Westfield History


The Montello Express, June 24, 1876


Transcribed by Dan Nickolie and Joan Benner � June 2002



WESTFIELD--Early Settlement and Present Make-up in 1876
Westfield was first settled in 1848, James MITCHELL made a claim upon the land in that year, where the village of Westfield is now standing. But within a few months Messrs. James, Robert and H. B. COCHRANE, three brothers, bought Mr. MITCHELL's claim and commenced at once to make preparations for erecting a grist and saw mill upon the water power, where said mills were soon built and where they now stand. These three brothers continued in business at Westfield for several years, H. B. serving as chairman of the Board of Supervisors nearly all of the time he was with us. But some twelve years ago James moved to Waupun where he has since resided. About the same time H. B. moved to Trenton, Dodge Co., where he is engaged in farming. Our town lost a good and worthy man when H. B. COCHRANE moved away. And as true merit will be appreciated wherever found, therefore the Chairman of Trneton today is our old friend and neighbor H. B. COCHRANE. Mr. MITCHELL, after selling his first claim, soon took another one, some two miles southwest of our village, where he remained until some eight years ago, since which time he has been living in Minnesota. In 1849, A. O. HUBBARD settled upon the farm near the village, where his family are now living, he having several years ago departed this life. Our early settlers came into the country by wagons, by the way of Montello, and as there was no bridge at that time across the Fox River, the women and children crossed in a canoe, as the water would come up into the wagon boxes while crossing the Fox; and many are the interesting incidents related by them in relation to our town's early history. W. W. HANKS, of the town of Harris, came into the county about the same time that Mr. HUBBARD and family came. L. D. HUBBARD and wife, the daughter of W. W. HANKS, were among the first white children born in this part of the county. The first merchandise sold in this village was kept in the sawmill: but within a short time two brothers, William and Hugh COCHRANE, cousins to the mill owners, started in trade at this place on a small scale. They remained but a short time with us, preferring to try their fortunes in the far west. In 1855, Mr. WOOD, now Probate Judge of Wood County, built the first hotel at Westfield. During the same year three store buildings were erected and occupied as follows: BOOTH & LOOK in the first; ALDRICH & OLDER in the second, and FISHER brothers in the third. These firms were short-lived, Robert COCHRANE taking the place of ALDRICH & OLDER in 1856. In the spring of 1856 we had quite an accession to our town. S. CROCKETT came here in that year, and opened a tailor shop and kept a few goods for sale; and he has long since set the goose and shears to one side as things of the past, and devoted his energies to the mercantile wants of the people, until now he stands among the first merchants in our county. In the spring of 1863, the nice large hotel (built by Mr. WOOD in 1855, as before stated) was burned. Three families were occupying it at the time. Their loss was heavy, as there was no insurance, except upon the building, which was owned by parties living in the east. For three years houses of entertainment were opened by some of our townsmen, but in 1866 Mr. Philo LACKEY built a new hotel upon the same ground where the old one stood before being burned, since which time the place has been furnished with good hotel accomodations-- although at the present time one hotel appears inadequate to supply the increasing demands of the public, and at no very distant day we expect to see one or more new hotels, with their omnibuses running regularly to meet the cars as they arrive in town. W. PHILLIPS entered the mercantile field at this place in the fall of 1864, and was very successful in business until the spring of 1872, at which time the fire consumed his two store buildings and his dwellign house, with nearly all of his goods, in a very short time. Mr. PHILLIPS paid all his debts promptly, but from this heavy loss he has never been able to rally so as to again enter the mercantile field. E. J. BUCK, M. D., came among us in the fall of 1855. He was a first class physician and a gentleman in every sense of the word. He remained with us until 1862, when he entered the U. S. Army. He lived to return to us after the war closed, but he stopped with us a few days only, preferring a larger field in which to labor. He is now, and has been for several years, at Platteville, Wis. For several years past we have had H. RUSSELL and S. H. DALY as our practicing physicians. The M. E. Methodists were the first to commence holding meetings at Westfield, in 1854, but a Congregational minister (Mr. BRIDGMAN) at about the same time, and these two denominations have kept up public worship ever since. A Regular Baptist Church was organized here in 1857; and we now have three nice church edifices, with preaching every Sunday, thus placing our people under a good healthy religious influence. Our public school interest has not been neglected, we having a nice large two story school house, where the young are taught by first class instructors. We have now as merchants, S. CROCKETT, KRENTZ & MEINKE, W. M. GILCHRIST, Wm. COCHRAN and Henry GIBSON; as druggists, Frank ABBOTT and Hugh RUSSELL; as wagon-makers and blacksmiths, LACKEY & MEINKE and A. G. FULLER; as tailor, Gottlieb SOMERFIELD; as harness-makers, George WALDO and Wm. FRASER; James DICK as boot and shoe maker; John FENNER as painter and photographer. Our dress-makers and milliners are Mrs. L. J. PECK and Miss M. PINKERTON. Mr. W. FLETCHER keeps our meat market and a temperance eating and drinking room. We have one saloon where that worst of all poisons in dealt out for the destruction of all the good and noble qualities in man. We also have two wide awake, active temperance societies, with a large membership, which are making their influence felt far and near. In fact every branch of business carried on at Westfield is being done with energy, and activity appears every where to be the motto. We do not claim that our soil is the "best" to be found in "Northern Wisconsin," but we do think we have some very good soil in Westfield, and nearly all who live here appear willing to remain in this railroad town, with all the "unpleasantness" which we may have to settle with "greedy" and soulless corporations." We have two resident Ministers of the Gospel--Rev. J. KAHL, who devotes a part of his time in giving lessons in instrumental music, and Rev. W. PHILLIPS, who devotes a part of his time to the insurance business. It is with your correspondent as with every other person in W., very busy, and this is why the Centennial of our town is so short and has been so long delayed.



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