SHIELDS TOWNSHIP
Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin. Acme Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890, P305 Shields is just north of the center of the county and is separated from its eastern boundary only by the narrow town of Milan, which forms its eastern boundary, while it is bounded south by Montello, west by Harris and north by Crystal Lake. The surface of the town is generally level. Mecan River crosses the northeast corner and Mud Lake, and another small body of water are in the northwest corner. Comstock Lake is in section 11, southwest from Germania. Montello Lake crosses the extreme southwest corner. On an island in Spring Lake a Catholic Society existed as early as 1849. Among the early settlers in Shields were K. D. Devaney, James Calvin, P. Curley and James Croarken. The town officers in 1889 were William Warmbier, chairman; Peter Dunn, town clerk; Rudolph Fenske, treasurer; Julius Hebbe, assessor.
Source: Joe Wyse The area of Montello south of the Fox river was known as South Montello. SOUTH MONTELLO
SPRINGFIELD
Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin. Acme Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890, P305 Springfield is on the northwest corner of the county. Its boundaries are as follows: north, Waushara County; east, Newton; south, Westfield; west, Adams County. Wood and Pine Lakes and some other small bodies of water lie within this town. Bart's Creek rises west of the center and Worton's Creek in the northern part. The Wisconsin Central line traverses the town north and south in the eastern part. Among the prominent settlers were Oliver P. Warden and Lurenus Luse. Among those who came a little later were David Sands and William Stiles. A town named Forrestville was platted in section 32 of this town in 1855 by Oliver P. Warden and Lurenus and Rachel Luse, although no town marks its site now.
ST. MARIE and STATE CENTER
Source: Princeton's Centennial Book � 1973, courtesy of Gary E. Wick, Princeton Historical Society Princeton's Early History: ... "It was Father Marquette who visited the spring near what is known as the St. Marie area northeast of the present city of Princeton. St. Marie was considered the best crossing place on the river and it was concluded that trade and travel routes would center there. About half a mile south of the settlement of St. Marie was another settlement then known as Hamilton. At one time it had a population of 125 people. The houses of both hamilton and St. Marie were moved into Princeton under the steady pull of some fifty yoke of oxen. Another village started in the area northeast of Princeton, was known as State Center and it too was moved completely when it became evident that it would never survive." Princeton's Early History:..."the St. Marie (Catholic) church was attended from Montello by Fathers O'Malley, Fagan, Larmer, etc. I attended from 1892 to 1898, then Rev. Schwartzmeyer, then priest at Neshkoro or Princeton." ---Rev. J. J. Holzknecht, Pulaski Source: Daryl Weishaar The village of Princeton has quite an interesting history, and was a commercial center for the Crystal Lake area in 1900. Princeton had all the prerequisites for a successful village including a post office and a bridge over the Fox River. St. Marie Village was at the best crossing spot and had a dock, but it slowly died, and by 1863 when my ancestors arrived to T. Princeton (probably to rent farming land at first) St. Marie was being hauled away building by building including the best parts of the Catholic Church. Hamilton was between Princeton and St. Marie and amounted to mostly big plat ideas and very few people. It didn�t last long. Using an 1875 plat map you can follow County J out of NE Princeton, going past Hamilton. Then County J turns 90 degrees to the east. BUT, going straight ahead you are on Huckleberry Road with the remains of the church on the right and St. Marie village (none remaining) on the left and to the river bank. In the late 1860s many farmers moved on, perhaps some of them involved with St. Marie village. About a half mile north of J where Huckleberry takes a 90 degree right turn you find the town cemetery. Princeton was platted in 1848, St. Marie village in 1851. My references don�t say when Hamilton was platted, but probably about the same time in the age of speculation. Both of the latter topped out at 125 residents; Princeton prospered. Hamilton was so close to Princeton only one could survive. If you don�t have the right plat map, it was where �J� headed north out of Princeton and barely still in Princeton township, where �J� does a very quick right/left and continues north. If you get to the intersection where �J� turns east and Huckleberry Road continues north you are almost to the site of St. Marie village and a half mile past Hamilton. Hamilton was on the inside of that short right angle east and back to the north. So close to town you wouldn�t notice it by watching the road if you didn�t know where to look. A small trailer park is supposed to be there now. The Portrait Album says Hamilton did have a post office, but it was probably gone by 1860, because at the start of the (civil) war Hamilton was down to 4 houses and a barn (same ref). St. Marie folded soon after, because the 1860 census shows a lot of unoccupied buildings. The 1860 census lists St. Marie as the post office for the entire township. The 1870 census lists Princeton except for a small amount of Dartford (Green Lake). Source: excerpts from The Trail of the Serpent: The Fox River Valley Lore and Legend, by Robert E. Gard and Elaine Reetz, page 90 St. Marie was pioneered by Colonel John Shaw in 1846. Colonel Shaw, one of the earliest and most prominent pioneers in the area, considered the site he chose for St. Marie as the best crossing place on the Fox (river), a point where it was thought trade and travel of the surrounding country would eventually center. An 1860 map of Green Lake County shows that the plat (recorded June 28, 1851) indicated thirty buildings. In 1860, 198 votes were cast in St. Marie, 98 at Hamilton and 298 in the village of Princeton. A marsh at the west side of the river was said to have been where Father Marquette erected a wooden cross and conducted worship services for the Indians, and a Catholic church was built at St. Marie that became an important pilgramage church until 1909.
STONE HILL
Source: Lucille Streich, via Daryl Weishaar "The Stone Hill P.O. of 1860 was located only a couple of miles from our place. We worked that land for many years, and I believe Erv's parents told us about the P.O. being there. Some time when we see the present owner of that land, will ask him if he has any more information about it." My best guess, using old plat maps, is that Stone Hill was SW of Budsin. (Daryl Weishaar) Source: Places and Faces Volume I, by Fran Sprain, from an article originally published in the Marquette Co Tribune July 21, 1983 Stone Hill was in the town of Crystal Lake, also known as Kohnke's Hill. It was located on the west side of County Highway Y, .6 mile south of Highway E.
SUNNY FLATS
Source: Westfield Central Union newspaper, Joan Benner and L. John Ribar There was a news column in the 1916 Westfield Central Union. It is located west of Montello, north of State Road 23, and was/is part of the Montello school district. Source: Daryl Weishaar Roughly the southern tier of Harris township sections west of county B and limited surrounding area. If you are going toward Montello on Hwy 23 you would turn North on 10th Avenue. It is up there just a little ways.
WESTFIELD TOWNSHIP
Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin. Acme Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890, P306 Westfield is loced on the western border of the county just north of the center. It is a level tract adapted and devoted to agriculture and is bounded on the north by the town of Springfield, on the east by the town of Harris, on the south by the town of Oxford and on the west by Adams County. A small stream flows eastwardly through the northern part of this town and Duck Creek has its source near the center. On the western border, extending into Adams County, is a small body of water. Northeast of it in sections 17 and 18, is another of about the same size. The Wisconsin Central line passes through the northeast part of this town with a station at Westfield village. Among the early settlers in different parts of this town were Robert Cochrane, H. B. Cochrane, Samuel Crockett, Frank and Samuel Russell, Thomas Hamilton, Thomas Black, Charles Krantz and Philo Lockey. The town officers in Westfield in 1889 were: J. N. Lawton, chairman; George B. Crockett, town clerk; W. G. Scott, treasurer; J. B. Campbell, assessor.
WESTFIELD VILLAGE
Source: RWPN Robert Cochrane, the founder of this community, came from Westfield in New York State. Source: Tim Stowell The 1886 Post Office Guide lists Westfield. A United States Official Postal Guide, Part 1, 5th Series, Vol. 2, No. 1 printed July 1939, informs that Westfield delivered to 410 rural route box holders and 127 post office boxes. The Westfield post office is also identified as a Money Order and International Money Order office. Source: Westfield History in 1876 from the Montello Express, June 24, 1876 Transcribed by Dan Nickolai and Joan Benner Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin. Acme Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890, P306 - 307 Westfield village is located in the northeast part of the town on Duck Creek and on the Wisconsin Central line, twelve miles northwest of Montello. It is the center of a large agricultural district and is comparatively a large shipping point for produce and stock. Its general trade is good for a village of its size and it has some small manufacturing industries. The village was platted in 1856 by Pickens Boynton for Robert Cochrane, who with his brother H. B. Cochrane, located before anyone else in the limits of this town. They came in 1849 and located on the site of the present village. When the town was organized, in 1854, H. B. Cochrane became one of its supervisors. After the Cochranes came Samuel Crockett, Austin Stone, William Phillips and others to settle in the village. The Cochranes built a house on the bank of Duck Creek, just south of the sawmill in the village. It was a log structure 16 x 24 feet with an addition in which the proprietors lived. They boarded fifteen mill hands and kept hotel. This was the first house erected in town. In 1850 the sawmill was built. The post office was also established this year and Robert Cochrane was appointed postmaster. He brought the first mailbag, containing one letter, on his back from Packwaukee. There were no wagon roads in those days. In 1853 Joseph Wood built the first hotel in the village. Among the earliest general merchants were Alneck and Older. The business houses of today may be thus briefly mentioned: General stores, Breitenfelt & Just, Samuel Crockett, Carl L. Krentz, Ferdinand W. Meinke, Julius Warnke, Andrew Waterson; Druggists, Frank Abbot, Dr. Herbert D. Hill; Blacksmiths, Walter W. Bissell, Kalmnete & Hallender, Meneke & Springborn; Miller, Robert Cochrane; Lumber dealer, Robert Cochrane; Produce dealers, Robert Cochrane, H. B. Deneby; Furniture dealer and undertaker, Robert H. Duff; Photographer, John Fenner; livery, William Megill, A. C. Fuller; Stationer, Caleb F. Fuller; tanner and glove manufacturer, William Fuller; Shoemaker, Charles W. Gay; hardware and implement dealers, Hamilton Brothers, Roberts & Brown; Jeweler, Frederick W. Kline; milliners, Miss L. J. Peck, Mrs. Julius Warnke; dentists, Melvin O. Straight, E. L. Perry; real estate agent William Phillips; butcher, William Quinn; insurance agent, Harvey R. Rawson; hotels, A. T. Wooster, William L. Sims; harness maker, George A. Waldo. The Central Union, a republican paper devoted largely to local interests, is in its fifteenth volume and is published by S. D. Forbes. This paper has done much toward the upbuilding of Westfield. The high school house at Westfield was erected a few years ago at a cost of $8,000. There are three churches--the Congregational, the German Methodist Episcopal and the Methodist Episcopal. The latter was organized in 1867 and the house of worship was erected in 1863. Thomas B. Crawford Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Westfield was mustered March 5, 1883, by Col. O. L. Holmes, chief mustering officer and D. O. Hanks, both of Baraboo. The officers chosen and installed were the following: S. D. Forbes, Commander; P. Lockey, S. V. C.; J. Waldo, J. V. C.; R. D. Malloy, Qmr.; J. Crawford, Serg.; L. M. Preston, Chaplain; J. Perkins, O. D.; H. M. Ormsby, O. G.; H. S. Ball, Adjt.; C. A. Parker, S. M.; W. Fuller, Quar. Serg.; W. Fuller, J. Crawford and W. Pond, trustees.
Sources: RWPN: The Romance of Wisconsin Place Names, by Robert E. Gard and L. D. Sorden The Sun, published at Montello WI [Russell Flats April 1, 1882] Wisconsin: It's Counties, Townships and Villages, by Uncapher and Herrick, Origins, Janesville Wisconsin, 1994 The Express, Montello WI, 1876 [Neshkoro and Westfield] Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin. Acme Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890 Thank You to these Contributors for making this page possible: Joan Benner, Jackie Hufschmid, L. John Ribar, Tim Stowell, Daryl Weishaar, Gary E. Wick and Joe Wyse.
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