all houses. One of the houses (05/22) is appaently the pasonage fo the chuch. The house closest to the school (05/2) may have been the school teache's house and the lage house to the futhest west (9/03) may have been a home fo the eldely and infimed who wee caed fo by the chuch. Additional eseach will need to be done in ode to nominate this poposed distict to the National Registe. Bango Commecial Histoic Distict The Bango Commecial Histoic Distict is an intact, typical commecial distict fo a town of its size in Wisconsin. Developed at the tun of the centuy, the bick buildings found along the one block stip of Commecial Steet in Bango is epesentative of the venacula commecial foms which ae epesentative of commecial achitectual development at that time in histoy. Thee ae ten buildings within the boundaies of the poposed histoic distict. The majoity of the buildings, which ae pimaily two stoy bick commecial venacula buildings, wee constucted between 899 and 905, to eplace buildings which wee destoyed duing a fie in 899. Futhe eseach will be needed to develop a detailed histoy of the commecial evolution of Bango's commecial cente.

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78 73 Chapte 3 Recommendations Geneal Obsevations The LaCosse Rive Valley Heitage Coido Intensive Suvey Poject was conducted in fo the puposes of obtaining intensive level infomation on the popeties which wee identified as potentially eligible fo the National Registe of Histoic Places between suveys conducted between 993 and 995 in the poject aea. Two potential histoic disticts wee identified, in addition to dozens of individually eligible popeties. Histoic pesevation activities ae obviously a cultual pioity fo LaCosse County, based on the County Boad's continued suppot of the ongoing LaCosse County Histoic Sites Commission activities. Histoic pesevation should be seen as not only a way of maintaining a legacy fo the futue geneations of LaCosse County, but should also be view as an economic altenative to new constuction, a way to bing vaious kinds of gant money to the aea, and a way to impove the tax base and the geneal business climate. These benefits to histoic pesevation ae summaized below. Social and Economic Benefits of Histoic Pesevation Social Benefits The pesevation of LaCosse County's histoic esouces is impotant fo a numbe of easons which may not be immediately appaent to many people. It is common fo people to live in a community all thei life and not ecognize the histoic gems which suound them. Histoic esouces can povide a community with a stong sense of thei unique histoy, based on the commecial, industial, social, esidential and educational esouces which suound them daily. Olde stuctues povide esidents with a feeling of stability and continuity which is difficult, if not impossible to eplace. Additionally, these olde stuctues also can instill an appeciation of an ea of high standads of aesthetics and caftsmanship which exist today in a vey diffeent vesion. The LaCosse Rive Valley's histoy is eflected though agicultual tends fom wheat to daiy the ailoads tavesing the valley, industies, commece, and into the twentieth centuy, inceased tounsm. Agicultue has emained a stong component in the valley,with family fams pesisting and agicultue elated industies and commecial establishments located in the small towns alone the nve. Theefoe, it is impotant socially fo the esidents of LaCosse County to peseve thei most impotant histoic esouces, to aid futue esidents in undestanding an impotant past In addition to this undestanding, howeve, the people of LaCosse County may eap possible economic benefits though thei histoic esouces.

79 74 Economic Benefits Thousands of histoic ehabilitation pojects have been undetaken in the past few decades. Rehabilitation became a majo national industy in the 980s. As a esult, infomation is becoming available which indicate that ehabilitation of olde buildings is moe cost effective than new constuction. Rehabilitation pojects usually cost about one-half to one-thid less than simila new constuction. Initial constuction costs ae lowe because demolition costs ae minimal as a esult and thee is little expense fo foundation and/o stuctual wok. As a esult, ehabilition pojects ae usually faste to complete. Rehabilitation pojects often povide cental and convenient site location, sound and duable quality constuction, unique aesthetic and design value, and the public elations of positibe image and geate publicity oppotunities. Rehabilitation pojects ceate moe jobs and have a geate impact on the local economy and unemployment ate than compaable new constuction pojects. Rehabilitation pojects tend to utilize 25% moe labo than new constuction pojects. Fewe mateials ae used than in new constuction, which makes moe poject money available fo labo. As a esult, moe of the money spent on the poject will be e-ciculated back into the local economy. Pesevation stimulates economic evitalization and pivate investment which in tun inceases the local tax base. Pesevation has a stong impact on the touism industy, which is cuently one of the lagest industies in Wisconsin. In 990, touism geneated appoximately $6.3 billion in spending in Wisconsin, geneating 28,000 jobs and geneated obe $785 million in state and local tax evenue. Sightseeing is one of the most popula summe vacation activities, and histoic sites ae an impotant featue in sightseeing activities. [The above economic benefits discussion was excepted, in pat, fom a pamphlet entitled "Economic Benefits of Histoic Pesevation in Wisconsin," published by the Histoic Pesevation Division of the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin in 990.] In addition to the social and economic benefits, thee ae pogams which have been established by state and fedeal govenments which encouage histoic pesevation. Tax Incentives fo Rehabilitation of Histoic Buildings Ownes of income-poducing National Registe popeties can claim a 20% fedeal investment tax

80 75 cedit and an additional 5% state investment tax cedit fo ehabilitation expenses. Wok must be sympathetic with the histoical chaacte of the building, follow the Secetay of the Inteio's Standads fo Rehabilitation and be appoved by the National Pak Sevice and the Wisconsin State Histoic Pesevation Office (SHPO). Potection fom Fedeal Pojects Popeties that ae listed in the National Registe o State Registe, that may be eligible fo listing, eceive limited potection fom fedeally licensed o funded pojects. Any agency o oganization seeking fedeal assistance o pemits should contact the Chief of Compliance in the Histoic Pesevation Division of the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin at 608/ , to ensue that its pojects comply with fedeal egulations. It should be noted, howeve, that while listing on the National o State Registe of Histoic Places gives some potection fom fedeally funded pojects, it povides no potection fom pivately funded development. Only local Histoic Pesevation Odinance (which LaCosse County has), authoized by state statute, may allow the community to egulate new constuction, exteio alteations, and demolitions which may advesely affect histoic popeties. Wisconsin Histoic Building Code The Wisconsin Histoic Building Code is available fo use by ownes of buildings which ae listed on the State and National Registe of Histoic Places o ownes of histoic buildings which have been designated unde a local histoic pesevation odinance which has been cetified by the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. This code, administeed by the Depatment of Industy, Labo and Human Relations (DILHR) is designed to facilitate the pesevation o estoation of designated histoic buildings though the povision of altenative building standads. Ownes of qualified histoic buildings ae pemitted to be subject to the Histoic Building Code in lieu of any state o municipal building codes. Fo moe infomation contact DILHR at 608// Recommendations fo Futue Action on Pesevation List any and all popeties listed in this epot on local histoic sites list; List any and all popeties listed in this epot on the National Registe of Histoic Places; Continue education pogam though public meetings, bochues, ongoing eseach; Establish oad signage to diect touists/visitos to Valley's histoic sites; Establish contact with community histoic pesevation leades and oganizations to continue coopeation in poject; Continue to collect site-specific infomation on individual popeties.

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82 Bibliogaphy Byant, Benjamin F. (Ed). Memois of La Cosse County. Madison. Westen Histoical Association, 907. Byhn, Estella Kohn. Ealy Schools of La Cosse County. Block Pinting, 985. Callahan, John. "The Depatment of Public Instuction." In The Wisconsin Blue Book, 927. Madison: Compiled by the State Pinting Boad. State Pinte, 927. Centennial of St. John's Ev. Luthean Chuch Bae Mills: The Chuch, 987. City Diectoy. La Cosse, WI: A. Bained, 870. Dolbie, John. Fom Sawmills to Sunfish, A Histoy of Onalaka, Wl:. N.P., 985. Doudna, Edga G. The Making of Ou Wisconsin Schools Veticle File Located at the La Cosse Public Libay, La Cosse, WI. Fam Plat Book and Business Guide, La Cosse County, Wisconsin. Rockfod JJL: Rockfod Map Publishes, 954. Gegoy, John G. West Cental Wisconsin: A Histoy. Indianapolis: S.J. Clake Publishing Co., Inc., 933. Hedeson, Haold L. "Public Education in Wisconsin." In The Wisconsin Blue Book, 93. Madison: Compiled by the Wisconsin Legislative Refeence Libay. Democat Pinting Company, 93. Histoy of La Cosse County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88. Kindschy, Eol. Leonad's Deam: A Histoy of West Salem. E. Kindschy, 98.. West Salem: The Stoy of its Developement. West Salem. Boad of Education, 963. Nesbit, Robet C. The Histoy of Wisconsin, Vol.. Madison: State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, A Histoy. Madison: Univesity of Wisconsin Pess, 973.

83 78 J25th Annivesay: Ou Saviou's Luthean Chuch, West Salem , West Salem: Economy Pint Shop, Inc., 98. Owneship Plat Book of La Cosse County, Wisconsin. Milwaukee: Maathon Map Sevice, 948. Plat Book and Complete Suvey of La Cosse County, Wisconsin. DesMoines, Iowa: The Kenyon Company, Map Makes, 93. Plat Book of La Cosse County, Wisconsin. Rockfod, IL: W. W. Hixon and Co., 930. Rausch, Joan. Histoical Repot Pat IV Richads-Hause Popety Fo Poject ID I.H. 94-S. T.H. 93 La Cosse Feeway, La Cosse County. N.P.: La Cosse, th Annivesay: St. Paul Evangelical Luthean Chuch, Bango Annivesay Committee St. Paul's Evangelical Luthean Chuch, 964. Schafe, Joseph. "Genesis of Wisconsin's Fee High School System." Wisconsin Magazine of Histoy. 0:23-49, 926. Soil Suvey, La Cosse County, Wisconsin. United States Depatment of Agicultue, Soil Consevation Sevice in coopeation with Wisconsin Geological and Natual Histoy Suvey, Soil Suvey Division and the College of Agicultue, Univesity of Wisconsin, 960. Spence, David E. Local Govenment in Wisonsin. Baltimoe: Publication Agency of the John Hopkins Univesity, Mach 890. St. John's Ev. Luthen School, 00th Anivesay Bae Mills: St. John's, 986. St. Paul's Luthean Chuch 75th Anivesay. Anivesay Committee. St. Paul's Luthean Chuch, Bango, 964. Swaboda, Fank G. "Agicultual Coopeation in Wisconsin." The Wisconsin Magazine of Histoy. Vol X The Industies of La Cosse, Wisconsin. La Cosse. Spice and Buschman, Pintes, 888. Thompson, John Giffiin, The Rise and Decline of the Wheat Gowing Industy In Wisconsin. Madison, 907. Walking Tou of Bango, WI Bouchue. N.d. N.p. Bango Histoical Society, Inc.

84 Wingate, Robet Geoge. Settlement Pattens of La Cosse County, Wisconsin Thesis, Univesity of Minnesota, August 975. Wisconsin and Tobacco. Washington: The Tobacco Institute, Inc., 960. Wisconsin Rual Resouces, La Cosse County. Wisconsin State Depatment of Agicultue Cop and Livestock Repoting Sevice. Madison. Wyatt, Babaa. (Ed). Cultual Resouces Management in Wisconsin - Volumes I-III, A Manual fo Histoic Popeties. Madison: Histoic Pesevation Division, State Histoical Society of Wisconsin,

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86 SOUTHERN LACROSSE COUNTY, WISCONSIN HISTORIC/ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY CIRCA 845 TO 950 SUBMITTED SEPTEMBER 998 To the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission and the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin by Mississippi Valley Achaeology Cente at Univesity of Wisconsin-LaCosse Pincipal Investigato Babaa M. Kooiman, M.A. PROJECT ASSISTANTS Stu Bunes Dan Feudenbug Saa Gilles Tim Gebe Tavis Glasshoff Sandy Molzholn Bian Weigel

87 AKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Southen LaCosse County Histoic/Achitectual Suvey Poject has been funded with the assistance of a gant-in-aid fom the National Pak Sevice, U.S. Depatment of the Inteio, unde the povisions of the National Histoical Pesevation Act of 966, as amended. Histoic Pesevation gants-in-aid ae administeed in Wisconsin in conjunction with the National Registe of Histoic Places pogam of the Histoic Pesevation Division of the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. Howeve, the contents and opinions in this publication do not necessaily eflect the views o policies of the National Pak Sevice o the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. Poject Staff: Mississippi Valley Achaeology Cente at Univesity of Wisconsin-LaCosse Pincipal Investigato: Babaa M. Kooiman, M.A. Poject Assistants: Stu Bunes Dan Feudenbug Saa Gilles Tim Gebe Tavis Glasshoff Sandy Molzholn Bian Weigel Student Supeviso: Chales Lee, Ph.D., Univesity of Wisconsin-LaCosse Public Histoy Pogam Mississippi Valley Achaeology Cente at the Univesity of Wisconsin-LaCosse would like to show appeciation to the many people who have diectly and indiectly suppoted this poject. The following individuals and goups have assisted in the completion of this poject: LaCosse County Boad James Esham, County Boad Chai Cheyl Stephens, County Boad Chai secetay LaCosse County Histoic Pesevation Sites Commission Cal Pedetti, Chai Benda Jodan, Secetay King Holley Geoge Kapanke R. Patick Stewat Haiet Schuppel

88 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstact Methodology 3 Summay of Results 5 Oveview Histoy of LaCosse County 7 Histoic Context Themes of Southen LaCosse County 5 Township Histoies 53 Intensive Suvey of Southen LaCosse County 63 Recommendations 79 Bibliogaphy 83 Appendix: Memoandum of Ageement

89 ABSTRACT LaCosse County, which is situated in west cental Wisconsin along the easten banks of the Mississippi Rive, was among the ealiest egions of Wisconsin to be settled. The ich soil and wide ange of topogaphy bought people fom a wide vaiety of ethnic backgounds to the egion. This document exploes the histoic context and themes of the ual townships in the five townships which lie south of the LaCosse Rive Valley, which bisects the county east to west. The achitectual histoy of the county is an impotant pan of its histoy. The famsteads, ual schools, townhalls, and eligious complexes which make up the envionment help tell the histoy of this egion. This epot attempts to ecod and disseminate infomation about the county using its buildings as a vehicle to expess that histoy. LaCosse County encompasses 48 squae miles, equaling 307,840 aces. It is bounded by Tempealeau County to the nothwest, Jackson County to the noth, Monoe County to the east, Venon County to the south, and the Mississippi Rive along its west bode. Fo this study, the townships of Bae, Campbell/Meday, Geenfield, Shelby, and Washington wee suveyed. One hunded ten (0) popeties wee suveyed at the econnaissance level within the poject aea. Nine (9) popeties wee intensively suveyed, having been evaluated fo National Registe of Histoic Places potential.

90 METHODOLOGY In Septembe 997 the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission hied Babaa Kooiman of Mississippi Valley Achaeology Cente at the Univesity of Wisconsin-LaCosse as Pincipal Investigato fo the Southen LaCosse County, Wisconsin Histoic/Achitectual Suvey. Kooiman, in conjunction with the Public Histoy pogam at Univesity of Wisconsin-LaCosse, unde the supevision of D. Chales Lee, conducted field wok duing the fall of 997 and sping of 998. The eseach team of Kooiman and the UW-L students held a public meeting on 27 Octobe 997 at the LaCosse Public Libay. The meeting was held in conjunction with a Pesevation Alliance of LaCosse (PAL) monthly meeting, and appoximately 30 people wee in attendance, including the PAL boad, the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission, inteested paties in the community, and M. Joe DeRose, Suvey Coodinato, State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. Field wok commenced almost immediately upon selection of MVAC to pepae the epot. Kooiman oganized the Public Histoy students, compised in the fall of 997 of Stu Bunes Dan Fuedenbug, Tim Gebe, Sandy Molzhon, and Bian Weigel. In G i n S K ' T n ^ M lzh0n left the team ' and wee e P la^ by Tavis Glasshoff. Kooiman and Pofesso Lee met with the students appoximately once a week thoughout both semestes, and Kooiman assigned eadings in LaCoss County t7om s ; ssignme of themati, c chaptes fo the^ - d - sfi^s was commenced, eseach on paticula popeties within the poject aea which appeaed to meet the citeia fo National Registe of Histoic Places eligibility! smltt n ^? pte f, e ; l997țhoughmach i99s - * ««** «* he]d nlnn u ut I ^ WOk ' Kooiman dove, and the took all photogaphs, while the students filled out field suvev fom, * n A J u Field suvey citeia was as follows: A LaCosse County highway map was used as a oad map in the suvey sjz? t P PemeS W6e " kast 5 ^eas old > and the main building had wffiaent integity to poject a sense of its histoy. If the popety was sevee v modified with additions, eplacement siding, o non-histohc wind'ow so doo s 3

91 it was not suveyed. Exceptions to this citeia wee occassionally made fo popeties which wee unusual o paticulaly old. Abandoned popeties wee suveyed if they had sufficient integity, and dated fom the nineteenth centuy. All schools, town halls, and othe less common popety types wee ecoded despite integity. Not only buildings and complexes of buildings (such as famsteads) wee ecoded, but stuctues, such as bidges, and sites, such as cemeteies wee ecoded as well. All popeties wee located on USGS maps using the SHSW suvey map codes. One oiginal copy of maps will be pat of the deliveables fo the SHSW fo this poject, and a second, photocopied set of maps will be submitted to the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission achives. All photos wee taken with black & white 35mm film, poduced on contact sheets, and pints, which wee adheed to suvey cads, which ae submitted to the SHWS as final deliveables. Data enty of the field suvey was made in the HistoiBase database pogam utilized by the SHSW Histoic Pesevation Division. The LaCosse County suvey was copied onto disk fo the SHSW and submitted as pat of the final deliveables fo this poject. Suvey cads and foms wee photocopied and pesented a pat of the deliveables fo the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission. The UW-L public histoy students did all the data enty into the Histoi-Base database pogam fo the poject. They plotted all popeties on maps, completed database enty, and as descibed above, wote geneal LaCosse County histoy, township histoies, thematic chaptes, and site-specific histoies. Each student was given an independent study cedit and gade though the UW-L Public Histoy pogam unde Pofesso Lee. 4

92 SUMMARY OF RESULTS The Southen LaCosse County, Wisconsin Histoic/Achitectual Suvey began in Septembe 997 and was completed in Septembe 998 unde the diection of Babaa Kooiman, Pincipal Investigato, at Mississippi Valley Achaeology Cente fo the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission. The esults of the suvey wee: Pepaation and ceation of the suvey epot Suvey of 0 popeties in southen LaCosse County Pepaation of field suvey maps Database enty in HistoiBase database of all suveyed popeties Intensive suvey of nine (9) popeties in suvey aea. LaCosse County Histoic/Achtectual Suvey Suvey Results Popety Types Township Bango Bae Geenfield Meday Shelby Washington Total Famstead House School Religious Ceme -tey Govt Commecial Bidge Othe

93 Styles Bae Bango Geenfield Meday Shelby Washin Eton Total 2 stoy cube Queen Anne Italianate Font Gable Side Gable Gabled Ell Coss Gable Bungalow

94 OVERVIEW HISTORY OF LACROSSE COUNTY LaCosse County was fomed in 85, with its final boundaies detemined by 857, howeve, fist settlement occued in the vicinity of the pesent-day city of LaCosse as ealy as 844. Up to the pesent, agicultue has emained an impotant pat of LaCosse County's economy. Howeve, duing the past one hunded fifty yeas thee have been shifts in the types of pefeed agicultual poducts. Fo example, in the late 800s wheat poduction was vey impotant to LaCosse County, howeve, by the ealy 900s the shift was made to daiy poduction, with con and hay being impotant cops, while wheat became elatively ae as a LaCosse County cop. The types of fam layout and outbuildings utilized would have also changed duing this shift fom a gain-based economy to a livestock-based economy. The elative wealth of fames also shifted, and pefeed house styles assist in eflecting those changes. Wisconsin became a state in the yea 848, but pio to that time it had been a pat of seveal diffeent teitoies. The Teaty of Pais, signed in 873, ceded all land east of the Mississippi Rive to the United States. Howeve, it was not until the Jay Teaty of 794 that the Fedeal Govenment etained complete contol ove the teitoy. The fist claim fo this teitoy, which included the aea of pesent-day Wisconsin, was claimed by the Viginia colonial govenment. Shotly afte the Jay Teaty, Viginia elinquished this land to the United States Govenment. Byant, Benjamin F. (Ed). Memois oflacosse County. (Madison: Westen Histoical Association, 907), 28 7

95 In 785 and 787 two diffeent Nothwest Odinances wee passed by the United States. These odinances wee set up as a fom of govenment fo the Nothwest Teitoy, which included pesent day Wisconsin. The fist act povided the guidelines _ fo the ectangula land suvey that established the townships and the section sizes thoughout much of the United States. When the odinance fist went into effect the smallest size pacel a peson could buy was an entie section, o 360 aces. Howeve, the size of the pacel was educed to foty aces pio to the fist settlement of the aea. It was this foty-ace pacel of land that most settles initially bought, and became the Ameican fam standad size. The second act povided that thee would not be slavey in the Nothwest Teitoy. 2 By July of 800 the aea including pesent-day Wisconsin was pat of the teitoy of Indiana, howeve, the aea of Wisconsin was ceded to the teitoy of Illinois in 809. When Illinois gained its statehood in 88, the aea of pesent-day Wisconsin became a pat of Michigan's teitoy. The Wisconsin teitoy belonged to the Winnebago tibes until the Novembe 837 teaty, which equied the Winnebago to yield thei land that lay east of the Mississippi to the United States. 3 The teitoy of _ Wisconsin was established in 836 and was ganted its statehood in 848. I LaCosse County was not ceated until afte the State of Wisconsin was itself _ fomed in 848. When Wisconsin was established the aea of pesent day LaCosse County was included in Cawfod County which consisted of much of the westen potion of the state. In Febuay of 85 the state legislatue passed a bill ceating LaCosse County, and on 9 May 85 the county was fully oganized. Seveal J bounday changes occued ove the yeas befoe the pesent boundaies of LaCosse County wee established. The pesent boundaies of LaCosse County, consisting of T 475 squae miles, wee designated and appoved on 3 Mach 857, six yeas afte the I county itself was ceated. 4 The name "La Cosse," a wod of Fench oigin, was given to the aea as ealy as» 805, when it was known as Paiie de la Cosse. The name "La Cosse" oiginally came fom the name the Fench gave the ball game that the Indians played at this time, which utilized a stick which eminded the Fench of a piest's coss o staff. Nathan * Myick, the aea's fist pemanent settle, shotened the name to La Cosse. 5 2 Conlin, Joseph R. The A meican Pat: a Suvey of A meican Histoy. San Diego: Hacout Bace Jovanonich Publishe, , 46; Byant, Byant, 29, Histoy oflacosse County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88, 35, 328; Histoical Atlas and Chonology of County Boundaies, Vol. 3 Michigan, Wisconsin. John H. Long, ed. Compiled by Hugo P. Leaning (WI), John H. Long (MI). Boston: G.K. Hall and Co., ; Byant, Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, , 58.

96 Nathan Myick aived Novembe 84 on a flatboat fom Paiie du Chien Myick came to the aea fom New Yok to tade with the native tibes. O^naUyhe had set up camp on Baon's Island, which is pesent-day Pembone Island. Howeve in 842 he moved his tading post fom the island diectly acoss the main channel ot the Mississippi Rive to the pesent site of the city of La Cosse. In 844 the fist Euo-Ameican fames moved to the aea. John and Chales Nagel placed thei fam at the foot of the bluffs between pesent day State Road and Momon Coulee. 7 Between 85 and 855 settles stated to take outlying land fo fams, while people wee still settling in the village of LaCosse. 8 In the fall of 858 thee wee still some six hunded thousand vacant aces of land available in the county fo settlement and faming. Howeve, little speculation of the land was done, because most of the settles made thei claims fo thei foty ace pacels in peson at the land office, which became easie once the land office was moved to LaCosse fom Mineal Point in 853.' The following table gives the numbe of land pacels and pecentage deeded by month in the yea of 853. The smallest pecentage of land egisteed was in the month of Febuay, pobably due to the seveely cold weathe that the aea expeiences duing this month. The month of Novembe indicates the lagest numbe of land egisteed, pobably because winte would soon set in and sheltes needed to be built. The month of June epesents the second lagest amount of land egisteed, pobably because thee was still time to plant a cop and constuct sufficient sheltes. 0 Month (of 853) Pacels Registeed Pecentage Januay Febuay Mach Apil May June Byant, 23, 32. Myick's Post was located nea the pesent day intesection of Font and State Steets. 7 Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, 332. ' Byant, 34. ' Byant, 50; Wingate, Robet Geoge. Settlement Pattens of LaCosse County, Wisconsin Thesis, Univesity of Minnesota, August 975, 98. Wingate, 99. 9

97 July August Septembe Octobe Novembe Decembe Vacant land o Owned by Raiload Total ,76 Of these pionees who came to the aea between 848 and 862, the majoity of them hailed fom the easten seaboad, such as New Yok and New England. Euopean immigants also aived in the aea. The two majo nationalities that epesented these ealy settles wee Geman and Nowegian. They tended to wok pimaily in lumbeing o faming. The population of the county in 855 was nealy 4,000 and by 860 it was 2,86. The lage jump in population was due to the aiload being established in LaCosse in 858. The population of the aea slowed down duing the Civil Wa, howeve once the wa was ove many people fom the southen United States moved noth. The population gew steadily fo the next ten yeas to 20,297 in 870. The gowth slowed fom 870 to 880 when the population was 27,073. Though the next two decades the population continued to ise, 38,80 in 890 and 42,997 at the tun of the centuy. 2 Many diffeent nationalities wee epesented in the tun-of-the-centuy population of LaCosse County. The foeign bon population totaled 0,902 in 900. Foty pecent wee Gemans who settled pimaily in the southwesten potion of the county. Nowegians, including Swedes, who settled mostly in the nothwesten potion of the county, equaled thity-two pecent. Bohemians, who tended to settle in the southeast, equaled five pecent. English equaled thee pecent, and Canadians (which included Fench, via Canada) equaled two pecent of the population. The Yankees, English and Welsh all settled pimaily along the LaCosse Rive Valley and its tibutaies." One sixth of the population of Wisconsin in 860 wee fom Gemany, howeve, the English, Ameican and Welsh settles wee among the ealiest Byant, 48. By 862 ove eighty-five pecent of the county was settled, Wingate, 0. 2 Gegoy, John G. West Cental Wisconsin: A Histoy. Indianapolis: S. J. Clake Publishing Co., Inc., 933, 599; Byant, 8. 3 Byant,

98 nationalities in the LaCosse aea." By the yea 905 LaCosse County was almost entiely settled, and contained twenty-one diffeent nationalities, ot which the Gemans and Nowegians wee the pedominate ethnic goups. The only land emaining unsettled in 905 was 760 aces of sandstone soil that was held by the ailoads. 5 Foeignes geneally leaned of Wisconsin though the state's Bueau of Immigation. This govenmental office was used to help ecuit new settles to the state. Along with the bueau, in 852 state legislation povided fo an immigation commissione to be located in New Yok City to povide infomation about Wisconsin to the newly aived immigants. Anothe way that immigants leaned of the United States was though lettes that wee sent back to the old county fom those who tavesed thei way to the new lands. These lettes gave fist hand knowledge of the voyage, land, and settlement oppotunities in cetain aeas. All ethnic goups used this system as a majo souce of infomation which helped many in the decision to emigate o to stay behind. 6 The outes that the immigants fist followed to the LaCosse aea wee of two kinds befoe 858. The immigants could follow one of the numeous wate highways such as the Mississippi Rive fom the south o fom the noth via the Geat Lakes. The othe choice was along the ough Indian tails that could be tavesed by foot, ox cat, hose o stagecoach. A big change in aea tanspotation took place on 23 August 858 when the LaCosse & Milwaukee Raiload became the fist aiload to extend to LaCosse. The aiload taveles followed the LaCosse Rive Valley though the Diftless aea to LaCosse and the Mississippi Rive. This point was the only access that could be made between the Wisconsin and St. Coix ives. The aiload followed one of the ealy tanspotation outes to connect LaCosse to easten Wisconsin. 7 The fist aiload in poximity to LaCosse was located in Paiie du Chien and an fom Milwaukee. This aiload line was established in 857. The Milwaukee and LaCosse Raiload paalleled that of the Paiie du Chien and Milwaukee line. This line was impotant to LaCosse because with it the city was connected to Chicago not only by ive but also by ail, and ceated a southwesten node fo Wisconsin and Minnesota. 8 4 Raney, 28; Byant, 8. 5 Wingate, 63, 65. " Wingate, 63, Gegoy, 508; Wingate 52, 53, 59. The Diftless aea is the aea of land that was not coveed by the glacial ice duing the last ice age.6 to ten thousand yeas ago. Gegoy, 492; Wingate, 53.

99 The Milwaukee & LaCosse was not the only aiload in LaCosse. In 867 the city of LaCosse was linked up with the Milwaukee & St. Paul Raiload. A mege between the St. Paul & Chicago and the Milwaukee & St. Paul in 874 ceated the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Raiload. Befoe Minnesota goods could be tanspoted to LaCosse and Wisconsin, a bidge was needed acoss the Mississippi Rive. In 870 a winte bidge was built to connect LaCosse to Baon's Island, then acoss the Mississippi Rive to Minnesota. Duing the seasons when the Mississippi Rive was navigable between the yeas 870 and 879, goods and passenges wee tansfeed acoss the ive to the awaiting aiload in Minnesota. The aiload bidge was constucted acoss the ive in 876. This bidge connected the Milwaukee & LaCosse Line on the Wisconsin side to the Southen Minnesota Raiload on the Minnesota side." By 893 thee majo aiload lines wee unning though the LaCosse Rive Valley, influencing the establishment and pemanence of the villages of Rockland, Bango and West Salem. The ailoads enabled the tanspot of aw mateials, manufactued goods, and people fom the LaCosse Rive Valley to commece centes such as Milwaukee, Chicago, and St. Paul. 20 LaCosse County's ealy histoy is maked by pospeity, but by the tun of the centuy, the county's economy seemed to be less stable, with the loss of the lumbe industies, and the waning of wheat gowing in westen Wisconsin. The county's esidents divesified howeve, and one aea whee they developed was in the daiy industy. The intoduction of the daiy cows to LaCosse County was vital to the continued economic gowth of the county. Daiying povided a stable economy fo the county's esidents. The soils thoughout the county ae well suited to the cultivation of cops such as con and hay which was needed to feed the daiy heds. Milk poduction led to the ceation of local coopeatives that specialized in butte and cheese poduction. The ability of the people of LaCosse County to diect thei effots towads daiying and othe agicultual poducts has allowed fo the continued economic and population gowth of the county. Following 900, daiying has developed into one of the leading industies of the State of Wisconsin, as well as LaCosse County. Agicultue in geneal has emained a stong stabilizing facto in the county's economy, with the size of the county's fams fluctuating elatively little though out the histoic peiod. In 890 the aveage county fam was 54.4 aces, and in 950 the aveage fam was 68.0 aces. 2 " Babaa Kooiman, "Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Depot," LaCosse, WI, National Registe of Histoic Places Nomination, section 8 page Robet C. Nesbit, The Histoy of Wisconsin, Vol. HI. (Madison: State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 985), 2 Univesity of Wisconsin Agicultual Extension Sevices, Wisconsin Rual Resouces, LaCosse, County. (Madison, WI: Wisconsin State Depatment of Agicultue, Cop and Livestock Repoting Sevice, 957), 8. 2

100 This economic stability has bought ual LaCosse County to its pesent state. The people, land, buildings and soils of the county have combined to make it an agicultually ich aea, with a stong sense of beauty, tadition, and had labo. The following thematic chaptes will illustate how cetain aspects of the county's histoy have influenced the built envionment of LaCosse County. S...j3 i«*»to : <<?«%-» Southen LaCosse County, contoued fields 3

101 HISTORIC CONTEXT THEMES OF SOUTHERN LACROSSE COUNTY Settlement Wisconsin was a pime spot fo settlement afte the population inceases in the east. It was heavily foested at the time of Euopean expansion into the aea. The natual esouces wee abundant and the climate was hash. The land was occupied by Ameican Indians befoe the disuption of the Euopeans. The ealiest Euopeans into the aea whee Fench tappes. With the exception of a few militay fots and a few othe settlements, pemanent settlement of Wisconsin fist began in the lead egion of the southwesten potion of the state aound The population moved in fom the Mississippi Rive because the late commecial centes on the Geat Lakes wee not yet developed. The fist influx of settles geneally occupied the southen counties of the state 23, mainly due to the lead mines that wee located in the aea. The Black Hawk Wa of 832 opened the southeasten potion of the state fo expansion and the demand fo cheap land bought about a apid expansion. Once the expansion began, it pogessed apidly. The state's population gew fom only,000 in 836 when the teitoy was fomed to 776,000 in I A high popotion of this population was foeigne bon immigants and Ameicans of New England backgound. 25 The majo eason fo the expansion was the land. Wisconsin had abundant cheap land that was available to the ealy settles. Although land was also available in the West, many enthusiasts believed that no whee was good famland so abundant and so cheap. 26 Thee was also a majo push by the sate to bing in settles. Legislation by the state of Wisconsin in povided a commissione of emigation with an office in New Yok and a tavel agent to entice immigants to come to the state. The fist commissione of immigation was Gysbet Van Steenwyk fom La Cosse. 27 The job 22 H.A. Tenney and David Atwood. Fathes of Wisconsin. (Madison: WI: David Awood, publishe, 985), p Wyatt, Babaa, ed. Cultual Resouces Management in Wisconsin- Volumes hill, A Manual fo Histoic Popeties. (Madison: Histoic Pesevation Division, State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 986.) "Robet C. Nesbit. Wisconsin: A Histoy. (Madison: The Univesity of Wisconsin Pess, 973), Robet C. Nesbit. Wisconsin: A Histoy. (Madison: The Univesity of Wisconsin Pess, 973), Richad N. Cuent. The Histoy of Wisconsin: Volume The Civil Wa Ea, (Madison: State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 976), Robet C. Nesbit. Wisconsin: A Histoy. (Madison: The Univesity of Wisconsin Pess, 973), 57. 5

102 of the tavel agent was "to see that coect epesentations be made in easten newspapes of ou Wisconsin's geat natual esouces, advantages, and pivileges, and billiant pospects fo the futue..." They annually distibuted about thity thousand copies of pamphlets in Geman, Nowegian, and Dutch language vesion. 28 Not only did this attact foeignes, but it also dew a lage numbe of native New Yokes and New Englandes. Land had become a scae commodity in the East as populations inceased thee. In 860, almost half of the Wisconsin esidents bon in othe states wee fom New Yok. 29 Anothe pominent eason fo the influx of foeignes was the opening of the Geat Lakes due to the Eie Canal. Opened in 825, it povided a wate path to the inteio of the United States. This began a common mode of tanspotation fo those who came to Wisconsin. The city of Milwaukee gew temendously due to the tend towads wate tavel. In 840, Milwaukee had,72 esidents but by 860, the city had gown to 45, La Cosse County lies in the unglaciated aea, o diftless aea, of Wisconsin. The aea is also efeed to as the westen uplands, efeing to the highland egion that is bodeed on the west by the Mississippi Rive valley. 3 The topogaphy is chaacteized by deep avines of steep-walled valleys called coulees, caved out by glacial ice wates. 32 The land along the Mississippi was paiie land. The initial attaction of La Cosse County was fo fu tade. Fench and Bitish fu tades had been in the aea tading with Native Ameicans. Late, the foests noth of La Cosse povided a base fo the lumbe industy. The convenience of tanspotation to the aea helped in the settlement. The end of the Black Hawk Wa opened the aea up fo Euopean expansion. The wa took away much of the peceived theat Native Ameicans had pesented in the aea. La Cosse was easily accessible via the Mississippi Rive and that helped with ealy settlement in the county. 33 In 847, a yea befoe Wisconsin gained statehood, a suvey was done by Heny Bliss of La Cosse County. 34 The land in pesent day La Cosse County was put up fo a Ibid._, p.4s-(, n Ibid., p Robet C. Nesbit. Wisconsin: A Histoy, (Madison: The Univesity of Wisconsin Pess, 973), Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin , 6. K Ibid., p. 7 3 ' Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin ,.56. M Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin , 50. 6

103 sale and a land office was opened in Mineal Point fo the auctioning of this new land. With land pices of $.25 an ace, a settle could puchase eighty aces of land fo $00." Initial settlement of La Cosse County took place between 850 and Although the Welsh wee the initial settles in the county, in the following yeas the Gemans and Nowegians would settle in lage numbes. The Gemans and Nowegians fist puchased land in the county in and settled in lage numbes both in 853 and Of these ealy settles, the Gemans settled in the Momon Coulee and the Nowegians settled in the La Cosse Valley. Much of the southen pat of La Cosse County was settled late than the nothen and westen potions." Tavel was difficult to these aeas and isolation was the nom. The townships of Shelby, Geenfield and Washington wee some of the last townships in the county to be populated. No towns existed in the southen pat of the county and only a few unincopoated villages exist. This is due to the aea's close poximity to La Cosse and to the fact that most of the aea was not on majo tavel outes. The townships in the southwesten pat of the county wee not connected to wateways that lead to Paiie La Cosse but instead, as in the example of Momon ceek, came out five o six miles south in the Mississippi slough. These townships wee theefoe off the main line of tavel. One of the fist goups to actually settle in southen La Cosse County wee the Momons. In 844, appoximately twenty families fom Nauvoo, Illinois came to La Cosse. They settled in aea which is now efeed to as Momon Coulee and engaged in cutting cod wood. In the sping, they left mysteiously unde the lighting of thei buning cabins. They abandoned the La Cosse site and moved the colony to Texas. 40 GERMANS The Gemans wee one of the lagest Euopean goups that immigated to Wisconsin. The 850 census evealed that oughly 2% of the state's population wee ''Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin p. 56 * Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin p. 47 " Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin p. 03!8 Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin p. 6 " Benjamin F. Byant. Memois of La Cosse County, p. 50? 0 Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin p.49 7

104 Gemans. 4 They began to settle in La Cosse County in 850. They puchased land in Momon Coulee that was abandoned when the Momons left. 42 The lagest numbe Geman land puchases came in 855, when Gemans bought 255 foty ace pacels. 43 The majoity of this land was on the limestone idge in the southen pat of the county, in Washington and Geenfield Township. Most of these settles wee Catholic Gemans fom southen Gemany. 44 These Gemans came fom aeas in Southen Gemany, Austio-Hungay and Switzeland that had simila limestone soils. 45 William Nicolai and Gegoy Boschet wee two ealy settles in Geenfield Township. 46 William Nicolai came to the United States in 849, moved to La Cosse County in 852, and settled in Geenfield the following yea. Gegoy Boschet moved to Geenfield in 855 afte living in New Yok and Racine County, Wisconsin. NORWEGIANS The Nowegians wee the majo homesteades in the county. They mostly settled in the sandstone valleys of the nothen pat of the county although two settlements ae in the limestone egions in the southen pat of the county. 47 One of these settlements of Nowegians is aound the Bostwick Valley Luthean Chuch in Bostwick Valley. The othe southen Nowegian settlement is in Washington Township and is an extension of the Coon Valley settlement in Venon County. In Bango, Geenfield, and Washington townships, the population of Nowegians inceased fom,347 in 860 to 3,38 in Also, of the 8,602 foeigne bon settles in 870, 2,646 wee Swedish o Nowegian native Wyatt, Babaa, ed. Cultual Resouces Management in Wisconsin- Volumes I-III, A Manual fo Histoic Popeties. (Madison: Histoic Pesevation Division, State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 986.) 42 Wingate, Robet Geoge. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin pg. 03 " Wingate, Robet Geoge. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin pg Wingate, Robet Geoge. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin pg Wingate, Robet Geoge. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin p Byant, Benjamin F. Memois of La Cosse County, p Wingate, Robet Geoge. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin p Fapso, William J. Nowegians in Wisconsin 4 ' Histoy of La Cosse County p.259 8

105 Welsh Congegation Cemetey (90/02), Bango Township SWISS The Swiss wee one of the fist ethnic goups to settle in La Cosse County. In 85, a goup of five Swiss led by John Bosshad wee the fist settles of Bango. 53 Some of them settled in the Dutch Ceek valley and the othes settled in the La Cosse Rive valley. Between 853 to 860, seveal goups of Swiss settles came to the southen pat of La Cosse County. 54 The epots witten by Heny Bosshad, a school teache fom nea Zuich who came to the United States and wote about life M State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Domesday Book: Town Studies, Vol. I. (Madison: State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 924), State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Domesday Book: Town Studies, Vol. I. (Madison: State 5 Ibid., p. 25 Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 924), 25. " State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Domesday Booh Town Studies, Vol. I. (Madison, State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 924), Geoge Zielke. "The Swiss Settles of Momon Coulee," The La Cosse County Histoical Sketches, Seies. (LaCosse, WI: Liesenfeld Pess., 93), 2. 9

106 hee, wee pobably influential in binging Swiss to the county. Bosshad stated the county had low piced land, vigin woods, ich soil, and an excellent supply of wate. The Swiss settled in an aea called Momon Coulee, about five miles south of the village of La Cosse. Some of the ealiest families wee the Hoffmans, Hindelings, Schweizes, and Spenges. Although the date of thei exact aival date is uncetain, they all located in the Town of Shelby between 853 and 854. The lagest influx of Swiss into the aea was a goup fom Bienz, Canton Ben, in 856. These people wee sheep-hedes and the economy in Canton Ben at the time was not good. When they aived they bought land fom non-esident ownes, pobably land speculatos. Late Swiss settled fathe up Momon Coulee, in Geenfield Township. Matt Blume, a Swiss settle who took pat in the Califonia gold ush, settled in the aea in the 850s and built Blume's Mill on Momon Coulee Ceek in BOHEMIANS Although the fist settle came between 854 and 855, the Bohemians wee one of the last goups to settle in the county. Many of them came fom the vicinity of Plzen. They settled in an aea known as Bohemian Ridge and Bohemian Valley in the southeast cone of the county. 56 A numbe of factos influenced thei moving to this aea. Fist, the limestone soil in the aea was simila to the soils of Bohemia. Also, the Bohemian Ridge had a lage Geman population and the Bohemians wee accustom to living nea Gemans since Bohemia was pat of the Austo-Hungaian Empie. Finally, they wee Catholic and attended the St. Petes Chuch at Middle Ridge. 57 " Geoge Zielke. "The Swiss Settles of Momon Coulee," The La Cosse County Histoical Sketches, Seies. (LaCosse, WI: Liesenfeld Pess., 93), 2. " Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin pg. 72 " Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin pg

107 AGRICULTURE The attention of ealy settles was confined to getting food, shelte, and clothing. Theefoe, the fist pionees of a county wee fames, fishemen, mines, and tappes, because it is the easiest to make a living fom these aw mateials, and povide fo themselves, and thei families. In the ealy histoy of Wisconsin this is tue 58. The soils of La Cosse County wee ich enough to suppot cultivation and planting, and many ealy settles took advantage of this. This epot will focus on the agicultual histoy of La Cosse County, and will include such topics as cops, cop usage, teain, and livestock. Teain La Cosse County is located in an aea called the "diftless" egion. The "diftless" egion is an aea in west-cental Wisconsin that was untouched by the glacies. It is chaacteized by steep bluffs, and naow valleys, known in the aea as "coulees". In the high egions, whee the suface ock is limestone, the soil is invaiably good. Some low aeas, howeve, whee limestone has been eoded away, undelying sandstone is the suface ock, which is sandy and unpoductive 59. This is not always the case, though, as some places ae filled with alluvial matte which was deposited by steams. This being the case, thee ae many high elevation fields. Lage "bluff-top" fields ae not ae. In the low aeas, fields ae long and naow, as this is the layout of the teain fom which the fields wee cut. Cops The same natual conditions that make Wisconsin an agicultual state, detemined that its main inteest was gain gowing in the ealy yeas. Wheat is the numbe one cop of all in La Cosse County. 60 It was easy to plant, and took little o no wok to cultivate, and manage. Wheat is vey stong, and can withstand colde tempeatues, and a shote gowing season as is the case in Wisconsin. Wisconsin was anked ninth M W.W Daniels, M.S. Pof, of Chemisty and Agicultue At the Univesity of Wisconsin, Ealy account of the oigins of agicultue, pg Lawence Matin, autho of Physical Geogaphy of Wisconsin. '"Babaa Wyatt, Fom Cultual Resouces Management in Wisconsin-Volumes I-ITJ. A Manual fo Histoic Popeties. 2

108 in wheat poduction in and Indiana aising moe. In 860, this ank was aised to thid 62, only Illinois Wheat was the fist ealy cash cop of Wisconsin, but thee wee disadvantages to wheat. It left the land with baely any of nutients it needed to continue poduction, and people in ealy agicultue did not ealize that wheat would deplete the soil of nutients, o have the land capital fo cop otation. No attention was paid to soil fetility. The only aim was to secue the lagest cop fo the smallest outlay of capital. This lead to expeimentation with othe cops, and ultimately cop divesification. Con was aised to a lage extent, but this aea, along with the est of Wisconsin has neve anked high in con poduction. 63 Con was nomally gown in the southwesten pat of the state, and mainly followed the population oute. Howeve, con became vey impotant with the age of the daiy industy, and the intoduction of the silo in 880. Con was the chief silage mateial and as daiy faming gew con aceage was expanded fo silage puposes. The use of con silage made it possible to gow the cop fathe noth and thus the aceage in the nothen daiy counties gew. Anothe development which has tended to extend con aceage in La Cosse County had been the intoduction of hybids and ealie matuing vaieties of seed. 64 Next to wheat, moe bushels of oats wee aised than any othe ceeal. In 860, Wisconsin was fifth in ank among oat gowing states, and sixth in This anking had changed since the induction of the states in the "bead basket" aea. In 947 Wisconsin was anked thid with nealy 3 million aces of oats annually havested. 66 Tobacco was intoduced to this state in 860, and has geatly inceased since then. Nothen tobacco is infeio to southen leaf, and is aely used fo smoking o chewing, ciga wapping tobacco does vey well in this climate 67. In 945 tobacco was only gown on slightly moe than 20,000 aces in the state. 68 " W.W. Daniels, pg W.W. Daniels, pg. 52 " W.W. Daniels, pg. 55 H W.H.Ebling,pg.26 " W.W. Daniels, pg. 56 "W.H.Ebling.pg W.W. Daniels, pg. 56, Although some of the tobacco is used fo smoking, and chewing, it is neve used alone, always in a blend. a W.H. Ebling, pg

109 Cop Usage All of the above cops wee fist gown as cash cops, until the intoduction of daiy faming in the mid nineteenth centuy. Afte daiy faming's intoduction cash cops fell in populaity to milking cows because of the demand fo daiy poducts. Cops wee used fo feed, and the excess was sold fo cash. Wheat, oats, and con wee the main ceeal cops cultivated. Livestock Daiy Cattle: Befoe maket specialization, most Wisconsin cattle wee not bed fo daiy o beef specialization. The poo makets fo eithe milk o beef did not convince too many fames to specialize thei cattle to one of these choices. Theefoe the cattle wee known as "dual-pupose" 69. This nondescipt beeding led to infeio animals howeve, and the demand fo highe quality beef and daiy poducts aound 870 made fames take notice. The ealiest attempts to specialize came fom Wisconsin's pionee daiy fames. In 870, William Dempste Hoad of Fot Atkinson initiated a long and successful campaign in Hoads Daiyman to encouage the development of puebed milking cows 70. The ealiest beeds intoduced wee Jeseys and Ayshies. Jeseys wee the dominant beed in the state, and wee known to be in La Cosse County befoe 870. The fist Holstein bull was egisteed in Janesville in 873, and Holsteins soon became the dominant daiy beed in Wisconsin 7. Holsteins wee excellent milkes, and constituted one half of the state's daiy hed by Wold Wa I 72. Guenseys wee intoduced in 88, and became second only to Holsteins in populaity. Guenseys wee a majo daiy beed thoughout Wisconsin's daiy histoy with especially high concentations in nothen and westen counties. The ise of milking beeds in the 880s fueled the tansition to single pupose daiy heds. With this change in the state, impovements wee made to specialize the beeds. Cow census', buttefat tests, and inoculation made huge impovements on the aea's daiy hed. Beeding associations spouted up in evey county, and the Holstein- " Babaa Wyatt, pg Babaa Wyatt.pg Babaa Wyatt, pg, Eic Lampad, autho of The Rise of the Daiy Industy of Wisconsin. 23

110 Fiesian Association of Wisconsin (897) adopted advanced egiste pogams to cetify puebed stock 73. No othe single fam animal has had the impact on Wisconsin faming as did the daiy cow. Famstead (88/28), Geenfield Township Beef Cattle: Pionee cattle wee always pized fo thei meat just as much fo thei milk 74. Howeve, steep pices of stock and feed pohibited beef faming fom being a majo industy in Wisconsin ealy on. When gain cultivation suged afte 860, fames had the main element fo aising beef cattle. Heefods, Angus, and Shothons became the best beef beeds, and poduced little milk othe than that needed fo thei offsping. Thee wee thee methods of aising beef cattle at the time, beeding cattle fo fattening and sale to slaughtehouses, beeding without fattening and sell yealings o two yea old cattle to othe fames fo fattening, and buying yealings, known as feedes fo fattening and slaughte 75. Afte fattening, the fame had many choices fo what he could do with his animals. He could sell to independent cattle buyes, he could sell though a co-opeative, he could sell at local buying auctions, he could sell at the lage teminal makets at Milwaukee, Chicago, o St. Paul, o he could sell diealy n Babaa Wyatt, pg Babaa Wyatt, pg Babaa Wyatt, pg

111 to packing plant companies 76. The cattle had to be tanspoted to any and all of these locations, and because of this hundeds of livestock shipping coopeatives wee fomed by Wisconsin fames. Beef has neve been as big as daiy, with the atio of beef to daiy animals being foty to sixty. Howeve it was the second majo fom of livestock poduction. Hogs: Hogs have neve been a lage pat of the economy of La Cosse county. Howeve they wee a pat of fam life, and deseve a mention. Hogs wee inteesting to fames because they matued quickly, and wee basically able to feed themselves. They had to be penned, because of thei desie to oam, and oot about. The eason that hogs neve became popula in this county is because of the gain that mostly gown hee. Hogs ae not patial to wheat, o oats, and ae seved bette in the gain belt counties of southen Wisconsin, whee con, peas, and baley ae gown to a lage extent. Hog faming was popula ealy on, but afte 900 declined dastically because of the ise in inteest to daiy faming 77. Fam Layouts: Fam layouts in La Cosse County ae typical of that in any county which is high in daiy poduction. The fam is chaacteized by the fam house, which on the olde fams is often a two stoy cube in this aea. The ban is the most pominent out building. It is nomally a huge stuctue, in which thee is a cental concete floo with long aisles of stantions and guttes fom which the cow is positioned when milked. Wide doos, aisles, and othe entances ae made especially fo the tall, wide fame of the daiy cow itself. Above the milking platfom is the hay loft, whee hay can be dopped down a shoot as it is needed to give to the cows while they ae being milked. It is also thown down into feede wagons fom a lage font opening on the font of the second floo fo feeding in the ban yad. A lage amount of hay is stoed in this loft, and is usually enough to keep most of the hed fed thoughout pat of the winte. Attached to the ban, is the milk house. This is whee the bulk tank (milk cans befoe efigeation) is kept. Along with the milk, the pumps, hoses, and milk ae kept in the milk house. It is the most sanitay place in the ban. Con cibs, ganaies, silos, sheds fo the fam machiney, and pens fo othe livestock found on the fam will also be thee, but almost evey one of them is of diffeent style and fom. The only building that should be mentioned is the tobacco shed. The tobacco shed is end gabled, and has a peaked oof. It has slats on the side with hinges fo opening up. The inteio of the shed is composed of hoiziontal poles fo hanging the bundles of tobacco This is so the tobacco can dy. It is a distinct featue of some fams in La Cosse County. Thee is no eally distinct featue of a Wisconsin fam * Babaa Wyatt, pg 8-7 W.W. Daniels, pg 58, This may sound confusing, as hog aising has neve been huge, but this is what M. Daniels quoted in his eseach pape. 25

112 except that the house is usually in font of the est of the buildings, and most noticeable as you dive into the fam aea 78. Size of Fams in LaCosse County The size of fams on LaCosse County pobably fluctuated somewhat as moe land was cleaed fo agicultual puposes and as smalle fams consolidated into lage fams. Theefoe, the numbe of fams ose, as well as the total aceage in famland, between 870 and 945. Yea Numbe of Fams in County,394,642,8,733,640 Aceage of land in Fams 89,6 253,55 276,86 273,294 26,528 As indicated above, thee wee,640 fams in LaCosse County in 945. The aveage size of these LaCosse County fams in that yea was 59.4 aces. Value of Fams in LaCosse County 9Yea Value (in $) of fam land and buildings $3,537,085 $4,668,68 $,273,956 7,994,38 4,852,880 Regional Aveage 79 $2,229,38 $4,428,70 $4,98,976 $22,544,788 $6,073,65 78 Most of this data is fom the authos notes. He woked on many fams duing his child hood, and this is essentially the aveage layout of all of them. Regional counties included ten in the westen potion of the state, including Buffalo, Dunn, Eau Claie, Jackson, LaCosse, Monoe, Pepin, St. Coix and Tempealeau counties. Ebling, et.al. A Centuy of Wisconsin Agicultue, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agicultue, 948),

113 The aveage pe fam value in LaCosse County in 945 was $9,057, consideably highe than the ten county egional aveage of $6,760. The aveage pe ace value in LaCosse County in 945 was $56.79, again, somewhat highe than the ten county egional aveage pe ace of $ Howeve, it should be noted that in 945, fam tenancy in LaCosse County was 3.3%, while the ten county egional aveage was only 23.6%. Theefoe, it may be summaized that even though, and pehaps because, land and building values wee high in LaCosse County in 945, that fam tenancy was moe common. LaCosse County was pesumably a desiable location to live, and young fames may have been moe willing to ent o lease thei land in ode to live in that vicinity. Buildings The pimay buildings on a famstead site in LaCosse County would geneally include a house, ban, and othe ancillay outbuildings such as chicken coop, hog house, ganay, stoage shed, machine shed, silo, and tobacco bans. The house geneally would have a stone foundation if constucted pe-900, and often have a concete foundation with a full basement afte 900. Ealy LaCosse County houses wee constucted of hewn log, and balloon fame clapboad, howeve seveal examples of local, ed bick houses still emain in the county. The bans which date pe 900 geneally had a stone foundation, but post 900 bans, paticulaly if used fo daiy poduction, geneally had a concete foundation with toughs fo manue and manue emoval equipment. The bans wee hewn log constuction, with ealie (pe 900) vesions exhibiting gabled oofs, while the bans often had gambel oofs. Afte 940, many bans wee constucted with gothic ached oofs. Hay and staw was geneally stoed in the loft. Ban (88/23), Geenfield Township 27

114 Silos wee not widely used in Wisconsin pio to 880, and the ealiest vesions wee vetical boad held togethe with bands of metal, much like a bael, with a oof cap. Close to the twentieth centuy, as daiy poduction became moe impotant in westen Wisconsin, new silo mateials wee used, including concete stave, hollow clay tile, and poued concete. Late, mid-20 lh centuy silos wee usually constucted of concete block and steel. Smalle outbuildings, including chicken coops, hog houses, animal bans and othe simila buildings wee usually of fame constuction with no foundations o floos. Ganaies wee often built of wood fame as well, but usually wee constucted off the gound, with a wood foundation, and wood floo, to potect the stoed gain fom gound moistue. Amenities Location (945) Electicity % Running Wate % Radio % Telephone % LaCosse County 76.9% 54.6% 89.% 64.% Region Aveage 63.9% 39.4% 86.4% 56.3% State Aveage 70.0% 3.0% 88.0% 48.% Ebling et.al. 86. Statistics ae not available, othe than in 945, indicating the pecentage of amenities such as electicity, unning wate, adio and telephone, howeve, the above statistics allow the eseache to sumise that LaCosse County was a moe pospeous county than many aeas of Wisconsin. LaCosse County consistently exhibits a highe pecentage of amenities not only egionally, but within the state aveage. Coupled with the concept that fam land and buildings in the county wee also highe than in many places, it may be expected that bette quality mateial cultue could be found at many LaCosse County histoic achaeological sites. Cops Cops Con (bushels) 5,86 9,558 9,80 25,399 33,03 Oats (bushels) 7,60 24,040 28,504 22,59 20,88 Baley (bushels) 902 2,44,329 3,

115 Rye (bushels),602 5,49 5,944 3, Wheat (bushels) 46,50,94, Potatoes (bushels) 574,947,790, Tobacco (tons) Hay (tons) 0,477 28,900 30,465 35,00 38,277 Cops which wee gown in LaCosse County's fetile soils shifted consideably in the past 25 yeas. In 870, it was appaent that hay, wheat and oats wee impotant cops. Howeve, by 890, wheat was aleady becoming unpopula. As wheat poduction diminished, hay continued to gow, as well as oats. By the time the ealy twentieth centuy set in, con became inceasingly dominant. This was undoubtedly in pat due to the new hybid vaieties of con which could withstand the shote gowing seasons of LaCosse County, compaed to the conbelt egions to the south, including Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. Baley became biefly popula by 90, howeve lost its acceptance just as quickly as it came in. By 945, the highest cop poduction was coming fom hay and con, two cops vey popula fo feeding livestock. 29

116 Religion The development of eligion in southen La Cosse County is a esult of the immigation pattens of the nineteenth and twentieth centuies. Those who settled in the county bought with them a ich eligious tadition. Nealy evey majo denomination was epesented in the county by the late 800s by Fench, Geman, Nowegian, Bitish, Iish, and othe Scandinavian immigants. The fist ecoded eligious meeting held in La Cosse was in July 85, led by a Methodist ministe Geoge Cheste. In 854, Rev. Spence Ca oganized eight hunded esidents, based on thei past eligious backgound, into fifteen denominations. Baptists, Methodists, Lutheans, Catholics, Pesbyteians, and Univesalists wee most widely epesented. This was the beginning of the development of eligion in La Cosse. 80 Chuch of Latte Day Saints The fist evidence of eligion in La Cosse County was The Chuch of Latte Day Saints. Led by Geoge Mille, and Lyman Wight a goup of 60 men, women, and childen settled in what is pesently the Momon Coulee aea in Septembe of 843. Opposition against Momon theology pompted bitte feelings fom othe esidents. In 845, Wight abuptly oganize the goup to leave fo Texas, thus ending thei bief stay in La Cosse. 8 Thee ae no extant buildings associated with the Chuch of Latte Day Saints fom the histoic peiod of LaCosse. Catholic On May 29, 853 the fist Catholic sevice was held in La Cosse County. Fathe Tappet conducted Mass in fam homes until 866. The ceation of the La Cosse diocese in 868 bought oganization to the Catholic chuches in the county. 82 The gowth of St. Joseph's Ridge in the town of Geenfield and St. Pete's Ridge in the town of Washington at the same time as the Catholic chuches in the city of La Cosse show the impact of this denomination on the histoy of the county. " Benjamin F. Byant, ed, Memois of La Cosse County (Madison: Westen Histoical Association, 907), " Ibid, Ibid,

117 i On the easten end of the county, the paish of St. Joseph's Ridge built its fist chuch (not extant) in 866. The foty ace popety was a govenment gant, as thity two aces would late be sold to the Fanciscan Sistes to build thei villa. The emaining aces ae the location of St. Joseph's cemetey (89/6). In 869, a second chuch (not extant) of bick venee eplaced the fist. The location of both of these buildings was on the noth side of U.S. Highway 33. A schoolhouse was added in 872 fo the cost of $4,500. The following yea a $2,500 pasonage was built. The thid and pesent chuch (88/3) of bick Gothic is located on the south side of the highway and was dedicated in 90." The paish has consistently had one hunded families as membes. 84 Villa St. Joseph (89/5), Geenfield Township In 874, a two stoy building seving as school and convent was built in connection with St. Joseph's Ridge chuch. In 895, two hunded aces of land was puchased fo $5000. An additional foty aces was bought two yeas late in which to build a convent. In 898 a thee stoy $6400 convent was built. This building still stands and is pat of the Villa St. Joseph (89/5). The land was used to gow cops and keep livestock, such as cattle and chickens. An ochad, bey shubs, and gapevines wee planted in the late 800s. The sistes paticipated in milking, hoeing and husking con, planting and digging potatoes, tending the gadens, caing fo the animals, and havesting gapes F. Geald Schuh, "This Is You Paish, St. Joseph's Ridge: St. Joseph's Paish." La Cosse Registe, pecembe ), Robet Geoge Wingate, Settlement Pattens of La Cosse County, Wisconsin (Univesity of Minnesota, 975), Siste Noene Bollch, The Villa St. Joseph Stoy (La Cosse: Fanciscan Sistes of Pepetual Adoation, 995), -6. 3

118 The fist addition to the convent was a new chapel and apatments that would be made out of the same stone as the oiginal building. The $2,000 addition povided needed living space and steam heating in 90. In 938, the need fo anothe addition was evident. The plan was to build a stuctue on the west side of the convent that would include a kitchen, a sistes' dining oom, men's dining oom, a oot cella, a community oom, and a libay all on the fist floo. Thity eight ooms and bathooms wee pat of the thid and foth floos. A new chapel was also pat of the addition in which one hunded people could be seated. The Geogian style of achitectue is evident in the inteio as well as the facade. A statue of St. Joseph, which was donated by the wok cew, stand on the facade of the chapel. The official dedication of the building took place on June 3, 940. Consideations fo a West Wing addition began in 955, but it was not until 962 that wok stated on the new building. The addition was designed to be a house facility. Constuction was slowed by unexpected costs, but on Decembe 2, 963 the fist patient slept in the new addition. 86 A gotto (89/3) was eected on the gounds of the Villa afte Siste Adiana Enz passed away. The siste's family povided the funding to build such a stuctue. Fathe Dobestein designed and Fank Donskey built a stone cave made out of lava ock that was completed in 930. The gotto is decoated with stalactites, stalagmites, calcite, chalcedony, ose quatz, and amethysts intespesed on the stuctue. Above the entance to the cave stands statues of the Holy Family and a coss. 87 Gotto, Villa St. Joseph (89/5), Geenfield Township In 869, a mission in connection to St. Joseph's on the Ridge was established in the town of Washington. The fist chuch (not extant), which would be known as St. " Ibid, 7-6, "Ibid,

119 Pete's on the Ridge, was built in 870. In 899, St. Pete's eceived its fist esident pasto and became an independent paish. The fist esident pasto, Fathe John Rech, built a pasonage (not extant)in the same yea. A new and pesent pasonage (97/0) of bick venee was completed in 97. Fo the 50,h annivesay, the paish decided to build a new chuch. In 92, the building (97/0) was completed and stands in the same location as the old chuch. A new oof, poch, gaage, and heating system wee added in This paish thoughout its histoy has had about ninety families as membes. 89 Chuch of Chist The Geman Luthean and Geman Refomed goups wee togethe until 864 when they sepaated into two denominations. The Geman Refomed Chuch known as St. John's Refomed United Chuch of Chist was built that same yea. Rev. Kuzman was the fist pasto of the Swiss chuch. 90 Tinity was built as a county chuch (histoic chuch not extant), and it was a siste congegation to St. John's. It seved the efomed community in the Momon Coulee aea. 9 Cemeteies Thee ae seventeen cemeteies in southen La Cosse County. Some of these ae pat of a chuch, and the othes ae community cemeteies. Noth Ridge and Ubanek ae community cemeteies in the town of Washington. Noth Ridge is a pedominantly late 800s cemetey, while only two families ae buied in Ubanek with the ealiest date of 905. The village of Middle Ridge has a cemetey that is connected with St. Pete's Catholic Chuch (97/0). It is a lage cemetey with the ealiest stone fom 857. The five community cemeteies and thei ealiest date fom the town of Shelby ae: Chipmunk Coulee 86, Old Settle's Momon Coulee 856, Gabel-Jacobs most between , Momon Coulee thiteen families fom the late 800s, and Oehle Family (87/03) with ten families fom the 890s-950s. Tinity United Chuch of Chist has a lage one in Shelby beginning in the 890s. The town of Geenfield has a lage cemetey next to St. Joseph's Catholic Chuch (89/06) which oiginated in 860. Fish Ceek has five families fom the late 800s, and Welsh * F. Aloya Zinthefe, "This Is You Paish, Middle Ridge: St. Pete's", La Cosse Registe (Januay 5,956), 8. " Robet Geoge Wingate, Settlement Pattens of La Cosse County, Wisconsin , A. H. Sanfod, ed, La Cosse County Histoical Scetches (Liesenfeld Pess, 93), " Ou Fist 25 Yeas: St. John's Refomed United Chuch of Chist (La Cosse: CBS Gaphics, 989),

120 community whose last stone is fom 96 and almost all the est ae fom the 800s. Both of these cemeteies ae located in the town of Bango. St. May's Catholic Chuch also has a cemetey in Bango which began in the 890s. Bae, Old St. John's, and St. John's Evangelical Luthean cemeteies ae in the town of Bae. Both St. John's cemeteies ae vey lage and began in the mid 800s. Cemetey (96-20), Shelby Township 34

121 Education The fist community-based educational effot in the state pobably occued in 87 when nine citizens of Geen Bay contacted with Thomas S. Jackson to teach twenty-fou local childen the "thee R s" fo a peiod of nine months. 92 At that time, pesent-day Wisconsin was pat of the Michigan teitoy, and subject to the acts of the Michigan teitoial legislatue. In 833, one such act gave "esponsibility fo local education to town officials and authoized school distias to use popety taxes and othe foms of funding to suppot education and build schools"' 3. In 836, when Wisconsin was ganted its own teitoial status, Michigan law was caied ove, but because the laws govening education wee vaguely woded, and the Wisconsin teitoy spasely populated (appoximately twelve-thousand at the time), few gains wee made in public education. A mee fifteen yeas late, thee wee moe than thee-hunded-thousand people living within Wisconsin's boundaies. Still, because of the elative spaseness of the population, little pogess was made in education. Pio to the Civil Wa, the quality of Wisconsin's pimay schools was geneally poo* 4. Patick Donnelley, a school pincipal, descibed an ealy pionee schoolhouse in Milwaukee as follows: "The fist schools wee essentially pimitive. The fist teaches wee pesons who had come West with the tide of emigation, intending to build up thei fotunes. The pay of teaches in those days was baely sufficient to puchase the necessaies of life. The schools wee maintained by local self-imposed taxation o assessments. A cude log hut thity feet long by twenty feet wide, with a doo in one end, fou small windows, two on each side, was the school house of the ealy days. Thee was a wooden floo, long benches placed along the side of the walls fo smalle childen, and two o thee small tables with benches fo the moe advanced pupils. The schoolmaste had a chai, a small pine table, a ule, a penknife, a few old books, a small bottle of ink, and a quill pen. Reading, witing, and aithmetic constituted the sum total of the couse of study, except in ae instances, when an old map could be found and used fo giving some desultoy instuction in geogaphy. That the childen wee taught to ead, wite, ciphe, and spell, unde such discouaging cicumstances, was alike n Lloyd Jogenson, The Founding of Public Education in Wisconsin (Madison: The State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 956), 7-8. "Ibid. "Ibid., 7. 35

122 ceditable to the schoolmaste's poficiency and to the pupil's scholaly eanestness" 95. Many eligious and ethnic goups fomed thei own pivate o paochial schools, which geneally faed bette financially than thei public countepats, because of the stong eligious commitment of thei membes. Once Wisconsin achieved statehood howeve, its "govenment ecognized the fact that education was essential to the wellbeing and pogess of the state" 96, and financial, as well as oganizational aid was povided. With financial suppot though public taxation, and oganizational suppot though state laws, the educational system could now move its focus fom meely teaching simple eading, witing, and aithmetic, to poviding young men and women with a seconday education. Michael Fank, a Kenosha newspapeman... instigated the fist movement fo a fee public high school system in Wisconsin 97. Suppoted by othe local educational leades, Fank's poposal was put to a vote at a special school meeting, and won by a lage magin. On July 3, 849, Kenosha, Wisconsin opened the state's fist fee public high school 98. As new waves of settles and thei childen pushed westwad though the state, the schools followed. The fist school in the City of La Cosse was taught duing the winte of ' 9. In 852, the official count of childen enolled in public schools was By 86, a system of county supeintendents had been inauguated fo the entie state 0. Thei duties included annual visits to thei espective disticts, examination of teaches, and geneal supevision of the schools thoughout the yea. By 88, thee wee about fou-hunded pimay and seconday schools in Wisconsin 02. In La Cosse County, the official count of school aged childen had gown to 4,60, with 3,042 in actual attendance 03. The eason fo the discepancy is * Conad Patze, Public Education in Wisconsin (Madison, 924), 6. * Ibid., citvii. "Ibid., 8 «Ibid. " Histoy of La Cosse County (Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88), Ibid. 0 Ibid., Ibid., Ibid.,

123 unclea, but it could be due to the need fo childen to stay at home and help out on the family fam, athe than to attend classes. County schools in La Cosse county wee fomed and gew with the inceasing population. Even befoe schools in the elatively lage community of La Cosse opened thei doos, the neighboing Village of Bae, settled in 850, is epoted to have established "common-schools". By 88, Bae had fou schoolhouses, and employed five teaches 04. The Town of Famington built its fist school in the sping of The Town of Hamilton's fist school tem was fo the peiod of thee months, duing the fall of The fist school in the Town of Bango was taught in , and had about twenty-five students. By 88, it was epoted to have seven schoolhouses and nine teaches 07. The fist school in the town of Buns was taught in a log cabin in Section 9 of that township, in 853. At that time, thee wee seventeen students in attendance. By 88, the town boasted nine schoolhouses 08. Fish Ceek School (89/30), Bango Township The Town of La Cosse epotedly opened its fist public school in The Village of West Salem was officially settled in 864, and in the fall that yea, school was in session 0. The fist school in the township of Holland was built in 857 on an ace "» Ibid., ,c * Ibid., 684. ""Ibid., Ibid., 72. "" Ibid., 73. "" R. J. Polk & Co., La Cosse City Diectoy (Richmond, R. J. Polk & Co., 995), 5. 0 Histoy of La Cosse County (Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88),

124 of donated land. The fist session was taught in the summe of 857. Because of apid gowth in the aea at the time, documentation of the fist school in the Town of Onalaska has been difficult, but it is clea that the town had a new schoolhouse built in 870 to eplace the one that buned the yea ealie 2. As of August 3, 880, the Town of Geenfield had fou schoolhouses and fou teaches" 3. As the population of the United States continued its gowth and westwad flow, the tends of educational gowth followed. Cuently, the School Distict of La Cosse which seves the City of La Cosse as well as potions of nine adjacent towns has an enollment of moe than six-thousand students in nine elementay schools, thee middle schools, and two senio high schools 4. Duing the fist pat of the twentieth centuy, this massive gowth patten endeed the county schoolhouse impactical, and in most communities, obsolete. Lage and moe moden facilities wee needed. As govenmental suppot of public education inceased, funds became available fo building of moe moden facilities. As a esult, many of the oiginal one-oom schoolhouses have been azed; while othes have been emodeled fo use as pivate esidences. It is ou hope that those which emain may be documented hee, and peseved in some fashion, fo geneations to come. See the Intensive Suvey chapte of this epot fo moe detailed epots on individual extant school buildings within the poject aea. Ibid., 706.,2 Ibid., 76.,5 Ibid., R. J. Polk & Co., La Cosse City Diectoy (Richmond, R. J. Polk & Co., 995), 5. 38

125 Industy Pio to the 850s, thee wee elatively few settles in the westen pat of the teitoy we now know as the state of Wisconsin. The needs of these settles wee compaatively simple, and most of them, being engaged in some fom of husbandy, havested the necessities of daily life off the land. As the pomise of a bette life in the new wold bought moe immigants to the aea, the population gew. Its needs gew as well. By the time Wisconsin had become a state in 848, the seeds of industy had aleady begun to spout in La Cosse and in the suounding aeas. Moe and lage buildings wee equied in which to house, educate, and seve the political and eligious needs of the citizens of this new state. Such stuctues equie sawn lumbe, nails, oofing mateials and foundational stone. Gaveled and paved oads wee needed in ode to moe expediently tanspot people and mateials fom one place to anothe. As the settles moved into the aea, they bought with them thei animals. Hoses, oxen, cattle, all of which equied cae, and theefoe additional mateial goods. Hoseshoes wee needed, as wee hanesses, wagons, and faming tools. Geate amounts of gain wee needed to feed the eve-gowing population. Each individual need bought with it the potential fo industy. In the mid-800s, the mining industy aose because of a need fo aw mineals such as coppe, ion and lead, which wee used fo making nails, bullets, cooking pots, faming tools, and countless othe items necessay to the eveyday life of that peiod. Quaies became impotant souces fo limestone, sandstone, and gavel, impotant in building and oad constuction. Gist, flou, and saw mills wee essential fo poviding some of the basic elements to the pionee household. The most noticeable gowth took place in the lage towns some of which will be mentioned hee but ual industies pospeed as well. It is these ual industies, especially those in the southeasten potion of La Cosse County, which will be the main focus of this chapte. Lumbe The south-cental aea of the state was ich in natual esouces, including timbe, and lumbe camps wee a common site nea the banks of the lage ives in Wisconsin. The timbe would be cut by hand, then hauled by mule, oxen, o hose team to the wate's edge. The logs would then follow the cuent downsteam to the saw mills in La Cosse. La Cosse's location on the Mississippi Rive, with its connecting tibutaies, insued the gowth of many highly successful sawmills. Although timbe was used on a lage scale in the lage cities and towns, its use was much moe limited in the ual aeas. When lumbe was needed in the less populated 39

126 aeas to the south o east of La Cosse, it was usually shipped thee fom the lage mills of the city. Flou and Gist Mills Mills wee a necessity of life fo most people in southen La Cosse County at the end of the 800s. Most settles made thei living by faming, and gains wee a popula cop. Once matue and havested, the gain needed to be taken to a mill and gound into flou and gist fo use in the home. Most communities, egadless of thei size, had at least one mill to pefom this sevice. The fist mill (not extant) in the town of Bae, in southen La Cosse county, was built in 858 by a M. Hake fom New Yok. This was located on Section 29, on Bostwick Valley Ceek" 5. M. Hake was succeeded in unning the mill by Bown & Van Ness, John Caig, Valentine Weine, and William Ruks. As of 88, Ruks an the mill, which epotedly poduced a vey fine gade of flou. As of 885, the town had a second mill (not extant) which was opeated by M. O. S. Balow 6. The Town of Sigel, on the banks of Momon Ceek in Section 29 of Geenfield Township, had thee flou mills by 885. They wee opeated by M. M. Blome, S. & M. Mac Kown, and Fedeick Oehle. The fist fame building known to have been built in Washington Township, was also the fist etail business fim (not extant) in that towhship; the John Vanes and John A. Young wate-poweed gist mill, which opened in 862. It was located in Section 22 (not extant, except as an achaeological site), on the bank of Coon Ceek." 7 By 864, the Vanes & Young Mill, as it was called, was taken ove by Pete Blome, who then sold it to a M. Nidividek in 865. The Nidiveks elocated the mill to thei land in Section 27, one mile south of the site of the fist mill 8. Newbugs Cones in Washington Township also had a wate-powe flouing mill (not extant), as did the Town of Bohemia, in the same township. Bohemia's mill was located along Coon Ceek, in Section Neithe Sigel no Bohemia can be found on today's maps of the aea. 5 Histoy ofla Cosse County (Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88), Wisconsin State Gazettee and Business Diectoy Volume IV (St. Paul: R. L. Polk & Co., and A. C. Danse, 884-5), Paul Anthony Hundt, The Economic and Political Histoy of the Township of Washington, La Cosse County, Wisconsin, 853 (Winona, Paul Anthony Hundt, 964), Ibid., 7. "' Snyde, Van Vechten & Co., Histoical Atlas of Wisconsin, 878 (Milwaukee: Snyde, Van Vechten & Co., 878), 583 &

127 Wagon and Blacksmith Shops In 864, Chales Mille opened a wagon shop (not extant) in Section 6, Township of Bae, and continued the wagon manufactuing and epaiing business two yeas, when S. Tieney ented it until 876. The business changed hands though the yeas, but was still unning as of 88, when it was owned by Heny Huxshal, who employed thee blacksmiths and two wagon makes 20. In 885, William Filte is listed as a blacksmith in the same town 2. The Town of Sigel in Geenfield Township had two blacksmiths; William John and John Makle 22. Newbugs Cones has Wenzel Sestak and Fank Bown listed in the same pofession 23, and the team of Hammes & Kalbach shaed the tade in the Town of St. Joseph 24. Each of these men wee employed as blacksmiths duing Othe Businesses Sigel employed the sevices of Caspe Egle, who was a capente in town, Chales Geige, a lawye and constable, and Chales Lindsay, who opeated the town's steam suga (soghum) factoy 25. The Town of St. Joseph benefited fom thei own capente, Fank Mish. John Hammes an the town's geneal stoe and liquo shop, and also seved as the postmaste. Gead Mish opeated the town saloon, and John Schlesse was the local shoemake Histoy ofla Cosse County (Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88), m Wisconsin State Gazettee and Business Diectoy Volume IV (St. Paul: R. L. Polk & Co., and A. C. Danse, 884-5), 29. m Ibid., 78. m Ibid., Ibid., Ibid., Ibid.,

128 The Town of Bae had its own shoemake as well; Geoge Ritchie. M. C. Roond seved as the town tailo, and William Ruge an the geneal stoe 27. D. R. Gmeling was the town physician in Newbugs Cones. In addition to being the local blacksmith, as mentioned ealie, Fank Bown an the saloon in town. Newbugs Cones had its own hotel, un by Alois Newbug, who also seved as Justice of the Peace. Joseph Newbug was the local constable 28. Govenment LaCosse County was founded on Mach, 85 though an act of the state legislatue. The county was ceated fom Cawfod County and it compised the pesent counties of LaCosse, Monoe, Jackson, Tempealeau, Clak, most of Buffalo, and pat of Taylo. This same act of legislatue divided the county into the towns of LaCosse, Albion, and Pine Valley. 29 The fist meeting of the county boad was held on Novembe, 85 in the city of LaCosse. LaCosse was chose as the tempoay county seat on the condition that govenment buildings be povided fee of chage to the county. If this condition was not met, and no decision could be eached as to whee to put the county seat, the decision was to be left to the boad of supevisos. Howeve, by an acto fo legislatue on Mach 29, 855, the county seat was pemanently located at LaCosse. In 857, the county of LaCosse was educed to its pesent size. It is about 475 squae miles and includes the towns of Bango, Bae, Campbell, Famington, Geenfield, Hamilton, Holland, Onalaska, Shelby and Washington. 30 Slowly, ove time, as the population of the county gew and the pesent towns ceated, township govenments came moe into sevice. The duties of these govenments ae stated in the State Constitution. The townships mentioned below ae found in the southen potion of the county within this poject's aea and possess the same govenmental elements as othe townships in the state. 27 Ibid., 29. " Ibid, 583. l: ' Benjamin F. Byant. Memois of LaCosse County. (Madison, WI: Westen Histoical Association, 907), Benjamin F. Byant. Memois of LaCosse County. (Madison, WI: Westen Histoical Association, 907),

129 Township of Bango Bango is located in the easten pat of the county between Washington, on the southeast cone of the county, and Buns on the noth. Bango was fist bought unde town govenment in 852, as a pat of the town of Piece. The pesent town of Bae was located in this section, as well as wee fifteen sections of Hamilton. All of Buns and Washington wee included as well. Bango Township's independent existence began The Bango Town Hall is not located within the boundaies fo this poject. Township of Bae The town of Bae is found southeast of the cente of the county. The oiginal town consisted of its pesent teitoy and the towns of Washington, Bango and pat of Hamilton, as poposed in 853. The fist town meeting was held in 853. The oiginal town ecods of ealy meetings have been accidentally destoyed. In 856 when Bango was ceated, thee was question as to what to do with the est of the township. In 867, the town of Bae and Neshonoc united unde the name Hamilton, so fo a peiod the town of Bae did not exist. In 874, twenty-one sections of the oiginal town of Bae wee oganized into the existing town of Bae by the Boad of County Commissiones. On Apil 7, 874, the fist town meeting was held unde this new eoganization. 32 The Bae town hall is not located within the poject boundaies fo this epot. Township of Geenfield Geenfield lies in the cente of the southen line of towns. Geenfield was fist bought unde town govenment as pat of the town of LaCosse. This aea also included the town of Shelby and the city of LaCosse. The township of Geenfield became a sepaate entity on Novembe, 856, the day it was oganized unde a sepaate govenment. 33 The Geenfield Town Hall (86/28) was constucted in Benjamin F. Byant. Memois of LaCosse County. (Madison, WI: Westen Histoical Association, 907), ; Histoy of LaCosse County (Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88), 725. Ui Benjamin F. Byant. Memois of LaCosse County. (Madison, WI: Westen Histoical Association, 907), ; Histoy of LaCosse County (Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88), Benjamin F. Byant. Memois of LaCosse County. (Madison, WI: Westen Histoical Association, 907), 22; Histoy of LaCosse County (Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88),

130 in the southwest cone of the southwest cone of Section 23. It is a one stoy, font gabled ed bick building, with accompanying outhouse. Township of Shelby Shelby lies in the southwest cone of the county. The location of Shelby connects it moe closely with the ealy histoy of the county. The histoy of Shelby, because of its close poximity to the city of LaCosse, coincides much of its histoy with the city. The Shelby Town Hall is located in the city limits of LaCosse, and is not in the poject aea. Township of Washington Washington is located in the southwest cone of the county. This town was fist bought unde town govenment as a pat of the town of Piece and late changed to Bae. As the aea became moe settled and futhe subdivision was needed, it was fist pat of Buns Township, then Bango Township. In 857 it established an independent town govenment and sepaated into a sepaate town called Buchannan. Late the town name was changed to Washington. The fist meeting was held on Apil 7, The Washington Town Hall (84/29) is located on the southen edge of the unincopoated community of Newbug Cones. It is a one stoy, font gabled, fame clapboad building. Tanspotation The Mississippi Rive played an impotant and vital ole in the economy of towns and cities. The Mississippi was of utmost impotance to the development of the county and city of LaCosse. The ive povided fo a elatively easy means of communication with the outside wold and geatly aided immigation to this aea of westen Wisconsin. By connecting with the Black Rive, an outlet was available fo the ich pine foests in the nothen sections of the state. The pesence of this outlet is the pimay facto fo the development of the city of LaCosse, a "lumbe town" in its youth. With the ceation of the city, came the migation of people. These people would eventually spead out away fom the city and LaCosse County soon developed. m Benjamin F. Byant. Memois of LaCosse County. (Madison, WI: Westen Histoical Association, 907), 234; Histoy oflacosse County (Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88),

131 Reasons fo the development of this aea ae simple. This site povided enough space fo the building of a lage city as compaed to aeas close by. Othe aeas wee too close to the ive with high bluffs. Thee was not enough oom fo landing ive boats, much less a city. Included in the advantages of this site is the fact that all Indian tails fom the noth ended in this aea. These tails povided paths of least esistance and povided fo a means by which immigants could move and ceate thei own communities. A pope shipyad was needed fo suitable ive commece. It was not until 856 that the city had an adequate whaf needed fo this ventue. Othe whaves had been built in the past, but did not fit the needs of the gowing city and its demands. Rive taffic continued to gow and this ise in taffic was vital to the city's own gowth. The numbe of iveboat aivals doubled ove a one yea peiod. In May of 853, only twenty-two boats aived since the opening of the season. In the same peiod in 854, foty-fou boats had aived in LaCosse. In 856, fom May 3 to May 9, fiftyone had aived. In a fou yea peiod, business went fom $7,000 to $400,000. The most pospeous days of ive taffic wee fom the end of the Civil Wa until 873 when ailoads became moe popula. Afte that time, ailoads began to take most of the passenges and feight. Anothe impotant fom of tanspotation in LaCosse County was the wagon oad. These vaious oads followed old Indian tails to aeas thoughout the state. The aea aound LaCosse was the cente of this immense system. All of these oads went fa beyond the pesent lines of the county into nothen, cental, and southen Wisconsin. Some of these ealy oads became maked "highways" and wee kept up the best that could be done by local authoities. As moe people settled into the county, local authoities impoved the oads as fast as possible. These ealy oads followed ive valleys to find ways though the bluffs. Many times the fist oads in the county wee just widening of an old Indian tail. Road maintenance was difficult due to mashy and sandy aeas in the county. Even though the ive and oads povided ample means of tanspotation to and fom the county, the constuction of the aiload was an impotant addition to tanspotation options in the county. The LaCosse and Milwaukee Raiload was developed in 852. Its goal was to constuct a aiload fom LaCosse to Milwaukee. In 856, the LaCosse and Milwaukee Raiload Company joined with the Milwaukee, Fond du Lac, and Geen Bay Company in effots to stengthen hopes of pushing the oad though with the combined effots of the two companies. A thid company joined the consolidation and the oad pushed though to Potage, Wisconsin. Congess ganted land to the aiload to constuct nothwest to the St. Coix Rive and to the west end of Lake Supeio. But, though monetay disputes, the land was ganted to the LaCosse and Milwaukee Company. In 858, the aiload was 45

132 completed to LaCosse. The LaCosse and Milwaukee wee soon consolidated with the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Raiload Company, with contol to the latte. LaCosse emained the end of the line of the aiload in Wisconsin fo some time. Son enough, pojects wee stated to connect into aeas of Minnesota, such as Winona as St. Paul, and into aeas of southen Minnesota. Constuction of a aiload into southen Minnesota began in 865. This poject ended in 870 afte 47 miles of tack wee laid. Seveal othe pojects going on at this time fell into the hands of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul. In 88, LaCosse was connected with Dubuque, Iowa, and LaCescent, Minnesota. Southen LaCosse County does not have any sites which ae elated to ive o ail tanspotation, howeve thee ae two sites which ae oad elated. The Schmaltz Road Bidge (86/3) is a stone, ach culvet which lies unde Schmaltz Road. This is a LaCosse County designated histoic site. The second site is a pony tuss bidge (90/3) in the Town of Washington on Hwy G, spanning Coon Ceek. Constucted pobably in appoximately 920, this is the only bidge of this type which was suveyed in southen LaCosse County. Pony Tuss Bidge (90/3), Washington Township Achitectue The lagest numbe of buildings suveyed in southen LaCosse County within the context of agicultue wee famsteads, and pimaily the houses which ae the focus of all famsteads. Settlement is an ongoing occuence, which allows a wide span of time peiods and thus building types and styles fo esidences. The ealiest, venacula fom stone and log houses of westen Wisconsin theefoe shae this context with late 46

133 esidential styles such as Queen Anne and Bungalow. The physical fabic in the ual settings geneally anged fom venacula foms to high style achitectue. Venacula foms, such as font, side, and coss gables, gable ells and Ts, and one and two-stoy cubes compise the most popula types of houses in the county. Chaacteized by simplicity, these buildings usually ae identified by thei size and oof fom. While most of these buildings display fame constuction, a small numbe wee built of stone, bick and fomed concete block. Constuction peiods attached to each venacula fom listed below ae based upon dates utilized in the cental states of the county. 35 The font gable fom, chaacteized by a ectangula plan, was mainly constucted between 850 and 925. The gable ends of this fom define the font and ea elevations of the house. A side gable building, which is also chaacteized by a ectangula plan, displays gable ends ove the side elevations of the house. This fom, which has been pominent fo nealy one hunded yeas, dates between 850 and 940. The gable ell fom, constucted between appoximately 865 and 90, often exhibits two gabled sections set pependicula to one anothe. This fom usually consists of an "L" o "T" plan and displays a vaiety of stoies. 35 Babaa Wyatt, Cultual Resouce Management in Wisconsin vol. 2 (Madison: The State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 986). 3- to

134 BnB While the two-stoy cube dates fom appoximately 860 to 880, the smalle vesion known as the onestoy cube was constucted fom appoximately 870 to 930. It is impotant to note that two-stoy cubes constucted afte the tun of the centuy often display featues chaacteistic of a elated style, the Ameican Fousquae. Hipped oofs and boxy massing typify the one and two-stoy cubes. The coss gable fom is named fo two intesecting, identical oof lines. These buildings, which nomally stand two-stoies high, exhibit squae plans. The coss gable fom dates fom appoximately 890 to 930. tu h D D A fom, which displays a side gable oof intesected at each end with pependicula gables is known as gable H. These buildings often stand one-stoy tall, consist of an iegula plan, and exhibit a poch unning between the two end gables. This fom often dates fom 860 to 890. High style houses wee also identified duing the econnaissance suvey of LaCosse County. These buildings ae not as pevalent as venacula foms, howeve, many of the moe simplistic designed houses display details of a vaiety of achitectual styles. High styles exhibited in the county include Queen Anne, Italianate, Neo-Classical Revival, and Ameican Fousquae. 36 Eected between 870 and 890, Italianate style houses pimaily stand two stoies tall. They display squae, ectangula, o L-shaped plans with low-pitched hip o occasionally gable oofs and wide eaves. These houses ae 36 Babaa Wyatt, Cultual Resouce Management in Wisconsin vol. 2 (Madison: The State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 986), Achitectue: 2-6, 2-5, 2-8, 2-2, 2-25, 2-28, 2-30; Mailyn W. Klein and David P. Fogel, Ques to Ameican Achitectue (Washington, D.C.: Stahill Pess, 986), 22-23,28-29,

135 often onamented with heavy backets, tall naow windows, font poches, and a cupola. Queen Anne style, which dates fom , is chaacteized by asymmetical facades, steeply pitched ooflines, a vaiety of wall suface textues, pominent towes, tall chimneys, and poches with bageboad tim. Eected between 895 and 935, Neo-Classical Revival style houses exhibit classical featues such as columns, dentils, pediments and symmetical facades. Ameican Fousquae style houses, constucted between 900 and 930, ae geneally two-stoies tall with low hipped oofs. These buildings ae often onamented with ovehanging eaves, cental domes, columns, and balustaded o closed ailings on the one-stoy poches. Eclectic style houses display a combination of achitectual elements fom vaious styles. Standad plans wee likely used in the constuction of many LaCosse County homes. Afte the 840s, Ameica's population became inceasingly tansient. With the influx of immigants, westwad migation acoss the county, and inceased population, achitectual pomotes played upon the idea that single family dwellings povided stability. Futhemoe, home owneship also affoded financial insuance in an unstable economy. 37 Plan book authos capitalized on the sense of insecuity felt in the gowing county. Pomotes of standadized achitectual plans utilized common achitectual tems, mill cut mateials, and standad house types to give the middle class an impession that they could move often and expeience less of a disuption. The pupose of the standad plan single family dwelling evolved though seveal stages. In the mid 800s, plan book authos believed that a house should be viewed as a guaded haven. By the end of the centuy, they opined that a house should eflect ceativity. Afte the tun of the centuy, the houses designed fo the middle class seved as a tools to pomote bette health. 38 An advetisement in The Faibuy (NE) Gazette dated 20 Januay 900 utilized the idea that a house could act as an insuance policy fo its owne. It stated: 39 3 ' Cliffod Edwad Clak. J. The Ameican Family Home, (Chapel Hill; The Univesity of Noth Caolina Pess, 986), Cliffod Edwad Clak, J. The Ameican Family Home, (Chapel Hill: The Univesity of Noth Caolina Pess, 986), "A.J. King Land and Insuance Agency Advetisement," The Faibuy Gazette 20 Januay

136 PUT YOUR MONEY IN A HOUSE! It's the best savings bank on eath. The cashie will neve un off with it. It will neve go out of business.' You've got it ight unde you thumb. No one can take it away fom you. Thee it is, a shelte in the time of stom. You'll have a place to sleep if you don't have anything to eat, and suely that's bette than to have no place to sleep and nothing to eat. It is always something on which you can ealize eady money. Evey young man should stat in life with a tim little cottage as ballast and ancho. One of the most ecognized styles to utilize standadized plans was the Bungalow, which was designed to upgade well-being with an emphasis on natue. Fom the 90s to 940s, the Bungalow seved as one of the most popula house styles eected in the United States. It was one of the fist achitectual tends to spead fom the west coast to the east. Due to its pactical design and low constuction costs, the style was pomoted by magazines and plan books, contactos, home economists, and even feminists. This style of house allowed people of modeate incomes to affod thei own dwelling. 40 The Bungalow is chaacteized by pojecting ooflines, lage-scale chimneys, lage font poches, and millwok onamentation such as backets. Often, when second stoies wee constucted they wee downplayed to give the house a hoizontal appeaance. A vaiety of oiginal mateials clad the exteio of the Bungalow including clapboad, stucco, pebble dash, and stone. Inteio featues included fully equipped kitchens and bathooms, and exposed ooms. 4 In addition to houses and esidential achitectue, agicultual achitectue played the geatest ole in southen LaCosse County. Famsteads include not just houses fo the families to live in, but bans, sheds, and coops fo livestock and fowl; sheds, silos and cibs fo poduce stoage; as well as oads, walls, ponds, tees, windbeaks, eosion contous and othe landscape featues which help define a fam within the histoic context of Agicultue. Since LaCosse County's histoy is inticately involved with agicultual development, the following discussion attempts to futhe define the evolution of famsteads. Reflecting the vaiety of LaCosse County agicultual poducts, an assotment of outbuildings wee constucted on aea famsteads. A majoity of the bans in the county display fame constuction, eithe gable o gambel oofs, and wood cladding.!<0 Cliffod Edwad Clak, J. The Ameican Family Home, (Chapel Hill: The Univesity of Noth Caolina Pess, 986), Babaa Wyatt, Cultual Resouce Management in Wisconsin vol. 2 (Madison: The State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 986),

137 Chicken coops, animal sheds, stoage sheds, machine sheds, and silos wee also common outbuildings identified on many of the suveyed famsteads. Often these buildings wee positioned in close poximity to the main house to expedite fam wok. By the thid decade of the twentieth centuy, as a esult of the inceased ual use and owneship of automobiles, many famsteads housed moden gaages. Duing this peiod, gaages eected on olde famsteads contasted with the main house due to the use of the wide clapboad and modeately pitched oofs. The configuation of the site seved as the foemost consideation duing the famstead's development. Allen G. Noble and Hubet G.H. Wilhelm, in a wok entitled "The Fam Bans of the Ameican Midwest," declae that "topogaphy, weathe, convenience o labo efficiency, land suvey systems, and tadition" need caeful consideation when planning the layout of a fam. Futhemoe, to expedite choes, it was common to place a ban nea the animal pens and cops. To accommodate the most natual light with its disinfectant value, noth-south seved as the best position fo the ban. In aeas that expeience hash wintes, bans wee often placed in close poximity to the famhouse, yet downwind. Thee standad famstead layouts wee sumised by Noble and Wilhelm to dominate in the Midwest. Fist, the font elevation of each building wee positioned in the same diection. Second, evey building in a complex was placed to fom a squae, with the cente left vacant to seve as a coutyad. Thid, a famstead whee buildings wee positioned to adapt to the teain was known as the fee-fom plan. 42 Inceased availability of aiload tanspotation and impoved faming techniques and machiney aised fam poduaion. As a esult, in the late 800s and ealy 900s, many small fams wee eithe deseted o meged and the fate of thei outbuildings took the same oute. To accommodate lage machiney and quantities of poduce, bans wee impoved with side shed additions and lengthened oofs. If bans could not be adapted to the changing needs, entiely new ones wee built. 43 In Septembe of 895 The Faibuy (NE) Gazette pinted seveal aticles pomoting innovative fame constuction methods fo bans. As taken fom an East Coast publication, inteio sketches and constuction desciption wee attached to each aticle. 44 In an effot to convince fames of the value of the new building, one aticle stated: Allen G. Noble and Hubet G.H. Wilhelm, ed., Bans of the Midwest (Athens: Ohio Univesity Pess, 995), 9-0, 04.,3 Allen G. Noble and Hubet G.H. Wilhelm, ed., Bans of the Midwest (Athens: Ohio Univesity Pess, 995), 6-7,25, "Bans Without Beams," The Faibuy Gazette 7 Septembe 895; "Ban Building," 77ie Faibuy Gazette 2 Septembe 895. U5 "Ban Building," The Faibuy Gazette 2 Septembe

138 In the planning of a ban many things ae to be consideed-expenses, stength of the building, etc.~but most of all should be consideed convenience and labo saving actual use. A convenient ban will save many dollas a yea ove an ill aanged one, and the money thus saved will cove the cost of the building long befoe it is won out. A ban fo the stoage of hay and gain and fo the thashing and othe puposes should be fee fom beams and coss timbes fom one end to the othe, so that a hayfok o othe tool may be used with pefect feedom. While the fist bans constucted in the Midwest often displayed gable oofs, many tun of the centuy bans exhibited gambel oofs. By the thid decade of the centuy, constuction of bans changed with the availability of mill poduced aftes. In the effot to accommodate moe loft stoage, ound, Gothic, and ainbow oofs became popula. By the 950s, fames often assembled pole buildings with gable oofs to seve as bans. 46 The tobacco ban is an achitectual type which is not unique to but pimaily found in west-cental Wisconsin, whee fame's have been gowing tobacco since the tun of the centuy as a supplemental cash cop. The tobacco ban is simila to othe ban types, often ectangula in fom with a gabled oof, howeve, the majo design diffeence is the use of inteio aftes fom which to hang dying tobacco, and vetical boads which ae hinged to the sides of the building, and opened like long, naow doos, which allow a high amount of ventilation, without necessaily letting in the elements in the event of ain. The design allowed the delicate tobacco to dy as quickly as possible. Moe elaboate tobacco bans often even featued gable-top ventilatos to encouage ai flow inside the building. Tobacco Ban (92/29), Washington Township M Allen G. Noble and Hubet G.H. Wilhelm, ed., Bams of the Midwest (Athens: Ohio Univesity Pess, 995)

139 TOWNSHIP HISTORIES TOWNSHIP OF BARRE 3, ACRES The township of Bae, which lies southeast of the cente of LaCosse County, was oiginally oganized in 853 as a much lage aea of land and was downsized to its pesent dimensions in 874. The entie twenty-one sections that make up the township of Bae all lie within Bostwick's Valley which is known fo its fetile land. The main ceek that flows though the aea is known as Bostwick's Ceek, howeve thee ae also othe small tibutaies and natual spings that help to dain the township. Both the valley and ceek name ae deived fom the fist settle to the aea, a Yankee fom Vemont. Matin Bostwick and his sons settled within the pesent limits of the town in May of Othe immigants to the aea aived between the yeas of 850 and 856. The ealiest of them was an Iish immigant who located in Bostwick Valley. In the summe of 852 a Geman family settled in the aea. Of the late immigants to aive wee the Nowegians who fist settled in Bostwick Valley in 856. H8 Thee ae two diffeent types of soil in this aea. The most abundant of the two is the silty soil of valleys and benches that follow the steams of the aea. The second type of soil is the silty soil on lime ock that cove the upland sufaces of the bluffs. It is this limestone soil that the Nowegians and Gemans settled on in the aea. Most of the land that was settled followed Bostwick's Ceek and consisted of the silty soils of the valleys and benches Byant, : Westen Histoical Company, Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, 709. "* Westen Histoical Company, Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, 709; Wingate, 34. Soil Consevation Sevice. Soil Suvey, LaCosse County, Wisconsin, United States Depatment of Agicultue. Soil Consevation Sevice in coopeation with Wisconsin Geological and Natual Histoy Suvey, Soil Suvey Dividion and the College of Agicultue. Univesity of Wisconsin Geneal Soil Map inset, 50-5; Wingate 34, 36,34; Byant, 209. Bae exists substantially in the Magnesian Limestone egion. 53

140 Because this aea is well wateed the oppotunities fo wate poweed mills wee appaent to the settles. Faming in the aea was centeed aound the milling industy that was stated on Bostwick's Ceek in 858 by a Yankee fom New Yok. Howeve, thee was seveal mills poweed by the ceek, as well as a ten-foot dam. In 880 the main cop was wheat followed by oats, con and baley. The main cops that wee gown in the aea in 906 wee oats, con, baley, and cultivated gasses. Livestock was also kept, such as hoses, cattle, sheep, and swine. The cattle may also include milk cows because the township did suppot a ceamey at Bae Mills. 50 The poduction of some agicultual goods wee ecoded in the LaCosse County Clek assessment olls fo the yea 906. Fom these olls it is evident that oats wee the majo cop and that wheat became less gown, which was the tend due to the soil being depleted fom the continuous gowth of wheat. Along with oats, con and baley wee still impotant, anking second and thid in poduction. Aea poduction in 906 is shown by these statistics in the chat below. 5 Bae Township, LaCosse County, Wisconsin, Agicultue Statistics, 906. Town Wheat Con Oats Baley Rye Potatoes Bae 2,600 43,030 76,520 8, ,63 Town Bae Apples 582 Cultivated Gasses (Tons) 2,7 Butte (Lbs.) 2,575 TOWNSHIP OF CAMPBELL /MEDARY 20, ACRES The township of Meday was not ceated until 954 when it was fomed fom pat of the township of Campbell. All of the infomation about Meday will be combined with the township of Campbell because of the combined histoy. 52,so Byant, ; Westen Histoical Company, Histoy of LaCosse County. Wisconsin, 709,4. 5 Byant, 82. Amounts ae in bushels unless othewise stated. 52 Univesity of Wisconsin Agicultual Extension Sevices, Wisconsin Rual Resouces, LaCosse County. U. S. Depatment of Agicultue and Agicultual Maketing Sevice. Madison: Wisconsin Slate Depatment of Agicultue. Cop and Livestock Repoting Sevice, 957,

141 The histoic township of Campbell was located in the west cental pat of LaCosse County and encompassed the City of LaCosse. The township was oganized between 85, when LaCosse County was oiginally oganized, and 868. The pimay soil type within the township consisted of sandstone, howeve, the westen pat whee the Mississippi and Black ives meet was mash land that is cut up with sloughs. The town contained all thee majo ives of the county, the Black, LaCosse, and Mississippi. This township was impotant because the ailoads that cossed the county all tavesed the township of Campbell and cente in the city of LaCosse. These ailoads that conveged in the town include the Chicago, Bulington & Quincy, the Geen Bay & Westen, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and the Chicago & Nothwesten lines. With all the ailoads cossing the town thee was only one station within its limits in 906, known as Winona Junction. " Settlement to the aea was slow in the beginning as is shown by the small amount of settles who came to the aea between 85 and 853. The fist settle of the township was a native of England who aived in the aea in May of 85. A man of Swiss oigin settled in the township in 852, and late maied a native of Pussia. In 853 anothe Englishman came to the township of Campbell and set up faming in the aea. The population of the township was 955 in 890 and,078 in Fams set up by the ealy pionees wee mainly in the valleys east and notheast of the city of LaCosse, howeve, some fams wee established nea the city limits. Due to the bluffs that follow the Mississippi Rive the land was not consideed to be agicultually attactive. In 859 Campbell Township had,540 aces in wheat, 809 aces in con,,637 aces in oats, and 79 aces in baely. 55 Of the poducts gown in the township, con and oats wee anked fist in 906 followed closely by hay and othe cultivated gasses. The town also still contained,93 aces of timbe. Livestock was also kept within the township, with cattle as the most abundant, followed by swine, hoses and sheep. 56 Campbell Township, LaCosse County, Wisconsin, Agicultue Statistics, 906. Town Wheat Com Oats Baley Rye Potatoes Campbell 2,235 27,65 23,960 4,034 8,685 4,00 53 Byant, Byant, Westen Histoical Company, Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, Byant. 82. Fo compaative puposes thee was no infomation available fo ealie o late, so the statistics ae fom 906 only. Amounts ae in bushels unless othewise stated. 55

142 Town Apples Stawbeies Raspbeies Clove Seed Cultivated Gasses (Tons) Campbell ,363 Town Campbell Butte (Lbs.) 2,750 Milk Glass, sold othe than to Ceameies, Cheese Factoies and Milk Condensing Factoies 5,300 TOWNSHIP OF GREENFIELD 9,87.40 ACRES The township of Geenfield was fist included as a pat of the city of LaCosse, howeve, it was oganized unde its own govenment in Novembe 856. Geenfield lies in the cente of the southen pat of the county. The main wateway within the township is Momon Ceek, which flows in a deep valley that is contasted by high ough and boken bluffs such as St. Joseph Ridge. This land, consisting of silty limestone soil, can be cultivated to poduce high yields only with constant attention and cae. The township is well wateed and contains natual spings. Due to the fact that Momon Ceek does not empty diectly into the Mississippi Rive but into a back wate slough, this pat of the county was settled late than any othe. 57 The fist pemanent settlement of the township came in 853 when five men aived and became attacted to the fetile valley and the cuious sceney of the aea. Howeve, the following yea a lage population of Gemans, mostly fom southen aeas of Gemany, and Austians moved to the aea and settled mainly along Momon Ceek and on the high idges of the aea. Of this colony many of the people whee Catholic.' 58 The Geman goups who settled in this aea wee familia with the limestone soil, which was simila to the soils of thei native county. The limestone land that was settled by the Gemans was mostly peempted (see footnote), because they aived befoe the Homestead Act was passed. The extent of the settlement on this limestone idge was the fist of its kind. Most of the settles stayed in the valleys, while the idge tops wee left fo faming o not impoved at all. 59 ij>' Byant, 22; Westen Histoical Company. Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, Byant, 22; Westen Histoical Company, Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, Wingate, 6. 20, 00. The peemption law of 84 made govenment land available fo S.25 an ace. When land was peempted by an individual they had five yeas to pay fo it. Duing this peiod no othe peson could 56

143 In 880 wheat was the pincipal cop gown followed by oats, con and baley. The livestock in Geenfield Township included hoses, cattle, milk cows, sheep, and hogs. Howeve, faming in the aea in 906 centeed aound the livestock that was kept, evident by the cops that wee planted. The cops of pincipal concen wee oats, hay, con and baley. The numbe of milk cows in the aea and the fact that thee was one cheese factoy in opeation showed that the daiying industy was an impotant economic influence in 906, and could be demonstated by the amount of butte poduced that yea. 60 Geenfield Township, LaCosse County, Wisconsin, Agicultue Statistics, 906. Town Wheat Con Oats Baley Rye Potatoes Geenfield 7,470 27,700 77,603 8, ,279 Town Geenfield Apples 943 Clove Seed 50 Clove Seedhavested aces 9 Tobacco (Lbs.) 2,20 Cultivated Gasses (Tons) 3,485 Butte (Lbs.) 88,330 TOWNSHIP OF SHELBY 9, ACRES The township of Shelby, the southwesten most town of LaCosse County, lies adjacent to the Mississippi Rive. The township was oiginally pat of the city of LaCosse, howeve, when Geenfield Township was sepaated fom LaCosse on Novembe 856, so was Shelby. The town vaies in landscape because of the bluffs that un noth and south, and also the coulees that intesect the bluffs. Momon Ceek also flows though this township and povided watepowe fo seveal mills which wee once in the aea. 6 lay claim to the peempted popety. If the land was not fee and clea by the fifth yea it was open to puchase by anothe paty. This peemption law helped to stimulate emigation to LaCosse County. 60 Byant, ; Westen Histoical Company, Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, 44. Amounts ae in bushels unless othewise stated.,6 ' Byant, 22, 23, 232. A coulee is the chaacteistic landfom of LaCosse County, which is also known as the Coulee Region. A coulee is a deep avine o steep-walled valley, caved out by glacial melt wates. The tem is Fench and was given to the aea by the Fench Fu tades who came to the aea. 57

144 The fist settles to this aea wee the Momons fo whom the ceek and coulee wee both named. A goup of about thity Momon families aived in the fall of 840. Howeve they did not stay in the aea long, and the next yea bunt thei houses and etuned to Nauvoo, Illinois. The easoning fo the buning of thei houses is unknown, howeve, they etuned to Nauvoo to complete thei Momon chuch. 62 The fist pemanent settles to the township aived late in 844. Two bothes took land between pesent-day Momon and State Road coulees. It took seveal yeas howeve fo the tide of immigation to come to Shelby. The aea of Momon Coulee was the fist place that was settled in the township. 63 The Swiss aived fom Bienz, Canton Ben, Switzeland in Momon Coulee in the yea 856. The Gemans also settled in this aea. Most of the land that the late goups settled was the land that had been abandoned by the Momons. 64 The soil of the aea is mainly of limestone, howeve thee is silty soil that follows Momon Ceek and the coulees though the township. The naow stip of silty soil which lays at the foot of the bluffs along the coulee can be cultivated and agicultually poductive. 65 Faming in the township consisted mainly of livestock and fuit poduction. In 880 Shelby Township fames gew wheat, oats, con and baley. The cops gown within the township in 906 wee pimaily hay, oats and con. Livestock that was kept consisted of cattle, hoses, swine, and sheep. Fuit cops ae also gown within the township, and Shelby gew the most apples in the entie county of LaCosse. The daiy industy was also an impotant industy in the township due to the quantity of poduction. The amount of butte poduced in 906 equaled 70,425 pounds in the township, second only to Geenfield Township which poduced 88,330 pounds that same yea. The poduction of cheese in Shelby Township also anked second with five hunded pounds to Washington Township's nine hunded pounds in 906. Shelby Township anked fist in the poduction of milk that was not sold to ceameies o othe factoies with 56,525 pounds sold. The next highest was Campbell Township with 5,300 pounds poduced and sold in Byant, 232. Thee is some contovesy as to the actual date of aival and depatue of the Momons howeve, thei means of leaving is consistent. m Byant, Wingate, 03, 20.,,s Byant, The westen pat of the township has the Potsdam sandstone fomation upon the suface, although he notheast pat falls into the Lowe Magnesian Limestone aea.,m Byant, 233, 82. Amounts ae in bushels unless othewise stated. Westen Histoical Company,

145 Shelby Township, LaCosse County, Wisconsin, Agicultue Statistics, 906. Town Shelby Wheal 6,060 Com 36.0 Oats 46,845 Baley 9,385 Rye,600 Potatoes 7,700 Root Cops 3,000 Town Shelby Apples 3,945 Stawbeies,73 Raspbeies 30 Blackbeies 90 Cuents 42 Ga pes 647 Town Clove Seed Clove Seed-havested aces Tobacco (Lbs.) Cultivated Gasses (Tons) Shelby , Town Shelby Butte (Lbs.) 70,425 Cheese (Lbs.) 500 Milk Glass, sold othe than to Ceameies. Cheese Factoies and Milk Condensing Factoies 56,525 Anothe aspect of the agicultue in the township of Shelby was the City Poo Fam. The site, located in section 5 Town of Shelby, fo the fam was seleaed in 857. The city of LaCosse bought 20 aces of land located two to thee miles southeast of the city of LaCosse in 857. Suitable outbuildings wee eected that wee of pimay concen to the fam. This poo fam is no longe in existence. 67 TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON 23,25.97 ACRES The township of Washington is in the southeasten most cone of LaCosse County. Washington, like Shelby Township, consists of ough land that is boken between bluffs and valleys that contain the lowlands. The township is well wateed and dained by a numbe of ceeks that flow though the valleys. The soil in the valleys is fetile because of the amount of alluvial sediment that it is exposed too annually. 68 Westen Histoical Company, Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, 440: Byant, 93. Byant,

146 When fist established Washington Township was unde the town govenment of Piece, howeve, afte seveal changes in govening bodies, it was finally oganized by itself in 857. When fist oganized, howeve, the name of the township was Buchanan and late changed to Washington. 69 Because of the uneven teain of the aea, Washington Township was one of the last places in the county to be settled. When the aea was finally settled, afte 854, it was done so by mainly foeign-bon, Gemans and Bohemians. The Bohemians wee one of the late goups to aive in the county and acquied land that was still available. They settled in the aea now known as Bohemian Ridge and Bohemian Valley. The Gemans tended to settle on Middle Ridge. Both the Gemans and Bohemians attended Catholic Chuch at the village of Middle Ridge. The two goups wee able to cohabitate because in thei native lands they had lived amongst each othe. 70 Othe ethnic goups that settled in the aea wee Polish, Iish and Nowegian. 7 The soil in Washington Township is limestone. Both the Gemans and Bohemians wee accustomed to making a living on the limestone soil of thei native land. Also, the Gemans had a tendency to settle on the upland limestone idges in the othe pats of LaCosse County, despite the fact that land is geneally not as fetile on the upland sufaces as it is in the valley along the ceeks. Ceeks that wate the aea ae Dutch, Bostwick's and Momon along with Coon Ceek. 72 Due to the soil type and the topogaphy of the aea, cop faming was not as impotant as daiying and livestock poduction. In 880 the cops gown wee wheat, oats, baley and con. In the yea 906 the township of Washington lead all othe townships in the county in cheese poduction, with thee cheese faaoies within its limits. Most of the land was given to pastue, most likely fo daiy cows. The cops that wee gown in 906 wee mainly oats and cultivated gasses, as well as baley, con and wheat. Most of the cops wee used as feed fo the daiy heds. One should note that almost one-thid of the township's entie aceage was still in timbe in Washington Township, LaCosse County, Wisconsin, Agicultue Statistics, 906. Westen Histoical Company, Histoy of LaCosse County. Wisconsin, 730. Byanl, 235; Wingate Westen Histoical Company, Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, 729. Wingate. 23, 24: Byant, 234. The township lies completely in the Lowe Magnesian Limestone aea. Byanl, 235, 82. Amounts ae in bushels unless othewise staled; Westen Histoical Company,

147 Town Wheat Con Oats Baley Rye Potatoes Apples Washington 6,840 8, , ,70,860 Town Washington Clove Seed 48 Timothy Seed 58 Clove Seedhavested aces 58 Timothy Seedhavested aces 3 Tobacco (Lbs.) 42,500 Cultivated Gasses (Tons) 3,280 Town Washington Butte (Lbs.),000 Cheese (Lbs.) 900 OVERALL ETHNIC SETTLEMENT PATTERNS Each ethnic goup had thei own settlement patten. The Bitish, Iish, Welsh, and Yankees usually settled on land along the LaCosse Rive. They pefeed the alluvial land that could be found in such aeas. Outside the LaCosse Rive valley this goup also settled in places such as Bice Paiie, Lewis Valley and along Fleming Ceek. The alluvial soil was the fist choice, howeve, they also settled on sand teaces and limestone and sandstone soils. 74 Many of the Iish who came to LaCosse County aived with the constuction of the aiload as many of them helped lay tacks. I75 The Gemans who came to LaCosse settled thoughout the aea, though the majoity of thei population ested in the southen pat of the county. The Gemans settled pedominately on limestone soil that coveed the idge tops. Some of the limestone soil that was taken up by this goup was in the Momon Coulee aea. Howeve, one goup did settle in the notheasten pat of the county known as "Sand Vista" on sandstone soil. 76 " 4 Wingate. 65, 74, 08, 4. '" Wingate, 67. m Wingate, 74, 3, 20, 68. "The epots show that Gemans came fom many pats of the cultue aea including Bavaia, Wuettembeg, Baden, Damstadt, Hesse, Rhenish, Pussia, Hanove, Bandenbugh, Saxony. Westphalia, Austia, Luxemboug, and Switzeland." 6

148 Nowegians mostly settled in the nothen potion of the county, utilizing the I village of Holmen as thei tade cente. Howeve, some settled in Coon Valley of Venon County just south of LaCosse County. Within this ethnic goup was "Tj included a small amount of Danish and Swedish immigants who settled among the ' Nowegians. In the southen potion of the county Nowegians settled along the LaCosse Rive, Bostwick's Ceek, and also in the village Bango. The soil that this goup settled on was mostly sandstone in the nothen pat of the county, the last aceage in the county to be claimed. 77 _ The Bohemians wee one of the last goups to aive in the county. They took up land in the southeast cone of the county that consisted of limestone soils. The _ Bohemians tended to settled in the vicinity of Gemans, as they shaed old wold 78 customs. The Fench and Dutch also settled in LaCosse County. The Fench settled along the Mississippi Rive on the bottom lands and sand teaces, in the aea known today as Fench Island. The Dutch also settled on bottom lands and sand teaces, howeve, they settled along the Black Rive and the joining lands of the Mississippi and Black ives. The aea that the Dutch settled is known today as New Amstedam Wingate, 70, 74, "» Wingate, 70, 74, Wingate, 74, 23, 4, J

149 INTENSIVE SURVEY OF SOUTHERN LACROSSE COUNTY The following popeties ae eithe aleady listed on the National Registe of Histoic Places, o they ae potentially eligible fo the National Registe. Cleveland School T5N, R5W, Section 8 (92/24) The Cleveland School was located on Highway 33, two miles east of St. Joseph Ridge. It was built of ed ock fo $ on loan fom the state on five yeas cedit. It is a wood fame building with the exteio walls being made of bick. Of inteesting note is that it was voted on to be built in 87, but not built until 877. The bicks fo the building only cost sixty dollas 80. Cleveland School (92/24), When the school was fist built, the school yea voted on by the boad would only be seven months; five months in the winte, and two months in the summe. This was so the childen could help with the planting in the sping, and with the havest in the fall. The school had many teaches ove it's ninety yea caee, but it neve had moe Estelh Byhn, Ealy Schools ofla Cosse County. 985, pg 6 63

150 than twenty five students 8. It was closed in 960 due to compliance with the state fo small schools to elocate to a high school distict. The land eveted back to the owne, then Claence Hundt who used it to stoe gain 82. Fish Ceek School T6, R5W, Section 2 (89/29) The Fish Ceek School has a vey long histoy in Bango Township. The fist school was a log cabin built cica 894 on the Eveson Famstead two miles south of the village of Rockland on County Highway J 83. The cabin had only one window and one doo fo light and ventilation. Some of the pupils had to walk seven miles to get to the school even having to cut though fields to do so. The cabin housed as many as fifteen students at once in its camped confines. The people of the aea decided to build a new school cica 900 close to whee the esidents of the township lived. The new fame building was built cica 903 on the idge (Fish Ceek) close to Rockland on County Highway J, and its new location shotened the length of the childen's walk consideably. The fame building was used fo many yeas, but in 922 the bick building that stands today was built 84. The fame building was taken to the Repky fam and used as an outbuilding fo many yeas but was ton down. The Fish Ceek School was used until the late 950's when students wee sent to Bango fo elementay education 85.,l EsellaByhn,pgll6,2 Estella Byhn, pg 7 " J Estella Byhn, Ealy Schools ofla Cosse County. 985, pg 6 IM Estella Byhn, pg. 6,5 Estella Byhn, pg. 6 64

151 Fish Ceek School (89/29), Bango Township The Fish Ceek School was a typical one oom school of the ealy 900's. Students desks wee aanged in ows, and class sizes aely got to be ove twenty-five students. The students sat in fold-top desks with holes in them fo ink bottles. The standad cuiculum was eading, witing and aithmetic. These schools nomally suvived until the 950s when many townships consolidated to fom lage, moe well-funded public schools. Hylandale Academy T6N, R5W, Section 24 (90/2) The Hylandale Academy is located five miles south of Rockland on County Highway J. The Hylandale Academy is a self suppoting Seventh Day Adventist School that was fist stated in 96 by Pofessos Athu Hallock and Paul Shepple 86. It was stated when Waen Giffith, a fiend of M. Hallock's wote to him that a "lage fam is fo sale in the pettiest spot in La Cosse County." Pofessos Hallock and Shepple, and D. Fed Thonton, a La Cosse physician, visited the site and puchased it. The next sping, Ms. Hallock and he thee childen aived by tain. Thei home fo the next yea would be a log cabin. The apple tees wee in full bloom in what the Hallocks called the "Dale," and when Ms. Hallock saw the high bluffs suounding it she said it should be called "Hylandale." 87 The name stuck. Estella Byhn, Ealy Schools of La Cosse County. 985, pg. 70 Estella Byhn, pg

152 The school was administated by the Hallocks, and decisions wee made by the foundes and faculty. The buildings wee built by the Hallocks, Shepples, Thotons, and many othe membes of the chuch and school. Hylandale Academy, domitoy (90/2), Bango Township When school was out in the sping, Pofesso Hallock bought with him Miss Rosma Whalen, a teache, and soon the Shepples came binging with them a hed of jesey cattle. Many things needed to be done. A gils domitoy was the fist poject, with the cops being planted by moonlight. In ode to povide a chuch school by the fall, hog shelte was ton down, and a log building was eected. Ms. Hallock loved he little log shelte, but thee was not enough oom fo all of the students she wanted to take in. Late a lage fame building was built that one day become a nusing home. As many as fifty to sixty students found a home at the academy at any given yea. Tuition, oom, and boad was $2 dollas a month if they could pay, and if the students could not pay, the Hallocks wee always willing to take livestock o cop payment. Hylandale was known fo its apple ochads, and vineyads. Customes came fom miles aound to buy the gapes and apples. As quickly as possible othe buildings such as a boys domitoy, a main school, and administation building, and chapel wee built. Classes wee held fo both elementay and high school students. School wok was done fom seven to twelve, with the aftenoon spent doing vocational wok. This mainly entailed fam wok, gounds maintenance, and vaious othe choes. Of all the buildings that wee eected, only the two domitoies, and a new block school house emain. Fies claimed the Main school in 96, the fist gils domitoy, and the chapel in The last time that high school classes wee offeed was in the "" Estella Byhn, pg. 7 66

153 I late 980's. Elementay classes ae still offeed, and many students still attend. The domitoies ae old and have been condemned, so now the school no longe offes oom and boad. The lage domitoies still stand. The buildings and popety ae now n/-*ti owned nnnaa by k-i M. \A and ina Ms. A/fc f-f-3i\a Haold T-Tallnlf Hallock _ Victoy School T5N, R5W, Section 20 (90/25) The Victoy School was built in 887 out of lage cut stones in Washington township on Highway 62 thee miles south of Highway 33. It was the fist school in the aea and since it was made of the lage stones it has always been called the "Stone School House." The land fo the school was donated by a M. Fank Schape. The tax oles ead, "/2 ace donated fo school lot 90 " Victoy School (90/25), Washington Township Fom ecods of the school we can find that the school changed teaches many times, sometimes yealy. Jacob Schumache was paid $.75 in 888 fo a tip to West Salem to hie a teache and whitewash the school house. Late, John C. Johnson was hied to teach and was paid $90 fo a thee month peiod. A bell towe and bell wee added to the school in Bango Township, La Cosse County Wisconsin, Tax Roles, 995, owne, Haold Hallock, SE /4 of SE /4, T6N, R5W 90 Washington Township, La Cosse County, Wisconsin, Tax Rolls, 905, owne Fank Schape SE /4 of SW /4, T5N, R5W 67

154 In 952 the Victoy school was closed and its students moved to Cashton. This was the fate of many of the small schools in the aea fo that peiod of time. The cost of up keep, and expansion foced many of the school boads to close down thei ^ institutions. The Victoy School distict paid the Cashton School $,40 fo tuition " and $400 fo tanspotation. The Victoy School closed it's doos to students, and was conveted into a house 9. Ole and May Tollefson Famstead T6N, R6W, Section 33 (98/02) "] Bae Township in southen La Cosse County, Wisconsin, was pimaily agicultual in its beginnings. The aea eventually became known as Bae Mills, a small faming community nestled in the olling coulees appoximately six miles east of the city of La Cosse. Thoughout the 840s and 850s settles wee setting up famsteads in the aea. Recods begin on 4 May 85 fo a famstead located in T6N, R6W, Sec. 33, of the NE VA of the NE VA, when Chales Smith was assigned a deed to the popety 92. On 7 Novembe 852, Paul and Rachel Tollefson sold the popety to thei elatives, Ole and May Tollefson 93. This popety and the fam immediately to the noth emained in the hands of the Tollefson family fo many yeas, soon becoming known as the Tollefson family famsteads. Howeve on the same day, 7 Novembe 852, Paul and Rachel Tollefson bought yet anothe piece of the same popety fom Holen and Saah Halveson, amounting to 60 aces 94. Holen Halveson bought the 60 aces fom Geoge Woodman on 3 J Octobe 85 fo $ S "' Estella Byhn, Ealy Schools of La Cosse County, 985, pg. 3 " 2 La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. I, Page 459, between Geoge Goodman and Chales Smith," 4 May 85. '" La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. II, Page 20, between Paul and Rachel Tollefson and Ole and May Tollefson," 7 Novembe 852. m La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. II, Page 202, between Holen and Saah Halveson and Paul and Rachel Tollefson," 7 Novembe 852.,5 La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. EI, Page 20, between Geoge Woodman and Holen Halveson," 3 Octobe

155 The fam emained the same until 8 May 876 when Eanest and May Jenks sold a small pacel of the popety to Wesley Whitbeck fo S In 880 Paul Tollefson owned foty aces which was woth $,000 fo which he paid $.64 in taxes that yea. 97 The two-stoy famhouse was built cica 89 and is still in use today, and the ban shotly befoe in the late 880s, which is also still in use today. In 900 the value of the popety jumped a thousand dollas to $2,00.00, pobably as a esult of the new house and ban. 98 On 9 Decembe 903, the widow of Ole Tollefson, May Tollefson, and Emma Tweet and May Staud, sold the piece of popety they owned to Tollef O. Tollefson fo $4, A deed ecod could not be found, but William Hemke is listed in the Bae Township tax oll ecods as the owne of thity-seven and a half aces of the Tollefson popety in 905. The popety was valued at $3, The popety continued to switch ownes when Tollef and Lisette Tollefson sold thei pat of the popety to Fedinand Laging on 7 Mach 93 fo $4, Laging would emain owne of the popety until 928 when he and his wife Caoline would sell to August and Lena Nehls fo one dolla and "othe valuable consideations." 202 In 930, two yeas afte August and Lena Nehls puchased thei two and a half aces, it was woth $220, and the amount of tax paid in 930 was S August and Lena Nehls owned thei two and a half aces fo twelve yeas l * La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. XXXXVm, Page 63, between Eanest and May Jenks and Wesley Whitbeck," 8 May 876. '" Bae Township, La Cosse County, Wisconsin, Tax Rolls, 880, owne Paul Tollefson, T6N, R6W, Sec. 33, NEW of NEW.,8 Bae Township, La Cosse County, Wisconsin, Tax Rolls, 900, owne Paul Tollefson, NE '/«of NE W, T6N, Sec. 33, R6W. m La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 04, Page 623, between May Tollefson and Tollef O. Tollefson, 9 Decembe Bae Township, La Cosse County, Wisconsin, Tax Rolls, 905, owne William Hemke, T6N, R6W, Sec. 33, NEWofNEV*. 20 La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 22, Page 203, between Tollef and Lisette Tollefson and Fedinand Laging," 7 Mach La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 58, Page 423, between Fedinand and Caoline Laging and August and Lena Nehls," 20 Apil Bae Township, La Cosse County, Wisconsin. Tax Rolls, 930, owne August and Lena Nehls, T6N, R6W, Sec. 33, NEW of the NEW. 69

156 befoe they sold it to Benad and Rosella Nehls fo one dolla and "othe valuable consideations" in At this time the deed ecods indicate an $8,450 motgage. The cuent ownes of the fam popety, John and Violet Stelloh, bought the popety fom William and Doa Hemke in 947 fo an undisclosed amount of money. 205 The "Tollefson popety" still emains a family opeated fam in Bae Mills, Wisconsin, today. Heny and Rachel Sande Famstead T6N, R6W (98/05) The "Tollefson family fam" was split into smalle pacels in the late 870s, which ceated new popeties. Such a new popety was a fam located adjacent to the Tollefson popety in Bae Township. This new fam was located in T6N, R6W, Sec. 34, the SW VA of the NE VA. The fist deed ecoded fo the popety shows Hemann Sande buying the popety fom Fedick and Maia Diefenthale in The ecod shows that Sande paid $450 fo the piece of land. This paticula piece of famland fo the most pat emained intact thoughout the yeas; it was not boken apat into smalle pacels as much as the othe suounding popeties. In 880 John Betz owned the entie foty aces which was woth S Hemann Sande added a few moe aces to his existing popety in 885 when he bought additional popety fom Cal and Augusta Betz. 208 The additional popety cost Sande $ La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 9, Page 28, between August and Lena Nehls and Benad and Rosella Nehls," 2 July La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 22, Page 436, between William and Doa Hemke and John and Violet Stelloh," 24 Febuay La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 50, Page 268, between Fedick and Maia Diefenthale and Hemann Sande," 23 Mach Bae Township, La Cosse County. Wisconsin, Tax Rolls, 880, owne John Betz, T6N, R6W, Sec. 34, SWV4 of the NE W. 20 La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 64, Page 564, between Cal and Augusta Betz and Hemann Sande," 8 Decembe La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 64, Page 564, between Cal and Augusta Betz and Hemann Sande," 8 Decembe

157 Sande bought yet additional popety five yeas late, in 890, fom Wilhemina Andeegg, who was the hei of the deceased Fed Betz, fome owne of the popety. 20 A few days pio to buying the land fom Andeegg, Sande bought some additional aceage, inceasing yet again the size of his fam, fom Fed and Eleano Voight fo $450. 2n In 894 a new name appeas on the deed documents, Niels Thostenson, who puchased land in the immediate aea fom Thosten and Olive Lason fo $ In 902 Heny Sande bought some land in the aea fom Louis and May Sande fo $2,000, inceasing the size of the famstead yet again. 23 Just a few yeas late in 905, Louis Sande was listed in the tax ecods as the owne of twenty-six aces valued at $300, fo which he paid $2.43 in taxes that yea. 24 In 906 the land was deeded to John and Doa Meye, who puchased the land fom Heny and Rachel Sande fo $4, The lage jump in valued amount and taxes indicates that the house and impovements wee likely added cica 906 to the fam. In 92 Cal Wehenbeg bought the popety owned by Louis and May Sande fo $7, In 95 D. C. Mille puchased the land fom Cal and Louise Wehenbeg fo $9,000. It is inteesting to note that the deed ecods indicate that pat of the notheast cone of the popety puchased was used as a cemetey. 27 D. C. Mille would own and fam the popety fo thiteen yeas until he sold it to Cal W. Mille fo $8,000 in La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 75, Page 40, between Wilhemina Andeegg and Hemann Sande," 2 Apil La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 76, Page 586, between Fed and Eleano Voight and Hemann Sande," 2 Apil La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 88, Page 62, between Thosten and Olive Lason and Niels Thostenson," 2 Octobe U La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 00, Page 52, between Louis and May Sande and Heny Sande," 4 Mach " Bae Township, La Cosse County, Wisconsin, Tax Rolls, 905, owne Louis Sande, T6N, R6W, Sec. 34, SW W of the NEW. 25 La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 08, Page 227, between Heny and Rachel Sande and John and Doa Meye," 2 Octobe La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 22, Page 6, between Louis and May Sande and Cal Wehenbeg," Novembe " La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 26, Page 583, between Cal and Louise Wehenbeg and D. C. Mille," Novembe La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 57, Page 608, between D. C. Mille and Cal W. Mille," May

158 The final deed ecod fo the popety shows that Cal and Chalotte Mille bought the popety fom Doa Meye in 929 fo one dolla and "othe valuable consideations. " 29 Tollef and Betha Swennes Famstead T6N, R6W, Section 28 (98/06) The thid pat of the "Tollefson popeties" located in Bae Township, T6N, R6W, Sec. 28, the SE 4 of the NW V4, is fist deeded in 854. The fist owne listed in the deed ecods is Pake Waen, who bought the 532 aces of land fom Sevis and Rosetta Schuyle in Late that same yea Waen sold the land to a man named Tuman S. Smith fo SSOO. 22 Smith continued to own and fam the popety fo six yeas until he sold pat of it to David Bown and Malcolm Hendeson in 860 fo $ One yea late in 86, Andew Gaik bought land fom John and Lucy Vanness fo $3, In 866 Tuman Smith sold the emaining potion of his land to John Fancis fo SS^OO. 224 John and Eleano Fancis sold a potion of thei popety just one yea late, in 867, to Las Knudson fo Sl.OOO. 225 John Fancis then sold the est of his popety 2 " La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 62, Page 285, between Doa Meye and Cal and Chalotte Mille," 3 Decembe La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 4, Page 77, between Sevis and Rosetta Schuyle and Pake Waen," 22 Mach La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 5, Page 284, between Pake Waen and Tuman S. Smith," 6 Decembe La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 20, Page 44, between Tuman and Lucetia Smith and David Bown and Malcolm Hendeson," 4 Decembe La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 20, Page 588, between John and Lucy Vanness and Andew Gaik," 22 Octobe La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 29, Page 96, between Tuman and Lucetia Smith and John Fancis," 2 May La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 3, Page 55, between John and Eleano Fancis and Las Knudson," 20 Decembe

159 in 87 to Evan Robets fo $4, Robets would own the land fo only two yeas befoe he sold it to Tolief O. Swennes in 873 fo $3, The Bae Township tax oll ecods indicated that in 880 the thity aces owned by Swennes was woth $400, fo which he paid $4.66 in taxes that yea. 228 In 897 Tolief and Betha Swennes sold to Heny Plenge fo $4, Theefoe, it can be sumised that the impovements wee added to the popety duing the time that Tolief and Betha Swennes owned the popety. Heny and his wife famed the land fo the next eleven yeas until they sold to Willie Plenge in 908, fo one dolla and "othe valuable consideations." 230 In 934 William Plenge's wife's name, Lilly, was added to the deed to the popety. In this same deed tansaction the document mentions a school house lot and a mill pond neaby, neithe of which ae mentioned in any othe document o popety neaby. The Plenge's continued to fam the land until they sold it in 945 fo $23,000, to the Nuttelman's. 23 The fams still emain in use today in Bae Mills, Wisconsin, and continue to be family owned and opeated businesses. Gottfied Oehle Famstead and Mill T5N, R7W, Section 26 (87/05 - famstead, 87/08 - mill) The fist ecod of an owne in the notheast cone of the nothwest quate of Section 26 of the Town of Shelby was in 855. In that yea James Conlan sold that 40 aces and the 40 aces in the southwest potion of the southwest section to Valentine Oehle fo $,400. The Oehle family owned the land until 922. The fist land 224 La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 40, Page 286, between John and Eleano Fancis and Evan Robets," 7 Novembe La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 42, Page 292, between Evan and Elizabeth Robets and Tolief O. Swennes," 28 Mach Bae Township, La Cosse County, Wisconsin, Tax Rolls, 880, owne Tolief O. Swennes, T6N, R6W, Sec. 28, thesemofthenw'/ La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 92, Page 230, between Tolief O. and Betha Swennes and Heny Plenge," May La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 3, Page 460, between Heny and May Plenge and Willie Plenge," 23 Octobe La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recod, Vol. 208, Page 552, between William and Tilly Plenge and Emma, Nobet, and Havey Nuttelman," Novembe

160 assessment gave the popety a value of $4,250 in 867. Gottfied Oehle puchased 28.5 aces in 879 fom Valentine, and then anothe half ace in 873. He also acquied pans of the nothwest cone of the nothwest quate section and the southeast quate of the southwest quate of Section 23. It was at this point in time that the land was divided into two popeties of aces and 0.25 aces. This desciption petains to the 29.5 aces in which the famstead sits just to the noth of the famstead on 0.25 aces. This lage piece of land includes the Oehle Mill. At the same time he puchased 29 aces in the southwest cone of the notheast quate of section 26 and the southwest cone of the notheast quate of section 26 fom Gustave, John and Fed Oehle. In 936, Wenzel Helitzka's land was sold to his son-in-law Nobet Betz fo $526. In 950, Robet Swing paid Nobet's wife Anna $ and othe consideations fo the land. 232 Gottfied Oehle House (87/05), Shelby Township The Oehle Mill was built in the mid 850s by Valentine Oehle. Tax assessments in 867 of $4250 show the popety to be woth much moe when the Oehles owned the land than when Wenzel Helitzka owned the popety in 930 fo $950. The location was excellent fo a mil as the dam could aise the wate level up to foty feet highe. This popety sits along county oad MM on the west side of the oad. The mill is a two stoy stone building in good condition south of the house and nea Momon Ceek. The mill pobably seved the fams of Momon Coulee, a faily lage valley tibutay of the Mississippi Rive. The two stoy bick cube house and an old ban ae m Shelby Township, LaCosse County, Wisconsin, Tax Rolls, 867, owne Valentine Oehle, NE W of NW W, T5N, R7W; "Motgage Recod, Vol. 29, pg. 559, between Magaetha Oehle and Gottfied Oehle," 3 Apil 866;; "Motgage Recod, Vol. 37, pg. 557, between Valentino Oehle and Gottfied Oehle," 6 Octobe 870; ; "Motgage Recod, Vol. 48, pg. 34, between Magaetha Oehle and Gottfied Oehle," 6 Mach 873; ; "Motgage Recod, Vol. 78, pg. 46, between John C. Fanzini, Geneal Guadian and Nobet Betz," 5 May 936; "Motgage Recod, Vol. 230, pg. 324, between Anna Betz and Robet Swing,"22 Mach

161 vey close to the oad. Pevious eseach done by Robet Swing and Mississippi Valley Achaeology Cente dates the house to 882. Acoss County Road MM sits the Oehle Cemetey (87/03) that was used by family membes who owned both the pesent day Swing famstead and the pesent day Jahnel Famstead. Also in the aea lies a mill dam and cave commonly known as Oehle's Cave. These two attactions ae located east of the famstead on Momon Ceek. Just to the noth of the cave is an aea of land that was used as a pak. The Oehle famly built a pavilion, touist pak, dam, gist mill, and sping wate piped into the pak so that visitos could enjoy the beauty of the cave and the ock fomations. 233 f?«^ Oehle Mill (87/08), Shelby Township Valentine Oehle Famstead T T5N, R7W, Section 26 (87/3) The fist ecod of an owne in the notheast cone of the nothwest quate of section 26 of the Town of Shelby is 855. In that yea James Conlan sold 40 aces and the 40 aces in the southwest potion of the southwest section to Valentine Oehle fo $400. The Oehle family owned the land until 922. The fist land assessment gave the popety a value of $4250 in 867. Gottfied Oehle puchased 28.5 aces in 870 fom Valentine, and then anothe half ace in 873. He also acquied pats of the nothwest cone of the nothwest quate section and the southeast quate of the 2,3 "Oehle's Cave." Main Steets of Ameica. July 930, pg

162 southwest quate section of Section 23. It was at this point that the land was divided into to popeties of aces and 0.25 aces. 234 Valentine Oehle House (87/3), Shelby Township Afte 873, when Gottfied Oehle acquied aces of land in the notheast cone of the nothwest quate of section 26, Valentine Oehle etained 0.25 aces. In 892, Louis and Fedeick Oehle paid $2000 fo the 0.25 aces, 29 aces in the southwest cone of the notheast quate of section 26, and land in the southeast cone of the nothwest quate of section 26. Gustave, John, and Fed Oehle paid $600 to Louis and Fedick in 908 fo the thee pacels of land. In 922, the famstead and the 0.25 aces of land left the Oehle family as Joseph Jahnel bought it and five aces in the southeast cone of the nothwest quate of section 26. The popety to this day emains in the Jahnel family. The pesent owne is Lillian Jahnel, daughte of Joseph, and acquied the land in The famstead is along the county oad MM and sits just noth of the popety that includes the Oehle Mill. On the west side of the oad sits a two stoy bick cube house that is vey close to the oad. On the east side of the oad, a lage ban and and a cella ae also vey close to the oad. The house immediately to the noth that was also owned at one time by the Oehle family was built in 882. Both houses wee built out of the same local ed bick which is evidence that the Valentine Oehle House was pobably built close to 880. A cella constucted in the stone side of the hill acoss 2,4 LaCosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Motgage Recod, Vol. 8, Page 278, between James Conlan and Valentine Oehle,", 4 Mach )s " Motgage Recod, Vol. 79, page 273, between May Oehle and Louis and Fedeick Oehle," 30 Mach 892; "Motgage Recod, Vol. 3, page 38, between Fedeick and Louis Oehle,, and Gustave, John, and Fed Oehle," 3 July 908. "Motgage Recod. Vol. 44, page 266, between Fed and John Oehle and Joseph F. Jahnel," 5 Januay 922; "Motgage Recod, Vol. 532, Page 324, between Elme and Leste Jahnel," 5 Decembe

163 the oad fom the house is peculia, being quite lage, and pobably was used as a oot cella. On the inside of the cella is a date of constuction in July 876. Most of the inteio of the cella was hand caved into the sandstone, and bick suppots wee added at one time. When Joseph Jahnel bought the popety he added electicity to the cella. 236 Valentine Oehle Popety, Root Cella (87/3), Shelby Township Lillian Jahnel, inteview with Babaa Kooiman and Dan Feudenbug, 24 Apil

164 RECOMMENDATIONS Geneal Obsevations The Southen LaCosse Rual Achitectual/Histoical Suvey Poject was conducted in fo the puposes of obtaining econnaissance and intensive level infomation about the popeties located within the six townships in the poject aea. Fom the commitment given to this poject both by the LaCosse County Histoic Site Pesevation Commission and the LaCosse County Boad, it is obvious that histoic pesevation is consideed to be an impotant topic in this county. Histoic pesevation should be not only be seen as a way of maintaining a legacy within the county, but should also be seen as an economic altenative to new constuction, fo binging gant and loan money into the egion, and fo a way to impove the geneal tax base of the county's ual communities and famsteads. The benefits of histoic pesevation ae summaized below. Social and Economic Benefits of Histoic Pesevation Social Benefits The pesevation of LaCosse County's histoic esouces is impotant fo a numbe of easons which may not be immediately appaent to many people. It is common fo people to live in a community all thei life and not ecognize the histoic gems which suound them. Histoic esouces can povide a community with a stong sense of thei unique histoy, based on the commecial, industial, social, esidential and educational esouces which suound them daily. Olde stuctues povide esidents with a feeling of stability and continuity which is difficult, if not impossible to eplace. Additionally, these olde stuctues also can instill an appeciation fo an ea of high standads of aesthetics and caftsmanship which exits today in a vey diffeent vesion. LaCosse County's histoy is eflected though agicultual tends fom wheat to daiy, tanspotation coidos, industies, commece, and into the twentieth centuy, inceased touism. Agicultue has emained a stong component in the county, with family fams pesisting, and agicultue elated industies and commecial establishments in the small communities and inside the city of LaCosse, itself. Theefoe, it is impotant socially fo the esidents of LaCosse County to peseve thei most impotant histoic esouces, to aid futue esidents in undestanding an impotant past. In addition to this undestanding, howeve, the people of LaCosse 79

165 County may eap possible economic benefits though thei histoic esouces. Economic Benefits Thousands of histoic ehabilitation pojects have been undetaken in the past few decades. Rehabilitation became a majo national industy in the 980s. As a esult, infomation is becoming inceasingly available which indicate that ehabilitation of olde buildings is moe cost effective than new constuction. Rehabilitation pojects usually cost about one-half to one-thid less than simila new constuction. Initial constuction costs ae lowe because demolition costs ae minimal as a esult and thee is little expense fo foundation and/o stuctual wok. As a esult, ehabilitation pojects ae usually faste to complete. Rehabilitation pojects often povide cental and convenient site location, sound and duable quality constuction, unique aesthetic and design value, and the public elations of positive image and geate publicity oppotunities. Rehabilitation pojects ceate moe jobs and have a geate impact on the local economy and unemployment ate than compaable new constuction pojects. Rehabilitation pojects tend to utilize 25% moe labo than new constuction pojects. Fewe mateials ae used than in new constuction, which makes moe poject money available fo labo. As a esult, moe of the money spent on the poject will be e-ciculated back into the local economy. Pesevation stimulates economic evitalization and pivate investment which in tun inceases the local tax base. Pesevation has a stong impact on the touism industy, which is cuently one of the lagest industies in Wisconsin. In 990, touism geneated appoximately $6.3 billion in spending evenue. Sightseeing is one of the most popula summe vacation activities, and histoic sites ae an impotant featue in sightseeing activities. [The above economic benefits discussion was excepted, in pat, fom a pamphlet entitled "Economic Benefits of Histoic Pesevation in Wisconsin," published by the Histoic Pesevation Division of the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin in 990.] 80

166 In addition to the geneal social and economic benefits, thee ae pogams which have been established by state and fedeal govenments which encouage histoic pesevation. Tax Incentives fo Rehabilitation of Histoic Buildings Ownes of income-poducing National Registe popeties can claim a 20% fedeal investment tax cedit and an additional 5% state investment tax cedit fo ehabilitation expenses. Wok must be sympathetic with the histoic chaacte of the building, follow the Secetay of the Inteio's Standads fo Rehabilitation, and be appoved by the National Pak Sevice and the Wisconsin State Histoic Pesevation Office (SHPO). Potection fom Fedeal Pojects Popeties that ae listed on the National Registe o State Registe of Histoic Places, o that may be eligible to be listed, eceive limited potection fom fedeally licenses o funded pojects. Any agency o oganization seeking fedeal assistance o pemits should contact the Chief of Compliance in the Histoic Pesevation Division of the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin at 608/ , to ensue that its poject comply with fedeal egulations. It should be noted, howeve, that while listing on the National Registe of Histoic Places gives some potection fom fedeally funded pojea, it povides no potection fom pivately funded development. Only local Histoic Pesevation Odinance (which LaCosse County has) authoized by state statute, may allow the community to egulate new constuction, exteio alteations, and demolitions which may advesely affect histoic popeties. Wisconsin Histoic Building Code The Wisconsin Histoic Building Code is available fo use by ownes of buildings which ae listed on the State and National Registe of Histoic Places ownes of histoic buildings which have been designated unde a local histoic pesevation odinance which has been cetified by the State Histoical Society of Wisconsin (LaCosse is a cetified local govenment, so all local histoic popeties meet these citeia). This code, administeed by the Depatment of Industy, Labo and Human Relations (DILHR) is designed to facilitate the pesevation estoation of the designated histoic buildings though the povision of altenative building standads. 8

167 Ownes of qualified histoic buildings ae pemitted to be subject to the Histoic Building Code in lieu of any state o municipal building codes. Fo moe infomation contact DILHR at 608/ Recommendations fo Futue Action on Pesevation List any and all popeties designated unde the Intensive Suvey chapte of this epot on the local histoic sites list; List any and all popeties highlighted unde the Intensive Suvey chapte of this epot on the National Registe of Histoic Places list; Continue education pogams though public meetings, bochues, ongoing eseach; Establish contact with community histoic pesevation leades and oganizations to continue coopeation in the histoic suvey poject Continue to collect site-specific infomation on individual popeties; Continue ual histoic popeties suvey phased poject... Next conduct suvey of the nothen townships in LaCosse County; Pepae a Histoic Pesevation Plan fo LaCosse County. 82

168 BIBLIOGRAPHY Adams, James Tuslow, edito in chief. Atlas of Ameican Histoy. New Yok, Chales Scibne's Sons, 943. Bollech, Siste Noene. The Villa St. Joseph Stoy. La Cosse: Fanciscan Sistes of Pepetual Adoation, 995. Byant, Benjamin F. Memois of La Cosse County. Madison: Westen Histoical Association, 907. Chicago Westen Histoical Company, Histoy oflacosse County, Wisconsin. Chicago. Westen Histoical Company, 88. Conlin, Joseph R. The Ameican Past: A Suvey of Ameican Histoy. San Diego. Hacout Bace Jobanonich Publishe, 984. Cuent, Richad N. The Histoy of Wisconsin: Volume II The Civil Wa Ea, State Histoical Society of WisconsimMadison Dexte, Rev Fank N. ed. A Hunded Yeas of Congegational Histoy in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Congegational Confeence, 933. Ebling, Walte. A Centuy of Wisconsin Agicultue. Madison: Wisconsin Cop Repoting Sevice, 948. Gegoy, John G. West Cental Wisconsin: A Histoy. Indianapolis. S. J. Clake Publishing Company Inc., 933. Histoy of La Cosse County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Westen Histoical 88. Company, Jenkins, Anna M. "The Beginnings of Bango." LaCosse County Histoical Sketches, Seies. LaCosse, WI. LaCosse County Histoical Society, 93. Kooiman, Babaa. Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Passenge Railway Depot, LaCosse, Wisconsin. National Registe of Histoic Places Nomination, 997. Long, John H. (Ed). Histoical Atlas and Chonology of County Boundaies, Volume 3 Michigan, Wisconsin. Compiled by Hugo P. Leaning (WI) and John H. 83

169 Long (MI). Boston. G. K. Hall and Company, 984. Matin, Lawence. The Physical Geogaphy of Wisconsin. Madison: Univesity of Wisconsin Pess, 965. Nesbit, Robet C. Wisconsin: A Histoy. The Univesity of Wisconsin Pess, 973. Ou Fist 25 Yeas: St. John's Refomed United Chuch of Chist. La Cosse: CBS Gaphics, 989. Raney, William Fancis. Wisconsin: A Stoy of Pogess. New Yok. Pentice Hall Inc., 940. Sanfod, A. H., ed. La Cosse County Histoical Sketches. Liesenfeld Pess, 93. Schuh, F. Geald. "This Is You Paish, St. Joseph's Ridge: St. Joseph's Paish." La Cosse Registe. Decembe 0, 954. Soil Consevation Sevice. Soil Suvey, LaCosse County, Wisconsin. United States Depatment of Agicultue, Soil Consevation Sevice in coopeation with Wisconsin Geological and Natual Histoy Suvey, Soil Suvey Division and the College of Agicultue, Univesity of Wisconsin, 960. State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Domesday Book: Town Studies, Vol. I. Madison, State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 924. Tenney, H.A. and David Atwood. Fathes of Wisconsin. Published by David Atwood. Madison, 880. Univesity of Wisconsin Agicultual Extension Sevices. Wisconsin Rual Resouces, LaCosse County. U. S. Depatment of Agicultue and Agicultual Maketing Sevice. Madison: Wisconsin State Depatment of Agicultue, Cop and Livestock Repoting Sevice, 957. Wingate, Robet Geoge. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin Thesis, Univesity of Minnesota. 975 Wyatt, Babaa, ed. Cultual Resouces Management in Wisconsin- Volumes Mil, A Manual fo Histoic Popeties. Madison: Histoic Pesevation Division, State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 986. Zielke, Geoge. The Swiss Settles ofmomon Coulee, (The La Cosse County Histoical Sketches, Seies ). Liesenfeld Pess. La Cosse, Wisconsin, 93. Zinthefe, F. Aloya. "This Is You Paish, Middle Ridge: St. Pete's." La Cosse 84

170 Registe. Januay 5, 956. Pimay Souces La Cosse County, Wisconsin Registe of Deeds, "Deed Recods," , LaCosse County Couthouse, LaCosse, Wisconsin. LaCosse County, Tax Roll Recods, Miscellaneous, Located at the Aea Reseach Cente, Univesity of Wisconsin, LaCosse, LaCosse, Wisconsin. 85

171 Nothen La Cosse County, Wisconsin Histoic Building Suvey Cica 845 to 950 Submitted Decembe 2002 To the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission And the Wisconsin Histoical Society By Mississippi Valley Achaeology Cente At Univesity of Wisconsin-La Cosse Babaa M. Kooiman, Pincipal Investigato R.O.I. #495

172 AKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Nothen LaCosse County Histoic/Achitectual Suvey Poject has been funded with the assistance of a gant-in-aid fom the National Pak Sevice, U.S. Depatment of the Inteio, unde the povisions of the National Histoical Pesevation Act of 966, as amended. Histoic Pesevation gants-in-aid ae administeed in Wisconsin in conjunction with the National Registe of Histoic Places pogam of the Histoic Pesevation Division of the Wisconsin Histoical Society. Howeve, the contents and opinions in this publication do not necessaily eflect the views o policies of the National Pak Sevice o the Wisconsin Histoical Society. Poject Staff: Mississippi Valley Achaeology Cente at Univesity of Wisconsin-LaCosse. Pincipal Investigato: Babaa M. Kooiman, M.A. Poject Assistants: Cotney Cain Buce Pekins Dawn Whaley Student Supeviso: Chales Lee, Ph.D., Univesity of Wisconsin-LaCosse Public Histoy Pogam. Mississippi Valley Achaeology Cente would like to show appeciation to the many people who have diectly and indiectly suppoted this poject. The following individuals and goups have assisted in the completion of this poject: LaCosse County Boad James Esham, County Boad Chai Cheyl Stephens, County Boad Chai secetay LaCosse County Histoic Pesevation Sites Commission Vicki Twinde, acting chai Benda Jodan, secetay and Poject Manage King Holley Geoge Kapanke Haiet Schuppel Kevin Mack Shaon Mahlum

173 TABLE of CONTENTS Abstact 5 Methodology 7 Summay of Results 9 Oveview Histoy of LaCosse County Histoic Context Themes 9 Township Histoies 59 Intensive Suvey 7 Recommendations 73 Bibliogaphy 77 Appendix: Memoandum of Ageement 3

174 ABSTRACT LaCosse County, which is situated in west cental Wisconsin along the easten banks of the Mississippi Rive, was among the ealiest egions of Wisconsin to be settled. The ich soil and wide ange of topogaphy bought people fom a wide vaiety of ethnic backgounds to the egion. This document exploes the histoic context and themes of the ual townships in the seven townships which lie noth of the LaCosse Rive Valley, which bisects the county east to west. The achitectual histoy of the county is an impotant pat of its histoy. The famsteads, ual schools, townhalls, and eligious complexes which make up the envionment help tell the histoy of this egion. This epot attempts to ecod and disseminate infomation about the county using its buildings as a vehicle to expess that histoy. LaCosse County encompasses 48 squae miles, equaling 307,840 aces. It is bounded by Tempealeau County to the nothwest, Jackson County to the noth, Monoe County to the east, Venon County to the south, and the Mississippi Rive along its west bode. Fo this study, the townships of Buns, Campbell/Meday, Famington, Hamilton, Holland, and Onalaska wee suveyed. One-hunded thityfive (35) popeties wee suveyed at the econnaissance level within the poject aea. Eleven () popeties wee identified as being National Registe eligible. 5

175 METHODOLOGY In Septembe 200 the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission hied Babaa Kooiman of Mississippi Valley Achaeology Cente at the Univesity of Wisconsin-LaCosse as Pincipal Investigato fo the Nothen LaCosse County, Wisconsin Histoic/Achitectual Suvey. Kooiman, in conjunction with the Public Histoy pogam at Univesity of Wisconsin-LaCosse, unde the supevision of D. Chales Lee, conducted field wok duing the fall of 200 and sping of The eseach team of Kooiman and the UW-L students held a public meeting on May, 2002 at the Holmen City Hall in Holmen. The meeting was held in conjunction with a Holmen Histoical Society monthly meeting, and appoximately foty people wee in attendance, including inteested paties in the community, and M. Joe DeRose, Suvey Coodinato, Wisconsin Histoical Society. Field wok commenced almost immediately upon selection of MVAC to pepae the epot. Kooiman oganized the Public Histoy students, compised in the fall of 200 of Buce Pekins, Dawn Whaley and Cotney Cain. Whaley and Cain continued assisting with field wok well into Kooiman and Pofesso Lee met with the students peiodically thoughout both semestes, and Kooiman assigned eadings in LaCosse County histoy, witing assignments of thematic chaptes fo the epots, and once field wok was commenced, eseach on paticula popeties within the poject aea which appeaed to meet the citeia fo National Registe of Histoic Places eligibility. Field wok continued fom Septembe 200 though May Kooiman took one student at a time to conduct field wok. Kooiman dove, and the took all photogaphs, while the students filled out field suvey foms and plotted the popeties on field maps, which was infomation that was late tansfeed to clean USGS maps. Vitually all public oads within the poject aea wee diven. Field suvey citeia was as follows: The popeties wee each located inside the poject aea, including all of the townships of Campbell, Famington, and Holland, and the nothen potions only of Buns, Hamilton, and Onalaska. A LaCosse County highway map was used as a oad map in the suvey, as well as multiple 7.5' USGS maps. Suveyed popeties wee at least 50 yeas old, and the main building had sufficient integity to poject a sense of its histoy. If the popety was

176 seveely modified with additions, eplacement siding, o non-histoic windows o doos, it was not suveyed. Exceptions to these citeia wee occasionally made fo popeties which wee unusual o paticulaly old. Abandoned popeties wee suveyed if they had sufficient integity, and dated fom the nineteenth centuy. All schools, town halls, and othe less common popety types wee ecoded despite integity. Not only buildings and complexes of buildings (such as famsteads) wee ecoded, but stuctues, such as bidges, and sites, such as cemeteies wee ecoded as well. All popeties wee located on USGS maps using the SHSW suvey map codes. One oiginal copy of maps will be pat of the deliveables fo the SHSW fo this poject, and a second, photocopied set of maps will be submitted to the LaCosse'County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission achives. All photos wee taken with black & white 35mm film, poduced on contact sheets, and pints, which wee adheed to suvey cads, which ae submitted to the SHWS as final deliveables. Data enty of the field suvey was made in the HistoiBase database pogam utilized by the SHSW Histoic Pesevation Division. The LaCosse County suvey was copied onto disk fo the SHSW and submitted as pat of the final deliveables fo this poject. Suvey cads and foms wee photocopied and pesented a pat of the deliveables fo the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission. The UW-L public histoy students did all the data enty on to foms and Babaa Kooiman made all enties into the HistoiBase pogam. The students plotted all popeties on maps, and as descibed above, wote geneal LaCosse County histoy, township histoies, thematic chaptes, and site-specific histoies. Each student was given an independent study cedit and gade though the UW-L Public Histoy pogam unde Pofesso Lee. 8

177 SUMMARY of RESULTS The Nothen LaCosse County, Wisconsin Histoic/Achitectual Suvey began in Septembe 200 and was completed in summe 2002 unde the diection of Babaa Kooiman, Pincipal Investigato, at Mississippi Valley Achaeology Cente fo the LaCosse County Histoic Sites Pesevation Commission. The esults of the suvey wee: Pepaation and ceation of the suvey epot Suvey of 35 popeties in nothen LaCosse County Pepaation of field suvey maps Database enty in HistoiBase database of all suveyed popeties Identification of eleven () National Registe of Histoic Places eligible popeties. LaCosse County Histoic/Achtectual Suvey Suvey Results Popety Types Township /City Buns Fams tead House 3 School 2 Religious 0 Cemetey Govt. 0 Commecial 0 Bidge 0 Othe 0 Total 7 Campbell Famington Hamil-ton Holland Onalaska Holmen TOTAL * Bold townships wee only patially suveyed, as southen potions of these townships wee initially suveyed in

178 Styles (houses only) Township/C ity Buns 2 stoy cube Queen Anne Font Gable Side Gable Gabled Ell 2 Coss Gable Italianate Bungalow Othe Campbell 2 2 Famington Hamilton 2 2 Holland Onalaska Holmen Total Othe = one-stoy cube, Quonset, gabled-t, Dutch Colonial. 2 of the above houses ae also patially log. 0

179 OVERVIEW HISTORY OF LACROSSE COUNTY LaCosse County was fomed in 85, with its final boundaies detemined by 857, howeve, fist settlement occued in the vicinity of the pesent-day city of LaCosse as ealy as 844. Up to the pesent, agicultue has emained an impotant pat of LaCosse County's economy. Howeve, duing the past one hunded fifty yeas thee have been shifts in the types of pefeed agicultual poducts. Fo example, in the late 800s wheat poduction was vey impotant to LaCosse County, howeve, by the ealy 900s the shift was made to daiy poduction, with con and hay being impotant cops, while wheat became elatively ae as a LaCosse County cop. The types of fam layout and outbuildings utilized would have also changed duing this shift fom a gain-based economy to a livestock-based economy. The elative wealth of fames also shifted, and pefeed house styles assist in eflecting those changes. Wisconsin became a state in the yea 848, but pio to that time it had been a pat of seveal diffeent teitoies. The Teaty of Pais, signed in 873, ceded all land east of the Mississippi Rive to the United States. Howeve, it was not until the Jay Teaty of 794 that the Fedeal Govenment etained complete contol ove the teitoy.' The fist claim fo this teitoy, which included the aea of pesent-day Byant, Benjamin F. (Ed). Memois of LaCosse County. (Madison: Westen Histoical Association, 907), 28

180 Wisconsin, was claimed by the Viginia colonial govenment. Shotly afte the Jay Teaty, Viginia elinquished this land to the United States Govenment. In 785 and 787 two diffeent Nothwest Odinances wee passed by the United States. These odinances wee set up as a fom of govenment fo the Nothwest Teitoy, which included pesent day Wisconsin. The fist act povided the guidelines fo the ectangula land suvey that established the townships and the section sizes thoughout much of the United States. When the odinance fist went into effect the smallest size pacel a peson could buy was an entie section, o 360 aces. Howeve, the size of the pacel was educed to foty aces pio to the fist settlement of the aea. It was this foty-ace pacel of land that most settles initially bought, and became the Ameican fam standad size. The second act povided that thee would not be slavey in the Nothwest Teitoy. 2 By July of 800 the aea including pesent-day Wisconsin was pat of the teitoy of Indiana, howeve, the aea of Wisconsin was ceded to the teitoy of Illinois in 809. When Illinois gained its statehood in 88, the aea of pesent-day Wisconsin became a pat of Michigan's teitoy. The Wisconsin teitoy belonged to the Winnebago tibes until the Novembe 837 teaty, which equied the Winnebago to yield thei land that lay east of the Mississippi to the United States. 3 The teitoy of Wisconsin was established in 836 and was ganted its statehood in 848. LaCosse County was not ceated until afte the State of Wisconsin was itself fomed in 848. When Wisconsin was established the aea of pesent day LaCosse County was included in Cawfod County which consisted of much of the westen potion of the state. In Febuay of 85 the state legislatue passed a bill ceating LaCosse County, and on 9 May 85 the county was fully oganized. Seveal bounday changes occued ove the yeas befoe the pesent boundaies of LaCosse County wee established. The pesent boundaies of LaCosse County, consisting of 475 squae miles, wee designated and appoved on 3 Mach 857, six yeas afte the county itself was ceated. 4 The name "La Cosse," a wod of Fench oigin, was given to the aea as ealy as 805, when it was known as Paiie de la Cosse. The name "La Cosse" oiginally came fom the name the Fench gave the ball game that the Indians played at this 2 Conlin, Joseph R. The Ameican Pat: a Suvey of Ameican Histoy. San Diego: Hacout Bace Jovanonich Publishe, , 46; Byant, Byant, 29, Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88, 35, 328; Histoical Atlas and Chonology of County Boundaies, Vol. 3 Michigan, Wisconsin. John H. Long, ed. Compiled by Hugo P. Leaning (Wl), John H. Long (Ml). Boston: C.K. Hall and Co., ; Byant, 47. 2

181 time, which utilized a stick which eminded the Fench of a piest's coss o staff. Nathan Myick, the aea's fist pemanent settle, shotened the name to La Cosse. 5 Nathan Myick aived Novembe 84 on a flatboat fom Paiie du Chien. Myick came to the aea fom New Yok to tade with the native tibes. Oiginally he had set up camp on Baon's Island, which is pesent-day Pettibone island. Howeve, in 842 he moved his tading post fom the island diectly acoss the main channel of the Mississippi Rive to the pesent site of the city of La Cosse. 6 In 844 the fist Euo-Ameican fames moved to the aea. John and Chales Nagel placed thei fam at the foot of the bluffs between pesent day State Road and Momon Coulee. 7 Between 85 and 855 settles stated to take outlying land fo fams, while people wee still settling in the village of LaCosse. 8 In the fall of 858 thee wee still some six hunded thousand vacant aces of land available in the county fo settlement and faming. Howeve, little speculation of the land was done, because most of the settles made thei claims fo thei foty ace pacels in peson at the land office, which became easie once the land office was moved to LaCosse fom Mineal Point in The following table gives the numbe of land pacels and pecentage deeded by month in the yea of 853. The smallest pecentage of land egisteed was in the month of Febuay, pobably due to the seveely cold weathe that the aea expeiences duing this month. The month of Novembe indicates the lagest numbe of land egisteed, pobably because winte would soon set in and sheltes needed to be built. The month of June epesents the second lagest amount of land egisteed, pobably because thee was still time to plant a cop and constuct sufficient sheltes. 0 Month (of 853) Pacels Registeed Pecentage Januay Febuay Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, , 58. * Byant, 23, 32. Myick's Post was located nea the pesent day intesection of Font and State Steets. 7 Histoy of LaCosse County, Wisconsin, 332. " Byant, Byant, 50; Wingate, Robet Geoge. Settlement Pattens of LaCosse County, Wisconsin Thesis, Univesity of Minnesota, August 975, Wingate, 99. 3

182 Mach Apil May June July August Septembe Octobe Novembe Decembe Vacant land o Owned by Raiload Total , Of these pionees who came to the aea between 848 and 862, the majoity of them hailed fom the easten seaboad, such as New Yok and New England. Euopean immigants also aived in the aea. The two majo nationalities that epesented these ealy settles wee Geman and Nowegian. They tended to wok pimaily in lumbeing o faming." The population of the county in 855 was nealy 4,000 and by 860 it was 2,86. The lage jump in population was due to the aiload being established in LaCosse in The population of the aea slowed down duing the Civil Wa, howeve once the wa was ove many people fom the southen United States moved noth. The population gew steadily fo the next ten yeas to 20,297 in 870. The gowth slowed fom 870 to 880 when the population was 27,073. Though the next two decades the population continued to ise, 38,80 in 890 and 42,997 at the tun of the centuy.' 2 Many diffeent nationalities wee epesented in the tun-of-the-centuy population of LaCosse County. The foeign bon population totaled 0,902 in 900. Foty pecent wee Gemans who settled pimaily in the southwesten potion of the county. Nowegians, including Swedes, who settled mostly in the nothwesten potion of the county, equaled thity-two pecent. Bohemians, who tended to settle in the southeast, equaled five pecent. English equaled thee " Byant, 48. By 862 ove eighty-five pecent of the county was settled, Wingate, 0.,2 Gegoy, John C. West Cental Wisconsin: A Histoy. Indianapolis: S. J. Clake Publishing Co., Inc., 933, 599; Byant, 8. 4

183 pecent, and Canadians (which included Fench, via Canada) equaled two pecent of the population. The Yankees, English and Welsh all settled pimaily along the LaCosse Rive Valley and its tibutaies.' 3 One sixth of the population of Wisconsin in 860 wee fom Gemany, howeve, the English, Ameican and Welsh settles wee among.the ealiest nationalities in the LaCosse aea. 4 By the yea 905 LaCosse County was almost entiely settled, and contained twenty-one diffeent nationalities, of which the Gemans and Nowegians wee the pedominate ethnic goups. The only land emaining unsettled in 905 was 760 aces of sandstone soil that was held by the ailoads. 5 Foeignes geneally leaned of Wisconsin though the state's Bueau of Immigation. This govenmental office was used to help ecuit new settles to the state. Along with the bueau, in 852 state legislation povided fo an immigation commissione to be located in New Yok City to povide infomation about Wisconsin to the newly aived immigants. Anothe way that immigants leaned of the United States was though lettes that wee sent back to the old county fom those who tavesed thei way to the new lands. These lettes gave fist hand knowledge of the voyage, land, and settlement oppotunities in cetain aeas. All ethnic goups used this system as a majo souce of infomation which helped many in the decision to emigate o to stay behind. 6 The outes that the immigants fist followed to the LaCosse aea wee of two kinds befoe 858. The immigants could follow one of the numeous wate highways such as the Mississippi Rive fom the south o fom the noth via the Geat Lakes. The othe choice was along the ough Indian tails that could be tavesed by foot, ox cat, hose o stagecoach. A big change in aea tanspotation took place on 23 August 858 when the LaCosse & Milwaukee Raiload became the fist aiload to extend to LaCosse. The aiload taveles followed the LaCosse Rive Valley though the Diftless aea to LaCosse and the Mississippi Rive. This point was the only access that could be made between the Wisconsin and St. Coix ives. The aiload followed one of the ealy tanspotation outes to connect LaCosse to easten Wisconsin.' 7 The fist aiload in poximity to LaCosse was located in Paiie du Chien and an fom Milwaukee. This aiload line was established in 857. The Milwaukee " Byant, 8. "Raney, 28; Byant, 8. 5 Wingate, 63, 65. " Wingate, 63, 65. " Gegoy, 508; Wingate 52, 53, 59. The Diftless aea is the aea of land that was not coveed by the glacial ice duing the last ice age.6 to ten thousand yeas ago. 5

184 and LaCosse Raiload paalleled that of the Paiie du Chien and Milwaukee line. This line was impotant to LaCosse because with it the city was connected to Chicago not only by ive but also by ail, and ceated a southwesten node fo Wisconsin and Minnesota. 8 The Milwaukee & LaCosse was not the only aiload in LaCosse. in 867 the city of LaCosse was linked up with the Milwaukee & St. Paul Raiload. A mege between the St. Paul & Chicago and the Milwaukee & St. Paul in 874 ceated the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Raiload. Befoe Minnesota goods could be tanspoted to LaCosse and Wisconsin, a bidge was needed acoss the Mississippi Rive. In 870 a winte bidge was built to connect LaCosse to Baon's Island, then acoss the Mississippi Rive to Minnesota. Duing the seasons when the Mississippi Rive was navigable between the yeas 870 and 879, goods and passenges wee tansfeed acoss the ive to the awaiting aiload in Minnesota. The aiload bidge was constucted acoss the ive in 876. This bidge connected the Milwaukee & LaCosse Line on the Wisconsin side to the Southen Minnesota Raiload on the Minnesota side. 9 By 893 thee majo aiload lines wee unning though the LaCosse Rive Valley, influencing the establishment and pemanence of the villages of Rockland, Bango and West Salem. The ailoads enabled the tanspot of aw mateials, manufactued goods, and people fom the LaCosse Rive Valley to commece centes such as Milwaukee, Chicago, and St. Paul. 20 LaCosse County's ealy histoy is maked by pospeity, but by the tun of the centuy, the county's economy seemed to be less stable, with the loss of the lumbe industies, and the waning of wheat gowing in westen Wisconsin. The county's esidents divesified howeve, and one aea whee they developed was in the daiy industy. The intoduction of the daiy cows to LaCosse County was vital to the continued economic gowth of the county. Daiying povided a stable economy fo the county's esidents. The soils thoughout the county ae well suited to the cultivation of cops such as con and hay which was needed to feed the daiy heds. Milk poduction led to the ceation of local coopeatives that specialized in butte and cheese poduction. The ability of the people of LaCosse County to diect thei effots towads daiying and othe agicultual poducts has allowed fo the continued economic and population gowth of the county. Following 900, daiying has developed into one of the leading industies of the State of Wisconsin, as well as LaCosse County. Agicultue in geneal has emained a stong stabilizing facto in the county's 8 Gegoy, 492; Wingate, 53.,9 Babaa Kooiman, "Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Depot," LaCosse, Wl, National Registe of Histoic Places Nomination, section 8 page Robet C. Nesbit, The Histoy of Wisconsin, Vol. III. (Madison: State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 985), 6

185 economy, with the size of the county's fams fluctuating elatively little though out the histoic peiod. In 890 the aveage county fam was 54.4 aces, and in 950 the aveage fam was 68.0 aces. 2 ' This economic stability has bought ual LaCosse County to its pesent state. The people, land, buildings and soils of the county have combined to make it an agicultually ich aea, with a stong sense of beauty, tadition, and had labo. The following thematic chaptes will illustate how cetain aspects of the county's histoy have influenced the built envionment of LaCosse County. LaCosse County, contoued fields 2 ' Univesity of Wisconsin Agicultual Extension Sevices, Wisconsin Rual Resouces, LaCosse, County. (Madison, Wl: Wisconsin State Depatment of Agicultue, Cop and Livestock Repoting Sevice, 957), 8. 7

186 F HISTORIC CONTEXT THEMES OF NORTHERN LACROSSE COUNTY Settlement Wisconsin was a pime spot fo settlement afte the population inceases in the east. It was heavily foested at the time of Euopean expansion into the aea. The natual esouces wee abundant and the climate was hash. The land was occupied by Ameican Indians befoe the disuption of the Euopeans. The ealiest Euopeans into the aea wee Fench tappes. With the exception of a few militay fots and a few othe settlements, pemanent settlement of Wisconsin fist began in the lead egion of the southwesten potion of the state aound The population moved in fom the diection of the Mississippi Rive because the late commecial centes on the Geat Lakes wee not yet developed. The fist influx of settles geneally occupied the southen counties of the state 23, mainly due to the lead mines that wee located in the aea. The Black Hawk Wa of 832 opened the southeasten potion of the state fo expansion and the demand fo cheap land bought about a apid population gowth. Once the expansion began, it pogessed apidly. The state's population gew fom only,000 in 836 when the teitoy was fomed to 776,000 in I A high popotion of this population was made up of foeigne bon immigants and Ameicans of New England backgound. 25 The majo eason fo the expansion was the land. Wisconsin had abundant cheap land that was available to the ealy settles. Although land was also available in the West, many enthusiasts believed that no whee was good famland so plentiful. 26 Thee was also a majo push by the state to bing in settles. Legislation by the state of Wisconsin in povided a commissione of emigation with an 22 H.A. Tenney and David Atwood. Fathes of Wisconsin. (Madison: Wl: David Atwood, publishe, 985), Wyatt, Babaa, ed. Cultual Resouces Management in Wisconsin- Volumes l-lll, A Manual fo Histoic Popeties. (Madison: Histoic Pesevation Division, State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 986.) "Robet C. Nesbit. Wisconsin: A Histoy. (Madison: The Univesity of Wisconsin Pess, 973), Robet C. Nesbit. Wisconsin: A Histoy. (Madison: The Univesity of Wisconsin Pess, 973), Richad N. Cuent. The Histoy of Wisconsin: Volume II The Civil Wa Ea, (Madison: State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 976), 47. 9

187 office in New Yok and a tavel agent to entice immigants to come to the state. The fist commissione of immigation was Cysbet Van Steenwyk fom La Cosse. 27 The job of the tavel agent was "to see that coect epesentations be made in easten newspapes of ou Wisconsin's geat natual esouces, advantages, and pivileges, and billiant pospects fo the futue..." They annually distibuted about thity thousand copies of pamphlets in Geman, Nowegian, and Dutch language vesion. 28 Not only did this attact foeignes, but it also dew a lage numbe of native New Yokes and -New Englandes. Land had become a scae commodity in the East as populations inceased thee. In 860, almost half of the Wisconsin esidents bon in othe states wee fom New Yok. 29 Anothe pominent eason fo the influx of foeignes was the opening of the Geat Lakes with the constuction of the Eie Canal. Opened in 825, it povided a wate path to the inteio of the United States. This began a common mode of tanspotation fo those who came to Wisconsin. The city of Milwaukee gew temendously due to the tend towads wate tavel. In 840, Milwaukee had,72 esidents but by 860, the city had gown to 45, La Cosse County lies in the unglaciated aea, o "diftless aea," of Wisconsin. The aea is also known as the westen uplands, efeing to the highland egion that is bodeed on the west by the Mississippi Rive valley. 3 ' The topogaphy is chaacteized by deep avines of steep-walled valleys called "coulees," caved out by glacial ice wates. 32 The land along the Mississippi was paiie land. The initial attaction of La Cosse County was fo fu tade. Fench and Bitish fu tades had been in the aea tading with Native Ameicans. Late, the foests noth of La Cosse povided a base fo the lumbe industy. The convenience of tanspotation to the aea helped in the settlement. The end of the Black Hawk Wa in 832 opened the aea up fo Euopean expansion. The wa took away much of the peceived theat Native Ameicans had pesented in the aea. La Cosse was 27 Robet C. Nesbit. Wisconsin: A Histoy. (Madison: The Univesity of Wisconsin Pess, 973), ibid u p ibid., p Robet C. Nesbit. Wisconsin: A Histoy. (Madison: The Univesity of Wisconsin Pess, 973), Robet Ceoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin , Ibid., p. 7 20

188 F easily accessible via the Mississippi Rive and that helped with ealy settlement in the county." In 847, a yea befoe Wisconsin gained statehood, a suvey was done by Heny Bliss of La Cosse County. 34 The land in pesent day La Cosse County was put up fo sale and a land office was opened in Mineal Point fo the auctioning of this new land. With land pices of $.25 an ace, a settle could puchase eighty aces of land fo one hunded dollas. 35 Initial settlement of La Cosse County took place between 850 and Although the Welsh wee the initial settles in the county, in the following yeas the Gemans and Nowegians would settle in lage numbes. The Gemans and Nowegians fist puchased land in the county in and settled in lage numbes both in 853 and Of these ealy settles, the Gemans settled in the Momon Coulee and the Nowegians settled in the La Cosse Valley. Much of the southen pat of La Cosse County was settled late than the nothen and westen potions. 39 Tavel was difficult to these aeas and isolation was the nom. The townships of Shelby, Geenfield and Washington wee some of the last townships in the county to be populated. No villages existed in the southen pat of the county and only a few unincopoated villages exist. This is due to the aea's close poximity to La Cosse and to the fact that most of the aea was not on majo tavel outes. The townships in the southwesten pat of the county wee not connected to wateways that lead to Paiie La Cosse but instead, as in the example of Momon Ceek, came out five o six miles south in the Mississippi slough. These townships wee theefoe off the main line of tavel. One of the fist goups to actually settle in southen La Cosse County wee the Momons. In 844, appoximately twenty families fom Nauvoo, Illinois came to La Cosse. They settled in an aea which is now efeed to as Momon Coulee and engaged in cutting cod wood. In the sping, they left mysteiously unde the light 3 Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin , Wingate, Wingate, 56. "Wingate, 47. "Wingate, Wingate, 6. M Benjamin F. Byant. Memois of La Cosse County, 50. 2

189 of thei buning cabins. They abandoned the La Cosse site and moved the colony to Texas. 40 GERMANS The Gemans wee one of the lagest Euopean goups that immigated to Wisconsin. The 850 census evealed that oughly 2% of the state's population wee Gemans. 4 They began to settle in La Cosse County in 850. They puchased land in Momon Coulee that was abandoned when the Momons left. 42 The lagest numbe Geman land puchases came in 855, when Gemans bought 255 foty ace pacels. 43 The majoity of this land was on the limestone idge in the southen pat of the county, in Washington and Geenfield Township. Most of these settles wee Catholic Gemans fom southen Gemany. 44 These Gemans came fom aeas in Southen Gemany, Austio-Hungay and Switzeland that had simila limestone soils. 45 William Nicolai and Gegoy Boschet wee two ealy settles in Geenfield Township. 46 William Nicolai came to the United States in 849, moved to La Cosse County in 852, and settled in Geenfield the following yea. Gegoy Boschet moved to Geenfield in 855 afte living in New Yok and Racine County, Wisconsin. NORWEGIANS The Nowegians wee the majo homesteades in the county. They mostly settled in the sandstone valleys of the nothen pat of the county although two settlements ae in the limestone egions in the southen pat of the county. 47 One of these settlements of Nowegians is aound the Bostwick Valley Luthean Chuch in Bostwick Valley. The othe southen Nowegian settlement is in Washington Township and is an extension of the Coon Valley settlement in Venon County. In Bango, Geenfield, and Washington townships, 40 Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin p.49 4 Wyatt, Babaa, ed. Cultual Resouces Management in Wisconsin- Volumes Nil, A Manual fo Histoic Popeties. (Madison: Histoic Pesevation Division, State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 986.) 42 Wingate, Wingate, 6. ""Wingate, Wingate, Byant, Benjamin F. Memois of La Cosse County, Wingate,

190 the population of Nowegians inceased fom,347 in 860 to 3,38 in 870. Also, of the 8,602 foeigne bon settles in 870, 2,646 wee Swedish o Nowegian native. 49 SWISS The Swiss wee one of the fist ethnic goups to settle in La Cosse County. In 85, a goup of five Swiss led by John Bosshad wee the fist settles of Bango. 50 Some of them settled in the Dutch Ceek valley and the othes settled in the La Cosse Rive valley. Between 853 to 860, seveal goups of Swiss settles came to the southen pat of La Cosse County. 5 The epots witten by Heny Bosshad, a school teache fom nea Zuich who came to the United States and wote about life hee, wee pobably influential in binging Swiss to the county. Bosshad stated the county had low piced land, vigin woods, ich soil, and an excellent supply of wate. The Swiss settled in an aea called Momon Coulee, about five miles south of the village of La Cosse. Some of the ealiest families wee the Hoffmans, Hindelings, Schweizes, and Spenges. Although the date of thei exact aival date is uncetain, they all located in the Town of Shelby between 853 and 854. The lagest influx of Swiss into the aea was a goup fom Bienz, Canton Ben, in 856. These people wee sheep-hedes and the economy in Canton Ben at the time was not good. When they aived they bought land fom non-esident ownes, pobably land speculatos. Late Swiss settled fathe up Momon Coulee, in Geenfield Township. Matt Blume, a Swiss settle who took pat in the Califonia gold ush, settled in the aea in the 850s and built Blume's Mill on Momon Coulee Ceek in 87." BOHEMIANS Although the fist settle came between 854 and 855, the Bohemians wee one of the last goups to settle in the county. Many of them came fom the vicinity of Plzen. They settled in an aea known as Bohemian Ridge and Bohemian Valley 4 * Fapso, William J. Nowegians in Wisconsin 49 Histoy of La Cosse County, State Histoical Society of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Domesday Book: Town Studies, Vol. I. (Madison, State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 924), 23. s ' Geoge Zielke. "The Swiss Settles of Momon Coulee," The La Cosse County Histoical Sketches, Seies. (LaCosse, Wl: Liesenfeld Pess., 93), 2. "Zielke., 2. 23

191 in the southeast cone of the county. 53 A numbe of factos influenced thei moving to this aea. Fist, the limestone soil in the aea was simila to the soils of Bohemia. Also, the Bohemian Ridge had a lage Geman population and the Bohemians wee accustom to living nea Gemans since Bohemia was pat of the Austo-Hungaian Empie. Finally, they wee Catholic and attended the St. Petes Chuch at Middle Ridge. 54 DUTCH The Dutch in LaCosse County settled in the nothwesten potion of the county in what came to be known as Holland Township. The township was oiginally settled by a goup of Dutch immigants who aived in 853 afte having been shipwecked in the West Indies. They aived in LaCosse County via New Oleans. The low, sandy bottom lands along the Black and Mississippi ives appealed to them, and they founded the village of New Amstedam, whee thee ae still descendents of these oiginal families today. 55 FRENCH The Fench who settled in the LaCosse aea came oiginally fom Fench Canada nea Monteal. They settled the aea noth of LaCosse which was called Fench Island, now the Town of Campbell. In the twentieth centuy, the esidents of this aea became known fo thei tuck faming, and seveal of these Fench Canadian descendents opeated these tuck fams. 56 " Robet Geoge Wingate. Settlement Pattens in La Cosse County, Wisconsin , Wingate, Wingate, Wingate,

192 AGRICULTURE The attention of ealy settles was confined to getting food, shelte, and clothing. Theefoe, the fist pionees of a county wee fames, fishemen, mines, and tappes, because it is the easiest to make a living fom these aw mateials, and povide fo themselves, and thei families. In the ealy histoy of Wisconsin this is tue". The soils of La Cosse County wee ich enough to suppot cultivation and planting, and many ealy settles took advantage of this. This epot will focus on the agicultual histoy of La Cosse County, and will include such topics as cops, cop usage, teain, and livestock. Teain La Cosse County is located in an aea called the "diftless" egion. The "diftless" egion is an aea in west-cental Wisconsin that was untouched by the glacies. It is chaacteized by steep bluffs, and naow valleys, known in the aea as "coulees". In the high egions, whee the suface ock is limestone, the soil is invaiably good. Some low aeas, howeve, whee limestone has been eoded away, undelying sandstone is the suface ock, which is sandy and agicultually unpoductive 58. This is not always the case, though, as some places ae filled with alluvial matte which was deposited by steams. This being the case, thee ae many high elevation fields. Lage "bluff-top" fields ae not ae. In the low aeas, fields ae long and naow, as this is the layout of the teain fom which the fields wee cut. Cops The same natual conditions that make Wisconsin an agicultual state, detemined that its main inteest was gain gowing in the ealy yeas. Wheat is the numbe one cop of all in La Cosse County. 59 It was easy to plant, and took little o no wok to cultivate, and manage. Wheat is vey stong, and can withstand colde 57 W.W Daniels, M.S. Pof, of Chemisty and Agicultue At the Univesity of Wisconsin, Ealy account of the oigins of agicultue, Lawence Matin, Physical Geogaphy of Wisconsin. "Babaa Wyatt, Fom Cultual Resouces Management in Wisconsin-Volumes Mil. A Manual fo Histoic Popeties. 25

193 tempeatues, and a shote gowing season as is the case in Wisconsin. Wisconsin was anked ninth in wheat poduction in In 860, this ank was aised to thid 6, only Illinois and Indiana aising moe. Wheat was the fist ealy cash cop of Wisconsin, but thee wee disadvantages to it as a cop. It left the land with few of the nutients it needed to continue annual poduction, and people in ealy agicultue did not ealize that wheat would deplete the soil of nutients, no did they have the land capital fo cop otation. No attention was paid to soil fetility. The only aim was to secue the lagest cop fo the smallest outlay of capital. This lead to expeimentation with othe cops, and ultimately cop divesification. Con was aised to a lage extent, but this aea, along with the est of Wisconsin has neve anked high in con poduction. 62 Con was nomally gown in the southwesten pat of the state, and mainly followed the population oute. Howeve, con became vey impotant with the age of the daiy industy, and the intoduction of the silo in 880. Con was the chief silage mateial and as daiy faming gew con aceage was expanded fo silage puposes. The use of con silage made it possible to gow the cop fathe noth and thus the aceage in the nothen daiy counties gew. Anothe development which has tended to extend con aceage in La Cosse County had been the intoduction of hybids and ealie matuing vaieties of seed." Next to wheat, moe bushels of oats wee aised than any othe ceeal. In 860, Wisconsin was fifth in ank among oat gowing states, and sixth in This anking had changed since the induction of the states in the "bead basket" aea. In 947 Wisconsin was anked thid with nealy 3 million aces of oats annually havested. 65 Tobacco was intoduced to this state in 860, and has geatly inceased since then. Nothen tobacco is infeio to southen leaf, and is aely used fo smoking M W.W. Daniels, 52. " W.W. Daniels, W.W. Daniels, 55 M W. H. Ebling, 26 M W.W. Daniels, W.H. Ebling, 26 26

194 o chewing. Ciga wapping tobacco does vey well in this climate 66. In 945 tobacco was only gown on slightly moe than 20,000 aces in the state. 67 Cop Usage All of the above cops wee fist gown as cash cops, until the intoduction of daiy faming in the mid nineteenth centuy. Afte daiy faming's intoduction, cash cops fell in populaity to milking cows because of the demand fo daiy poducts. Cops wee used fo feed, and the excess was sold fo cash. Wheat, oats, and con wee the main ceeal cops cultivated. Livestock Daiy Cattle: Befoe maket specialization, most Wisconsin cattle wee not bed fo daiy o beef specialization. The poo makets fo eithe milk o beef did not convince too many fames to specialize thei cattle to one of these choices. Theefoe the cattle wee known as "dual-pupose" 68. This nondescipt beeding led to infeio animals howeve, and the demand fo highe quality beef and daiy poducts aound 870 made fames take notice. The ealiest attempts to specialize came fom Wisconsin's pionee daiy fames. In 870, William Dempste Hoad of Fot Atkinson initiated a long and successful campaign in Hoads Daiyman to encouage the development of puebed milking cows 69. The ealiest beeds intoduced wee Jeseys and Ayshies. Jeseys wee the dominant beed in the state, and wee known to be in La Cosse County befoe 870. The fist Holstein bull was egisteed in Janesville in 873, and Holsteins soon became the dominant daiy beed in Wisconsin 70. Holsteins wee excellent milkes, and constituted one half of the state's daiy hed by Wold Wa I 7 '. Guenseys wee intoduced in 88, and became second only to Holsteins in M W.W. Daniels, 56, Although some of the tobacco is used fo smoking, and chewing, it is neve used alone, always in a blend. 47 W.H. Ebling, 29 M Babaa Wyatt, Babaa Wyatt, Babaa Wyatt, 8-4 "Eic Lampad, The Rise of the Daiy Industy of Wisconsin. 27

195 populaity, Guenseys wee a majo daiy beed thoughout Wisconsin's daiy histoy with especially high concentations in nothen and westen counties. The ise of milking beeds in the 880s fueled the tansition to single pupose daiy heds. With this change in the state, impovements wee made to specialize the beeds. Cow census', buttefat tests, and inoculation made huge impovements on the aea's daiy hed. Beeding associations spouted up in evey county, and the Holstein-Fiesian Association of Wisconsin (897) adopted advanced egiste pogams to cetify puebed stock 72. No othe single fam animal has had the impact on Wisconsin faming as did the daiy cow. Beef Cattle: Pionee cattle wee always pized fo thei meat just as much fo thei milk 73. Howeve, steep pices of stock and feed pohibited beef faming fom being a majo industy in Wisconsin ealy on. When gain cultivation suged afte I860, fames had the main element fo aising beef cattle. Heefods, Angus, and Shothons became the best beef beeds, and poduced little milk othe than that needed fo thei offsping. Thee wee thee methods of aising beef cattle at the time, beeding cattle fo fattening and sale to slaughtehouses, beeding without fattening and sell yealings o two yea old cattle to othe fames fo fattening, and buying yealings, known as feedes fo fattening and slaughte 74. Afte fattening, the fame had many choices fo what he could do with his animals. He could sell to independent cattle buyes, he could sell though a co-opeative, he could sell at local buying auctions, he could sell at the lage teminal makets at Milwaukee, Chicago, o St. Paul, o he could sell diectly to packing plant companies 75. The cattle had to be tanspoted to any and all of these locations, and because of this hundeds of livestock shipping coopeatives wee fomed by Wisconsin fames. Beef has neve been as big as daiy, with the atio of beef to daiy animals being foty to sixty. Howeve it was the second majo fom of livestock poduction. Hogs: Hogs have neve been a lage pat of the economy of La Cosse county. Howeve they wee a pat of fam life, and deseve a mention. Hogs wee inteesting to fames because they matued quickly, and wee basically able to feed themselves. They had to be penned, because of thei desie to oam, and oot about. The eason that hogs neve became popula in this county is because of the 72 Wyatt, Wyatt, Wyatt, Wyatl,

196 gain that mostly gown hee. Hogs ae not patial to wheat, o oats, and ae seved bette in the gain belt counties of southen Wisconsin, whee com, peas, and baley ae gown to a lage extent. Hog faming was popula ealy on, but afte 900 declined dastically because of the ise in inteest to daiy faming 76. Fam Layouts: Fam layouts in La Cosse County ae typical of that in any county which is high in daiy poduction. The fam is chaacteized by the fam house, which on the olde fams is often a two stoy cube in this aea. The ban is the most pominent out building. It is nomally a huge stuctue, in which thee is a cental concete floo with long aisles of stantions and guttes fom which the cow is positioned when milked. Wide doos, aisles, and othe entances ae made especially fo the tall, wide fame of the daiy cow itself. Above the milking platfom is the hay loft, whee hay can be dopped down a shoot as it is needed to give to the cows while they ae being milked. It is also thown down into feede wagons fom a lage font opening on the font of the second floo fo feeding in the ban yad. A lage amount of hay is stoed in this loft, and is usually enough to keep most of the hed fed.thoughout pat of the winte. Attached to the ban, is the milk house. This is whee the bulk tank (milk cans befoe efigeation) is kept. Along with the milk, the pumps, hoses, and milk ae kept in the milk house. It is the most sanitay place in the ban. Con cibs, ganaies, silos, sheds fo the fam machiney, and pens fo othe livestock found on the fam will also be thee, but almost evey one of them is of diffeent style and fom. The only building that should be mentioned is the tobacco shed. The tobacco shed is end gabled, and has a peaked oof. It has slats on the side with hinges fo opening up. The inteio of the shed is composed of hoiziontal poles fo hanging the bundles of tobacco, designed to allow the tobacco to dy without haming the leaves. It is a distinct featue of some fams in La Cosse County. Thee is no eally distinct featue of a Wisconsin fam except that the house is usually in font of the est of the buildings, and most noticeable as you dive into the fam aea 77. Size of Fams in LaCosse County The size of fams on LaCosse County pobably fluctuated somewhat-as moe land was cleaed fo agicultual puposes and as smalle fams consolidated into 76 W.W. Daniels, 58, This may sound confusing, as hog aising has neve been huge, but this is what M. Daniels quoted in his eseach pape. 77 Most of this data is fom the autho's notes. He woked on many fams duing his child hood, and this is essentially the aveage layout of all of them. 29

197 lage fams. Theefoe, the numbe of fams ose, as well as the total aceage in famland, between 870 and 945. Yea Numbe of Fams in County,394,642,8,733,640 Aceage of land in Fams 89,6 253,55 276,86 273,294 26,528 As indicated above, thee wee,640 fams in LaCosse County in 945. The aveage size of these LaCosse County fams in that yea was 59.4 aces. By 950, thee wee,59 fams in the county, aveaging 68 aces pe fam. Value of Fams in LaCosse County Yea Value (in $) of fam land and buildings $3,537,085 $4,668,68 $,273,956 7,994,38 4,852,880 Regional Aveage 78 $2,229,38 $4,428,70 $4,98,976 $22,544,788 $6,073,65 The aveage pe fam value in LaCosse County in 945 was $9,057, consideably highe than the ten county egional aveage of $6,760. The aveage pe ace value in LaCosse County in 945 was $56.79, again, somewhat highe than the ten county egional aveage pe ace of $ Howeve, it should be noted that in 945, fam tenancy in LaCosse County was 3.3%, while the ten county egional aveage was only 23.6%. Theefoe, it may be summaized that even though, and pehaps because, land and building values wee high in LaCosse County in 945, that fam tenancy was moe common. LaCosse County was 78 Regional counties included ten in the westen potion of the state, including Buffalo, Dunn, Eau Claie, Jackson, LaCosse, Monoe, Pepin, St. Coix and Tempealeau counties. Ebling, et.al. A Centuy of Wisconsin Agicultue, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agicultue, 948),

198 pesumably a desiable location to live, and young fames may have been moe willing to ent o lease thei land in ode to live in that vicinity. Buildings The pimay buildings on a famstead site in LaCosse County would geneally include a house, ban, and othe ancillay outbuildings such as chicken coop, hog house, ganay, stoage shed, machine shed, silo, con cib and tobacco bans. The house geneally would have a stone foundation if constucted pe-900, and often have a concete foundation with a full basement afte 900. Ealy LaCosse County houses wee constucted of hewn log, and balloon fame clapboad, howeve seveal examples of local, ed bick houses still emain in the county. The bans which date pe 900 geneally had a stone foundation, but post 900 bans, paticulaly if used fo daiy poduction, geneally had a concete foundation with toughs fo manue and manue emoval equipment. The bans wee hewn log constuction, with ealie (pe 900) vesions exhibiting gabled oofs, while the bans often wee wood fame constuction with gambel oofs. Afte 940, many bans wee constucted with gothic ached oofs. Hay and staw wee geneally stoed in the loft. Silos wee not widely used in Wisconsin pio to 880, and the ealiest vesions wee vetical boad held togethe with bands of metal, much like a bael, with a oof cap. Close to the twentieth centuy, as daiy poduction became moe impotant in westen Wisconsin, new silo mateials wee used, including concete stave, hollow clay tile, and poued concete. Late, mid-20,h centuy silos wee usually constucted of concete block and steel. Smalle outbuildings, including chicken coops, hog houses, animal bans and othe simila buildings wee usually of fame constuction with no foundations o floos. Ganaies wee often built of wood fame as well, but usually wee constucted off the gound, with a wood foundation, and wood floo, to potect the stoed gain fom gound moistue. Amenities Location (945) Electicity % Running Wate % Radio % Telephone % LaCosse County 76.9% 54.6% 89.% 64.% Region Aveage 63.9% 39.4% 86.4% 56.3% State Aveage 70.0% 3.0% 88.0% 48.% 3

199 Ebling et.ai. 86. Statistics ae not available, othe than in 945, indicating the pecentage of amenities such as electicity, unning wate, adio and telephone, howeve, the above statistics allow the eseache to sumise that LaCosse County was a moe pospeous county than many aeas of Wisconsin. LaCosse County consistently exhibits a highe pecentage of amenities not only egionally, but within the state aveage. Coupled with the concept that fam land and buildings in the county wee also highe than in many places, it may be expected that bette quality mateial cultue could be found at many LaCosse County histoic achaeological sites. Cops Cops Con (bushels) 5,86 9,558 9,80 25,399 33,03 Oats (bushels) 7,60 24,040 28,504 22,59 20,88 Baley (bushels) 902 2,44,329 3, Rye (bushels),602 5,49 5,944 3, Wheat (bushels) 46,50,94, Potatoes (bushels) Tobacco (tons) 574 -,947 3,790 92, Hay (tons) 0,477 28,900 30,465 35,00 38,277 Cops which wee gown in LaCosse County's fetile soils shifted consideably in the past 25 yeas. In 870, it was appaent that hay, wheat and oats wee impotant cops. Howeve, by 890, wheat was aleady becoming unpopula. As wheat poduction diminished, hay continued to gow, as well as oats. By the time the ealy twentieth centuy set in, con became inceasingly dominant. This was undoubtedly in pat due to the new hybid vaieties of con which could withstand the shote gowing seasons of LaCosse County, compaed to the conbelt egions to the south, including Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. Baley became biefly popula by 90, howeve lost its acceptance just as quickly as it came in. By 945, the highest cop poduction was coming fom hay and con, two cops vey popula fo feeding livestock. 32

200 Religion The development of eligion in southen La Cosse County is a esult of the immigation pattens of the nineteenth and twentieth centuies. Those who settled in the county bought with them a ich eligious tadition. Nealy evey majo denomination was epesented in the county by the late 800s by Fench, Geman, Nowegian, Bitish, Iish, and othe Scandinavian immigants. The fist ecoded eligious meeting held in La Cosse was in July 85, led by a Methodist ministe Geoge Cheste. In 854, Rev. Spence Ca oganized eight hunded esidents, based on thei past eligious backgound, into fifteen denominations. Baptists, Methodists, Lutheans, Catholics, Pesbyteians, and Univesalists wee most widely epesented. This was the beginning of the development of eligion in La Cosse. 79 Chuch of Latte Day Saints The fist evidence of eligion in La Cosse County was The Chuch of Latte Day Saints. Led by Geoge Mille, and Lyman Wight a goup of 60 men, women, and childen settled in what is pesently the Momon Coulee aea in Septembe of 843. Opposition against Momon theology pompted bitte feelings fom othe esidents. In 845, Wight abuptly oganize the goup to leave fo Texas, thus ending thei bief stay in La Cosse. 80 Thee ae no extant buildings associated with the Chuch of Latte Day Saints fom the histoic peiod of LaCosse. Catholic On May 29, 853 the fist Catholic sevice was held in La Cosse County. Fathe Tappet conducted Mass in fam homes until 866. The ceation of the La Cosse diocese in 868 bought oganization to the Catholic chuches in the county. 8 The gowth of St. Joseph's Ridge in the town of Geenfield and St. Pete's Ridge in the town of Washington at the same time as the Catholic chuches in the city of La Cosse show the impact of this denomination on the histoy of the county. 79 Benjamin F. Byant, ed, Memois of La Cosse County (Madison: Westen Histoical Association, 907), ibid, Ibid,

201 Thee wee no extant histoic Catholic chuches which wee suveyed in nothen LaCosse County. The majoity emaining ae eithe in the cental potion of the county o in the city of LaCosse. Chuch of Chist The Geman Luthean and Geman Refomed goups wee togethe until 864 when they sepaated into two denominations. The Geman Refomed Chuch known as St. John's Refomed United Chuch of Chist was built that same yea. Rev. Kuzman was the fist pasto of the Swiss chuch. 82 Tinity was built as a county chuch (histoic chuch not extant), and it was a siste congegation to St. John's. It seved the efomed community in the Momon Coulee aea. 83 Thee wee no Chuch of Chist chuches located in nothen LaCosse County. Luthean Halfway Ceek Luthean Chuch, Onalaska Twp, LC 2/29 The Luthean chuch has its beginning in LaCosse County with the fist Nowegian settles to the county. Though the Nowegians settled all ove the A. H. Sanfod, ed, La Cosse County Histoical Scetches (Liesenfeld Pess, 93), Ou Fist 25 Yeas: St. John's Refomed United Chuch of Chist (La Cosse: CBS Gaphics, 989),

202 county, thee wee significant pockets of Nowegian settlements in the nothen section of the county. Halfway Ceek Luthean Chuch (LC 2/29), located in Onalaska Township, was built 93 of concete bicks in an English Gothic style. Halfway Ceek Luthean Chuch was oiginally built in 868, but buned to the gound in 92, thus this chuch was built one yea late. The cemetey, appoximately one-half mile to the noth, is the location of the oiginal chuch. Bu Oak Evangelical Luthean Chuch (LC 26/35), is located in Famington Township. The pasonage, school, chuch and cemetey ae all in Section 2, nea the cossoads of CTH C and CTH A. The school was built in 902. The chuch was pobably built aound the same time as the school, howeve, the congegation had stated as ealy as 855. The chuch is English Gothic style, fame with vinyl siding. The congegation was fist stated by Gemans who settled in the aea. Cemeteies Thee ae thiteen cemeteies in nothen La Cosse County. Some of these ae pat of chuch popeties, and the othes ae community cemeteies. *Asbuy Cemetey, Bice Paiie, Onalaska Township,.3 aces (LC 207/07) *Geen Mound Cemetey, Holland Township, pimaily Dutch names, 4.3 aces (LC 207/2) Fench Island Cemetey, Campbell Township,.8 aces, though oiginally a community cemetey, it is cuently maintained by the Catholic Cemtey in LaCosse(LC 20/08). Lewis Valley Luthean Cemetey, Famington Township, pimaily Nowegian sunames, 3.5 aces, associated with moden Lewis Valley Luthean Chuch. Halfway Ceek Cemetey, Onalaska Township, 2.3 aces, about V2 mile fom Halfway Ceek Luthean Chuch, pimaily Nowegian names, indicative of high Nowegian population in the aea (LC 2/30). Johnson Coulee Cemetey, Onalaska Township, mostly Nowegian names, appoximately ace (LC 2/32). Famington Cemetey, Famington Township, cica 862, stated by Lewis family, now lagest in township, maintained by township. (LC 25/26) 35

203 *Black Oak Cemetey, Famington Township, 874,.5 aces (LC 25/29) *Wet Coulee Cemetey, Famington Township, 880, mostly Nowegian names Final esting place of Stanley R. Chistianson, LaCosse County's only Congessional Medal of Hono winne, honoed fo his bavey and loss of his life in Koea in 95 (LC 26/6). *Bu Oak Cemetey, Famington Township, many Geman names, oiginally had Methodist affiliation, associated with Salze Memoial Methodist Chuch in LaCosse, it was stated in 865 (LC 26/28). *Sand Ceek Cemetey, Buns Township, appox. ace, (LC 28/) * Long Coulee Cemetey, Holland Township, ace, 28/5, oiginally associated with Luthean Society of Halfway Ceek (LC 28/5). Famington Cemetey, Famington Twp., LC 25/6 36

204 Education The fist community-based educational effot in the state pobably occued in 87 when nine citizens of Geen Bay contacted with Thomas S. Jackson to teach twenty-fou local childen the "thee R's" fo a peiod of nine months. 84 At that time, pesent-day Wisconsin was pat of the Michigan teitoy, and subject to the acts of the Michigan teitoial legislatue. In 833, one such act gave "esponsibility fo local education to town officials and authoized school disticts to use popety taxes and othe foms of funding to suppot education and build schools" 85. In 836, when Wisconsin was ganted its own teitoial status, Michigan law was caied ove, but because the laws govening education wee vaguely woded, and the Wisconsin teitoy spasely populated (appoximately twelve-thousand at the time), few gains wee made in public education. A mee fifteen yeas late, thee wee moe than 300,000 people living within Wisconsin's boundaies. Still, because of the elative spaseness of the population, little pogess was made in education. Pio to the Civil Wa, the quality of Wisconsin's pimay schools was geneally poo 86. Patick Donnelley, a school pincipal, descibed an ealy pionee schoolhouse in Milwaukee as follows: "The fist schools wee essentially pimitive. The fist teaches wee pesons who had come West with the tide of emigation, intending to build up thei fotunes. The pay of teaches in those days was baely sufficient to puchase the necessaies of life. The schools wee maintained by local self-imposed taxation o assessments. A cude log hut thity feet long by twenty feet wide, with a doo in one end, fou small windows, two on each side, was the school house of the ealy days. Thee was a wooden floo, long benches placed along the side of the walls fo smalle childen, and two o thee small tables with benches fo the moe advanced pupils. The schoolmaste had a chai, a small pine table, a ule, a penknife, a few old books, a small bottle of ink, and a quill pen. Reading, witing, and aithmetic constituted the sum total of the couse of study, except in ae instances, when an old map could be found and used fo giving some desultoy instuction in geogaphy. That the childen wee taught to ead, wite, ciphe, and spell, unde such discouaging cicumstances, was 93 Lloyd Jogenson, The Founding of Public Education in Wisconsin (Madison: The State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 956), Ibid. 66 Ibid., 7. 37

205 alike ceditable to the schoolmaste's poficiency and to the pupil's scholaly eanestness" 87. Many eligious and ethnic goups fomed thei own pivate o paochial schools, which geneally faed bette financially than thei public countepats, because of the stong eligious commitment of thei membes. Once Wisconsin achieved statehood howeve, its "govenment ecognized the fact that education was essential to the well-being and pogess of the state" 83, and financial, as well as oganizational aid was povided. With financial suppot though public taxation, and oganizational suppot though state laws, the educational system could now move its focus fom meely teaching simple eading, witing, and aithmetic, to poviding young men and women with a seconday education. Michael Fank, a Kenosha newspapeman... instigated the fist movement fo a fee public high school system in Wisconsin 89. Suppoted by othe local educational leades, Fank's poposal was put to a vote at a special school meeting, and won by a lage magin. On July 3, 849, Kenosha, Wisconsin opened the state's fist fee public high school 90. As new waves of settles and thei childen pushed westwad though the state, the schools followed. The fist school in the City of La Cosse was taught duing the winte of In 852, the official count of childen enolled in public schools was By 86, a system of county supeintendents had been inauguated fo the entie state 93. Thei duties included annual visits to thei espective disticts, examination of teaches, and geneal supevision of the schools thoughout the yea. By 88, thee wee about fou-hunded pimay and seconday schools in Wisconsin 94. In La Cosse County, the official count of school aged childen had gown to 4,60, with 3,042 in actual attendance 95. The eason 87 Conad Palze, Public Education in Wisconsin (Madison, 924), Ibid., cit:vii. 89 Ibid., 8 90 Ibid. 9 Histoy of La Cosse County (Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88), Ibid. M Ibid., J Ibid., 46. 9S Ibid.,

206 fo the discepancy is unclea, but it could be due to the need fo childen to stay at home and help out on the family fam, athe than to attend classes. Vacant School, cica 890, Buns Twp., LC 28/2 County schools in La Cosse County wee fomed and gew with the inceasing population. Even befoe schools in the elatively lage community of La Cosse opened thei doos, the neighboing Village of Bae, settled in 850, is epoted to have established "common-schools". By 88, Bae had fou schoolhouses, and employed five teaches 95. The Town of Famington built its fist school in the sping of The Town of Hamilton's fist school tem was fo the peiod of thee months, duing the fall of The fist school in the Town of Bango was taught in , and had about twenty-five students. By 88, it was epoted to have seven schoolhouses and nine teaches 99. The fist school in the town of Buns was taught in a log cabin in Section 9 of that township, in 853. At that time, thee wee seventeen students in attendance. By 88, the town boasted nine schoolhouses 00. The Town of La Cosse epotedly opened its fist public school in The Village of West Salem was officially settled in 864, and in the fall that yea, school 54 Ibid, " Ibid., Ibid., 692. "Ibid., Ibid., 73. "" R. J. Polk & Co., La Cosse City Diectoy (Richmond, R. J. Polk & Co., 995), 5. 39

207 was in session 02. The fist school in the township of Holland was built in 857 on an ace of donated land. The fist session was taught in the summe of 857' 03. Because of apid gowth in the aea at the time, documentation of the fist school in the Town of Onalaska has been difficult, but it is clea that the town had a new schoolhouse built in 870 to eplace the one that buned the yea ealie' 04. As of August 3, 880, the Town of Geenfield had fou schoolhouses and fou teaches 05. As the population of the United States continued its gowth and westwad flow, the tends of educational gowth followed. Cuently, the School Distict of La Cosse whichseves the City of La Cosse as well as potions of nine adjacent towns hasan enollment of moe than six-thousand students in nine elementay schools, thee middle schools, and two senio high schools 06. Duing the fist pat of the twentieth centuy, this massive gowth patten endeed the county schoolhouse impactical, and in most communities, obsolete. Lage and moe moden facilities wee needed. As govenmental suppot of public education inceased, funds became available fo building of moe moden facilities. As a esult, many of the oiginal one-oom schoolhouses have been azed; while othes have been emodeled fo use as pivate esidences. It is ou hope that those which emain may be documented hee, and peseved in some fashion, fo. geneations to come. The following is a list of schools inventoied fo this poject. Holmen Fee School, Holmen, now used as pat of Holmen Middle School, oiginally was high school (LC 209/7). Midway School, Bice Paiie, Onalaska Township, 927, now pivate esidence (LC 209/22). Uppe Fench Island School, Campbell Township, 925, now used as Campbell Community Cente (LC 20/05). School, nea Mindoo Cut, Hamilton Township, cica 90, now house. (LC 25/4) School, Famington Township, cica 920 (LC 25/28) 02 Histoy of La Cosse County (Chicago: Westen Histoical Company, 88), 696. '" Ibid., 706.,04 Ibid., Ibid., 727. "* R. J. Polk & Co., La Cosse City Diectoy (Richmond, R. J. Polk & Co., 995), 5. 40

208 Bell Coulee School, Famington Township, cica 920, (LC 27/08) Bown's Valley School, Famington Township, cica 900, (LC 27/0) Sand Ceek School, Famington Township, cica 900, now used by Sand Ceek Homemakes. (LC 28/0) School, vacant, cica 890, Buns Township, (LC 28/2) Long Coulee School, Holland Township, built 97, bick, Dist. #4, soon to be sold to pivate individuals, but still owned by Holmen school distict. (LC 28/8) 4

209 Industy Pio to the 850s, thee wee elatively few settles in the westen pat of the teitoy we now know as the state of Wisconsin. The needs of these settles wee compaatively simple, and most of them, being engaged in some fom of husbandy, havested the necessities of daily life off the land. As the pomise of a bette life in the new wold bought moe immigants to the aea, the population gew. Its needs gew as well. By the time Wisconsin had become a state in 848, the seeds of industy had aleady begun to spout in La Cosse and in the suounding aeas. Moe and lage buildings wee equied in which to house, educate, and seve the political and eligious needs of the citizens of this new state. Such stuctues equie sawn lumbe, nails, oofing mateials and foundational stone. Gaveled and paved oads wee needed in ode to moe expediently tanspot people and mateials fom one place to anothe. As the settles moved into the aea, they bought with them thei animals. Hoses, oxen, cattle, all of which equied cae, and theefoe additional mateial goods. Hoseshoes wee needed, as wee hanesses, wagons, and faming tools. Geate amounts of gain wee needed to feed the eve-gowing population. Each individual need bought with it the potential fo industy. Holmen Co-op Ceamey, LC 209/0 In the mid-800s, the mining industy aose because of a need fo aw mineals such as coppe, ion and lead, which wee used fo making nails, bullets, cooking pots, faming tools, and countless othe items necessay to the eveyday life of that peiod. Quaies became impotant souces fo limestone, sandstone, and gavel, 43

210 impotant in building and oad constuction. Gist, flou, and sawmills wee essential fo poviding some of the basic elements to the pionee household. The most noticeable gowth took place in the lage towns someof which will be mentioned hee bufual industies pospeed as well. It is these ual industies, especially those in the southeasten potion of La Cosse County, which will be the main focus of this chapte. The only industy building suveyed fo this poject was the Holmen Co-op Ceamey (LC 209/09) in Holmen. This two stoy bick building was constucted in 922 to house the coopeative ceamey fo the city. Ceameies of this sot wee vey common in the ealy twentieth centuy, when local daiy fames needed neaby ceameies to puchase thei milk. The ceamey building was often constucted of study, hygienic mateials such as bick and concete, which could be easily cleaned. As moe and moe ceameies consolidated by mid-centuy, and as long-tem efigeation became moe commonplace, small town ceameies became less necessay. This paticula building is now used as a meat locke. 44

211 Govenment LaCosse County was founded on Mach, 85 though an act of the state legislatue. The county was ceated fom Cawfod County and it compised the pesent counties of LaCosse, Monoe, Jackson, Tempealeau, Clak, most of Buffalo, and pat of Taylo. This same act of legislatue divided the county into the towns of LaCosse, Albion, and Pine Valley. 07 The fist meeting of the county boad was held on Novembe, 85 in the city of LaCosse. LaCosse was chose as the tempoay county seat on the condition that govenment buildings be povided fee of chage to the county. If this condition was not met, and no decision could be eached as to whee to put the county seat, the decision was to be left to the boad of supevisos. Howeve, by an acto fo legislatue on Mach 29, 855, the county seat was pemanently located at LaCosse. In 857, the county of LaCosse was educed to its pesent size. It is about 475 squae miles and includes the towns of Bango, Bae, Campbell, Famington, Geenfield, Hamilton, Holland, Onalaska, Shelby and Washington. 08 Slowly, ove time, as the population of the county gew and the pesent towns ceated, township govenments came moe into sevice. The duties of these govenments ae stated in the State Constitution. The townships mentioned below ae found in the southen potion of the county within this poject's aea and possess the same govenmental elements as othe townships in the state. Though thee ae a numbe of townships in this study of nothen LaCosse County, thee ae no extant histoic town halls emaining, thus no govenment popeties wee inventoied fo this epot. 07 Benjamin F. Byant. Memois of LaCosse County. (Madison, Wl: Westen Histoical Association, 907), Benjamin F. Byant. Memois of LaCosse County. (Madison, Wl: Westen Histoical Association, 907),

212 Tanspotation The Mississippi Rive played an impotant and vital ole in the economy of towns and cities. The Mississippi was of utmost impotance to the development of the county and city of LaCosse. The ive povided fo a elatively easy means of communication with the outside wold and geatly aided immigation to this aea of westen Wisconsin. By connecting with the Black Rive, an outlet was available fo the ich pine foests in the nothen sections of the state. The pesence of this outlet is the pimay facto fo the development of the city of LaCosse, a "lumbe town" in its youth. With the ceation of the city, came the migation of people. These people would eventually spead out away fom the city and LaCosse County soon developed. Reasons fo the development of this aea ae simple. This site povided enough space fo the building of a lage city as compaed to aeas close by. Othe aeas wee too close to the ive with high bluffs. Thee was not enough oom fo landing ive boats, much less a city. Included in the advantages of this site is the fact that all Indian tails fom the noth ended in this aea. These tails povided paths of least esistance and povided fo a means by which immigants could move and ceate thei own communities. A pope shipyad was needed fo suitable ive commece. It was not until 856 that the city had an adequate whaf needed fo this ventue. Othe whaves had been built in the past, but did not fit the needs of the gowing city and its demands. Rive taffic continued to gow and this ise in taffic was vital to the city's own gowth. The numbe of iveboat aivals doubled ove a one yea peiod. In May of 853, only twenty-two boats aived since the opening of the season. In the same peiod in 854, foty-fou boats had aived in LaCosse. In 856, fom May 3 to May 9, fifty-one had aived. In a fou yea peiod, business went fom $7,000 to $400,000. The most pospeous days of ive taffic wee fom the end of the Civil Wa until 873 when ailoads became moe popula. Afte that time, ailoads began to take most of the passenges and feight. Anothe impotant fom of tanspotation in LaCosse County was the wagon oad. These vaious oads followed old Indian tails to aeas thoughout the state. The aea aound LaCosse was the cente of this immense system. All of these oads went fa beyond the pesent lines of the county into nothen, cental, and southen Wisconsin. Some of these ealy oads became maked "highways" and wee kept up the best that could be done by local authoities. As moe people settled into the county, local authoities impoved the oads as fast as possible. These ealy oads followed ive valleys to find ways though the bluffs. Many times the fist oads in 47

213 the county wee just widening of an old Indian tail. difficult due to mashy and sandy aeas in the county. Road maintenance was Chicago & Nothwesten Raiload Bidge, Onalaska Twp., LC 207/2 Even though the ive and oads povided ample means of tanspotation to and fom the county, the constuction of the aiload was an impotant addition to tanspotation options in the county. The LaCosse and Milwaukee Raiload was developed in 852. Its goal was to constuct a aiload fom LaCosse to Milwaukee. In 856, the LaCosse and Milwaukee Raiload Company joined with the Milwaukee, Fond du Lac, and Geen Bay Company in effots to stengthen hopes of pushing the oad though with the combined effots of the two companies. A thid company joined the consolidation and the oad pushed though to Potage, Wisconsin. Congess ganted land to the aiload to constuct nothwest to the St. Coix Rive and to the west end of Lake Supeio. But, though monetay disputes, the land was ganted to the LaCosse and Milwaukee Company. In 858, the aiload was completed to LaCosse. The LaCosse and Milwaukee wee soon consolidated with the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Raiload Company, with contol to the latte. LaCosse emained the end of the line of the aiload in Wisconsin fo some time. Son enough, pojects wee stated to connect into aeas of Minnesota, such as Winona as St. Paul, and into aeas of southen Minnesota. Constuction of a aiload into southen Minnesota began in 865. This poject ended in 870 afte 47 miles of tack wee laid. Seveal othe pojects going on at this time fell into the hands of 48

214 the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul. In 88, LaCosse was connected with Dubuque, Iowa, and LaCescent, Minnesota. The following popeties ae the tanspotation-elated inventoied fo this poject: sites which wee Raiload bidge, Chicago and Nothwesten ove Black Rive, ovehead tuss, Onalaska Township, (LC 207/). Raiload Bidge, Canadian Pacific, swing bidge, ove Black Rive, 902, Campbell Township, (LC 207/4) Steet Bidge, Main Steet at CTH V in Holmen, ove Halfway Ceek, cica 930, (LC 209/3) LaCosse Municipal Aipot, Campbell Township, (LC 20/0) Road Bidge, CTH M at CTH T, steel pony tuss ove Fleming Ceek, (LC 24/0) Mindoo Cut, STH 08 at McClintock Road, Famington Township,, oad cut though peak of hill, (LC 25/) (cuently being listed on NRHP) Mindoo Cut, Famington Twp., LC 25/ 49

215 Achitectue The lagest numbe of buildings suveyed in nothen LaCosse County within the context of agicultue wee famsteads, and pimaily the houses which ae the focus of all famsteads. Settlement is an ongoing occuence, which allows a wide span of time peiods and thus building types and styles fo esidences. The ealiest, venacula fom stone and log houses of westen Wisconsin theefoe shae this context with late esidential styles such as Queen Anne and Bungalow. The physical fabic in the ual settings geneally anged fom venacula foms to high style achitectue. Venacula foms, such as font, side, and coss gables, gable ells and Ts, and one and two-stoy cubes compise the most popula types of houses in the county. Chaacteized by simplicity, these buildings usually ae identified by thei size and oof fom. While most of these buildings display fame constuction, a small numbe wee built of stone, bick and fomed concete block. Constuction peiods attached to each venacula fom listed below ae based upon dates utilized in the cental states of the county. 09 The font gable fom, chaacteized by a ectangula plan, was mainly constucted between 850 and 925. The gable ends of this fom define the font and ea elevations of the house. ' f' t ; ' '^^ *;;^^i, ;e^5.^/>^ ^&is^j&x!'few^lm; LC 25/23, Font Gable Babaa Wyatt, Cultual Resouce Management in Wisconsin vol. 2 (Madison: The State Histoical Society of W isconsin, 986), 3- to

216 A side gable building, which is also chaacteized by a ectangula plan, displays gable ends ove the side elevations of the house. This fom, which has been pominent fo nealy one hunded yeas, dates between 850 and 940. LC 23/22, Side Gable The gable ell fom, constucted between appoximately 865 and 90, often exhibits two gabled sections set pependicula to one anothe. This fom usually consists of an "L" o "T" plan and displa\ s a vaieu of stoies LC 26/22, Cabled Ell While the two-stoy cube dates fom appoximately 860 to 880, the smalle vesion known as the one-stoy cube was constucted fom appoximately 870 to 930. It is impotant to note that two-stoy cubes constucted afte the tun of the centuy often display featues chaacteistic of a elated style, the Ameican Fousquae. Hipped oofs and boxy massing typify the one and two-stoy cubes. 52

217 F F F F LC 28/9, Two Stoy Cube The coss gable fom is named fo two intesecting, identical oof lines. These buildings, which nomally stand two-stoies high, exhibit squae plans. The coss gable fom dates fom appoximately 890 to 930.., _.. ^ LC 25/25, Coss Gable High style houses wee also identified duing the econnaissance suvey of LaCosse County. These buildings ae not as pevalent as venacula foms, howeve, many of the moe simplistic designed houses display details of a vaiety of achitectual styles. High styles exhibited in the county include Queen Anne, Italianate, Neoclassical Revival, and Ameican Fousquae. ' 0,0 Babaa Wyatt, Cultual Resouce Management in Wisconsin vol. 2 (Madison: The State Histoical Society of Wisconsin, 986), Achitectue: 2-6, 2-5, 2-8, 2-2, 2-25, 2-28, 2-30; Mailyn W. Klein and David P. Fogel, Clues to Ameican Achitectue (Washington, D.C.: Stahill Pess, 986), 22-23, 28-29,

218 Eected between 870 and 890, Italianate style houses pimaily stand two stoies tall. They display squae, ectangula, o L-shaped plans with low-pitched hip o occasionally gable oofs and wide eaves. These houses ae often onamented with heavy backets, tall naow windows, font poches, and a cupola. "IS WW!" LC 27/05, Italianate Style Queen Anne style, which dates fom , is chaacteized by asymmetical facades, steeply pitched ooflines, a vaiety of wall suface textues, pominent towes, tall chimneys, and poches with bageboad tim. LC 209/0, Queen Anne Style Bungalow Style, which dates fom the 920s though the 940s, is a common style made of wood, concete and bick. It is typically a one and one-half stoy side gabled building, with wide, ovehanging eaves, exposed pulins, sash windows with thee pane uppes, and often has open floo plans, hadwood floos, fieplaces and built in shelves and benches. Seveal excellent examples can be found in Holmen. 54

219 Standad plans wee likely used in the constuction of many LaCosse County homes. Afte the 840s, Ameica = s population became inceasingly tansient. With the influx of immigants, westwad migation acoss the county, and inceased population, achitectual pomotes played upon the idea that single family dwellings povided stability. Futhemoe, home owneship also affoded financial insuance in an unstable economy." Plan book authos capitalized on the sense of insecuity felt in the gowing county. Pomotes of standadized achitectual plans utilized common achitectual tems, mill cut mateials, and standad house types to give the middle class an impession that they could move often and expeience less of a disuption. The pupose of the standad plan single family dwelling evolved though seveal stages. In the mid 800s, plan book authos believed that a house should be viewed as a guaded haven. By the end of the centuy, they opined that a house should eflect ceativity. Afte the tun of the centuy, the houses designed fo the middle class seved as a tools to pomote bette health." 2 An advetisement in The Faibuy (NE) Gazette dated 20 Januay 900 utilized the idea that a house could act as an insuance policy fo its owne. It stated: 3 PUT YOUR MONEY IN A HOUSE! Its the best savings bank on eath. The cashie will neve un off with it. It will neve go out of business. You've got it ight unde you thumb. No one can take it '" Cliffod Edwad Clak, J. The Ameican Family Home, (Chapel Hill: The Univesity of Noth Caolina Pess, 986), ,2 Cliffod Edwad Clak, J. The Ameican Family Home, (Chapel Hill: The Univesity of Noth Caolina Pess, 986), " 3 AA.J. King Land and Insuance Agency Advetisement, The Faibuy Gazette 20 Januay