(From the "History of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin" published by the Western Historical Company, Chicago, IL. - 1880)

BYRON

The first settlement in the town of Byron was in the year 1889; John Case andOscar Pier, Patrick Kelley and William Stewart, selected a position andcommenced the improvement of a neighborhood a little east of the middle of thenorth line of the town. Their location embraced a desirable variety of rich prairie,warm and fertile oak openings, and a beautiful grove of forest timber, with a smallbrook flowing through it. John Parsons, arriving direct from England, locatedupon a lot about a mile farther west. James Balson and Samuel Butler settled inthis neighborhood in the fall of 1842. In the summer of 1844, John Potts, with hiswife and four children, removed from the State of New York to Mound Prairie, inByron. He set up crotches, upon which he laid long poles. He used prairie grassfor a covering to this rude structure, and hung up blankets for its sides. Here heand his family were domiciled until he could build a house, obtaining hands fromabout ten miles distant to assist in rolling up the logs. Another settlement was soonafter commenced by Hiram Merriam, Jabez C. Clemens and Jonas C. Reynolds,the last mentioned arriving in November.

These pioneers on Mound Prairie, were, many of them, nearly destitute of capitalwhen they arrived at their new homes. They were able, however, to purchasesome cows, which were then very cheap in Illinois. They put their cows togetherfor a team; broke up the prairie land, and planted corn on the sod in the spring. They realized a good harvest, and, although they met with some inconveniences,felt they were getting rich. In 1845, Messrs. Bullock, Churchill and Roan settledin the southeasterly part of the town, and in the month following, Sumner Sweetand Joseph Nightingale came into the same neighborhood. They were joined thesame season by several others. Rev. Mr. Vaughn and some friends from thecounty of Genesee, N. Y., settled near Oakfield, and formed what was called the"Genesee neighborhood."

The early settlers in Byron shared in all the privations and difficulties so commonin new countries. They raised grain in abundance, but found it very difficult to getit ground; the few mills in this region were small and could not supply thedemand. For several years the settlers went to Watertown, a distance of fortymiles, to get their grinding done. The roads were bad, and they had to wait severaldays to get their grists. Mr. Vaughn once sent his son to mill, and told him to waitfor his "grinding ;" he was gone ten days. Mr. Reynolds once paid $14.50 for themilling of twenty bushels, and did not think it more than an average cost.

Byron was organized in 1846. William Stewart was elected Chairman, and OrrinMorris, at whose house the first election was held, Town Clerk. Its boundary lineswere run by Mullett & Brink during the first quarter of 1834 and the secondquarter of 1835. Hiram Burnham ran out the sections and quarter-sections in thethird quarter of the last-mentioned year. The town has for its territory the whole ofTownship 14 north, in Range 17 east, of the Government survey. It contains23,122 & 67/100 acres of land. The town is bounded on the north by Fond duLac; on the east by Eden; on the south by Lomira, in Dodge County; and on thewest by Oakfield. The face of the country, before improvements began, presenteda pleasing variety of prairie, oak openings, marsh and timber land, undulated withgentle ascents and declivities. There is, however, one bold elevation where " theridge passes through the town, which, in several places, breaks out with a ruggedfront. Springs and brooks are frequent, but not as abundant in this as in some ofthe other towns of the county. The springs furnish some of the headwaters of theeast branch of Fond du Lac River. The southern part of Fond du Lac Prairiestretches into Byron. Mound Prairie, near the center of the town, is more elevated,lying above the ridge. The soil is generally fertile and easy of tillage, the moreelevated part of the town being dry and warm.

The first birth which occurred in Byron was that of Eliza, daughter of WilliamStewart, about the last of the year 1840. The first school taught was in the summerof 1843, in Mr. Butlers corn-barn, by Miss Mary Butler, afterward Mrs. F.Tallmadge. The first death was that of a German woman, in the summer of 1845. She came into the house of Joseph Nightingale - was greatly distressed ; said shehad just drunk heartily at the cold spring near by; lay down on a bench andimmediately expired. Her name or place of residence was never learned. The firstreligious societies formed in Byron were Baptists, Methodists and Wesleyans. Atthe first town election, held April 7, 1846, it was voted that the officers chosenserve gratis. There were 34 votes polled - 18 in favor of a State government and16 against it. At the second election, held April 6, 1847, a motion to allow OrrinMorris $16.50 for stationery as Town Clerk was lost, as was also a motion to allowC. P. Phelps $10 for serving as Assessor. At this election, 43 votes were castagainst and 26 in favor of license; 43 in favor of, and 71 against the Constitution,and 43 in favor of and 33 against equal suffrage. Patrick Kelley and his family,who settled in Byron in September, 1839, were the first Irish to make Fond du LacCounty a permanent home. The first German in Byron was Phillip Bodemar. Thefirst schoolhouse was erected at the expense of five men, in 1841, on land donatedby Patrick Kelley. The first preaching in the town was in this schoolhouse. The"Ledge" passes through Byron, on which, in Sections 20 and 29, is located the M.E. camp-ground, not far from the Narrow-Gauge Railway. In the vicinity of thiscamp-ground are many interesting natural curiosities, in the line of mighty massesof rent limestone and winding passage-ways into the "Ledge." Very large andcold springs are also found near this spot.

The Chairmen and Town Clerks have been: 1846, William Stewart and OrrinMorris; 1847, William Stewart and D. W. Cruthers; 1848 - 49 - 50, the same; 1851, D. C. Brooks and Franklin Nye; 1852, D. C. Brooks and Emerson Fay; 1853, Henry Conklin and E. Fay; 1854, H. Conklin and Joseph Noyes; 1855, C.B. Brown and J. Noyes; 1856, B. R. Harrington and J. Noyes; 1857, F. Nye andD. W. Cruthers; 1858, F. Nye and Alfred Bliss; 1859, J. M. Adams and A. Bliss; 1860, N. C. Lewis and A. Bliss; 1861, C. P. Phelps and A. Bliss; 1862, N. C.Lewis and A. Bliss; 1863, D. D. Jones and A. Bliss; 1864, Henry Bush and A.Bliss; 1865, E. A. Cook and A. Bliss; 1866 - 67 - 68 - 69, Delos Allen and A.Bliss; 1870, D. D. Treleven and F. Nye; 1871, D. D. Treleven and A. Bliss; 1872, John Bell and Delos Allen; 1873, John Bell and A. Bliss; 1874 - 75, JohnBell and Delos Allen; 1876, John Bell and George Radliff; 1877, John Bell andD. Allen; 1878, John Bell and F. Nye; 1879, John Bell and John Lonergan.

At Byron Post Office, on Section 22, is a good town hall.