History: 1923 Wood Co., Wisconsin
Poster: History Buffs
----Source: History of Wood County, Wisconsin compiled by George O. Jones, Norman S. McVean and others : illustrated. H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co., 1923.
----Original Land Entries for Wood Co., Wisconsin
ORIGINAL LAND ENTRIES
It is the purpose here to record the names of those making the first entries on lands in the various townships of the county. Many of these names became so interwoven with the history of the county that they will never be forgotten; others, because their bearers chose the quiet ways, have passed from the general recollection. But, remembered or forgotten, the true history of the county has its foundation in them, and in their deeds and sacrifices.
Town 21, Range 2 (the west half of Remington). The first entry on land in this town was made in 1858 by John W. King, who took up portions of Sections 25 and 26. The next entry was made in Section 24 by Louis A. Rustad, in 1864. No more land was taken up until 1871, when George Hiles filed in Section 22 and Eliphalet S. Miner in Sections 22 and 32. In 1872 Henry F. Hamilton in Sections 26 and 28 is the only entry. In 1873, Azel B. Hamilton in Sections 22 and 26. In 1874, William Allen in Section 32. In 1876, Charles C. Smith filed in Section 23, and William Allen in Section 32.
Town. 22, Range 2 (Hiles). Samuel F. Weston took up the first land in this town in 1854, in Section 4; in 1855 he also filed in Section 1, 22, 23, 27, and 28, and in the same year Timothy Atkinson filed in Sections 2 and 3, John Atkinson in Section 2, Reuel Weston in Section 11, and Mark Bump in Sections 14 and 23. In 1856, Isaac Dyer in Sections 1 and 2; Elbridge Atkinson in Section 3; Reuel Weston in Section 11; and Honard Cramer in Section 29. There were no more entries from this time until 1864, in which year there was a large influx of settlers. Town 23, Range 2 (Cary). In 1853 Cyrus Woodman filed on the first land in this town, in Sections 6, 19, 29, and 30. He also filed in Section 18 in 1854, and in that year Samuel Weston filed on land in Sections 19, 29, 30, and 34. 'In 1855 Thompson M. Warren filed in Section 24 and John Runkle in Section 25. Among the large number of entries made in 1856, William S. Bell and Henry C. Bell took up land in Sections 1, 2, and 12; John W. Mansfield in Section 3; William H. Fairfield in Section 3; Samuel Harris in Section 3; William Scanlan in Section 4 ;Ephraim Sanford in Section 6; Gysbert Van Steenwyk in Section 8; Alfred Blackman and John W. Mansfield in Section 8; William H. Slawson and Smith Slawson in Sections 10 and 12; and Charles Vrooman in Sections 12 and 13.
Town 24, Range 2 (Rock). The first land in this town was taken up in 1852, in Section 36, but the name of the person filing is not recorded. In 1855 Dudley R. W. Williams secured land in Sections 2, 3, and 14; Abram O. Hollister in Section 12; Ebeneezer Sawyer and Stephen Brown in Section 15; J. Brooks Fenno in Section 23; and Stedman Buttreck and Stephen Brown in Section 35. The next few years saw a very heavy settlement in this town.
Town 25, Range 2 (Lincoln). In 1854 Francis Cholvin took up the first land in this town, in Section 6; in the same year Eliphalet S. Miner, John T. Kingston, and Thomas Weston filed together in Sections 15, 21, 22, and 27. In 1855 J. Brooks Fenmo took up land in Sections 2, 4, 8, 9, 11, 20, and 30; Ephraim Brown in Sections 5, 26, 27, 35, and 36; Benjamin Thompson in Section 9; and Dudley R. W. Williams in Section 35. A large number of entries were made in 1856. Town 21, Range 3 (east half of Remington). In 1853 Daniel S. Ward filed on land in Section 27 of this town, and Amasa Wilson in Section 27. In 1854 Joel P. Mann and Ezra L. Varney filed together on land in Section 1; Allen Johnson in Sections 10, 22, and 27; Erastus Hubbard in Section 22; and Joel W. Hurlbut in Section 22. In 1855 Edward Bentley secured land in Section 23; in 1856, Henrietta W. Smith in Section 2 and William H. Sampson in Section 11. The heaviest settlement in this town occurred from 1870 to 1900.
Town 22, Range 3 (Dexter). In 1852 Cyrus Woodman filed in Section 5 of this town, and in 1853 Peter Laberce in Section 26. In 1854 Joel W. Hurlbut took up land in Section 3; George Hiles in Sections 5, 9, 10, and 21; Jason Brandeberry in Section 8; Nicholas Bakeman in Section 8; Robert Thompson in Section 8; Francis M. Stewart in Section 9; William Williams in Section 10; William and Dudley R. W. Williams in Section 10; John F. Bull and Samuel Bull in Section 17; and Samuel Wallers, Richard Nimsks, John F. Bull and Samuel Bull together in Section 17. A large number of entries were made in 1855, among them Alva Stewart in Section 10; George Grant in Section 15; Donald Ferguson in Section 20; Louis Duprey in Section 20; and James Richardson in Section 36. Town 23, Range 3 (Wood). The first entries in this town were made in 1852, no name being recorded, in Sections 3, 5, 9, 11, 12, 14, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 34, and 35. An entry was also made in this year by Daniel T. Bunker in Section 34. In 1853, Zelotes C. Applebee filed in Section 4; John T. Kingston in Sections 15 and 26; and Nancy Williams in Section 2. In 1854, Samuel Shorey filed in Section 5; Thomas Weston, Eliphalet S. Miner and John T. Kingston together in Sections 5, 9, 10, 14, and 26; G. W. Cate in Section 5; Phillip Shorey in Section 6; James Gibson in Section 24; Herman Bradway in Sections 25 and 26; Andrew Crawford and Frederick F. Myers together in Sections 25, 26, and 34; Joel W. Hurlbut in Section 34; and Abram Helms in Section 35.
Town 24, Range 3 (Richfield). Cyrus Woodman made the first entry in this town in Section 31, in 1852. In 1854, David Trask filed in Section 5; William and Dudley R. Williams in Sections 23 and 27; and William Williams in Sections 28, 29, 32, and 33. In 1855 William and Dudley R. W. Williams took up land in Sections 22, 23, and 27; Dudley R. W. Williams in Section 23; and Samuel F. Weston, Eliphalet S. Miner, and John T. Kindston together in Section 30. There was a heavy influx of settlers in 1856.
Town 25, Range 3 (Marshfield and Cameron). No land was taken up in this town until 1856; in that year there were a large number of entries, as follows: Henry Smith in Sections 1 and 2; Jacob Poe in Sections 1, 2, 3, and 11; Abram B. Mortley in Sections 2. 10, and 11; Adam Poe in Sections 3 and 4; Thomas Poe in Sections 11 and 12; George W. Ebert in Section 12; Thomas I. Coleman in Sections 20, 21, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, and 35; Cyrus Snow in Sections 21, 22, 27, and 34; Benjamin Hughes in Section 22; William C. Davis in Sections 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 34; Joshua B. Arnold in Section 25; Peter Dedrick in Sections 25 and 26; William Dedrich in Section 26; Levi Rhoades in Section 25; John Hodgdon in Section 28; Charles R. Hamlin in Section 31; William N. Dean in Section 32; Nelson F. Beckwith and Thomas L. Humes together in Section 32; John H. Foster in Section 33; Edward B. Kindall in Sections 35 and 36; and Francis S. Williams in Section 36. A large part of the town was selected for the Fox and Wisconsin River Improvement Company.
Town 21, Range 4 (part of Port Edwards and Cranmoor). In this town all of Sections 1 to 23, 26 to 30, and 32 to 35, inclusive, together with portions of other sections, was turned over as State Swamp Land. The first land to be filed on was in Section 24, Daniel Wakely taking up the claim in 1878. The other entries are: 1884, Frederick J. Scheibe in Section 25; 1885, George Esswein in Section 25; 1889, Bertha Nicolaus in Section 24; 1891, Herman F. Kuhn in Section 36 and Johann Henke in the same section; 1894, Ernst Marth in Section 24; 1898, Richard Curran in Section 31; 1899, Julius Marth in Section 36.
Town 22, Range 4 (part of Cranmoor and Seneca). The first entry in this town was made in 1852, in Section 5, no name being recorded. The remainder of this section, together with Sections 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and all of Sections 13 to 36 inclusive, was turned over as State Swamp Lands. The other entries are as follows: 1871, William H. Rozell in Section 12 and Joseph B. Crooks in Section 2; 1872, Stephen Reed in Section 2 and John P. Van Hooser in Section 2; 1873, the Wisconsin Central Railway in Sections 1 and 11, and Joseph B. Crooks in Section 2; 1874, the Wisconsin Central Railway in Section 1 and William H. Rozell in Section 12; 1875, Stephen Reed in Section 2; 1877, Nicholas Jung in Section 2; 1887, John J. Canning in Section 12; 1890, the Wisconsin Central Railway in Section 1. Town 23, Range 4 (Hansen). Two entries on land in this town were made in 1850, in Section 22, no name being recorded. In 1852, Parley Eaton took up land in Section 27, George Hiles in Section 31, and William Anderson in Section 34. In 1853, Cyrus Woodman filed in Sections 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, and 33. In 1854, Thomas Hogan entered on land in Sections 22 and 23; James Weed in Section 24; Samuel Larsin in Section 24; George Beckwith in Section 25; John Scallon in Sections 26 and 28; John ohnson in Section 26; Joseph Goodrich in Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 24, 25, and 26; George W. Stanton in Section 12; James Scallon in Section 13; Jeremiah Witter in Section 13; James Lagison in Section 13; James R. Harsthorn in Section 13; Daniel Sheldon in Section 13; Sewell Haskall in Section 15; Roswell Bullock in Section 26; Andrew Backman and Darius Athrop together in Section 26; Julia W. Hull in Section 27; Richard Kinifick in Section 27; Thompson M. Warren in Section 30; John M. Hubbard in Section 31; Hamilton Hull in Section 32; Samuel Cornell and Hamilton Hull together in Section 33; and Russell Streeter in Section 36.
Town 24, Range 4 (Arpin). In 1853 Cyrus Woodman filed on land in Sections 1 and 12 of this town. No entries were made in 1854. In 1855, John Edwards took claims in Sections 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15; Treeman Tremain in Section 2; William G. Turner in Section 3; Johnathan G. Spalding in Section 3; John B. Preston in Sections 3 and 4; Jerome G. Miner in Section 4; and John F. Callon in Section 4. A large number of entries were made in 1856 and the years immediately following.
Town 25, Range 4 (Auburndale). Cyrus Woodman made the first entry on land in this town, filing in Section 36 in 1853. The next entry was made in 1855 by John Edwards, who filed on land in Sections 19, 20, 29, 30, 32, 33, and 36. In 1856 Joseph Wood took up land in Sections 9 and 10; assigning it to Elias A. Lewis; in the same year Elisha Mia filed in Sections 15, 17, and 21; Charles B. Singleton and Middleton G. Singleton together in Sections 20, 25, and 26; John J. Cornue in Section 21; Barney N. Huyler in Sections 21, 26, 28, 29, 33, and 35; Charles Wood in Section 28; George Turner in Section 32; and William Reynolds in Section 36. A number of entries were made in 1857, but the heaviest influx of settlers took place between 1870 and 1880.
Town 21, Range 5 (part of Port Edwards and Saratoga). The first entries on land in this town were made in 1852, when Joseph Chavallier filed in Section 1; Parley Eaton in Section 1; Charles F. Legate in Sections 2 and 3; Caleb Croswell in Section 10; Levi Sterling and Charles F. Legate together in Section 10; Hugh McFarland and Caleb Croswell together in Section 10; and Daniel Whitney in Sections 15, 22. and 23. In 1853 Luther H. Whittlesay filed in Section 3; Henry Rablin and Lyman Howe together in Section 28; and Joseph Morrison in Section 36. Town 22, Range 5 (part of Cranmoor, Seneca, Grand Rapids, and Port Edwards). Four entries on land in this town were made in 1852, all in Section 36; these were by Joseph Pasenan, Alvin Barker, Parley Eaton, and Cyrus Woodman. In 1853, Reuben C. Lyons and Ahira B. Sampson took up land together in Section 24; Francis Cotteroy in Section 25; and Henry Rablin and Lyman Howe together in Section 36. In 1855, Henry E. Kipp filed in Section 25; John Edwards in Section 25; Zacheus P. Kipp in Section 25; and John Edwards and Henry Clinton together in Section 36. In 1856, Moses Bunker took up land in Section 25; Zacheus P. Kipp in Section 25; and Rose Ann Lynch in Section 35. In 1857, Augustus Schuster filed in Section 3; Lafayette Kirby in Section 13; John Collins in Section 26; John Walker in Section 35; Hezekiah Ripley in Section 35; and Louis Rick in Section 36.
Town 23, Range 5 (Sigel). The first entry in this town was made by Michael Bourke in 1853, filing in Section 25. In 1854, Charles M. Goodsell took up land in Sections 1, 14, 21, 22, 23, 25, and 26; Henry Laton in Sections 4 and 9; Hiram Lord in Section 7; Thomas Bizete in Section 9; Thomas B. Scott in Sections 11, 14, 15, and 25; Charles Munier in Section 18; Richard Charnock in Sections 22 and 28; Mary Mason in Sections 23 and 28; Orestes Garrison in Sections 23 and 26; Robinson Mason in Section 27; Isaac L. Mosher in Section 27; George W. Beckwith and Henry N. Beckwith together in Section 30; Felix Meyers in Section 30; Nelson Fortier and Enos Fortier together in Section 31; and George Neeves and William Roe together in Section 36.
Town 24, Range 5 (Sherry). In 1853 Henry Rablin filed on land in Section 1 in this town; in the same year Cyrus Woodman filed in Sections 6, 9, 10, 11,13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 24, 27, and 36. In 1854 Timothy Hurley and Hugh Byrnes filed together in Sections 2, 3, and 10; Cyrus Woodman in Section 2; John J. Charnock in Section 26; William Lalta in Section 11; and George W. Mitchell in Section 29. In 1855 entries were made by Jackson Prentice in Sections 1, 2, and 4; George Lyman in Sections 1, 6, 11, and 12; Johnathan G. Spalding in Section 3; John J. Charnock in Sections 8, 15, 22, 25, and 28; Thomas W. Hill in Section 10; Bartholomeaus Hupfloher in Section 10; John Edwards in Sections 11, 12, and 18; Henry Koop in Sections 13, 17, and 20; Richard Charnock in Sections 20, 21, and 28; William Walton in Section 23; Cyrus Woodman in Sections 24 and 33; Anders Danielson in Section 24; Per August Nilson in Sections 24, 25, and 36; John Sevenson in Section 25; Ions Isacson in Section 25; Samuel Anderson in Section 26; Carl Landgrist in Section 33; Harman W. Mitchell in Section 35; Lars Arfuidson in Section 35; and Johans Gustafson in Section 36.
Town 25, Range 5 (Milladore). The heaviest settlement in this town occurred between 1870 and 1900. The first entry made was that of Cyrus Woodman, in 1853, in Sections 31 and 32. In 1855 Jackson L. Prentice filed in Section 31 and George N. Lyman in Sections 32, 33, 34, and 36. In 1857, Mason Carey took up land in Section 4; James Deans in Section 5; Gideon C. Lyman in Sections 5 and 6; John W. Roseberry in Section 7; William I. Carpenter in Section 11; John P. Anthony in Sections 11, 26, and 29; Nicholas Overfield in Sections 13, 21, 24, and 27; James S. Easley in Sections 25 and 32; Chester.B. Jackson in Section 26; Moses Overfield in Section 28; John P. Wood in Section 29; Charles Du Bois in Section 30; Matilda Lester in Section 32; Noble E. Mallory in Section 33; Chester B. Jackson in Section 35; Samuel D. Reed in Section 36 and George W. Briggs in Section 36.
Town 21, Range 6 (east portion of Saratoga). The first land taken up in this town was in Section 32, being filed on in 1852 by Joseph R. Patte. In 1853, Edward I. Scott took up land in Section 25, and in 1854 Joseph Wood filed in Section 5. In 1855 John Snyder filed in Section 3; Stephen Snyder in Sections 4 and 5; John Hannan in Sections 5, 8, and 19; John McCamley in Section 6; Hugh Turley in Section 7; Patrick Mullen in Section 7; Henry Larsen in Section 7; Michael Flanagan in Section 7; Michael Craney in Section 7; Almanson Eaton in Sections 8 and 9; Parley Eaton in Section 8; Michael McDonald in Section 8; Robert Turley in Sections 8 and 19; Michael Mathews in Section 17; Miles McKew in Section 7; Patrick Crangle in Section 18; Robert Jones in Section 20; John Welsh in Section 20; Winefred Holland in Sections 21 and 29; Bishop Fuller in Section 29; John Douglass in Section 29; Samuel Lewis in Section 29; Freeman Durrell in Section 30; Andrew Warren Jr. in Section 32; John Rategan in Section 32; and Horace W. Coon in Section 32.
Town 22, Range 6 (includes most of Grand Rapids). In this town, on Sept. 14, 1840, Edward Blumer secured the first land to be taken up in the county, filing on Lots 6, 7, and 8 in Section 8. In the same year Aaron Adams, David B. Hill and Robert Bloomer together filed on land in Sections 8 and 17; Robert Bloomer in Sections 9 and 17; and Henry Merrill in Section 18. In 1841 Daniel Whitney filed on land in Sections 5 and 8; in 1843, Jesse Watterson Heldin in Section 17; in 1845, William Stoneman in Sections 8 and 9; Samuel Lawson Merrill in Section 17; and William Kline in Section 17. In 1846 Daniel Whitney filed in Section 5 and William Byron Naylor in Section 17. In 1847, Francis Lamere filed in Section 17, Robert W akely in Sections 20 and 21, and Philip Byrne in Section 20. In 1848 entries were made by William Kline in Section and Orren Maybee in Section 18. In 1850 Francis Biron filed in Section 3, George Klein in Section 17, and Alexander P. Lanonette, in Section 18. In 1851, Orestes Garrison took up land in Section 4; James B. Gray in Section 8; S. Wells in Section 9; and Wylie Roy in Section 17. In 1853 Thomas Byrnes filed in Section 4. There was a heavy settlement during the next few years.
Town 23, Range 6 (Rudolph and a small portion of Grand Rapids). Settlement in this town also began very early. In 1840, John Draper, Paul Kingston, and Harrison Kellogg Fay together filed in Section 33, and Gideon Prusdell, Joshua Draper, Paul Kingston, and Harrison Kellogg Fay together in Section 34. In 1841 James Bloomer filed in Section 28 and Gideon Prusdell in Section 28; in 1846, Thomas Weston in Section 34. There were no more entries until 1851, when Charles F. Legate filed in Section 25; Abraham Ackernon in Section 26; and James Mannee in Section 26. In 1853 Cyrus Woodman took up land in Sections 1, 2, 3, and 11; John Wyckman and Robert Cook in Section 17; Michael Rourke in Section 19; Henry Rablin in Section 33; and James Reefe and Robert Cook together in Section 33. In 1854 Henry Clinton filed in Sections 15, 21, 22, and 27; Francis Harkness in Section 19; Francis Biron and Nelson Gear in Section 22; Cornelius Scullin in Sections 22 and 27; Eusibe Lavigne in Section 26; Henry Rablin in Sections 29 and 33; Thomas B. Scott in Section 30; and Richard Shay in Section 33.