Physical Features

This is one of the larger counties of the State, having forty-four government townships. It is nine townships long from east to west, and five from north to south. It would be a perfect parallelogram but for the fact that a town on the northwest corner is in Taylor county, and the same may be said of that county referring to its southeast corner.

The Wisconsin River goes down through the county in the tier of towns east of the center from north to south, receiving accessions in its course through the county; on the east, Prairie, Pine, Trap, Big Eau Claire, Bull Creek and others; on the west Silver Creek, Rib River, Big Eau Pleine and smaller streams. Other branches in the county flow south and join the river in the county below. Most of these streams are large enough to float logs, and there are mills on them doing good work. Along these rivers the lumber is various, the pine predominates, but there is also hemlock, with rock maple, spruce, oak, elm and birch. Receding from the river the pine and hemlock disappear, and the hard woods prevail with walnut, butternut and other valuable trees.

As to the character of the soil there is no question but that it is of the finest quality for agricultural purposes, the yield has exceeded the expectations of those who early began the cultivation of the soil. The various enemies of the farmer here seem to be reduced to a minimum, as is shown by an experience of more than twenty-five years.

The county was first organized in 1850, and then had 160 government townships. As confined to its present limits it is a little northeast of its geographical center of Wisconsin. Its commercial center is Wausau, the county seat located on the Wisconsin River at Big Bull Falls, not far from the center of the county. Rib Hill is a fine mountain near Wausau, looming up above all the surrounding scenery. All farming products find a ready sale into consumer’s hands. No county in Wisconsin surpasses Marathon in healthfulness.

Pulmonary diseases are rare. Fever and ague and all the various malarial diseases are not indigenous here, and are unknown, except when imported.

The average temperature for January for ten years is here given: 1865, 6 degrees above; 1866, 9 above; 1867, 12 above; 1868, 4 above; 1869, 15 above; 1870, 13.6 above; 1871, 15 above; 1872, 15.5 above; 1873, 7.7 above; 1874, 12.7 above.

The Winter of 1855-6 was a cold one here, the thermometer showed twenty-eight below zero in December, and thirty-two in January. In 1874-5 the temperature was twenty-eight below in December, and thirty-three in January. In January, 1881, the glass revealed the mercury down to thirty-three below in January, and twenty-two in February. The Winter of 1858 was the mildest remembered, although 1869-70 was comparatively warm, as it also was in the Winter of 1877-8.

The geological peculiarities of Marathon County can only be described in a general way. Political lines have a most supreme disregard of geological boundaries, and the county in this respect is a part of a vast territory which has been more or less carefully explored and its obvious characteristics noted. It may be premised that the county is an elevated region of crystalline rocks 900 feet in the northern part, and 400 in the southern, above the surface of Lake Michigan. It has an unending surface, with low abrupt ridges and outcroppings of tilted rocks with occasional high points of quartz rocks. For the most part it is densely covered with pine interspersed with marshes and, by way of contrast, with hardwood ridges which, when cleared, yield excellent farming land, with rivers full of waterfalls, awaiting the enterprise which is certain to realize them to the fullest extent. This is covered by drift material, and a complete knowledge of the history of a single pebble composing this drift, would give its possessor more knowledge of geology than is now extant in the wide world.

The Mosinee Hills are composed of a grayish white quartzite rock.

Rib Hill is feldspathic and quartzose.

The Wausau Falls are over a syenite with black hornblende. East from Wausau the county rises rather rapidly, and is underlaid with a porphyritic formation.

The Lower Silurian formation just touches the southern boundary at a single point. The rest of the county may be set down as belonging to the Archaean system.

In relation to the soil of the county it may be said that on either side of the Wisconsin there is a sandy belt from one to six miles wide which originally was heavily timbered with white and Norway pine. Some of the other streams have like characteristics. On leaving this river belt the soil is dark clay loam, which, to use a sporting term, has remarkable “staying qualities.”

There are numerous living springs and clear water brooks, with lakes in great abundance.

Settlement

The settled policy of the fur companies who secured such rich rewards by cultivating the whole region of the Northwest with their trading posts was to convey the impression that the country was uninhabitable, sterile, forbidding, and the habitations of remorseless Indians and savage beasts, where no white man could exist or subsist.

Adventurers coming up the Wisconsin River and striking the sandy streak which lies to some extent across the State, at once concluded that such was the character of the whole of Northern Wisconsin.

This region had been so carefully explored that in 1836 its value was thoroughly established, and the treaty with the Menomonees extinguished the Indian title to a strip six miles wide as far up as Big Bull Falls, where Wausau is now located, and the valuable points for water mills was soon taken.

It was not till 1839 that Marathon County was invaded by the restless lumberman, John L. Moore. In this year began operations at Mosinee, and George Stevens for whom the “Point,” was named, began at Wausau. The latter place began to be quite rapidly settled, so that in 1847 Mr. Owen estimated the number at 350.

The strongly accented bovine names given to the Falls on the Upper Wisconsin and its branches were suggested by the sound of the Falls at Mosinee as it appeared at a distance through the woods to an early exploring party as they approached it. The roar struck in the ear like the gentle lowing of a bull, so it was named “Bull Falls.” Reaching Wausau, which had a fall so much greater, that it was named, “Big Bull Fall,” and of course the other became “Little Bull,” and then followed, carrying out the same conceit, “Grandfather Bull,” “Jenny Bull,” “Bull, Jr.,” etc.

Among the settlers who had located here in 1844 were Francis Brusette and his wife, Jane, Milton M. Charles, Morgan Coles, Levi Fleming, Benj. F. Perry, John B. La Fontaine, E. G. Plumer.

The Indians had kettles in which to boil their sap, obtained, probably, of fur companies’ agents, before the white settlers came. And it is claimed by Mr. Green, that the art of maple sirup making was understood and practiced by the Chippewa before even the white race came to America at all; that they used birch bark boilers, which by careful management, over a fire with little or no blaze, can be used to boil in.

Thomas Lynch and Martin Lynch, who live in Lincoln County, are the oldest living settlers now known. They came to Wausau in 1840. G. G. Greene, now living on the corner of Second and Jefferson streets, came in 1841, and is probably the oldest pioneer now in the city. He relates that the first year he was here, he counted, in one hand, 800 Indians going up to make sugar above Wausau, in the maple groves.

The first lumber run from here was made into rafts only nine inches deep, and was run in the Spring of 1841. The rafts were gradually thickened, until they were two feet thick.

The first camp on the Eau Claire was put in by Orlan Rood, in January, 1842. The first man drowned on the river in rafting was a Frenchman, named Champigne, in 1841. In 1842, James Cunningham was drowned, and the next year, John P. Thomas. After that, the rafting became so extensive that drowning accidents were common.

The Winter of 1842-3 was the most severe, so far as the amount of snow is concerned, of any remembered here. Large numbers of Indians perished of hunger, and in the Spring they all came out thin and tottering. One of the chiefs, Mayig (the otter), who had a large family, killed his squaw, and he and the children subsisted on her remains. On the 24^th and 25^th of February, 1843, several feet of snow fell on top of a previous heavy layer. Provisions were not to be spared by the settlers, and the poor, miserable, wretched Indians, in their begging expeditions, had to be driven off with clubs. Among the old squaws who long hovered around the village of Wausau, was the sister of Little Turtle. She had some white blood of a Celtic cast, and was called the Irishwoman. George J. Moore and B. F. Berry ran a mill here, early in the forties, by the thousand. A. B. Crosby came in 1840. James Loup, Mr. Shepherd and P. B. Crosby had a mill that was burned when Shepherd pulled out, and Loup & Crosby rebuilt the mill. There was at this time little semblance of law, and apparently little need of it. The community was a peaceable one. Thieving was unknown, although there was an occasional saloon row, or street encounter; but quarrels were in some way patched up. Resort to Madison, the nearest Circuit Court, was very rare. As one of the old settlers quaintly remarked, there was no stealing, and but few crimes, until the lawyers and ministers arrived.

In the Spring of 1843, there was a frightful Spring freshet, probably the highest on the river, as the result of the snow of the previous Winter. In June, 1847, there was another serious flood.

Among the most daring and successful pilots on the river were: Hiram Stowe, who ran the first lumber from Wausau; Joe Kerr, S. M. Woodward, Solomon Leach, and Solomon Story and Horace Judd, who were the best Grand Rapids raftsmen on the river.

At that time, previous to 1845, there was no semblance of a road anywhere. The river in Summer, and the ice on it in Winter, was the only highway, and then, with the numerous falls and rapids, it can be seen with what labor provisions and supplies were brought up.

George Stevens was the first man to come up into the pineries and build a mill in Wausau. He ran the mill at first and actually started the lumber business here. He sold out to Mr. Barker, who operated the mill some time. It was afterward sold to W. D. McIndoe, and is now the valuable property owned by J. & A. Stewart.

Among the early loggers were Harvey Polk, John Forrester, Ed. Pierson and John Wiseman.

In those days the Chippewa Indians were very plenty here, coming into the village to trade their furs and berries, or to beg. Of course the contact of the two races, so unlike, would involve more or less friction, and create many ludicrous scenes and incidents.

On one occasion, a gallant young man, now well along in years, undertook to carry three squaws across the river in a canoe. While crossing over, the party got into an altercation, and the young man threatened to tip over the canoe, and on making a feint to do so, over it went; each of the squaws struck out lustily for the shore, while the young man had to cling to the frail craft as it floated down the river, finally landing a long way down.

Among the early settlers and successful business men may be mentioned, the Single brothers, Alex. Stewart, J. C. Clark, B. G. Plumer, W. C. Silverthorn, J. A. Farnham, D. L. Quaw, Kelly Bros. S. H. Alban, Fred. Kickbusch, A. Kickbusch, B. Ringle & Sons, J. McCrossen, Porcher & Mason and others.

Dr. William Schofield was the first man to introduce rotary saws on the river. The first mills had frame saws, with an occasional “muley;” they were run by a flutter-wheel.

The following is a list of old settlers, who were prominent men in 1857: Hiram Calkins, W. S. Hobart, William A. Gordon, W. C. Clemson, William Kennedy, Asa Lawrence, Simon Stevens, J. H. Walter, William Hewins, John C. Clarke, William Gouldsberry, Joseph C. Green, J. Bernard, D. W. Fellows, Hugh McIndoe, N. T. Kelly, Ed. Nicolls, Charles Winckley, William Cuer, Joseph Taguey, George Silverthorn, Ransom Lilly, J. X. Brands, P. St. Austin, Dan Lilly, J. W. Chubbuck, Asa J. Kent, C. R. Crocker, Joshua Winkley, E. G. Chark, S. E. Stoddard, D. L. Plumer, W. W. DeVoe, William Wilson, J. P. Hobart.

Pre-historic – A mound was found near where the Lakeside House now stands, with a pile of rocks on top, and near the center several skeletons, buried head to head, in the form of a star.

Political – In 1851, Marathon and Portage were associated as an Assembly district. In 1857, it was Marathon and Wood counties. In 1862, Marathon and Wood. Since 1872, Marathon County has been a complete Assembly district. Since the organization of the county the following gentlemen have been representatives in the Assembly at Madison; some of them the second time or more: Thomas J. Moran, George W. Cate, Walter D. McIndoe, Joseph Wood, Anson Rood, Burton Millard, J. S. Young, John Phillips, Orestes Garrison, Levi P. Powers, H. W. Remington, B. G. Plumer, George Hiles, Henry Reed, Carl Hoeflinger, W. C. Silverthorn, Bartholomew Ringle, F. W. Kickbusch, John Ringle.

The present county officers are: Judge, Hon. B. Ringle; Sheriff, R. P. Mauson; Treasurer, J. R. Breeneau; Clerk, Henry Miller; Clerk of Circuit Court, Hugo Peters; Register of Deeds, A. W. Schmidt; Municipal Judge, Louis Marchetti; District Attorney, C. F. Eldred; Coroner, F. Neu; County Surveyor, William Allen.

The post-offices in the county are Wausau, Bean’s Eddy, Colby, Hartsville, Hutchinson, Knowlton, Maine, Mannville, Marathon City, Mosinee, Naugart, Romeo, Rozellville, Spencer, Stettin, Trapp, Unity.

The population of Marathon County since its organization, by semi-decades, is shown to have been: 1850, 489; 1855, 447; 1860, 2,892; 1865, 3,678; 1870, 5,885; 1875, 10,111; 1880, 17,121. Before 1855, the county had been reduced in its proportions.

The present Senatorial District is composed of Marathon, Waupaca and Portage counties, electing one State Senator every alternate year, to serve two years.

The county indebtedness, total, in 1880, was $6, 785.25. The valuation of property – real estate $3,045,777; personal, $3,833,352.

The court-house is on Third street, Wausau, between Jefferson and Scott streets, on a public square, with an imposing band stand near the northwest corner, and the jail on the corner opposite. It has Grecian pillars in front, and is a good specimen of a temple of justice. Its cost and the time of its construction are alluded to in another place.

The county jail is on the square with the court-house. It has the Sheriff’s residence, with offices for the District Attorney, etc. The jail proper is 32X34 feet. The residence portion is 36X40 feet. The cost of the structure, which is of brick, was $11,000. John Mercer was the architect.

A special election under the act authorizing the organization of the new county was held on the 2d of April, 1850. John Stockhouse, J. Harrison and Reuben M. Welsh were Inspectors; C. R. Clements and John Kenedy, Clerks. Tuesday, April 9, the Board of Canvassers met. Charles Shuster, Justice of the Peace, John Stockhouse and E. A. Preston, members present. The result was declared to be as follows: Sheriff, William Wezinton; Clerk of Court, County Clerk and Register of Deeds, Joshua Fox; Supervisors, Andrew Warren, James Moore, E. M. Pancoast and John Stockhouse; Surveyor, Henry E. Goodrich; Attorney, John Q. A. Rollins; Justices for the town of Wausau, James Moore, Morril Walrad, E. M. Pancoast; Constables, Isaac Gansolly, Alva G. Newton; Town Clerk, D. R. Clement.

The regular election for county and other officers was held on the 5^th of November, 1850. The result of this election was as follows: Sheriff, Charles A. Single; Coroner, Tim. Soper; Clerk Circuit Court, John G. Corsey; who was also elected County Clerk and Register; Treasurer, Morris Walrad; Surveyor, F. C. Goodrich.

The offices up to this time have been filled with the leading men in the county, as a rule, and the administration of county affairs has been honest and economical.

Marathon County, Wisconsin [Home Page]