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Transcribed and posted by BILL This site is exclusively for the free access of individual researchers. * No profit may be made by any person, business or organization through publication, reproduction, presentation or links to this site. researched by Cathe Ziereis |
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1881 OCONTO COUNTY
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| county. This was the
original plat of the city of Oconto, being lots comprising the present
site of the court-house, and which were laid out in 1855. In 1847, Col.
Jones had erected another mill near Oconto. It was wished away by the flood
of 1881. In 1864, there were about 1,000 people in
the county, and it became necessary to open up the lumber country more in accord with the ways of civilization. There was no regular road in tile county, only trails, which to the unskilled would lead from nowhere to nowhere. In August of that year, William W. Delano, of Pensaukee, surveyed the first road, from Oconto to Stiles. At about the game time, the first bridge was thrown across Little River, where it enters the Oconto, near the John Doyle place. The builder was Duncan Cameron. The first bridge across the Oconto was built in the Spring of 1856. It is called the Patterson bridge, and situated near the Oconto Company's flour mill. Mrs. Effie A. Leigh,
of Leighton, was the first white child born in the county. Her birth-place
was seven miles up the Oconto River, and the date, July 25, 1851. J. M.
CQuillard, her father, was the first white settler in thatportion of Oconto
County.
At that time, Indians
were constantly
July 4, 1859, was celebrated
in great
In July, 1859, the Board
voted $3,000 toward building the road from Green Bay
On the 5th of June,
1859, the dam of
A destructive fire occurred on the 3d of August, 1859. The Brunquest Building was burned. S. W. Spencer, A. Aspinwall, John Remick and Mr. Mitchel were sufferers. In August, the Board of Supervisors voted $750 for road purposes. Judge Arnt built a saw-mill at Pensaukee in 1825, obtaining the privilege of doing so from the Menomonee Indians, on the annual payment of $15 a year and all the boards they wanted - which did not. exceed six boards a year - to make coffins. In September, 1869, a sidewalk was built from the Empire House to Senk's saloon. In November, 1859, a Sunday-school was started in Hart's Hall. In December, the close of navigation stopped the daily mail - only once a week during the Winter. The new schoolhouse of the Second Ward wa's completed December 10, 1859. During the season of 1859, Bailey & Coull manufactured 23,125 feet of lumber. January 1, 1860, a new
stage line was put on by R. J. Bogart, to run between Green Bay, Stiles
and Oconto. Wolves were reported as too plentiful for the comforts
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The fact that 1860
was leap year, was celebrated in an enthusiastic way by a sleigh ride to
Stiles.
In the sugar season of 1860, a very large amount of maple sugar was made in Pensaukee, Stiles and Peshtigo. In 1860, there was $1,400,000
invested
In 1852, there were 424 inhabitants in Oconto ; in 1855, 1,015; 1860, 3,598. The city charter was
amended in 1861, cutting down the number of Supervisors
Census of the county
in 1860 ;
THE FUR TRADE. In 1860, the amount
of the fur trade in Oconto was @$75,000.
Mink --------------------------------- ----1 25 to 2 00 Marten -----------------------------------1 50 to 2 50 Otter ---------------------------------------4 00 to 6 00 Fox ------------------------------------------1 00 to I 50 Fisher -------------------------------------4 00 to 6 00 Beaver ------------------------------------- I 00 Raccoon ----------------- ----------------- 0 62 Bear -----------------------------------------6 00 to 9 00 Wolf -----------------------------------------1 00 to I 50 Deer, undressed ---------------------0 25 to 0 30 Deer, dressed ------------------------- 1 50 to 2 00 POLITICAL ORGANIZATION. Oconto County was formed
in February, 1851, and attached to Brown for judicial purposes, being organized
in April, 1852, into the town of Oconto. The first election for county
officers was held June 10, of that year. The electors met at the house
OCONTO IN THE WAR. Company F, Twelfth Wisconsin
Infantry, was raised in Oconto County, and, with its regiment, did efficient
service during the war, taking part in all the battles
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