| Among the very first settlers in Raymond were Nathaniel Rogers and
his son Joel Rogers. They were living there, on the arrival of Elisha
Raymond Sr., and his son, Alvin Raymond, who made their settlements in
the town on the 22d of September, 1835. Mr. Raymond Sr., and his son
Alvin came on the vessel "Agnes Barton" to Chicago, and from Chicago to
Racine, on a little schooner manned by a Frenchman and two Indians. Upon
their first tour into Raymond, they found the branch of Root River,
which extends into the town, a full, clear stream, with a gravelly
bottom, pleasant banks and unbroken current. Mr. Alvin Raymond in the
following October went to the Rapids and labored a year for William See.
Mr. Elisha Raymond bought a claim already made, covering a quarter
section, for $25. He immediately rolled up some logs in cabin shape, put
on some shakes for a roof, and lived there through the winter of
1835-36.
On the 20th of June, 1836, Seneca Raymond, son of Elisha Raymond Sr., landed at Racine. He came on a vessel from Oswego, with his own and his father's family, and at once joined his father. Nelson Bentley also arrived and settled in Raymond, in June, 1836. He drove a double team and wagon all the way from Manlius, N. Y. He and Seneca Raymond left Manlius on the same day, and both arrived at Racine on the same day, one coming by water from Oswego, and the other by his own conveyance, each making the journey in precisely six weeks. In the summer of 1836, Mr. Raymond, Sr., built a capacious two-story log house on his claim. A stone chimney was built in the house from the ground floor, and it gives one a happy feeling to know of such comfort in a wilderness as was afforded in that house by the great old-fashioned fireplace with which it was provided. Timothy Sands, Orson Bump, Reuben Rogers, John Rogers, Joseph Drake, and John Brewer settled in Raymond in 1836; Caleb J. True, Niles Bentley, William O. Mills, John Jones and Zachariah Sands in '37; Walter Shumway and Leonard Upham in 1838, and Thomas E. Parmalee and Daniel McPherson, in 1839. On the 12th of May, 1838, Mr. Loring Weber came into Raymond. He and his family remained at the house of Mr. Raymond six weeks after their arrival. When I saw Mr. Weber he could recall none of the settlers yet remaining in Raymond who were there when he came, except Mr. Nelson Bentley and Mr. Timothy Sands. Mr. Weber made his claim in May, 1838, and continued to occupy it as his homestead until he recently left the county. He built the first frame house in the town with oak lumber which he procured at the Rapids. Among the other early settlers were Philetus Crandall, who settled in 1840, and Christian Frederick and William Schwartz, who settled in 1837. Reynolds Scofield, George Scofield, Charles Scofield and Dr. John E. Scofield also settled in Raymond in 1837. Dr. John E. Scofield was the first physician who located in the town. In September, 1839, James T. Elliot settled in Raymond. Peter Reynolds in '38 and William Elliot in 1840. Like the early settlers in other parts of the county, those of Raymond were subjected to dangers and inconveniences. They had to grind corn in their pepper mills for their bread, and suckers, rice, and codfish were staple commodities. Some, however, brought supplies with them to meet emergencies. Seneca Raymond brought twenty bushels of potatoes with him, planted them on the 4th of July, 1836, and had a good crop of one hundred and fifty bushels. At one time, also, Mr. Weber and Elisha Raymond, Sr. went south and brought into the settlement thirty head of cattle and fifteen hogs. Later in 1841 Mr. Raymond raised three thousand bushels of grain on one hundred acres of land. The Indians were troublesome. The Raymond settlement was not far distant from Jambeau's trading post, and the Indians with their thieving propensities and meddlesome dispositions, annoyed the settlers.[sic] NOTE: Transcriber only includes this paragraph because it is part of the published text. The KenGenWeb in no way believes that this statement is correct or is a worthy representation of actual occurances between Native Americans and settlers. On one occasion Mr. Alvin Raymond fell asleep in the field where he had been cutting grass. He had his rifle by his side and was suddenly awakened. Thirteen ponies with two or three Indians astride of each pony, was the sight which met his eyes as he awoke. He grasped his rifle, and upon their inquiring if he had a squaw and a wigwam they all went directly to Mr. Elisha Raymond's house. Charles Raymond, son of Alvin Raymond, at the age of three years could speak the Indian language. The first religious society in Raymond was the Congregationalist. Mr. Loring Weber assisted in building the first meeting house. The first marriage in Raymond was that of Miss Eliza Raymond to Willard Flint, which was celebrated on the 27th day of May, 1838. The town of Raymond was first called "Black Hawk" by act of the Legislature in 1846, but at the same session an act was subsequently passed, reorganizing the town, and giving it the name of Raymond, for the pioneer who had so sturdily established and maintained his settlement in the town. |