Reedsburg High School - Gleaner Yearbook (Reedsburg, WI)

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1 Ag lx Ed is 0' 6 S 1 'a F X : j F' E r ' 4 , 9 ' The largest cooperage factory Cmanufacturing staves and headings for barrelsj in the state of Wisconsin was built in 1871 by J. P. Stafford. It was destroyed by fire on March 7, 1880, and a new one was completed by May of the same year. lt seemed as though every improvement of the town should be halted by a Ere, and this was the case after the first brewery was built. A new one was built again. however, and in June, 1880, the Reedsburg Brewery Company was formed. composed of William Dierks, Henry Geffert and John and Peter Hagenah. A summer beer vault was installed northeast of the brewery. In those days many a keg of beer came from Reedsburg. SCHOOLS The first school was taught by Miss Amanda Saxby, 1849-50. Second school was taught by Mrs. S. H. Chase, in the Mill House and in the Saiby House, later Green Tavern. The first schoolhouse on the present school site was thirty by forty feet in size. lt had three teachers. Various teachers were in charge until 1868, when the schoolhouse burned down. The second schoolhouse was forty by fifty feet. It contained three depart- ments and four teachers. The departments were: Grammar, intermediate and primary. J. H. Gould was the first principal in 1874. ln 1879 the fourth department was added, second primary. The complete school history is given elsewhere in this book. THE FIRST FOURTH OF JULY The Hrst Fourth of July was celebrated in Reedsburg in 1849. Because they had no flag, the women of the town got together to make One. Blue mate- rial for a background was scarce, so the flag was made with blue stars and a white groundwork. Red stripes were made of men's shirts. The first dance in Reedsburg was held that evening in the mill. In later celebrations, fireworks, speeches, and music were on the program. They were held in the public square, or in various picnic grounds in and about the town. Fourth of July has always been one of the biggest events in Reeds- burg. CRIMINAL TRIAL One Sunday, October 5, 1851, two men by the names of Judson Baxter and William Reynolds, paid counterfeit coin for their services in the hotel and blacksmith shop. They had also stolen a hammer from the latter place. Papers were made out for their arrest, and they were followed by the Constable and several others. They were found west of Ironton the second night, sleeping by a fire. Pouncing upon them, the ollicers bound them with ropes and brought them to Reedsburg. A search in the vicinity had resulted in finding counterfeit money. They were arraigned for theft and were convicted, but they appealed Page Nine

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, edg lx BB 'ik 01' at s Sl f B W f ,. lv an in doors, which during damp weather, would grow too large for the aperture. Mrs. Seeley, on one occasion, when her door was on a swell, placed a large stick against it on retiring. During the night, under the influence of a warm fire and drier weather, contraction set in and the door closed with a bang. The noise brought the sleeping occupants of Shanty Row to a sitting posture, but on hearing a second volley, their fears of an Indian attack were dissipated. Number I, which stood at the west end of the row, next to the river, was known as Bachelors Hall. It was here that the boys came together and dis- cussed the day's topics, after which they joined in devotional exercises and retired to their respective apartments. Number II was occupied by Mr. Powell and family. THE FIRST WEDDING Mr. Powell and his family occupied the second residence in A'Shanty Row. With them lived a young man, by name of Brace, who afterwards mar- ried the elder daughter, a buxom girl of twenty years, and 210 pounds avoir- dupois. It is said that a gunny sack, somewhat altered and revamped, played an important part of the bridal trousseau. Number III, the third house, was' the cabin of William McClung, wife and daughter. Mr. McClung was a millwright employed by Reed and Powell. Number IV, in this home lived Elder Locke, his wife and six children, John, Susan, James. Rebecca. Levi and Phoebe. Elder Locke is said to have preached the first Gospel in Reedsburg. His pulpit was a chair and his temple was the open air. Number V, the last to be put up, was occupied by J. H. Rock of Racine. Unlike the rest of the settlers, they came well equipped with supplies of provif sions and money. BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN REEDSBURG The houses of 'AShanty Row were numbered after the manner of more palatial residences in the larger cities. The year I848 marked an important era in the history of Reedsburg by the completion of a sawmill owned by David C. Reed and Mr. Powell. They later sold out to Caleb Crosswell, who in turn sold out to William Can Berger, in l849. In the meantime a gristmill was also built, under the man- agement of Messrs. Carver, Rork and West. Joseph and Salford Mackey took possession of the two mills in 1854. They put the mills into complete order, and began paying cash for labor and supplies. This was an added impetus to the business and growth of the town. The mills burned down in the winter of 1861, but were immediately replaced. In February, 1880, they were sold to John Kellogg, and were called Kellogg's Mills. They are now owned by the Appleton Woolen Mills of this city. . Page Eight

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of . o, 425,19 .5521 is-5, ,,,! ,,, 7 '1 mf ' fl E T 1 I 1 'ig WI ll gl to the Circuit Court. The coin had to be proved spurious, which was difficult. Because a banker had admitted that he was no expert, although he had handled money for thirty years. his testimony was rejected. A practical chemist then tested the coins, and pronounced them fakes. The prisoners were set free after a Baraboo clerk testined that counterfeit money had been passed to the men by him at the Baraboo store. The next day a peck of bogus half dollars were found near lronton where the men had slept. REAL ESTATE DEAL L. Gay Sperry owned the block on which the St. Peter's Lutheran Church now stands, which he wished to sell. In the autumn of 1856, he devised a plan to get rid of this property at a tidy profit. A letter was prepared, supposed to have been written in England to a friend in Cincinnati by the last survivor of a band of Mississippi River pirates. The letter declared that the pirate band at one time ascended the Mississippi to a certain point, landed on the east bank and traveled eastward to a point on the Baraboo River, where they buried a large amount of gold and silver coin. There was a minute description of the locality of the treasure enclosed in the letter. It was written that the treasure was in an iron pot, with a charred stick planted upon it and running to near the surface of the ground. This letter was dropped near the residence of a banker in Beaver Dam. He soon found it and hastened to Reedsburg. He met a Reedsburg Judge on the way and confided his business to him. The Judge immediately became eager for treasure, and accompanied the banker to Reedsburg. After a thorough search they became convinced that the treasure was buried on Sperry's property. The banker inquired the price of the property, and Sperry told him that a stranger from Cincinnati had offered him 52,300 for it, but his price was fB2,400. The men immediately purchased the property. At night they brought big sacks to their new purchase to carry the money away in. They found the charred stick, but after many hours of digging, they failed to locate any treasure. Sperry had put across one of the biggest real estate deals in Sauk County. Page Ten