Pioneer Sketches - Pierce County, Wisconsin
Published Oct. 2, 1924 in the Hudson Star-Observer
River Falls, Wisconsin
Written by F.B. Decker based on reminiscences by C.D. Parker
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PIONEER SKETCHES

Chas. D. Parker was born in New Hampshire in 1827, hence is now in his 97th year,
and is probably the oldest man now living in Pierce County.  He came west with his
parents when only a lad of nine.  His people were pioneers.  One of his uncles,
Thomas Parker, settled at Reading, Pa., in 1835; Luther Parker, his father, was one
of the first white settlers at Muskego, Wis.
The Parkers made the trip from New Hampshire to Whitehall, N.Y. by wagon; from
there they went by canal from Troy and thence to Buffalo and from Buffalo to
Milwaukee by boat.
In 1854 Charles left his fathers home and came to the St. Croix valley with his
bride, whom he had married at New Berlin the previous year.
Mrs. Parker is now 93 years old - they have been wed 70 years, which is probably
the record for Wisconsin.  Mr. Parker's story from the time he reached St. Croix
county can best be told in his own words.

HIS OWN STORY

As a homeseeker I first landed in St. Croix county at the foot of Buckeye Street,
Hudson, on the 8th day of November, 1854, seventy years ago.
An uncle, Asa Parker, and Bailey Webster and I had journeyed from Waukesha county
by way of Galena and the river to St. Paul.  We spent one day visiting St. Anthony
falls, which was then a lumbering village; Minneapolis had not been born at that
time.
From St. Paul we walked to the lake opposite Hudson and hired a man to bring us
over in a row boat.  He recommended a little cottage kept by a Mrs. Bellows as a
good place to stop; we found good accomodations.  The next morning we started for
Kinnickinnic Falls, supposing we would find plenty of government land near there.
It was a mild, sunny, ideal Indian summer day.  As we came out onto the prairie at
the head of the coulie and saw the broad Hudson prairie extending miles away to the
distant mounds, which were brilliant with many colored autumn leaves, I thought it
one of the most beautiful landscapes that I had ever seen.  I have since traveled
through many states, east and west, and have seen many beautiful places but that
first view of the St. Croix country remains as bright a picture on my memory as
seventy years ago.
We saw no buildings or imoprovements after passing the Sterling Jones place until
we reached the Chinnock place; the latter family had located there a few months
before.  Before we reached the Falls it clouded up, and soon a steady rain set in
which continued until late in the night when it turned into snow.
We found a little store kept by Powell Bros.  On asking where we could find
accommodations for the night Mr. Powell said there was no tavern in town, but that
any
of the three or four families would entertain travelers as long as they had room. 
He said his house had all they could accommodate and sent us to Joel Foster.  Foster
was building a saw mill and his house was full; he sent us on to Mr. Woods and Woods
directed us to Green's about one and one-half miles up the South Fork, where we
found shelter and plenty to eat, but had to sleep three in a bed.
I think all were disposed to do all they could for us but it was evident that the
city of River Falls (to be), was then unable to feed and lodge three forlorn
strangers on that stormy night.  The next day the ground was covered with about two
inches of snow.
Finding no government land subject to entry near the Falls, we returned to Hudson
and engaged Geo. Strong, a surveyor, to show us some land.  On the 11th of November
he took us out on the old Military road to Timberlakes, on the Kinnickinnic, where
we had dinner.  After dinner he showed us the land, which I purchased at the land
office in Hudson the same day; five years later we settled there and made our home.
Joseph Claggett lived one and one-half miles east of Timberlakes, and his house was
the only one we saw near what afterwards became the Pleasant Valley settlement; he
was just over the town line in Kinnickinnic.
My uncle moved onto his place the next spring, 1855, and several other families
settled in that neighborhood the same season.
We caught the last boat of the season down the river as far as Dubuque, but it was
so cold and late in the season that the captain of the boat decided not to run up
the Galena river to the city, fearing the river might close.  He, however, paid
stage fares for all passengers for Galena from Dubuque.
In August, 1859, I sold my farm in Waukesha county.  With three children, (five,
four, and two years of age), Mrs. Parker and I came to Pleasant Valley to make our
home.  There was no vacant house to be had, but my uncle kindly shared his little
two-roomed shanty with us until I could get up a shelter on my own place.  I
immediately commenced a one-story three roomed building, which afterward became the
wing - dining room, bedroom and library of my house.  As soon as it was shingled,
sheeted and rough loose flooring laid we moved in, and except for a violent thunder
storm with a high wind the following night which drove rain through window openings
into our faces, greatly frightening the little children, we found our new quarters
very comfortable.
We had mild, hazy Indian summer weather during October and most of November, and I
had our house sided and plastered and the floors laid before the closing of winter.
I bought a yoke of oxen and a cow, made a set of sleds and hauled lumber from
Green's mill on the Eau Galle making the 25 mile trip each day, about four days a
week until I had 50,000 feet of fencing and lumber for my house at home ready for
the next spring improvements.
Prairie chickens were so plentiful that I could go out and shoot one or two for
dinner almost any morning, where they fed on a corn stack near my stable. 
Ammunition was scarce and I rarely shot unless I could get two or three in line at
good range.
The day's work was long and hard, but we were healthy and full of enthusiasm, and
we passed a very pleasant winter.
At this time there were some fifteen or sixteen families in the north half of
Pleasant Valley and along the east line of Kinnickinnic (then called Malone).  These
families were all in the west range of sections of Pleasant Valley.  They were: 
Rev. Miles Lewis and his brother, Hiel Lewis; Sheldon Grey and Gideon Grey; S.W.
Matteson, Mat Woobert; Levi Cadwell, Alba Webster; S.W. Bing; Mr. Ash; W. Dresser
and Asa Parker; also Joseph Clagett and J.M. Sackett and Albinus Webster of
Kinnickinnic.
Most of them had large families of children of school age.  They had organized a
school district, taking in all the residents, and put a little 14x16 school shanty
on the northest corner of the corss roads of Pleasant Valley corners, or Britton's
Corners, so-called.  Here we had school, both summer and winter.
Mrs. Elmira Nichols, now Mrs. Powell of River Falls, taught one term, and Morton
Herrick taught one winter term.
The spring of 1860 the building of a school house was talked of and there was a
meeting called to decide on a locations and plans.  Some were in favor of small
districts which would result in small schools.  The other proposition was to have
one district and a large building that would accommodate all the children of school
age in the north half of town, including a few families just across the west line.
I favored the large district and a good large building.  After much discussion and
considerable opposition the latter plan was adopted.  In the south half of town were:
Loren A. Brooks, George Thomas, M. McElroth and Mike and John Caffrey.  Several
families - the Hawkin's, McLaughlins, Tierneys, and William Jackmans, and Matt and
Andrew Nelson, who organized a school district in that neighborhood.
During the summer of 1860 a building was erected to accomodate fifty.  For those
early days it was considered to be one of the best of country school buildings if
not the best in the county.  We employed the best teachers we could get and paid
wages that brought applications from many of the first class teachers in the St.
Croix valley.
Some of our most successful teachers were:  Marion Childs, Allen P. Weld, E.S.
Reed, Abbie Underwood, Miss Reed (now Mrs. Sarah Sanderson) and L.S. Rounsell, all
of River Falls and Miss Carrie Huntington (now Mrs. Harvey Law) of New Richmond.
For about eighteen years we had one of the best schools in the county.  After the
Normal school was established in River Falls the town was reorganized into
districts; they now have three, and the Kinnickinnic settlers now have their own
schools.
Several families came into town in the summer of 1860 and considerable breaking was
done.  I had forty acres broken by Theodore Nichols and Jerry Flint.  In these days
we sowed all of our wheat and oats by hand.  It was before drills had made their
appearance.  I had rented twenty acres of land of Alba Webster and put ten acres into
wheat.  Before the wheat came up the pigeons came in immense flocks and I had to
stand guard several days, firing at them to save my crop; some farmers had to
reseed.  It is said that the passenger pigeon has been exterminated, the last known
to be in existence having died a few years ago in captivity.  Wheat was all No. 1
and from 25 to 40 bushels per acre.  We began to realize that the St. Croix valley
was going to be the best wheat county in the state.
Then, when all seemed so promising, came the election of Lincoln, and talk of
secession by the southern states.
The Saturday before election I was kicked by a horse, which nearly cost me my life.
I have always credited Dr. Hoyt with having prolonged it until this time.  It was
several years before I fully recovered.  Then, in the spring of 1861 Fort Sumpter
was fired on and from that time until Lee's surrender it was about all we could do
to support our families and care for those whose husbands and boys were in the army,
fighting to save our country.
Four or five volunteered as soon as there was a call, the citizens having raised a
fund to help their families.  We called a town meeting and voted $100 in town
orders, drawing ten percent interest, to each man that volunteered and was credited
to our town.  In addition all able bodied men enrolled as subject to military duty
paid $20 each.  In that way we kept the quota full until the last call when we paid,
I think, about $600 each to three or four.
There were between sixteen and twenty enlisted from Pleasant Valley.
Until the close of the war pretty much all improvement ceased and considerable
improved land lay uncultivated, there being but few farm hands left in the county. 
At the close of the war and after the return of soldier boys to their farms and
homes, the country began to prosper once more.
Nearly all of the sturdy old pioneers of 1860-64 have gone; most of them have
passed over the river to that bourne when none return, while others have moved to
find new and perhaps better homes.
I left the farm in 1884, my home now being in River Falls and by the way, any
number of wet and hungry wanderers can now find shelter there.  We have a fine
little jail, and a hospitable marshal there now.
Mrs. and Mrs. Parker are mong the most honored of Pierce county's settlers, not
only for their years, but for their character and lifelong support of all good
works.  Mr. Parker has been elevated to political honors, having been our
assemblyman in 1869 and 1870, lieutenant governor of Wisconsin from 1874 to 1878,
member of the board of university regents and on the state board of control 1880 to
1898.  Mr. and Mrs. Parker have four surviving sons, with numerous grandchildren and
great granchildren. - F.B. Decker in Spring Valley Sun.