History: 1913 History of Western Marathon County, Wisconsin

Poster: Janet Schwarze

Surnames: Campbell, Rozell, Beach

----Source: 1913 HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY WISCONSIN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS BY LOUIS MARCHETTI, WAUSAU, WIS.

----The History of Marathon County, Wisconsin

 MARATHON COUNTY, WISCONSIN

SETTLEMENT OF THE EXTREME WESTERN PART

Up to the year 1871 the territory in ranges 2 and 3 was yet wholly unsettled and wild; not a clearing, mill or road existed in that part. The farmers had gone in east and west from Mosinee, Wausau, and a few from Merrill not any further west, however, than range 4, so that for nearly eighteen miles from the east line of range 4 to the county line of the county the west line of range 2, there was an area of 10 townships, or a territory of 360 square miles in which no white man had yet set his foot with the intention of subduing wilderness.

In township 26; range 4, there existed a very small settlement, only a few families, the brothers Campbell, one Rozell, and one Beach, which was called the Campbell settlement after the brothers "Campbell," who had gone there from Weeks mill on the Eau Plain river; their beginning dates back to about 1868. These settlers have died or removed, and the last one of them known to be in Marathon county, Mr. Beach, died at the farm of his son in the town of Cleveland in 19 12. The only outlet for these farmers was the saw mill of John Weeks, and from there up to Mosinee, or later to the railroad station Dancy.

The settlement of the present towns of Spencer, McMillan, Day Brighton, Hull, and Holeton began with the building of the Wisconsin Central R. R. in 1871 and 1872, the settlers following the track of the railroad, and slowly continuing their march in either direction, east and west from that line, into Marathon and Clark county, invading the present towns of Eau Plain, Frankfort, Bern, Johnson, and Halsey, in this county which at that time were attached to other towns.