From: History of Rock
County, Wisconsin
- "The only timber now (1856)
standing in this town is on Sections 5, 6, 35 and
- 36, amounting to less than a quarter-section.
The inhabitants are supplied with good water in great abundance,
by digging wells from fifteen to eighty-five feet deep, and with
wood, by hauling it from the neighboring towns, a distance of
from three to ten miles. The mail route from Racine and Chicago
passes through La Prairie. The Chicago, Fond du Lac & St.
Paul Railroad (now the Chicago & North- Western) enters the
town on the south line of Section 35, and passes out on the west
line of the southwest quarter of Section 7. Some of the early
settlers of Rock County made their first 'pitch' in La prairie."
- "Samuel ST. JOHN and family
were among the first who made a permanent
- settlement on Rock River within
the limits of the county. He wintered with the first seven or
eight who built the log shanty on the east side of the river,
at he rapids. His was the first claim made in La Prairie. He
and his brother Levi claimed and afterward purchased at the land
sales in Milwaukee the whole of Section 6. He built a good log
house on the west half of the section, now (1856) standing within
the limits of Janesville. William MERTROM about the same time,
made a claim on Section 5, and built a log house, which Nehemiah
ST. JOHN purchased and occupied for several years. Nathan ALLYNE,
in 1835 or 1836, made a claim on Section 35, broke several acres,
put in and raised crops without fence except dogs. Lucius BURNHAM
made a claim on Section 36, in the spring of 1837, and made his
first improvements in 1838; built the first frame barn now (1856)
standing in La Prairie. Clark W. LAWRENCE came into this county
with his father and family in 1836, made a claim on Section 36,
and built the first frame house. Mr. WATERMAN, James CHAMBERLIN
and L. B. ALLYNE located on Section 35, in 1837 or 1838."
- "The town being all prairie
- only a small quantity of timber in the northwest
- and southwest corners of it - other
towns, in the county filled up rapidly with settlers, while La
Prairie remained stationary. Justus P. WHEELER made his purchase
in the fall of 1840; Eliakim THATCHER in 1843. A man by the name
of HOCUM made a claim on Section 3; afterward sold to Mr. COVIL.
Charles C. CHENEY, Henry CHEESEBRO, William LOYD, Adelmon SHERMAN
and Ephraim LEACH, Jr., made their purchases in the years 1844
and 1845; Almerin SHERMAN, Peter SHUFELT, James I. HOYT, William
G. EASTERLY and Mr. FORD, in 1846."
-
- [Transcriber's note: This 'sketch'
about La Prairie Township started on a previous page that I don't
have. The writer started each paragraph with quotes - I believe
quoting some publication done in 1856, which he is now including
in this book - published 1879. The same writer names among others
of the largest farmers of La Prairie, in 1856, Freeman HITCHCOCK,
Alfred HASKINS, Amaziah SHERMAN, Jacob VAN GELDER, William H.
READ, R. W. SCHENCK, Hiram FINCH, Harvey SESSIONS, S. L. HALSTEAD,
E. CHEESBRO, Thomas AULD, James CHAMBERLIN, Harvey HART, E. W.
BLISH, James V. BELTINGS, J. P. WHEELER, William H. STARK, Guy
WHEELER, C. W. LAWRENCE, George RHODES, William SCHENCK.]
©1879
Western Hist. Co.
p. 514
Courtesy of Carol
|
From: The Portrait and
Biographical Album of Rock County, Wisconsin
- La Prairie, so named from the fact
that the town is mostly prairie land, was
- organized by an act of the Legislature,
approved March 26, 1849, and originally comprised those parts
of the towns of Harmony and Turtle which were included in township
2 north, of range 13 east. The west half of section 6 was subsequently
set off to the city of Janesville. The limits of the town now
are those of township 2 north, of range 13 east. The first town
meeting was held at the house of Justus P. WHEELER, April 3,
1849. Among the early settlers were Samuel and Levi ST. JOHN,
William MERTROM, Nathan ALLYNE, Lucius BURNHAM, Clark W. LAWRENCE,
James CHAMBERLAIN, L. B. ALLYNE and Mr. WATERMAN. The town being
nearly all prairie, it did not settle as rapidly as most other
parts of the county. Justus P. WHEELER made his purchase in the
fall of 1840; Eliakim THATCHER in 1843. A man, by the name of
HOCUM, made a claim on section 3 and afterwards sold to Mr. COVIL.
Charles C. CHENEY, Henry CHEESEBRO, William LOYD, Adelmon SHERMAN
and Ephraim LEACH, Jr., made their purchases in the years 1844
and 1845; Almerin SHERMAN, Peter SHUFELT, James I. HOYT, William
G. EASTERLY and Mr. FORD, in 1846. Among others of the largest
farmers of La Prairie, in 1856, Freeman HITCHCOCK, Alfred HASKINS,
Amaziah SHERMAN, Jacob VAN GELDER, William H. READ, R. W. SCHENCK,
Hiram FINCH, Harvey SESSIONS, S. L. HALSTEAD, E. CHEESEBRO, Thomas
AULD, James CHAMBERLAIN, Harvey HART, E. W. BLISH, James V. BELTINGS,
J. P. WHEELER, William H. STARK, Guy WHEELER, C. W. LAWRENCE,
George RHODES, William SCHENCK.
©1889
p. 1014
Courtesy of Carol
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