HISTORY OF EARLY COOKSVILLE

OLD SETTLER'S STORIES, NUMBER SEVEN

BY, J. K. P. PORTER

Printed in the Badger, April 13, 1895, Evansville, Wisconsin

I send you a reminiscence of the early history of Cooksville and vicinity in accordance with your request.

The present generation of young people can scarcely realize when they look upon the fine cultivated fields, pleasant homes, thrifty villages and railroads, that a little more than fifty years ago, there was not a railroad this side of Buffalo.

The land upon which Cooksville is built, was then one vast expanse of unbroken prairie and oak openings.  The well worn trail of the Indian led across the prairies, which he had traveled for hundreds of years in single file to his favorite hunting and fishing grounds.

The old army trail which Gen. Atkinson made when following Black Hawk's band, from their camping ground on the shore of lake Koshkonong, could be as plainly followed as the road now before my own door.  The Indians were overtaken at the Bad Ax, in northwestern Wisconsin near the Mississippi river, where a battle was fought and Black Hawk was taken prisoner.  A few years after he was taken to Washington with Keokuck his prophet, and other members of his tribe, that they might see the number and power of their white brothers and hence the impossibility of making a successful war upon them.  They also visited other cities, came to Boston, had a reception in Faneuil Hall and gave a war dance on Boston Common, which I witnessed.

The land on the west side of Main Street in the village of Cooksville was entered from the government by John Cook, one of its early settlers, who platted and gave it the name of Cooksville. 

The east side of Main Street was entered by Daniel Webster, a senator from Massachusetts.  When Mr. Haight, the U. S. surveyor, surveyed Rock and Dane counties, he took the numbers of choice pieces of land, water powers and timber adjoining the prairie.  Then on making his returns at Washington, he would sell those numbers to members of Congress and other speculators, enabling them to enter lands without the expense of personal examination.  Mr. Webster informed some citizens of Duxbury, Mass., who lived near his Marshfield home, of the opportunities to get Wisconsin land.  A purse of $15,000 was made up and placed in Mr. Webster's hands, who entered the land in his own name.  I have deeds now in my possession signed by Webster.  When the division was made, the land on the east side of Main Street in Cooksville came into the hands of Dr. John Porter, a neighbor and family physician of Webster's, who platted it and gave it the name of Waucoma.  Waucoma is an Indian name meaning Clear Water.  It was thought to be an appropriate name, as the village lies upon the bank of a fine stream of water.  The name was suggested by Governor Doty, who was well versed in Indian lore.

Among its first settlers were John Cook and his brothers Daniel and George, Allen Hoxie, Charles Howard, John D. Seaver, John Fisher, Amariah Wells, Naham Parker, J. P. Van Vleck, Thomas Morgan, Earl Woodbury, G. E. Newman, and Mr. Shepherd, who built the flour mill.  Lovejoy and Chambers opened the first store and did a large business.

Harrison Stebbins, Edward and George Gilley, Isaac Andrus and George Savage opened farms in the vicinity.  The injustice of the laws at that time in regard to the sale of public lands, born heavily upon the settler; he would find the choice timbered lands adjoining the prairie taken by the speculator, for which he would be obliged to pay an exorbitant price, or go back into the heavy oak openings, or settler upon the bald prairie, with no timber to build either house or fence.

Those speculators that sold their land early, did well; but many who kept their land a long time probably did not make a good investment.  The assessor had but little mercy for the speculator, often assessing his land at a higher valuation than cultivated land adjoining.  Also those who had not trusty agents to look after their lands, on coming out to see them would find their fine tracts of timber only a stump prairie.  It was considered no crime for the prairie farmer to cut timber on the speculator's land and if prosecuted, it was impossible to convict.  This was long before the homestead law was passed.  The first homestead law was vetoed by a democratic president, James Buchanen.  The itinerant Methodist preacher often came among us, always in advance of other sects, holding service in log school houses and in the cabin of the settler.  They were not college bred, but good and true men, earnest in saving souls and often murdered the Queen's English.  Farmers brought their families to church in lumber wags often drawn by oxen, and I once saw a man who brought his family to church upon his grain drill.  Women came plainly dressed and sometimes with sun bonnets in summer.  They were undoubtedly as happy, earnest and devout as their modern sisters clothed in their gay attire.  The preacher generally remained a few days among the people, where he was always welcome; held prayers and went away well laden with supplies for his family.  Sometimes he was called upon to perform the marriage ceremony.  Upon one occasion the groom was out of money but tendered the minister a few bunches of oak shingles, which were accepted and taken away.

To show the grit of some of those early settlers, I will relate a few instances that came under my observation.  A neighbor who had made a claim, built a cabin and made some improvements, learned that Shylock had been in the neighborhood and had taken the number of his land and was going to the land office to enter it.  The neighbor started that night on foot for Janesville.  The next morning he called upon William A. Laurence and informed him of his situation.  Mr. Laurence said, "You make out ten notes of ten dollars each, bearing fifty per cent interest, due in one year and I will guarantee them.  I will see some mechanics and try and get the money."  By ten o'clock the money was raised.  He started on foot for Milwaukee, walked all night and the next morning was at the land office.  When Shylock arrived he found the land entered.

Another case, where a young man had made some improvements intending to pre-empt, but had not complied with the law, which required that he should live upon the land, found that Shylock was after him.  But he was equal to the occasion.  he takes a few poles, leans them against the limb of a tree, covers them with blankets, takes an armful of hay and makes a bed, rolls himself in a blanket and goes to sleep.  An accommodating neighbor passes and sees him sleeping.  He rises, builds a fire, makes some coffee and a sister brings some food.  Again the neighbor passes and sees him eating his breakfast.  They start immediately for the land office, driving all night, get his pre-emption papers, the neighbor swearing that he was living upon the land.  When Shylock arrived he found himself outwitted.

The early settlers had but little money.  They would enter an eighty and claim an eighty adjoining, and band together to protect each other in their claims.  Occasionally the claim jumper would build a cabin on the claim.  I recall to mind such a case.  The settlers met and agreed to visit their new neighbor in the morning.  They came, to the number of more than thirty, went into the cabin, walked in and out, smoked and chatted.  The jumper was a little nervous at seeing so many of his neighbors present.  Soon the cabin was found to be on fire.  They assisted in removing his goods.  He concluded that it was not such a neighborhood as he would like to live in.

Another case where a jumper had nearly completed a log cabin, the settlers met, brought long ropes and attached them to the logs.  The cabin was soon razed to the ground and the tenderfoot concluded with such help he would not be able to complete his cabin.  The honest pioneer was always welcome and though the cabins were generally well filled, there was always room for one more, without money and without price.

I came to Wisconsin in 1846 and settled on the farm upon which I now reside.  I was born in Charlton, Worcester county, Mass., on July 25th, 1819.  Was married in 1847 to Ann Eliza Bacon, of Puritan ancestry, of Bedford, Mass.  My father was a physician and practiced medicine in Boston, where I resided several years, employed as clerk in a store.

I trace my ancestry back to John Alden and Priscilla Mullen, who came to Plymouth in the May Flower in 1620, and made famous by Longfellow's poem entitled "The Courtship of Miles Standish."

J. K. P Porter.