Town/Village of Hancock
Waushara County, Wisconsin

History & Miscellaneous Information

Last updated February 9, 2007
__________________________

History

From the Portait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin - Acme Publishing Co. 1890

(Town of Hancock)

Hancock is the western of the middle tier of towns of Waushara County. It is bounded on the north by the town of Plainfield, on the east by the town of Deerfield, on the south by the town of Coloma, and on the west by Adams County. No streams worthy of note have their courses within its borders. Pine and Fish Lakes, in the northeast part are bodies of water which have attracted some attention. The Wisconsin Central Line crosses the eastern part of this town, neat the center with a station at Hancock. The soil is sandy and adapted to general farming.

Hancock was organized in 1856 by the legally qualified voters of the territory comprising the town, by electing Sylvester Richmond, Jefferson Abbott and H.B. Lewis Supervisors; Hiram Barnes, Town Clerk; L.A. Babcock, Assessor; and Benjamin Chamberlain and H.B.Lewis, Justices of the Peace. Among the early settlers were William Sylvester, H. Barnes, L.A. Babcock, Story Abbott, J.F. Wiley, Chauncey Riley, John Rawson, S.R. Dunham, J.E. Tilton, C.E. Manger, John LaSelle, Samuel Hutchinson, Stillman Ordway, Isaiah Moor, William and Thomas O'Connor and Walter Ware.

(Village of Hancock)

Hancock is a village in this town, on its Wisconsin Central Line, fifteen miles northwest of Wautoma and five and three-fourths miles south of Plainfield. It contains a steam feed mill, a church and a district school and has a population of about 150. The business of this village twenty years ago may be thus stated: A.R. Edwards, dry goods and groceries; D.S. Kingsley, blacksmith; Isaiah Moor, meat market; S. Miner, physician; Horace Merriman, proprietor of hotel; Mrs. O.J. Wiley, millinery; J.F. Wiley, general merchant. The principal business interests of the present day are the general store of Fred F. Goss; the drug store of B.L. Hales; the feed mill of G.E. Moor; the harness shop fo J. Ordway, and the store of J.F. Wiley. Although settlement began here about forty years ago, the growth of the village has occurred since the railroad was put through it. A Mr. Sylvester was the first settler and erected a small house, called "a hotel", in 1850. About 1855 quite a number came-J.R. WIley, Levi Babcock, G. and C. Hutchinson, J.B. and L. Rawson and G.T. Youts. Mr. Wiley opened a store, and is now a leading merchant of the place, owning also an elevator and warehouse. The Moor brothers, pioneers, also becamse substantial business men.

Hancock is not incorporated as a village. It was surveyed and platted by C. F. Atwood, in 1877, for its proprietor, J.F. Wiley. The Congregational Church was organized about twenty years ago. Several congregations worship in its neat edifice.

Thomas Eubank Post No. 150, Grand Army of the Republic was organized at Hancock, March 26, 1884, with the following charter members: J.E. Tilton, B.L. Hales, F.B. Hamilton, W.D. Weld, Thos. Beal, W.S. Curtis, W.J. Moore, J.A. Rozell, John K. Worthing, Henry Edson, Geo. C. Guest, J.A. Schofield, Peter J. Johnson,  Wm. Jump, L.D. Marshall, S. Ferguson, C.W. Babcock, F.R. Jones, C.W. Moors, Jas. Ordway, O. Hepburn, D.N. Green, Geo. Hutchinson, D.W. Booth, J.R. Barker, Wm. H. Welcome, A.D. Hamilton, J.W. Greenfield, M.V. Ferdon, G.P. Bushey, John H. Ostrum and K.B. Wilkinson, M.D.

The following were the officers for 1884: Com. John E. Tilton;S.V.C., F.B. Hamilton; J.V.C., B. L. Hales; Adj., C.S. Moors; Q.M., F.R. Jones; Surg., K.B. Wilkinson; Chap., W.S. Curtis; O.D., Thos. Beal; O.G., C.W. Babcock; Q.M.S., Henry Edson; S. Maj., W.D. Weld.

John E. Tilton was re-elected Commander in 1885. F.B. Hamilton was Commander in 1886 and 1887. F.B. Hamilton was Commander in 1886 and 1887; THomas Beal in 1888; F.B. Hamilton again in 1889 and C.A. Green is serving in 1890. This post holds its regular meetings at Hancock on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. It has had a membership of over one hundred, but by transfers and dropped members it now has eighty members in good standing. It has lost only two members by death--George C. Guest, late Corp. Co. G., 29th Ohio Infantry, and J.L. Wing, late Corp. CO. A, 2nd Wisconsin Infantry. It has a Relief Corps just organized with thirty-two Charter Members, with Mrs. W.D. Weld, President and Mrs. Lucy Barton, Secretary.

Other Information

Originally called Sylvester (after the first settler in 1850) and was part of what is now Coloma. Hancock suffered three fires which destroyed the town and each time it was rebuilt. The first fire was February 14, 1893, followed by another on April 3, 1894 and the last fire being in 1904, which didn't do as much damage.

__________________________