ABSTRACT OF THE ASSESSMENT ROLLS of the several Towns in the County of Vernon, as returned to the County Clerk, for the year 1883, Wagons, Carriages, Sleighs. Val. No. Val. No. Val. 2,467 188 2,095 9 12 $36 5 481 525 2270 17,078 4 155 1747 7,299 145 750 1469 1,851 1046 2,484 49 1334 3,137 2,326 181 2,371 1936 4,619 205 750 846 1,571 159 2,735 1480 1,727 184 6071 1211 681 1463 2,504 143 565 1,881 6 11 3,205 12 200 1,640 8 44 2,156 18 100 1,895 11 2,159 190 2,093 5 31 11,358 205 3212 3,563 1151 1,519 305 2,125 36 256 19 Jefferson... 651 30,791 1382 15, 194 200 2386 4,533 1757 6, 161 2891 4, 164 14 132 17 Kickapoo.... 386 15,070 223,575 4,700 930 10,286 3 80 1645 2,474 1053 2.230 1111 959 4 25 1,600 4,926 37,650 23,419 64,594 5,273 Liberty 188 6,948 467 5,052 497 728 538 1,477 55 630 5 65 5 190 975 69 16,594 14,383 43, 755 Stark. 313 14, 190 798 10,353 13 Sterling. 627 19, 902 1494 15, 624 1 Union. 289 8,555 1034 10,718 11 Viroqua 815 40,705 1633 23,075 6 Webster 375 15,483 864 7,942 7 Wheatland.. 290 7,770 537 4,410 1 25 591 Whitestown 228 7,793 694 7,851 8 275 1091 2,314 1479 591 539 1,453 877 1,423 31 228 806 17 258 12 225 3,299 8,657 $315,995 22,221 8226,354 126 $4,680 31,353 843, 411 26, 107 $57,072 3,733| $45,905 317 $2,869 209 $6311 $99,040 8238, 465 1,054, 417 501,303 $2,268, 909 $188, 419 146 2,764 14 751 21 80 17 328 1,270 8,775 18, 811 52.744 22, 270 33,053 99,870 2,155 6,805 31,568 17,005 48, 165 23,570 7,977 10,209 38, 665 21,930| 55, 871 CHAPTER XIV. CIVIL SUB-DIVISIONS OF VERNON COUNTY. When the territory now comprising the county of Vernon was organized as Bad Ax county, in April, 1851, it constituted one civil town. This was called by the same name as the county-Bad Ax. Its organization was effected at the same time as was that of the county. In this shape the county remained until the 29th of March, 1853, when the board of supervisors got together and divided the county into four civil towns. These towns were named Bergen, Jefferson, Bad Ax and Kickapoo. east corner of section 27, township 12, range 4 west; thence east on the section line to the southeast corner of section 24, township 12, range 3 west; thence north on the range line to the northeast corner of township 12, range 3 west; thence east on the township line between 12 and 13 to the southeast corner of township 13, range 1 east; thence north on the range line to the northeast corner of township 14, range 1 east; thence west on the township line, between townships 14 and 15, to the place of beginning." Thus it will be seen that the town of Bad Ax embraced about sixteen Con The town of Bergen was made to embrace the territory now comprising the towns of Ham-gressional townships. burg and Bergen, and all of Harmony and Genoa lying north of the dividing line between townships 12 and 13. It was further ordered that the first town meeting in Bergen be held at the house of John Warner. The town of Jefferson embraced the territory of townships 13 and 14, range 5 west, now comprising the civil towns of Jefferson and Coon. The creating resolution provided that the first town meeting of Jefferson be held at the school house in the village of Springville. The town of Bad Ax was the largest in the county. The records state that its boundaries were as follows: "Beginning at the northwest corner of township 14, of range 4 west; running thence south on the range line to the southwest corner of township 13, range 4 west; thence west on the township line between townships 12 and 13, to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river; thence down the river to the southwest corner of the county; thence east on the county line to the southeast corner of section 15, township 11, range 4 west; thence north on the section line to the north The town of Kickapoo embraced exactly the same territory as it does to-day. Its boundaries were described by the supervisors as follows: "Beginning at the northwest corner of section. 26, township 12, range 4 west, thence south on the section line to the southwest corner of section 14, township 11, range 4 west, thence east on the section line to the southeast corner of section 13, township 11, range 3 west, thence north on the range line to the northeast corner of section 25, township 12, range 3 west, thence west on the section line to the place of beginning." This made in all forty sections. It was ordered that the first town meeting of Kickapoo be held at the house of Orrin Wisel. The indebtedness of the town of Bad Ax was apportioned in fair ratio between the new towns, and the records and documents belonging to the original town were to remain with Bad Ax. In a few months it became apperant that the town of Bad Ax was altogether too large. From the northeast to the southwest corner was a distance of over sixty miles. On the 29th of November, 1853, the board of sapervisors made another division, and created the town of Farwell. This change threw the town of Bad Ax into the southwest corner of the county. Its boundaries were described as follows: Commencing where the township line between 12 and 13 intersect the Mississippi river, thence down the river to the southwest corner of the county, thence east along the county line to the southeast corner of section 15, township 11, range 4, thence north on the section line to the northeast corner of section 15, township 12, range 4, thence west on the section line to the range line between ranges 4 and 5 west, thence north to the southeast corner of township 13, range 5, thence west to the place of beginning. The town of Farwell was created from the remainder of the territory which had constituted the town of Bad Ax, according to the division of March, 1855. The first town meeting for the new town of Bad Ax was ordered to be held in "the school house near the postoffice of Bad Ax," wherever that was. The first town meeting for Farwell was to be held at the court house in Viroqua. The town of Farwell was short-lived. On the 25th of May, 1854, its name was changed to "Viroqua." the 3d of July, 1854, section 1 of township 12, range 5 west, was detached from the town of Bad Ax and made a part of Viroqua. This section adjoins the village of Viroqua upon the southwest, and the change was made through the influence of that place. A special session of the board of supervisors was held on the 9th of May, 1855, at which the town of Viroqua was divided, and Forest and Hillsborough were created. Forest embraced four congressional townships; described as township 14, ranges 1 and 2 west, and township 13, ranges 1 and 2. This territory is now embraced in the towns of Forest, Union, Stark and Whitestown. The first town meeting in Forest was ordered to be held at the house of James F. Brown. The town of Hillsborough embraced the territory of congressional townships 13 and 14, range 1 east, which now comprises the towns of Hillsborough and Greenwood. The first town meeting in Hillsborough was ordered held at the house of Albert Fields. In this shape as to sub-divisions the county remained until the 13th of November. 1855, when a general reconstruction was ordered by the board of supervisors. The act of May 9, 1855, creating Forest, was repealed, and the boundaries of most of the other towns were materially altered. The new towns created at this time were Union, Webster, Christiana, Forest, Greenwood and Harmony. The town of Union then consisted of congressional township 13, range 1 west and 13, range 2 west, now known as civil towns Union and Stark. The first town meeting of Union was ordered held at the house of Joseph Bean. The town of Webster then embraced the same territory that it does to-day-township 13, range 3 west. The first town meeting was ordered to be held at John Richardson's residence. The town of Christiana embraced the territory which now comprises the towns of Clinton and Christiana; or, in other words, township 14, the first town meeting be held at Hunt & Olranges 3 and 4 west. The board provided that son's mill on the west branch of the Kickapoo The town of Forest was re-created, embrac ing, under this act, the territory of township 13, ranges 1 and 2 west, which is now civilly organized as Forest and Whitestown. The first town meeting was ordered held at the house of Benjamin Van Vleet. The town of Hillsborough was also remodeled and made to embrace the territory of township 14, range 1 east. It still retains that shape. From the south half of what had before constituted Hillsborough was created Greenwood. As to-day, it then comprised township 13, range 1 east. The store of Treve & Smith was designated as the place for the first town meeting. Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were detached from the town of Bad Ax and attached to Jefferson. Harmony was another of the towns created in November, 1855. The territory, as then embraced, is probably best described by tracing its boundaries as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of township 13, range 6 west; thence west on the township line to the northwest corner of said township; thence south on the range line to the northeast corner of section 13, township 13, range 7; thence west on the section line to the main channel of the Mississippi river; thence down the river to a point opposite the southwest corner of section 16, township 12, range 7 west; thence east on the township line to the southwest corner of section 13, township 12, range 6; thence north on the range line to the place of beginning. The first town meeting for Harmony was ordered held at the house of John Ruwalt. The indebtedness of the original towns was appropriated out among the new towns created. This made eleven towns in the county-Bad Ax, Bergen, Jefferson, Kickapoo, Forest, Hillsborough, Union, Webster, Christiana, Greenwood and Harmony. On the 27th of March, 1857, by authority of the board of supervisors the town of Bad Ax was divided and Sterling was created. This town then embraced the following territory: Sections 19, 20, 21, 30, 29, 28, 31, 32 and 33, township 12, range 5 west; sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17 and 18, township 11, range 5 west; sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, township 11, range 6 west; sections 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35, 36, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 and 32, township 12, range 6 west; the north half of township 11, range 7; and the south half of township 12, range 7. It was ordered that the first town meeting of Sterling be held at the house of Lewis Sterling on the 7th of April, 1857. At the same time the board ordered that sections 7, 8, 9, 16, 17 and 18, township 12, range 5 west, be detached from Bad Ax and attached to Jefferson. Section 1, township 12, range 5, was taken from the town of Viroqua, and made a part of Jefierson. On the 28 of March, 1857, the towns of Wheatland and Masterson were created, and ordered organized. Provision was made for holding the first town meeting of Wheatland at the house of Jonathan Law, April 7, 1857. The first town meeting of Masterson was to be held at Hunt & Oleson's mill, on the same date. The town of Wheatland then embraced the following territory: The north half of township 11, range 7 west, and the south half of township 12, range 7; also sections 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 and 32, township 12, range 6; and sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 17 and 18, township 11, range 6 west. The town of Masterson embraced territory which was taken from Christiana: Township 14, range 3 west. Whitestown was created at the same time, embracing township 14, range 2 west-the same as at the present time. The first town meeting was ordered held at Prentice's store, April 7, 1857. On the 27th of March, 1857, an important act was passed by the board of supervisors. It changed the name of the town of Bad Ax to Lockhaven. Thus it remained until the 24th of November, 1857, when the name of Lockhaven was abolished, and Franklin took its place. At the seme time the name of the town of Masterson was changed to Clinton. On the 10th of November, 1857, C. W. Lawton and others, presented a petition to the board asking that Kickapoo be divided, but it was rejected. The town of Bergen was divided Nov. 10, 1857, and Hamburgh was created, embracing the territory of township 14, range 6 west. It still embraces the same territory, although the final "h" has been discarded, the name now be |