Bio: Sorenson, Andrew (History -
1877)
Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: SORENSON BENSON DIX PATCH
----Source: 1918 History of Clark County,
Wisconsin
ANDREW SORENSON, who was born in Denmark, and
came to the United States in 1877, says: "I first went to Stone
Bank, Wis., and from there to Dorchester in the fall of 1877. My
father bought a farm one and a half miles from town, all timber.
There were six of us boys, and we all helped father to cut the
timber and clear the place. The timber was all hardwood and
hemlock, which we burned to get it out of the way. I worked at
logging in the winter and in sawmills in summer to help support the
family. At that time there was but one store in Dorchester. A Mr.
Benson later opened another store and furnished supplies for the
settlers. We used to carry ours home on our backs. We cut logs and
built a log house of one room, plastered with mud. There was one
sawmill and four or five logging camps. We used to play hotassy and
shuffle the shoe. The schoolhouse was used for the first church
meetings, and all other meetings. Old Elder Patch used to come from
Steven's Point and preach and occasionally old Mr. Dix came here
and held meetings. I used to work in the mill twelve hours a day
for $1.25 paid 9 a barrel for flour, $22 a barrel for pork, and 10
cents a box for matches. There were no roads at that time, but soon
after they were cut through for five miles. We built our own beds
out of pine boards, and mother pulled hay and filled the
mattresses. We made our own chairs and benches also a table out of
pine boards. All was homemade except the stove, which was brought
from Oconomowoc."
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