Oshkosh - Winnebago County Wisconsin History


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Winnebago County History
OSHKOSH

Town of Oshkosh

Source: History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its Cities, Towns, Resources, People By Publius Virgilius Lawson Published by C.F. Cooper and Co., 1908; transcribed by Barbara Ziegenmeyer

The town of Oshkosh occupies with the city of Oshkosh the triangle of land which lies between Lake Winnebago and Big Lake Butte des Morts, containing 8,600 acres of land, all under cultivation except 700 acres, the smallest amount of unused lands of any of the towns. The cash value of these lands and their improvements is $900,725. The surface is elevated above the lake and generally level. The soil of the southeast is a rich vegetable mould, and south and west clay loam. Glacial escars of gravel and sand are frequent, affording material for excellent highways. The land was formerly occupied by scattered hardwood belts of timber, black and white oak and hickory.

According to the census of 1905, the crops consist of 2,000 bushels of wheat, 52,000 oats, 9,000 barley, 35,000 corn, 4,000 tons of hay; no rye is raised. The people possess 351 horses. 1,182 cattle, 665 hogs, 5,600 hens, which produced $5,600 worth of eggs; 1,153 milk cows produced $21,000 worth of butter.

The pioneers of the town were Yankees and New Yorkers; but many foreigners have taken over much of the land in later days. The population of 1.797 is the largest number living in any of the towns. It is made up of 1,234 native born, which, excepting Rushford, is the largest number of native born in any of the towns. There are, however, 563 foreign born, which is the largest number in any of the towns. It has a German population of 270, which is more than in any other town. The nativity of some of its citizens not included above is: Ireland, 38; Norway, 39; Sweden, 24; Canada, 26; Poland, 15; Denmark. 36; England, 17. The town contains more German and Irish than any other, and is only beaten in Scandinavian population by Winchester.

The evolution of the town by depletion and addition of territory has been explained in another place, continued from 1840 down to February 8, 1856, when the present area of the town became permanent except for frequent additions taken in by the city of Oshkosh. Long before this, however, the town was settled by an ever-increasing population. The first to settle on lands within its present limits was J. L. Schooley, who moved on his land in the fall of 1839 (on section I. T. 18, R. 16). He afterwards moved to the city of Neenah. Ira F. Aiken located the same fall near what is now the Asylum landing on the lake shore. Wm. C. Isbell settled in 1840, on section 6. He was frequently given prominent and responsible offices in the county and moved before 1878 to Fremont on the Wolf River. Dr. Christian Linde, afterward a prominent physician of Oshkosh. Arrived from Denmark in 1842, and first took up lands in this town where, with his brother Carl, who came with him, they purchased of Colonel Charles Fuller, 280 acres of land, which is now occupied by the Northern Insane Asylum. Here they erected a log cabin for their home.

Samuel L. Brooks moved in 1842, locating on section 25, until 1846, when he moved on to the old Brooks homestead. He was a land surveyor, and laid out many of the roads. Mr. Jefferson Eaton entered on his lands, now partly occupied by the Asylum, in 1843. He was born in Herkimer county, New York, in 1820, and moved west with his family, arriving in Oshkosh by team. He remained on his farm the remainder of his life, and died there August 4, 1882. His son, M. H. Eaton, was born there and became a prominent attorney at the city of Oshkosh, where his son, Leo Kimble Eaton, is also a prominent attorney. Charles Derby, born in Downpatrick, Ireland, in August, 1819, arrived in the town in 1849, the pioneer of the Irish settlement. He had $1,500, earned in Massachusetts as a machinist, and he purchased a pre-emption right to his farm, He built the second frame house in the town. With Oliver Libbey and S. S. Keese they erected a school building. Mr. Corydon L. Rich purchased his dairy farm in 1845, commencing work in the spring of 1846. He died there March 24, 1886. This family has always been one of the most prominent in the town.

The Northern Insane Hospital, the county Insane Hospital, and the county Poorhouse. are all located in this town about four miles north of Oshkosh; but have been described in detail in another place. The lands in this town were purchased from the Menominee Indians, September 3, 1836, at the treaty of Cedar Rapids; surveyed by David Giddings in 1839. and offered for sale in April, 1840, the lake shore region being purchased by non-residents for speculation. The first post office was the Oshkosh village office, which was the first in the county, established in 1840, with John P. Gallup as postmaster. In June 2. 1847, the Vinland post office was established, with Samuel L. Brooks as postmaster, a-position he retained for more than thirty-nine years. The northern portion of the town of Oshkosh, two miles wide, was from 1849 to 1856, part of the town of Vinland, and was then assigned to the town of Oshkosh. The change in jurisdiction brought this post office into the town of Oshkosh. A post office, named Winnebago, was established at the asylum June 2nd. 1871, and William W. Walker was appointed postmaster. When the town in 1855 was not so large as now, it contained but one school house of seventy- seven scholars. There are three school buildings now in the town. A large town hall is located in the center of the town at the crossing of two principal highways. No town contains so many elegant and substantial residences and farm buildings. There is one store at Winnebago conducted by W. M. Walker. There is a church on the ridge road which crosses the center of the town. The Northwestern Railway crosses the town with two lines of road with a station at Winnebago. The Wisconsin Central crosses the town, with a station at Winnebago. The Interurban street car line crosses the town on the ridge road. A stage line crosses it on the Winneconne road.

Island Park is in Lake Winnebago off the shore of the town of Oshkosh. It was formerly known as Pe Sheu or Wild Cat s Island, prior to 1813, since then to recent times as Garlic Island; and is the only island remaining above the waters in the lake. The story of the bold warrior chief, Pe Sheu, who had his village there, is related in another place in this work.

The corn hills of the Indian village are still visible on the island and on the mainland adjacent. On the south shore of the island there is a cairn made of boulders, now about thirty inches high, and about fifteen feet diameter, supposed to mark some aboriginal burial. On the lakeside shore there lies an immense black trap rock about which are gathered legendary lore.

On the farms north of the asylum there seems to have been an aboriginal graveyard, from which have been recovered vessels, clay pipes and other relics. Some of these have been illustrated in the Wisconsin Archeologist. There was also a cemetery at Sunset Point on Big Lake Butte des Morts. Near by on Plummer-s Point on the property of Levi Plummer there was a round mound on the southeast quarter of section thirty. It was twenty feet diameter and thirty inches high.

OSHKOSH
Milwaukee Free Press (27 Jan. 1913) submitted by Diana Heser Morse

Oshkosh may properly be called the Park city of Wisconsin, as nearly every street is lined on both sides with beautiful trees, notably old oaks and elms. In the summer the effect is that of a city in a mighty grove of trees.

Although there are large and growing manufacturing interests here, particularly along the swift and wide Fox river, the city is delightfully situated for residence purposes and it has a wide reputation as one of the most attractive cities of homes, there being a great many beautiful residences in all parts of the city.

The Fox river divides Oshkosh into two nearly equal parts, known as the north and south sides. It is bounded on the east by Lake Winnebago, thirty miles long and twelve miles wide, and said to be the largest inland lake, entirely within one state, in the union.

The woodworking industries here are the city's greatest asset, although the iron working plants are also gaining a conspicous place.

Oshkosh takes great pride in its educational institutions, having one of the best public school systems in the country, also a first class business college, an efficient school of telegraphy and a large state Normal school, in which a college course is now given.

Among the noted men of Oshkosh have been the late United States Senator Philetus Sawyer and the late Col. Gabriel Bouck and probably the most noted living personage here now is Col. John Hicks, formerly United States minister to Peru and Chili, who ranks as the most generous public benefactor Oshkosh has ever had. He has given to the city several magnificent monuments, among them the soldiers' monument in Monument square, an idealistic and herioc statue of Chief Oshkosh in Menominee park, a statue of George Washington in the same park, and busts of Lincoln, Washington and Franklin in the local public schools, named after these respective notables.

Other benefactors of the city are former Assenblyman William M. Bray, who gave the city Riverside park, and the late William J. Roe, who presented the Gilbert Wheeler Roe park. The late Mr. and Mrs. Orville Beach were public benefactors in giving the city the bequest which brought forth the Beach Manual Training school, and the late Philetus Sawyer and Marshall Harris made bequests which resulted in the beautiful public library here.

Oshkosh is the principal sash and door manufacturing of the world, having six factories which employ about 5,000 men. The Paine Lumber company has the largest sash and door plant in the world and makes two-thirds of the standard veneer doors used in the country. Its door department has a capacity of 1,000,000 doors a year.

Women who have been prominent in the life of the city are Mrs. B. C. Gudden, formerly president of the Wisconsin Consumers' league, the late Mrs. Edgar P. Sawyer, who served as president of the Wisconsin organization of Federated Women's club, Mrs. R. H. Edwards, formerly at the head of the same body of clubs and Mrs. Rose C. Swart, noted educator and suffrage worker.

St. Peter's Catholic church is probably the most largely attended church. There are thirty-seven churches, representing almost every denomination from a Jewish synagogue to a Christian Science church.

The city has five parks and the playground feature is prominent in the larger ones, as is also the case on the school grounds.

Oshkosh is the permanent meeting place of the Inland Lake Yachting association and the club house of the Oshkosh Yacht club is among the city's finest buildings.

Tis city now has the commission form of government and in the first year under the new system not only have a great number of public improvements been made but the tax rate has been somewhat reduced.

The finest residence of the city is that erected by Edgar Pl. Sawyer, president of the Oshkosh Gas Light company. It is a veritable castle in appearance and the furnishings are exquisite, Tiffany of New York having had charge of the work of furnishing.

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