Town Organization and Government

 

         It devolved upon the pioneers to organize the town government that public interests might be promoted.  There was an immediate necessity for roads, bridges and schools.  Portland was then a part of Lowell.  The settler found it inconvenient to go such a long distance to look after town business and as the settlements grew, it became necessary to organize the Town of Portland.  The required preliminary steps were taken and a town meeting was called to meet in the Village of Portland on the 7th day of April, 1846.  This date should not be forgotten for it marks the beginning of Portland as a political organization. 

The town had already been given its name as required by law.  The public records of Portland were then begun and were recorded in the handwriting of its first Town Clerk, E. Gilmore.  It may be assumed that the people of the town centered their attention on that day in the village where the town meeting was held.  Of course, on this particular morning, the sun rose from the horizon in a clear sky; its rays added cheer to a balmy April atmosphere, all conspiring to make roseate and promising the future of the Town of Portland.

         At the appointed hour, men came from all parts of the town.  Some, whose lumber wagons were drawn by oxen, kindly invited their neighbors to join them.  Probably, only  one or two horses were seen on the street during the day which had brought their owners to the village, while many walked.  The candidates for office were probably no earlier on the ground than others; it is certain they sent no carriages after their friends.  It is safe to say there was not a vehicle of that character in the town.  The time arrived for the meeting and the first business was that of effecting a temporary organization.  The pioneers assembled in the designated room and all was silent when S. M. Cone arose and made the first motion which was given expression in the government of the town.  This motion was to the effect that Charles Mayhew be named chairman of the meeting, which carried without opposition. 

         Mr. Mayhew took his seat and called the meeting to order.  K. P. Clark made the second motion naming Edmund Gilmore as Clerk, who immediately proclaimed the polls opened.  It was 9:30 a.m. when the chairman received the first vote.  The records do not reveal who cast the first ballot nor whether it was printed or written.  Both Cone and Clark in later years were prominent citizens of Waterloo.  Both lived in this vicinity until their deaths and their remains were buried in the Portland cemetery in the town whose organization they directed. 

         The business transacted included the fixing of the pay allowed town officers.  The Clerk recorded that "it was unanimous by vote that the officers of the Town of Portland shall receive for their services as such $.75 a day".  The Town Clerk was voted $5.00 per year for his services and "a fund of $10.00 was raised for the support of common schools". 

         The polls closed at sunset and a canvass of the votes showed the following officers elected:  Justices of the Peace, S. M. Cone, Charles Mayhew and John V. King; Supervisors, Kindall P. Clark, Chairman, S. M. Cone, B. Hawes; Constables, Charles S. Powers, Andrew Storer, Charles King; School Commissioners, E. Gilmore, George Sheldon, A. G. Phelps; Road Commissioners, John V. King, Andrew Storer, George Sheldon; Assessor, J. D. Sandborn; Treasurer, K. P. Clark; Collector, Charles S. Powers; Sealer of Weights and Measures, S. H. Hains; Overseer of Highways, Nathanial Hamilton; Fence Viewers, Noel Rew, A. B. Potter, Andrew Smith.  These officers qualified and by so doing completed the town organization. 

         Portland was now ready to take up the work that concerned public interests.  There was little inducement for the officers to make occasion for official action as the salary was made so small that, from the standpoint of the farmhand today, it would not pay.  An inspection of the results of the election would almost warrant an inference that office holding was not agreeable to the ambition of the pioneers.  Several persons were selected for two offices.

         On October 15, 1846, the Town Clerk records that the chairman of the town presented the tax roll prepared by the County Clerk which called for the levying of $49.92 for the State and County Tax.  The Clerk added to this $58.33 raised for the use of the town and issued an order to the collector commanding him to collect the same.  This last sum included the taxes ordered to be levied at the first town meeting.  It included $15.00 for incidental expenses, $10.00 for the poor, $5.00 for the Clerk's salary, and the balance was raised to pay officer's salaries and support common schools.  It is evident that the teachers employed that year worked for wages per day that were much less in amount than was voted to be paid town officers.

         The next annual town meeting was held April 6, 1847, and was called to order by S. M. Smith.  James Sheldon moved for a "pound for impounding hogs under fifty pounds weight between the first of May and November".  Noel Rew was selected first "pound master". 

         The appropriation for incidental expenses was limited to $15.00.  J. Kimball's motion to pay officers $.37-1/2  per day was carried.  The next meeting was voted to be held at the house of Alexander Campbell.  The noteworthy feature of this meeting seems to be general reduction of running expenses.  A different spirit prevailed in the meeeting of 1848 which voted that town officers receive $1.00 per day and the Town Clerk $10.00 per year.  Each succeeding town meeting found some new men willing to serve the town in one office or another.  A. G. Phelps became Town Clerk in 1848, and in 1849, Moses C. Kenyon succeeded him.  R. P. Loveland, George Walrod, John S. Perry, R. S. Hart, Nelson C. Hyer, Dearborn Clark, Schuyler Hyer, David Hurd, James Sheldon, Jacob Graft and Aaron C. Fisher are among those also elected in 1848.

         At the time the town was organized, there was neither town nor county superintendents of schools but each town elected three school commissioners.  The records show that in March 1848, William F. Bond and William O. Manter, Commissioners of Portland, met with John Douglass and O. W. Thorton, Commissioners of Sun Prairie.  They formed a joint school district out of parts of Sections 30 & 31 of Portland and Sections 26 & 36 of Sun Prairie, naming it Joint District No. 1.  At the same time, they formed Joint District No. 2 immediately north of No. 1.  The former is now known as the Andrews District.  Their first teacher was Effie Johnson, a daughter of Silas Johnson who settled in Portland in 1847.  The present teacher is Laura McCormick, a granddaughter of B. McCormick who also settled in Portland in 1846,  The former was paid $1.50 per week and the latter receives $1.65 per day.

         The first general election for State officers was held May 8, 1848.  Portland participated in it and its voters had thus a chance to line up on a partisan basis.  There were two tickets in the field, the Democratic and the Whig.  Nelson Dewey led the Democratic ticket for Governor and John H. Tweedy the Whig.  Dewey received 31 votes and Tweedy received 20 votes.  The voting took place in the store of S. M. Smith.  These statistics furnish a basis upon which to estimate the number of people in the town, approximately  150.  Many of the voters were young and were just starting in life, hence the average family was small in number compared with what it was a decade later.  This election foreshadowed the political complexion of the Town of Portland to the present. 

         The Democratic ticket then as now received the support of a majority of the voters.  Owing to the date on which this state election was held, it is probable that a full vote was not polled.  It appears that partisan politics cut some figure in the town elections as such prominent democrats as K. P. Clark, S. M. Cone, Moses C. Kenyon amd Dearborn Clark were left in office from year to year.  The town meeting of 1849 found the town in debt to the amount of $57.10.  It was reported at the beginning of 1848 there was $41.36 in the treasury belonging to the school fund, of which District No. 1 received $9.34, District No. 3 received $11.56.  It was further reported that the $10.00 raised for the poor "was paid out for the support of a boy by the name of William Robinson in the northeast corner of the town". 

         A motion of Wm. F. Bond directed the supervisors to inquire whether the boy Robinson was a "proper subject to receive assistance from the town as a  pauper,  and also to ascertain if Mr. Robinson is liable for his support, and if so, to proceed against said Robinson without delay". 

         Among the pathmasters appointed are:  Ruel Packer, G. Cone and Moses T. Austin.  At this election, W. F. Bond, Moses T. Austin, S. M. Cone and A. C. Fischer were elected Justices; James Sheldon, Chairman, with Cyrus Perry and Ruel Packer as associates.  Mr. Kenyon, having no opposition, received 65 votes for clerk.  This seems to be the whole number of votes cast.  One of the things noted is the election of Dearborn Clark as Town Superintendent of Schools.  He was the first man to fill that office in the town.  In May 1849, he met with Ambrose Jones, Town Superintendent of Schools for Waterloo to form a joint district.  Ambrose Jones was the first Town Superintendent in Waterloo.

         The town meeting of April 1850 was held in the house of William Larabee.  This was a hotel.  At this meeting, on the motion of G. H. P. Cone, a tax of $100.00 was levied to build a bridge "across the Crawfish River near Van Deldan Bridge".  Steve Linderman appeared in opposition to this enterprise.  Among the new men elected are the names of:  F. C. Baker, J. Burnham, James Brookins, Alban Carter, W. A. Higley, D. C. Shepard, John Ramsey and E. C. Picket.

         At the meeting of 1851, a motion was carried "that the supervisors select a burying ground and to pay nothing for said ground".  This probably resulted in the selection of the cemetery north of the village which contains the remains of many of the early settlers, some of whom attended this town meeting.  Among the new names are:  D. V. Knowlton, who was elected Town Clerk, Linus Johnson, Superintendent, H. P. Smith, A. Witt and James P. Lawton.  The last two names are suggestive of foreign blood--one German and the other Irish, but this is not certain.  A special town meeting was held in July 1851 to raise $1000.00 to improve the roads of the town. 

         At the regular meeting, Stephen Linderman made a motion to raise $500.00 for this purpose.  This was defeated, hence it may inferred that Mr. Linderman, who was probably the first to build a house in the town, was the first to advocate road improvement.  The proposition to build the roads was defeated by a vote of  82 to 20.  The number voting at this special meeting was 102. Wm. Larabee was the proprietor of a hotel and applied for a liquor license in 1851.  He was required to give a bond from which the following is taken; THE SPELLING IS AS FOUND IN THE BOND; "I William Larabee do Solemnly Swear that I am keeping a House of Publick entertainment for travelers Commonly Known as a tavern or hotel and I desire Licence only for the Reason that I am Keeping Such House".   John V. King and Wm. Higly were his sureties and were held "in the penal Sum of five Hundred Dollars Which we jointly and Severally agree and Promise well and truly to Pay, etc.", and the condition was that Larabee "was to Keep and Maintain an orderly and well regulated House and that he will permit no gambling with cards or dice or any other device or implement within his tavern or buildings of any name whatsoever Kept by him or within outhouses, yards, or Sheds appertaining to the ".  Thus, more that half a century ago, the morals of Portland were protected by a $500.00 bond.  The supervisors who approved this bond were Oscar King and Alphonse Whipple.  This is the first appearance of the name of Mr. Whipple whose grandson in the proprietor of "The Waterloo Democrat".  The town meeting of 1852, held in the Cone House resulted in electing Alphonse Whipple chairman and a Geo. F. Weber a mamber of the board.  He was undoubtedly a German, or was born of German parents, but the Irish talent for government was also recognized by the election of Martin Welch as Justice of the Peace. 

         There is no doubt as to his nationality.  He was a man of strong character and it appears that he leads all his race in the distinction of being the first of them to hold office in Portland.  He remained in office finishing his term while Mr. Weber resigned in less than two months.  In 1853, the election brought new men into prominence among whom were Robert Chalmers, Thomas Van Court, Solomon Johnson, D. W. Rosencrans, Albert Hagarman and Anthony Harmon.  Mr. Rosencrans might have been a Hebrew.  His son is now a prominent jeweler in Milwaukee.  Hagarman looks German-like  and Harmon pretty much of a Hibernian character.  Van Court could probably trace his ancestory back to the Netherlands and make claim that they were the leading engineers in the construction of the dikes.  This fellow was a blacksmith.  Later on an election day, he took a hasty leave of Portland to escape what would have been a disagreeable experience with a rope in the hands of infuriated citizens because of his dastardly attack with a knife upon Oscar L. Ray who still resides at Lake Mills.  By this time, it may be said that  the Irish and Germans began to buy out the Americans and from now on their names as officers will occur with a growing frequency. 

         Michael Torpey was named a pathmaster in 1854.  In the same year, a tavern license was granted to Surdam and Carr; a saloon license to John Walls, for which $10.00 was paid.  A like license for the same sum was granted to Robert Chalmers while Frederick Court was charged $20.00 for his license.  These grants of license indicate that Portland had suddenly risen to greater importance.  The Watertown Plank Road was completed connecting Portland with Milwaukee, hence the boom in the sale in Whiskey.

         Among the officers elected in 1854 are found the names of:  Thomas Williams, Hezekiah Burt, G. A. Mead, Walter Simons, Ambrose Rose, Samuel Austin, E. A. Perry, R. McGuire, W. H. Foxwell and H. Kimball.  At the 1854 town meeting, L. P. Knowlton, still a resident of the town, manufested an interest in public affairs.  G. A. Mead as Town Clerk recorded that "L. P. Knowlton made motion that Hogs shall not be free commoners the ensuing year.  Carried".  This was the beginning of a war on the hog whereby this useful animal was curtailed of its liberty to do as it pleased and visit its neighbors as and when its appetite so directed.  Before the close of the year, G. A. Mead resigned and B. B. Chadwick took his place.

         In 1857, the  town meeting was held in the American House.  Among the new names are:  Hosea Prentiss, G. R. Frary, W. A. Pierce, James Murphy, Mark Leaver, James McCormick, John Chalmers, I. W. Allen, Wm. Geise, Miles Burns, John  Gingles,  Isaac  Prentice, Michael Bolger,  Moses Valeau and H. Chapin.  Mr. Geise was chosen a pathmaster, but like Caeser who was once an overseer of the Appain Way, he too became prominent in politics representing his district as a Democrat in the State Legislature.  It is evident that the Irish now began to develop political influence.  Murphy, McCormick, Burns, Gingles and Bolger had all picked the shamrock on Irish soil.  G. R. Frary was elected Town Clerk and left a record that he posted "the by-laws of the town at the American House, one copy at the store of David Chalmers and one copy at the store of S. M. Cone".  During the year, Oscar L. Ray and W. W. Patrick were appointed Constables.  Mr. Frary also gave notice of a special town meeting to vote on the question of bonding the town in aid of the construction of the Wisconsin Central Railroad Co. 

         It was called to be held "at the Williams House on Friday, June 5, 1857", to vote on issuing bonds "for the sum of $2500.00 in payment for 250 shares of full paid stock of said Company.  Said bonds  to run ten years and bear interest at the rate of ten percent, the proceeds to be expended on the line of said road between Lake Mills and Portland".  The notice and records of this meeting and the oaths of inspectors place Portland in Jefferson County as the notice of the election reads.  "Notice is hereby given to the legal voters of the Town of Portland, Jefferson County, State of Wisconsin, etc.", and the Clerk states in his record "the special election held at the Williams House in the Village of Portland, Town of Portland, County of Jefferson, etc.".  189 votes were cast of which 112 were in favor of the bonds.  The act of the Clerk in locating Portland in Jefferson County in all records pertaining to this town meeting, including the venue in the oaths of the inspectors, gives rise to a suspicion that the mistake might be of use, if necessary, to nullify the effect of an affirmative vote for the bond issue.  Such may not have been the fact.  It may have been that dependence was placed on the bad luck of a Friday town meeting for such a fate.  The bonds were printed on a good quality of paper.  A blank copy of one of the bonds is now in the writer's possession.  The required number was signed but never delivered.  L. P. Knowlton was Town Chairman and his assistants were W. A. Pierce and J. Burnham. 

         It is now an open secret that Mr. Knowlton's determined opposition frustrated the consumate fraud of this proposed bonding of the town.  He refused to deliver the bonds.  The officers of the company were wild with rage.  Still he defied their threats and remained firm in his refusal to deliver the bonds, which he wisely put under the sod thereby defeating the effort to get them into the hands of innocent purchasers which would fasten them as a binding obligation on the town.  There was no attempt made to build the road; not a shovel of earth was turned in its construction.  The result would have been the same had the bonds, fully executed, been turned over to the designing promoters.  Among Mr. Knowlton's strongest supporters were his Irish neighbors.  It was said at the time that Knowlton and his Irish were equal to any emergency.  During 1850, the name of W. Marsh, Eli Griswold and Thomas McGovern were on the list of office holders.  It now became a customary thing to vote the hog out of the association of "free commoners". 

         While  they were commoners, certain owners of the animal recorded with the Town Clerk a distinguishing mark by means of which his strayed or stolen hog might be identified.  For illustration, Charles S. Power's mark was "crop off the left ear and slit in the same"; the mark of Scuyler Hyer was "V, out of the right ear".

         The campaign against the hog was due to the want of fences.  Cattle as well as hogs often wandered for miles sway from their owners requiring searches that frequently continued for two or three days.  These were the days of the cow bell.  About the close of the 50's, the farmers began raising sheep.  The rail fence by which they were protected was no barrier to the dog of those days that asserted his right as a "free commoner" to call on his neighbor's sheep and now and then convert some of them to his own use.  Hence, the dog received a good deal of attention at several meetings of the supervisors.  G. H. P. Cone and A. C. Fischer made the first complaint on April 27, 1861 to Alphonse Whipple, Dearborn Clark and John Vokes who were supervisors. 

         An oath was administered to Phillip Daum as a witness for Mr. Cone.  It is recorded that "he thought sheep average lot sheep".  Mr. Vokes said "lambs were worth $1.00 each".  Orders were drawn in favor of Cone and Fischer to pay for the sheep.  The supervisors rose in their might and "resolved that all persons that do not license their dogs on or before the first day of May 1861, they (the supervisors) will send the name of each and every person so refusing or neglecting to license to the District Attorney and request of him an immediate attendance thereon".  But, neither this warlike declaration nor the issued licenses seem to have embarassed Portland dogs for at a meeting of the supervisors held Octobeer 1, 1861, more complaints against the bad dogs for killing lambs and sheep were made by Charles Russell and S. E. Robinson and they too were reimbursed out of the treasury of the town. In April 1862, the town meeting was held in the Williams House, but an adjournment was taken to the house of D. C. Sheppard.  An appropriation of $25.00 was made to purchase "a desk for town books and  papers" and $100.00 was raised for school purposes.  Among the overseers of highways were:  L. P. Knowlton, W. D. Packard, O. H. Anderson, Michael Powers and Arthur Burnham.

         The supervisors were:  Hosea Prentiss, Alphonse Whipple, W. L. Ward; Clerk, Louis Hunefeldt; Treasurer, K. P. Clark; Assessor, E. P. Cole; Justices, Thomas Baker, Robert Chalmers, J. R. Frary.  Constables were: D. C. Sheppard,  John A. Wetmore and Michael Joyce; Poundkeeper, J. R. Frary.  The result of this election indicates that the American element was still preferred for office.  Mr. Hunefeldt was a German and followed the business of blacksmith.

         On September 29, 1862, Hosea Prentiss, A. Whipple, C. Whipple, K. P. Clark and G. W. Larabee signed a call for a special town meeting "to raise a bounty of $100.00 to each volunteer from said town who has enlisted in the service of the United States as soldiers under the two last calls of the President for Volunteers". 

         This meeting was called to meet at the house of D. C. Sheppard but it was adjourned to the schoolhouse and was the first town meeting held in a public building in Portland.  One hundred twenty-six votes were polled of which ninety-two were recorded in favor of the bounty, showing that Portland as a whole was decidedly patriotic. 

         The town meeting of 1863 placed among others upon the roll of overseers of roads the names of:  John King, William Gingles, Samuel Austin, Thomas. Dowd, A. G. Allen.  Mr. Dowd now resides at Madison with his daughter, Mrs. Eugene Sheppard.  This is the first mention of John King and William Gingles.                   The former became a prominent farmer on the "Plank" Road whose children still reside near by.  Mr. Gingles is still leading a prosperous farm life near Hubbleton.  Samuel Austin is now retired, living at Waterloo after a successful career as a Portland farmer.  The result of the election gave the town a board consisting of Anthony Harmon, John Gingles, who was the father of William Gingles, and William Geise.

         For the first time in the history of the town, the board did not contain a so-called Yankee; the foreigners had secured a monopoly in the town management.  O. Prentiss was elected Clerk; E. P. Cole, Assessor; Michael Joyce, Treasurer; Moses Wetmore, W. L. Hoag and A. C. Fischer, Justices; John A. Knarr, Ephriam Gingles and Edward Bolger, Constables; and James Carty, Sealer of Weights and Measures.  Of these officers, only six were Irish and two were Germans, which is proof that office holding was becoming popular with the foreign element.  The town officers in March 1908 were:  John Goebel, Charles Weihert and August Huebner as Supervisors; Frank Trapp, Clerk; William Beerbaum, Treasurer; and F. A. Yerges, Assessor.  These names suggest a complete monopoly of civic management by the German element--a natural sequence to the almost complete ownership of the town by the Teuton.