History: Eaton Township, Clark Co., Wisconsin (1890)

Contact: mailto:janet@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Saterlee, Tifft, Marsh, Peterson, Stewart, Andrews, Pounder

----Source: "Clark Co., Illustrated" published by Saterlee, Tifft & Marsh; 1890

TOWN OF EATON 1890 HISTORY
"Clark Co., Illustrated" published by Saterlee, Tifft & Marsh; 1890)
Transcribed by Tiffiney Hill

Eaton Township is located in the central part of the county, and consists of two townships, or seventy-two square miles. The two townships are described as townships number twenty-six, ranges two and three west.

The town was first organized in the year 1869, and is one of the older towns in the county. The eastern township of Eaton has been settled for many years, but the western township is, as yet, but little developed.

The town was first settled in the northeastern part, on Rock creek and along Black River. The old settlers of the town were nearly all natives of the east, and there are still very few foreigners in the town.

In former years lumbering was the chief industry in this section of the county, but in many places in this town where once stood the dense pine and hardwood forest, we now find some of the largest and best farms in the county. The farmers nearly all have fine large residences and farm buildings of all kinds, and no one can in passing through this town fail to observe that the residence are nearly all well-to-do and in good financial circumstance.

Stock raising and dairying is beginning to receive much attention from the farmers, and those who have engaged in it most extensively are the most successful. The soil is well adapted to this purpose as well as to other branches of agriculture.

There are numerous small streams in the town and some larger ones. Black River flows through the eastern part of the town in a southerly course. Rock creek, on of the larger branches of Black River, unites with Black River in this town just south of the village of Greenwood. The river has a sufficient fall and large volume of water to run mills or manufacturing establishments of any kind, which may be built on its banks. There are already some mills in the town which are doing quite a large business in the manufacture of lumber and other timber products.

The surface of the town does not differ materially from that of the surrounding towns, it being generally quite rolling. In the western township there are one or two quite high elevations or mounds. There are no abrupt elevations in the eastern township.

The survey of the C. F. & E. C. railroad runs through the northern half of the western township, and without doubt the road will be build at an early date. This will open up a large body of valuable hardwood timber to market, as this western township is nearly all covered with oak and other hardwood. The Wisconsin Central line which has been surveyed through the northeastern part of the town, and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul line, which has been located through the same part of the town, will soon be completed and in operation, which will greatly increase the value of timber and real estate in this vicinity. When the western part of this town is opened up and developed it will be one of the riches, if not the richest towns in the county. Its lack of railroad facilities has been its only draw-back for years, and as the grading and track laying is now being pushed on these roads, this disadvantage will soon be overcome.

A large creamery has lately been built near the village of Greenwood in this town, and is now owned and operated by a joint stock company, There are two or three cheese factories in the town which are doing a large business.

There are numerous school houses and churches throughout the town, and much public enterprise has been manifested.

Greenwood is the only village in the town, and is destined to become a village or city of considerable importance in the near future. It now contains three general stores, two hardware stores, two meat markets, two blacksmith shops, tow millinery and dress making establishments, one wagon shop, one grocery store, one confectionery store, one flour and agricultural implement store, one harness shop, one shoe shop, one furniture store and factory, one hotel, one barber shop, one public hall, one Odd Fellows hall, one M. E. Church, one photograph gallery, one creamery and one saw mill. The village is located near the north line of the town, and also near where Rock creek unites with Black River. This furnishes it with water power sufficient to run any amount of machinery. It is located in the midst of as fine a section of agricultural country as Wisconsin affords. Within six months the main line of the Wisconsin Central railroad, between Chicago and St. Paul, will be running through the village. Within three months the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road will be running through the southern part of the village. Within a few miles of the village are heavy bodies of the most valuable hardwood timber in the state. Greenwood’s future prospects are as bright as any village in the northwest.

In 1875 the population of the village was 290, in 1880 it was 453; in 1885 it was 656 and it is now almost 800.

Mr. L. W. Larson is the postmaster at Greenwood. It is on the Neillsville and Withee stage line. They get one mail each day from the north, and one from the south.

The present officers of the town are as follows: chairman, John Stewart; clerk, Fran Pratt; treasurer, S. M. Andrews; assessor, W. A. Pounder.