Chapter 11 - Government Surveys

    From the field notes of the surveyors and the Government plats, many items of interest are obtained. These sources furnish the facts presented in this chapter.

    The town lines of Richland county were run by William Burt, Lucius Lyon, Joshua Hathaway and J E Witcher, in the years 1839, 1840 and 1845, mostly in 1840.

    The sectional lines were run by Orson Lyons, Harvey Parker, Sylvester Sibley, Alvin Burt, Joshua Hathaway, Robert D Lester, James M Marsh, Willard Barrows, Charles Phipps, Garret Vliet and A L Brown, in the years 1833, 1839, 1840, 1842, 1844, 1845, 1846 and 1852. The first surveying was done by Harvey Parker, who ran the sectional lines in the southwestern part of Richland county in February, 1833.

    The last general surveying was done by Charles Phipps, who surveyed the towns, Marshall and Sylvan, May, 1852.

    Town 8 north, of range 2 east (sections 1-6 and the northern half of sections 7-12, is in the southern part of Ithaca; the southern half of sections 7-12 and the whole of sections 13-16, constitute the main part of Buena Vista), was surveyed by Alvin Burt, assisted by Reuben Fenick and John S Byrne, chainmen, and Anson B Morey, marker, June 1842. The bluffs in this town are high, abrupt, rocky points and ridges, thinly timbered with a stinted growth of black and white oak, with a thick undergrowth of aspen, hazel brush and vines. On the bottoms it is thinly timbered with bur, black and white oak, with aspen and willow underbrush, and near the margin of the streams with maple, elm, ash, aspen, alder, linn, etc. On sections 22 and 23 is a growth of pitch pine.

    Town 10 north, of range 2 east (main part of Ithaca), was surveyed in 1843 by Robert D Lester, who was assisted by Joseph Atherton and S P Folsom, chainmen, and James Hall, marker. This town is generally hilly and broken, land good in the ravines; on ridges soil is thin and light, well watered by pine springs and small streams, thinly timbered with black and white oak, elm, linn, aspen and hickory, with an undergrowth of oak, hazel and poplar bushes.

    Town 11 north, of range 2 east (Willow), was surveyed in the fourth quarter of 1855, by James M Marsh, assisted by William Clearland and Joseph Stone, chainmen, and James Anderson, marker. The face of the country in this town is very broken, consisting of high precipitous sandstone bluffs, in height from ten to 150 feet, covered with a heavy growth of aspen, elm, linn, sugar cherry, white and black oak. The country is well watered by springs. The streams are rapid. The east branch of Pine river, south branch of Honey creek and the south branch of Baraboo river have their source in this town.

    Town 12 north, of range 2 east (Westford), was surveyed in 1843, by Gilbert Vliet, assisted by J Vliet and C T Seregmbe, chainmen, and C Webster, marker. This town lies in the "divide" between the Baraboo and Pine rivers. It is for the greater part heavily timbered, the timber being of good quality, large and thrifty. The land is principally undulating, of good quality, well adapted to farming, the principal objection being a want of water, though where found it is of a superior quality.

    Town 8 north, of range 1 east (northern part of sections 4 and 5 in the southwestern part of Orion), was surveyed by Sylvester Sibley, United States deputy surveyor, assisted by James Videto and A L Cotton, chainmen, and Noah Brookfield, ax-man. The survey was commenced February 19, and completed March 4, 1833.

    Town 9 north, of range 1 east (sections 2-11, 14-23, 23-35, the main part of Orion; section 1, and the northern half of section 12 is in the southwestern part of Ithaca; southern part of section 12 and the whole of sections 13, 24 and 36 is in the western part of Buena Vista), was surveyed in March, 1833, by Sylvester Sibley, assisted by James Videto and A L Cotton, chainmen, and Noah Brookfield, ax-man. Was surveyed by Alvin Burt, June, 1842, assisted by Reuben French and John S Byrne, chainmen, and Anson B Morey, marker. In his notes Mr Burt says: "This town is mostly broken and hilly. The ridges are high, narrow and rocky, timbered thinly with white and black oak, with a thick undergrowth of oak, hazel, aspen, dogwood, hickory brush and vines. The ravines are mostly narrow, deep, and timbered with white and black oak, elm, linn, aspen, sugar and ironwood."

    Town 10 north, of range 1 east (Richland), was surveyed by Robert D Lester in 1843. Was assisted by Joseph Atherton and L P Folsom, chainmen, and James Hall, marker. This town is generally hilly and broken. Land generally poor, well watered by the Pine river and its branches. West of the river it is well timbered with white and black oak, elm, linn, aspen, hickory and elmwood, with an undergrowth of hazel, dogwood, and prickly ash, on the highland. In the ravines, in which the streams run, alder, prickly ash, thornbush, etc. East of the Pine river there is principally a second growth of poplar, burr-oak, ironwood, hickory, ash, hazel, dogwood, grape vines, etc. Pine river is a stream about sixty links in width, with a quick current of two feet in depth, sand bottom, shores low and of the same kind of soil.

    Town 11 north, of range 1 east (Rockbridge), was surveyed by William Clearland, assisted by Joseph Stone, chainman, and James Anderson, marker. The fact of the land in this town is very broken, soil sandy and poor. The timber consists of a heavy growth of white and black oak, linn, elm, sugar, aspen, ironwood, and some pines on the bluffs in the immediate vicinity of Pine river, with a heavy undergrowth of grape-vine, briar, prickly ash, etc. The water in this town is very good, consisting of excellent springs. Pine river flows nearly through the center of this town from north to south.

    Town 12 north, of range 1 east (Henrietta), was surveyed April, 1845, by James M Marsh, assisted by William Clearland and Joseph Stone, chainmen, and James Anderson, marker.

    Town 8 north, of range 1 west (northwestern half of section 1 and the northern part of section 2, is in the southeastern part of Eagle. Eastern half of section 1 is in the southern part of Orion), was surveyed May, 1833, by Sylvester Sibley, assisted by James Videto and A L Cotton, chainmen, and Noah Brookfield, ax-man.

    Town 9 north, of range 1 west (sections 1-35 and the western half of section 36 is the main part of Eagle. The eastern half of section 36 is in the southwestern part of Orion), was surveyed by Truman Carter and S D Kirkpatrick, chainmen and Thomas Cos, ax-man. The soil of this country is broken and hilly; second and third rate. Excepting the southern part along the Wisconsin river, where it is nearly level, and is first rate and second rate land. The tract is from one to two miles in width on the southern part of the town. The whole is well timbered with linn, oak, sugar tree, ironwood, aspen, etc., with an undergrowth of the same, and prickly ash, plum, thorn and crab apple on the creek bottom.

    Town 10 north, of range 1 west (Dayton) was surveyed in 1843 by W Barrows, assisted by W V Anderson and Edward Fitzpatrick, chainmen, and William P Easley, marker. This town is much the same in character as town 10 north, of range 2 west (Akan), very hilly and broken. The soil in many places is thin and unfit for cultivation. The timber in general is good.

    Town 11 north, of range 1 west (Marshall), was surveyed in 1843 by W Barrows, assisted by William Vandover and Edward Fitzpatrick, chainmen, and William P Easley, marker. Was re-surveyed May 1852, by Charles C Phipps, assisted by Edwin Fossett and Jeremiah Hurley, chainmen, Edward Stever, ax-man, and C F Mathias, flagman. The surface of this town is very hilly. In the eastern part it is poor, third rate, in the western part it is first and second rate. The timber is of the first quality, and stands very thick on the ground.

    Town 12 north, of range 1 west (Bloom), was surveyed in 1845, by A L Brown, assisted by Alexander Anderson and Joel M Higgins, chainmen, and James Anderson, marker. The most remarkable feature about this town is its great quantity of water. At the source of almost every stream there is a bold and seemingly never failing spring. The timber is chiefly sugar, maple, linn, and elm. There seems to be wild game of every description, with the exception of the wild turkey.

    Town 8 north, of range 2 west (sections 2 and 8 are in the southern part of Richwood), was surveyed by Harvey Parker, February, 1833. He was assisted by L O Bryan and W Smith, chainmen. Was re-surveyed by Orson Lyon, May, 1840. He was assisted by Freeman B Gordon and S D Kirkpatrick, chainmen, and Isaac Vanderburgh, marker.

    Town 9 north, of range 2 west (main part of Richwood), was surveyed in 1840, by O Lyons, assisted by Truman B Gordon and S D Kirkpatrick, chainmen and Isaac K Vanderburgh, marker. This town is hilly, second and third rate, excepting in the southern part where there is a strip of land from three-fourths to one and one-half miles in width, that is rolling, with some first and good second rate soil. The whole is well timbered with oak, linn, sugar tree and ironwood; also some butternut and black walnut.

    Town 10 north, of range 2 west (Akan), was surveyed June, 1843, by W Barrows, assisted by William Vandover and Edward Fitzpatrick, chainmen, and William P Easley, marker. The surface of this town is broken and hilly; with one or two exceptions there is not level land enough to make a good farm. There is a ridge of good timber land. The soil generally is good. The timber is mostly sugar tree, linn and white oak. Would make a good sugar camp.

    Town 11 north, of range 2 west (Sylvan), was surveyed by W Barrows, assisted by William Vandover and Edward Fitzpatrick, chainmen and William P Easley, marker, in 1843. Was re-surveyed in 1852, by Charles Phipps, assisted by C Fossitt and Jeremiah Hurley, chainmen, Edwin Steever, ax-man, and E F Mathias, flagman.

    Town 12 north, of range 2 west (Forest), was surveyed in December, 1845, by A L Brown, assisted by Joel M Higgins and Alexander Anderson, chainmen, and James Anderson, marker. The tops of the ridges in this town, notwithstanding their great elevation, are generally not too rolling for cultivation. Judging from the timber, which is large, very tall and thick, also from the kind, namely: first, sugar maple; second, linn; third, elm and ash; fourth, black, white and bur oak, the soil must be very good but not more than one foot deep, with a substratum of yellow clay. The bottoms are generally wet and unfit for cultivation. They are timbered with elm, with an undergrowth of alder.

    Acreage of each town and parts of towns in Richland Co., Wis.:

    Northern part of town 8: Range 2 west, 3433.61; 1 west, 161.32; 1 east, 238.64; 2 east 3959.40.

    Town 9: Range 2 west, 23,123.29; 1 west, 22,312.73; 1 east, 22,620.52; 2 east, 22,920.95.

    Town 10: Range 2 west, 23,214.84; 1 west, 22,660.70; 1 east, 23,109.73; 2 east, 22,990.37.

    Town 11: Range 2 west, 23,190.88; 1 west, 23,275.60; 1 east, 23,098.76; 2 east, 22,985.48.

    Town 12: Range 2 west, 23,304.97; 1 west, 23,233.38; 1 east, 23,246.79; 2 east, 22,938.60.


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