History and Genealogy of LOYAL TOWNSHIP, Clark County, Wisconsin

Loyal Township was first settled some thirty-five years ago by Erastus Mack and a few others who moved here from Canada. A few years later came William Welsh and John Graves, followed by a number of others from Dodge County, Wisconsin. Mr. John Graves built and operated the first saw and flouring mill here; he also conducted a general store for years.

The township is one of the finest, if not the best, township in Clark County. Originally covered with a heavy growth of pine and hardwood timber, consisting of white oak, red oak, black oak, white and black ash, birch, maple, basswood and butternut. The pine has nearly all been cut and manufactured now, but there are yet many tracts of hardwood, which owing to the active demand for all kinds of hardwood lumber, makes the land and timber very valuable.

When the land has been cleared of the timber it discloses a rich and deep soil, adapted to all kinds of farming. Crops growing very rapid and luxuriant and a failure of any crop has never been known. The soil is a deep black loam with a clay subsoil. Garden truck, spring and winter wheat, rye, barley, oats, peas, corn, ensilage, millet, clover and timothy grow splendidly. We know of no place in Wisconsin where the land is so naturally adapted to dairying purposes as this township. Small streams of pure water abound, and with the rapid and luxuriant growth of grass for stock pasturage and hay crop, make it peculiarly adapted to the raising and keeping of stock.

The climate is healthy, as the face of the country contains no swamps or stagnant places; the face of the country being just undulating enough make good water-shed.

Good water is abundant, supplied by small streams that wind their way in different directions throughout the town. All farms are supplied with good wells of pure water in abundance. The average depth of the wells throughout the township is about forty-five feet, while the streams in the winter afford plenty of pure ice for domestic and dairying purposes.

There are at present one hundred and sixty-seven cleared farms, averaging in size of clearing from fifteen acres to one hundred acres each of improvements. The farmers are a progressive and active people, as evidenced by their constant improvements in building new farm houses, and large and commodious barns for the proper storage of their products.

There are numerous tracts of hardwood land still covered with a rich growth of timber that can be bought at reasonable prices, that still await settlement, which when settled and cleared will develop some beautiful farms and comfortable homes.

The town includes within its boundaries over one thousand inhabitants, which are supplied with five school districts with surrounding towns, making in all nine school houses accessible to the school children of the town.

Loyal, in general with most of the other towns in Clark County, is supplied with splendid roads. Large sums of money being expended each year in the building of new highways and maintaining of old. The system of turnpiking in vogue throughout the whole county is very commendable indeed, as there is no other agent that so rapidly effects settlement and development of timbered country as good highways for heavy teaming, or for those contemplating investments, or for those who are looking for a home, good highways are one of the first items that are considered.

The village of Loyal is situated nearly in the center of the township. It is a beautifully situated place, high, clean and healthful. Contains about three hundred inhabitants. Has a graded school of two departments, three general stores, two hardware stores, a drug store, two blacksmith shops, a hotel, saw mill, a new roller process flouring mill, a furniture store, cheese factory, five religious societies--Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Adventist and Catholic.

The New Lisbon, Necedah & Northern, a branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, have their line of road located through the township, including on its line the villages of Loyal and Spokeville. Also the Wisconsin Central line, from Marshfield to Chippewa Falls, is located through the town, and options on right of way have been secured, and this line will also include the villages of Loyal and Spokeville. When these two lines are built, and they are now working on them, it will give the township excellent railroad facilities. The village of Spokeville is situated on the east line of the town, about four miles from the village of Loyal. It contains a new mill, shingle and lath mill, excelsior factory, general store, blacksmith shop, and a number of residences, and is, withal, a very promising little town.

Farm Buildings of Andrew Emerson

These buildings are located on one of the largest farms in the county, in the township of Loyal, about two miles from the village of Loyal. Mr. Emerson has about two hundred and fifty acres under cultivation in this farm. He owns several large tracts of land in the towns of Loyal and Beaver, including the whole of section thirty-four in the town of Beaver. He has an immense herd of horses and cattle on his farm--usually has about one hundred head of cattle. Mr. Emerson was born in Norway in 1843. He came to America in 1854--to LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He lived there until 1876 when he came to his present location in this county. He has been interested in lumbering in this county quite largely, was manager of Gile & Holoway's logging and farming interests for the first few years of his residence here. He was married at LaCrosse in 1872. Has been a member of the county board for three or four years.

Source: "Clark Co., WI Illustrated", By Henry S. Mulvey (1890)