- ELBRIDGE GERRY FIFIELD, an early pioneer of Wisconsin, was
born near Gilmanton Corners,
- which is about fifteen miles northeast of Concord, N.H. His
birth occurred on the 2d day of February, 1817. His parents,
Samuel and Abigail (LEAVITT) FIFIELD, were natives of New England.
The father was engaged in mercantile pursuits in New Hampshire,
and when our subject was three years of age removed with his
family to Chittenden County, Vt., settling on a new farm. Elbridge
passed his boyhood on his father's farm, where, when he was old
enough to be useful, he was trained to habits of industry, and,
as the farm was heavily timbered and very rocky, such habits
meant plenty of hard work. His early education was that which
the district schools of the times afforded, and later in life
was supplemented by an academic course at Montpelier. After sixteen
years' residence on the farm, Mr. FIFIELD, in May, 1837, joined
a family of eleven members and started for the Far West. Traveling
was not as easily or as rapidly performed in those early days
as at present. The first stages were made in an old-fashioned
Concord coach, which was followed by canal-boat and steamer transportation
until the party reached Detroit, when it was determined to go
across the lower peninsula of Michigan instead of around by water.
As it was impossible to find conveyance for all the party, or,
perhaps, a matter of economy making it desirable, the young men
of the party, of whom our subject was one, walked from Detroit
to St. Joseph, Mich., a distance of 280 miles, whence they secured
passage on a small schooner, and during the first week of June
reached Chicago, then a city in its infancy, containing a population
of about three thousand. From Chicago he went to Milwaukee with
his party, making the trip in a schooner, and reached that village
on the 11th of June, having been twenty-six days on the journey.
- Mrs. BROWN, of their party, expected to meet her son, E.
G. DARLING, at Milwaukee, but
- found that he was at Bark River, now Hebron, Jefferson County,
building a sawmill for the Rock River Land Company. Mr. FIFIELD
volunteered to walk to Bark River and notify Mr. DARLING of the
arrival of the party. He was directed to follow the blazed line
and wagon tracks through the Milwaukee woods to Prairie Village,
now Waukesha, and from there to take the Rock River Trail to
Bark River. Proceeding on his journey, he in due time reached
a double log house, built of tamarack logs, and, on inquiring
the distance to Prairie Village was informed that he was already
there. He next inquired for the Bark River trail and the probable
chance of finding a good place to spend the night, and was told
that he would find a house about a mile distant, but beyond for
a distance of thirty miles to Bark River he would find no human
habitation. He spent the night at the house designated, and the
following morning started on his lonely journey. After traveling
a few miles, he was overtaken by a man mounted on an Indian pony,
whom he at first mistook for an Indian intent on securing a white
man's scalp, but, on closer inspection, found the stranger to
be a white man, who turned out to be Sheriff ALDRICH, of Milwaukee,
who was trying to overtake him for the sake of company, as he,
the sheriff, had learned that a young man had just started ahead
of him, both bound for the same destination. The sheriff proved
an agreeable companion, and very kindly shared the use of his
pony on the plan of "ride and tie," as he termed it.
One would ride a mile or two then tie the horse and proceed on
foot. The other, coming up, would mount, overtake the first one,
pass on a mile or so, and repeat the operation. In this novel
manner they reached Bark River about 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
- Having discharged his business, Mr. FIFIELD found himself
fairly launched on his new life in the
- Far West. His cash assets amounted to the munificent sum
of $2.50, while he was burdened with a debt of $42, which he
had contracted on leaving home in borrowing money for the expenses
of his journey. As it would cost $1 per day for board at the
log boarding-house where the company's hands stopped, he saw
that he must secure work at once, which he did by hiring to Mr.
DARLING to drive a four-ox team, employed in hauling logs to
the new mill. From the saw logs hauled by Mr. FIFIELD was sawed
the lumber which Mr. JANES purchased, and out of which was built
the first frame house erected in Janesville. He was paid six
$20 gold pieces for 6,000 feet of lumber. Our subject continued
to engineer the ox-team for upwards of ten months. The Bark River
mill was the first sawmill built in the Rock River Valley, in
Wisconsin. There was not a frame house in the valley above Beloit,
and not an established ferry; their nearest postoffice was at
Milwaukee, and all the provisions had to be hauled by team from
that place or from the south. During the year of 1837 he drove
his team of oxen several trips to Milwaukee and return, in that
line of freighting. Prices of provisions were rather high in
those days. Pork was worth in Milwaukee from $30 to $34 per barrel,
flour from $18 to $20, and $2 a hundred additional to get it
hauled to Bark River. Pork and bread, with coffee, formed the
principal bill of fare, while milk was an unknown luxury. Wolves,
both of the prairie and large gray varieties, were numerous,
and the lonely traveler in the wilderness was often entertained
by the music of their voices, but they were seldom troublesome.
An Indian scare occurred in the fall of 1837. It was rumored
that they were trading furs for guns and ammunition, and had
organized for an attack on the whites of Rock River Valley. Two
Indians appeared one day at the mill in war paint and feathers,
and by their wild, noisy manner caused a little excitement, as
it was surmised that they might be the advance of a large body
bent on mischief. They proved to be engaged in hunting, and were
on their way to Milwaukee to buy whisky.
- During the summer of 1837 Mr. FIFIELD made a claim on the
bank of Rock River, three miles
- above Jefferson, and in December following, provided with
a ham of pork, an ax and a blanket, walked down to Jefferson,
where he bought some bread of E. G. DARLING (who had just built
the first house at that point), and borrowed a boat of him, then,
proceeding to his claim, made the necessary improvements to hold
it till spring. He worked on his claim for weeks, making a clearing,
building fences, etc., and during that time made the acquaintance
of Anson and Virgil POPE, of Pope's Rapids, near Janesville,
who were shantying nearby, getting rail timber. At length Mr.
FIFIELD returned to Bark River to work until spring, and during
the winter picked enough cat-tail flags to make a bed, also caught
and salted a keg of fish, bought a yoke of oxen and prepared
to go on the claim in the spring. In April, 1838 he borrowed
the hind part of the running gear of a wagon, put on a temporary
tongue and box, loaded up his effects and drove to Ft. Atkinson,
where he crossed the Rock River on a ferry, thence to Jefferson,
where he crossed the Crawfish River on a ferry, cut his own road
through the woods for a distance of three miles and then reached
his home. On the following day he loaded the section of a wagon
on a boat, borrowed of Mr. DARLING, and returned it to Bark River,
rowing the distance of twenty miles. He returned to his claim
the following day, and engaged in farming in earnest. Having
cleared about two acres, which he cultivated with a wood-toothed
harrow, he planted the field with corn and potatoes, the latter
bought of Samuel ST. JOHN, near Janesville, while for the seed
corn he paid $4 per bushel; the first corn planted did not come
up, and for new seed he paid sixpence an ear. However, he raised
a splendid crop of both potatoes and corn, and was on the high
road to prosperity. That spring he was joined by his brother
Leavitt, who came to make his home with him, and with whom he
shared his claim. During the season of 1838 a large quantity
of lumber was rafted down the Rock River, both from Goodhue's
and Bark River mills, some going as far as Dixon's Ferry, Ill.,
and his brother and himself made several trips on rafts that
season. The nearest gristmill was at Beloit, and several Jefferson
County settlers took their corn there to be ground. One of Mr.
FIFIELDS' neighbors did his own milling in a primitive manner
called "plumping." A cavity was hollowed out of the
top of an oak stump for a mortar, in which the corn was pounded
into meal in quantities to supply a large family.
- Having secured homes to live in and raised something for
food, the settlers next turned their
- attention to securing communication with other settlements.
By volunteer work, roads were cut through the woods, connecting
the towns, streams were bridged and corduroy causeways were built
across the marshes. Mr. FIFIELD helped to open the road from
Jefferson to Bark River mills, a distance of ten miles; from
Jefferson to Golden Lake, fifteen miles; at that point they met
the Prairie Village folks, who opened the road from their town
to meet them, and, with the help of the Watertown people, a road
was opened between that town and Jefferson. In the winter and
spring of 1838-39 the United States Government opened a territorial
road from Milwaukee to Madison, crossing Rock River near Belleville,
now Johnson's Creek. Mr. FIFIELD and his brother helped to open
the territorial road from Aztalan, two miles east of Rock River,
working for the contractor, Chester BUSHNELL, and he also drove
the first team, an ox team, over the road from Rock River to
Milwaukee. A ferry was established on that road across Rock River
that season. On the 8th day of January, 1839, Mr. FIFIELD walked
ten miles to attend a ball which was given at Bark River. The
tickets were written by James M. CUCHMAN, no printing-offices
then being known west of Milwaukee. He still has his ball ticket
for that occasion, which he prizes highly as a relic of pioneer
days. Parties form Jefferson, Ft. Atkinson and Whitewater attended
the ball, which was a grand success as a social event.
- In 1850, when trouble was threatened by the refusal of the
Winnebago Indians to remove
- peaceably from the Rock River Valley to their reservation,
Gov. Dodge issued a proclamation calling for volunteer companies
of mounted riflemen to assist, if necessary, in their removal.
Mr. FIFIELD joined the company, raised at Jefferson, and was
commissioned as Second Lieutenant, his commission, which he still
retains, being signed by Gov. Henry Dodge and Secretary of the
Territory, William B. Slaughter. As it happened that no resistance
was offered by the Indians, the companies were not called into
actual service.
- Mr. FIFIELD continued to improve and cultivate his farm,
working at times on the river rafting lumber, until 1845, when
he sold his land, and the following year removed to Janesville,
where he opened the first regular lumber yard of that place.
The business was carried on by him until 1852, when he sold out
to his brothers. The yard has been kept up continuously since,
and has always been carried on by some member of his family,
and since the spring of 1887 has been the property of the present
proprietors, being now owned and operated by Mr. FIFIELD and
sons, under the firm name of FIFIELD Brothers & Co. After
selling out in 1853, Mr. FIFIELD engaged in the real estate business,
dealing largely in pine and farming lands.
- In 1853 he went East, and in October, of that year, at Bridgewater,
Mass., married Miss Sarah R.
- COPELAND, born at Bridgewater, and a daughter of Jonathan
COPELAND, of that place, who was of an old New England family.
Six children were born of their union, four of whom are living;
Frank E., the eldest, married Miss Kate GILEHRIST, and is the
senior brother of the timber firm of FIFIELD Brothers & Co.,
of Janesville; Catherine R. resides at Janesville; Helen C. is
the wife of Frank SHERER, the well-known druggist of this city;
Charles T. and Frances both died in infancy; James S. wedded
Jessie A. COWLES, and is the junior member of the firm of FIFIELD
Brothers & Co.
- Soon after his marriage Mr. FIFIELD returned to Wisconsin,
and continued his residence at
- Janesville for two years, when he removed to Jefferson. There
he was engaged in the mercantile and real estate business until
1863, when he returned to Janesville and resumed the lumber business,
also continuing to deal in real estate. He is now the owner of
several farms, a stock ranch in Osborne County, Kan., and a large
quantity of wild lands in Northern Wisconsin. His Kansas stock
ranch contains 500 acres, and is stocked with horses, cattle
and mules.
- In politics Mr. FIFIELD is a positive Republican. Originally
he was a Free-Soiler, and a strong
- anti-slavery man. He has always been in active sympathy with
the temperance movements of his day, and is a member of the Temple
of Honor, a leading temperance society. During his residence
at Jefferson he was a member of the Town Board of Trustees for
two years, and since residing in Janesville has held the office
of Alderman two years, and also served two years on the School
Board. He and his wife are members of the Swedenborgian Church,
and have been of that faith for many years. Mr. FIFIELD is one
of the few left of Wisconsin's earliest pioneers. His experiences
embrace not only the pleasures of the free and exciting life
of a frontiersman, but its hardships and privations as well.
Although seventy-two years of age, his memory is rich in interesting
incidents of pioneer times. His life has been an active and useful
one, and not without its substantial results in the way of property
and influence. His course has ever been upright and honorable,
and such that it can truly be said of him, that the world is
better for his having been it.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 507-510.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|