158 Bristol Heritage

Bicentennial Edition 1976 Compiled by Mable Glasman Engberg.

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Cities and towns

Villages

Midwest

Kenosha County, Wisconsin

Bristol, Wisconsin

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Valentine
SNIPPETS of SALEM
158 - Bristol Heritage
Bicentennial Edition 1976
Compiled by
Mable Glasman Engberg

Contents: This is a copy of the book that is on the shelves at the
Community Library. We are concerned both by the potential loss of
the book for any of a variety of reasons and by the fact that it has a
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Compiled 8/2009 by L S Valentine Copyright©Valentine2009

eritage

Bristol

BICENTENNIAL EDITION 1976
COMPILED BY

Mabie G las man Engberg
SPONSORED BY

The Township of Bristol
and
The Bicentennial Committee
Mrs, Beverly Wienke, Chairman
Mr. John Davidson
Mrs. Margaret Gillmore
Mr. and Mrs, Charles Ling
Miss Stacy Muhlenbeck
Mrs, Joan McCarley
Mrs, Mary Johnson
Mrs. Lorraine Rodgers
Mrs. Adelle Waldo
Mr. and Mrs. James Engberg

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llll!lERT M. SiMMONS LIBRARY
l!fNOSHA, WIS. 53140

PARTIALLY FUNOED BY THE KENOSHA COUNTY AMERICAN REVOLUTION
BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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PAGE

3 0645 0808986

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 1
Wisconsin History .................................................... 2
Year by Year General History of Bristol Township .... , ..................... 3
Lake George History and Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , .... 54
Shangrila Lake History and Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................... 55
Village of Bristol History .............. . .......... , . , , .... , . , , , . , .... 56
Plot Map of Village of Bristol ...

, '., ... , .. ' ............. 59

Village of Woodworth History. , ...... .

. , .... ' .. ' ................ ,. 74

Map of Section 10 and 15 ....................................... 77
Explanation of Map of Section 10 and 15..... . ................... 78
School History of Bristol Township. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 98
Map of School Districts· 1842 ................................... 98
Map of School Districts· 1934 ................................. 103
Church History of Bristol Township ................................... 113
Plot Map of Bristol Township · 1972 ................................... 123
1976 Bristol Township Directory . . . . ........................ , ........ 124
Business and Industry ......................................... 124
Churches, Schools, Parks, ...................................... 126
Population, Registered Voters, Town Officers ........................127
Century Families of Bristol Township ................................... 127
Bibliography and Sources of Pictures .................................... 129

INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS AN AMERICAN?

What then is the American, this new man? ... I could point out to you a man,
whose grandfather was an Englishman, whose wife was Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons have now four wives of
different nations ... Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race
of man, whose labors and posterity will one day cause a great change in the
world ... The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must
therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions. From involuntary idleness, servile dependence, penury, and useless labor, he has passed to toils of a
very different nature, rewarded by ample subsistence ... THIS IS AN AMERICAN.

Hector St. John de Cr'evecoeur, 1782

He who looks with pride upon this history which his fathers have written by
their heroic deeds, who accepts with gratitude the inheritance which they have
bequeathed to him, and who highly resolves to preserve this inheritance unimpaired and to pass it on to his descendents enlarged and enriched, is a true
American, be his birthplace or his parentage what it may.

WISCONSIN HISTORY
COVERS 300 YEARS OF PEOPLE AND EVENTS

Wisconsin's history is a mixture of many things Indians, furs, French Canadians, lead mines, British, lumber barons, iron ore, cows, politicians, immigrants, paper mills, and on, and on.
The attempt to tell it all would, and does, fill volumes. Some key incidents
by date, help to tell the main parts of the story.
The year 1634 marks the arrival of French Canadians to Wisconsin, cla.im.ing
the land for France and remaining to trade with the Indians for their valuable
furs. In 1666, Nicholas Perrot set up a trading post on the Mississippi River
near the mouth of the Black River. Perrot, in 1690, discovered lead mines
which later played an important role in the settlement and development of
the state.
In 1763, after the French and Indian War, Wisconsin was among the land ceded
by the French to Britain. By 1764, Charles Langlade established the first permanent settlement in Wisconsin at Green Bay. Then followed the Revolutionary
War and, in 1783, the designation of Wisconsin as a part of the United States.
The ordinance of 1787 designated Wisconsin as part of the Northwest Territory.
Later, it was included in the Indiana Territory, the Illinois Territory, and the
Michigan Territory. In 1836, Wisconsin was granted independent territorial
status.
In 1832, the last battle between white settlers and Indians was fought in Wisconsin as the Black Hawk War, so designated after the war chief who led the
Indians. Only a few sharp skirmishes actually occurred, but the war firmly es··
tablished the white man's domination over the land.

THIS IS THE
BRISTOL
HERITAGE

A very special thanks to all those who have made this book possible by their
many contributions of pictures, articles, information and time. Because we
would not be able to mention all the names, we are not printing a list of the
contributors. We apologize for any inaccuracy in name spelling, etc. and also
for omission of any important information that was not brought to our attention. Our hope is that this book will help us become more aware of our inheritance and thereby Proud of the community we share.

In the same year, lead mining began on a significant scale in the southwest
corner of the state. It served to attract the first large number of white settlers;
and by 1840, nearly 31,000 white people were counted in the Wisconsin territory. In 1848, when Wisconsin was accepted for state-hood, the population
stood at 21 0,546.
The story from then on was growth and development. Mining, logging, and
farming provided the major impetus. By 1870, there were more than a million
people in the state.
By 1885,-the Goebic iron deposits were discovered in upper Michigan and northeastern Wisconsin, setting off a brief but intensive period of development. By
1900, the state's population exceeded 2 million. In that same year, Wisconsin
elected its first native-born governor, Robert M. LaFollette, Sr. whose administration was marked by the enactment of a series of landmark legislative acts.
In 1915, Wisconsin established a conservation commission to oversee the protection of its natural resources and to encourage the restoration of those ·se·
verely damaged in the orgy of development.
By 1940, the population of the state topped 3 million. During World War II,
Wisconsin sent 375,000 men and women to serve in the armed forces.

2

BRISTOL- YEAR BY YEAR HIGHLIGHTS
1834

1816

Their enthusiasm increased as they decided to organize an association to settle
a colony in the west. A meeting was called in the Masonic Hall in Hannibal.
Many more people came than they had anticipated.

In the year 1816 there were only two settlements in Wisconsin. Green Bay and
Prairie du Chien were both French settlements. The territory of Bristol was a
blank on the map as far as pioneer and early settlers were concerned.

Organized in Hannibal, New York, Oswego County, the Western Emigration
Company, a joint stock association for making a settlement. Articles of Incorporation were drawn up and shares were sold at $10.00 each for funds to sponsor the foundation of the colony. Three men were appointed to explore and
find a suitable location. They left Hannibal in March of 1835. They first went
to Milwaukee, but found it already staked in claims.

In the east there was a great deal of talk and speculation concerning the Great
Lakes region of the West and there were a few who were adventuresome enough
to explore it.
1830

One of the first was Schoolcraft, who in 1830 started west. He kept a log of
his travels which is still in existence. He came by way of Lake Erie, Detroit,
Chicago and then proceeded north.

Then they went south to Root River (Racine) but that too had been claimed.
Then they proceeded south to Pike River (Kenosha). arriving in June of 1835.

One night he camped 50 to 60 miles north of Chicago and 35 miles south of
the "Milwacky" River, which is the location of Kenosha now.

These men had been instructed to find a good port on the lake with good
"back country" for framing and they felt satisfied with their find. The pioneers
followed and by the end of 1835, the Pike River boasted eight families who
built their first homes of logs.

When he returned east, he told of the wonderful land west of Lake Michigan.
During the following years other explorers came, some to investigate the back
country west of Lake Michigan, returning to tell of the wond.ers of the west.
1832
1833

1834

In 1832, after the Black Hawk War, the richness of the area was realized.

1835

FIRST SETTLERS IN SOMERS
Early in 1835, the settlers began to appear in the area of Kenosha County.
Mr. Hugh Longwell, now living in the Town of Somers, tells me that in March
1835, he and six other men came in wagons from Michigan and followed the
trail to Jambeaus. There Soloman Juneau was visiting at the time; and, to
paint the manners more clearly, let it be confessed that Juneau with frontier
courtesy,first loudly remanded the travelers to infernal regions and then straightway invited them to the hospitality of the cabin and the demi john. Thence
they went to Root River, where they found Capt. Knapp. At his recommendation, they then crossed over to the head of Pike River to locate and there found
Jacob Montgomery and his sons already occupying a log cabin. This cabin, almost exactly where Fred Ozanne's house now stands, seems to have been the
first in our county and built at least early in March 1835. Mr. Montgomery remained there eight years or more, somewhat famous among pioneers as a hunter
and then moved west to disappear from our history. So the honor of the first
settlement in Kenosha County belongs to Jacob Montgomery and the town of
Somers. * (1)

1835

In 1835, in what was later to become Bristol Township, many trees could be
found marked with the names for claims. The first claim was by Wm. R. Higgins
(on Hwy. 50) and a second by Sereno Fowler west of Woodworth School, or
the old Kellogg Tavern. There were no settlements west of this point at that
time.

In 1833 the Indians ceded their title to southeastern Wisconsin and almost immediately pioneers became interested in this country adjacent to Lake Michigan.
Explorers were traversing this region. They already talked about Pike River,
translating the Indian name "Kenosha". They followed the Indian trails. The
most noted of these trails led from Chicago to Milwaukee, keeping the lake
shore to Gross Point (near the present Evanston) then turning inland and crossing our county near the line of the present Milwaukee and Saint Paul railroad.
This was,..called the Jambeau Trail from a French trader, Jacques Jambeau,
who had his cabin on it at Skunk Grove, west of Racine. It was trodden, I am
told, to an average depth of nearly a foot and made a welcome path for many
an early pioneer. Another trail branched from this a little south of the state
line and crossing the Des Plaines River took the direction toward Burlington.
In November 1834, Captain Gilbert Knapp, with two attendants, coming from
Chicago along the Jambeau Trail, passed down to the mouth of Root River and
there built a cabin, near where Miner and McClurg's planing mill stands in Racine. There his two men spent the winter. This seems to have been the first
American settlement between Milwaukee and Gross Point and the only one in
that year. Kenosha County at least claims no settlers in 1834.*(1)

In December of 1834 John Bullen of Hannibal, New York (Oswego County)
invited a number of guests to his home for supper. They talked of the stories
told by explorers of the country west of Lake Michigan, of the beautiful prairies, fair oaks, bright skies and its most productive soil.

TUTTLE'S SETTLE IN BRISTOL
Rollin Tuttle and his family were the first settlers in the Town of Bristol.
During their first four months here, Mrs. Tuttle saw no other female.

3

4

Their son was the first white child born in the town, The Tuttle farm (located
on D north of AH) was the first farm opened and plowed in the spring of
1836.

1837

MAlL ROUTE ESTABLISHED
In December of 1837, a meeting was held at the tavern of A.B. Jackson for
the purpose of drafting a petition for a mai I route from Southport west. Then
the township had to be given a name and it was voted to call it Bristol for the
Rev. Ira Bristol, one of the early settlers. A Post Office was established at the
tavern and A.B. Jackson was appointed Postmaster. Later Rollin Tuttle was
appointed Postmaster and he built the building on the corner for the Post
Office thus adding another place of business at Jacksonville. Mail was carried
by a postilion but was not heavy consisting mostly of letters from back east.
The postage on a letter was 25 cents. *(2)

1837

COMING OF SERENO S. FOWLER AND HIS WIFE LEMIRA TARBELL
FOWLER
Mr. Sereno Fowler was a native of Massachusetts and a graduate of Harvard.
Mrs. Fowler was born in South Hampden County, Massachusetts, a sister of
Emerson and Henry Tarbell, and she was a graduate of a young lady's academy
in South Hampden. Mr. Fowler came to land sales in the territory of Wisconsin in 1837, brought his bride to the land just north of the Woodworth road
on Hwy. 50 in the township of Bristol. Rollin Tuttle brought them out through
the prairie grass that was higher than the backs of the ox teams. The prairie
was broken by groups of magnificent oaks called "oak openings" and Mrs.
Fowler expressed her pleasure at such nice orchards. When a prairie fire threatened their cabin, while the men were hastily plowing a strip around a clearing to
protect it from the flames, Mrs. Fowler beat out the flying sparks with her
..woolen petticoat.

Other settlers to come that year were George Nixon, Wm. Etheridge, (later the
Dave Griffith farm north side of Hwy. 50, east of Hwy. 45) and Joel Walker.
1836

July 4th - Ask any old settler what was the great event of the year at Pike
River and he at once replies, "The celebration of the 4th". It was not only
Independence Day, but the inauguration day of the Wisconsin Territory. Let
us picture to ourselves the condition of our county that famous morning just
forty years ago.
The western half of the county could not then, I suppose, claim a resident
settler. Claims had indeed been made in Salem by Alfred Butler and the Dodge
Brothers and soon after we find Jason Lothrop surveying on Fox River and
making several maps of something he calls "city" there. But the city never went
beyond Mr. Lothrop's maps and up until the end of 1836, I cannot find that
Salem had an actual settler. Paris may have already on the ground Patrick
Malarky and a few others, though, the date of their arrival is uncertain. In
Bristol, we should have found on certain trees the names of S.S. Fowler and
W. R. Higgins, where they cut them late in the previous fall to make their
claims. Other claims had, of course, been made, but the only resident settler
of Bristol seems to have been Rollin Tuttle, who came that spring with his
family and built near G.T. Vincent's present house. But Mr. Tuttle was doing
what he could for the settlement of the town and we soon hear of a new boy
in his house, the~rth in Bristol. *(1)

1835·1837
Among the first in Bristol, were Wm. R. Higgins, who had chosen his claim
bordering on what is now known as Hwy. 50 east of Woodworth corner and
Sereno Fowler west of Woodworth corner. Others were George Nixor\ .IGel
Walker, Salmon Upson, Levi Grant, and Harmon Marsh. These were in the year
of 1835. Just before they came, trees could be found marked with the names
of farmers who had staked their claims. Rollin Tuttle and his wife were the
first resident settlers. All the settlers had to go to Milwaukee for their land
grant. Some who were fortunate enough to have horses rode horseback but
the majority walked. Among the early settlers, were the three Jackson brothers
who took up land on what is now Hwy. 50 and D, the four corners east of
Bristol Corners. Andrew built a tavern, part of which is now standing and known
as the Castle home. Frisbee built a store west of the tavern, and Northrup a
house and blacksmith across from the tavern thus making the three business
places. The settlers began calling this little settlement "Jacksonville". *(2)
1837

This was an outstanding year. Pike River was changed to Southport, it being
the port farthest south in Wisconsin. A road was surveyed west from Southport to Lake Geneva, called Geneva Road. Today it is Hwy. 50.

When trees were cut and burned, berry bushes came up around the stumps, and
the berries were dried for the winter. Wild crabs were preserved in maple sugar.
Quail and prairie chicken were abundant. One winter, all the flour they had was
buckwheat until the boat came in the spring with supplies. Mr. Fowler planted
the first apple, peach and pear orchard in the county having brought the seedlings from his home in Hartford, Connecticut. Some of the trees are still living.
Then Indians looked in the windows but they were friendly and brought gifts
of venison and game and expected a little sugar, tobacco or tea in exchange.
For several seasons, the winters were mild and all the equipment for winter
travel was a rude sled called a jumper and a fiery little Canadian pony which
never stepped over a puddle or stream but jumped over. Indians camped in the
woods between Woodowrth and Hwy. 50 during the winter of the deep snow
and many died of disease and starvation. The little remnant never returned.
Mr. and Mrs. Fowler were people of fine ideals and an upward vision. His high
ambition was a select boarding school and to this end in 1839 built the house
and dormitory of Fowler's Academy. The lumber was sawed in a mill erected
on land owned by Mr. Fowler now in the possession of Fred Stevens on the
old plank road. With ox teams and neighborhood help they raised a dam and
mill on the little stream that is the outlet of Neisons and Leeg Lake.The remains of these are still plainly visible. Mr. Henry Newbury was the carpenter

5

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1837

who constructed the academy and he built well and for posterity. Mr. Fowler
was possessed of extraordinary executive abilities and the academy was becoming most successful when his health failed and in 1847 the school was
closed. Mr. Fowler succumbed soon after to tuberculosis which disease is believed to have been contracted in his eastern home. The young widow was
unable to carry on and the place was rented as a tavern. *(3) The buildings
of the Fowler Academy were the first frame buildings in the county. Among
the Kenosha people who attended the school were the parents of Mr. Harry
Baldwin, John Bullen, Mrs. Saunders, and Mrs. Kind, and Mr. Wattles. *(3)

SALMON UPSON VISITED WISCONSIN

Mr. Upson was born Sept. 8, 1803, at Wolcott, New Haven Co., Conn., where
he engaged in farming and other pursuits; went to Pennsylvania in 1832 - 33
and sold clocks, then returned to Connecticut and worked on the farm. In
June, 1837, he visited Wisconsin to prospect for suitable land, and bought a
claim of 320 acres. On this visit he found only two families living in Bristol
Township. In August, he returned to Connecticut, and was elected member
of the Legislature for 1838. In June 1840, he returned to Bristol, settled on
his claim and moved into a log house, built by Mr. Massey, of Indiana, who
was the first owner of this land. He built his present house and barn in 1841.
He married Miss Mary M. Jackson, of Wolcott, Conn., Nov. 26, 1835 and they
had seven children Julia, Mary, Salmon E., H. Amelia (who died as an infant),
Lucy M., H. Amelia, and Ellen E. (who died at 19 years).
Mr. Upson was member of the Legislature for 1860, Assessor of Bristol one
year, Chairman of Supervisors three years, Side Supervisor three years, Clerk
and Director of School District several times, Pathmaster in turn.

(Mr. and Mrs. Salmon Upson's Ox Cart, Dewey Slide No. 87)

Lemira Tarbell Fowler and Sereno S. Fowler

7

8

1837

COMING OF SAMUEL E. TARBELL

Samuel E. Tarbell, Farmer Section 3 and 10, P.O. Woodworth, born May 2,
1813 in Birmfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, where he worked on his
father's farm until the fall of 1834. Then he went to Seneca County, New York
and was school teacher until the spring of 1837, when he came to Wisconsin,
landed at Milwaukee and went in a schooner to Racine, from there to Pleasant
Prairie by stage and followed the blaze on trees to Bristol where he claimed
160 acres of land. The land was the east half of the southeast quarter of sec·
tion 3 and the east half of the northeast quarter of section 10. He returned
to Seneca County, New York in the fall of 1837 and married Miss Caroline
J. Squires of that county, on January 3, 1838. The same year he came back and
settled on his farm and built a small frame house. In 1845, he erected his barns
and in 1847 replaced his frame residence with the present homestead. He
raises all kinds of grains and stock. His wife died November 22, 1847, leaving
one child, William S. *(4)
The following letter was found in the old Tarbell home when it was torn down.
At the time it was torn down, the property was owned by Herbert Becker.
This letter is in the possession of the Becker Family. It was copied as accurate·
ly as the condition of the letter allowed.
Pleasant Prairie
Wis Ter Sept- 1837
Ever Beloved Caroline
Yours of the 11th ule. I received in due time which caused a mingled
sensation of joy and sorrow. Nothing could give me more pleasure than to
hear from you but your ill health gives me much anxiety. My mind is riveted
on you both in sleeping and waking hours, sometimes, that you are laboring
under disease, then again you are enjoying yourself with good health and
friends. Yes Caroline, often do I see you in my sleeping hours would it were
a reality but I wake and find it all a dream. Yes I find myself in Wisconsin
far away from the one I love, but I anticipate the time when all this will be
a reality when I shall be able to clasp the hand and kiss the lips of her of my
ever dear Caroline. The poetry often comes to mind, when shall we meet again,
meet never to sever, When shall peace wreath her chain round us forever. Tis
with happy emotions of heart that I anticipate the hour when we shall see
each other again and be united in the everlasting bonds of matrimony.
You wished to know what kind of church we had here (as I wrote about
attending church). 7 should correct the expression it was only a meeting at one
of the private houses. We have no churches here. Wisconsin knows no churches
yet except Catholic and only one of that kind. We soon I think shall have place
to worship.
You wish to know what I am doing this summer. In short, I have been
doing most everything since I came here. At present am at work at the carpenter business. Fowler is building a framed house and I am at work at that,
shall soon get it done. He builds in pretty good style for Wisconsin.

9

I expected my brother here the last of this or first of next month. Before
he comes I cannot determine when I shall leave for New York state. Nothing
could gratify me more than to start today, but it is impossible to go at the
present. Think of starting about the 20 or 25th of October possibly sooner
but my business is such that it is impractical for me to leave so much before
that time. Shall go by water think now shall take a vessel as the steamboats
will stop running before that time. The most that concerns me about taking
a vessel is, it might be delayed by head winds and take some weeks to go to
Buffalo.
I commenced this letter a week ago and should have finished had I not
been called to attend to the last rites due one of our fellow being. A Child
died last Sabbath morn about 8 years old in the neighborhood. The child was
well the night before, in the moming was a corpse. What caused its death so
suddenly is unknown to any of us. It is the first death that has ever occurred
in this town. The family had been here about a week and had hardly got
settled before one of their children should be called by death's relentless hand
to another world.
I hope you will not delay writing as I have a week after you get this. I
know you will not. I long to hear from you. Oh, I wish you would write every
week. I am sure you might, you cannot employ yourself better. I want you to
be careful about exposing yourself so as to injure your health. I fear you are
to careless. Oh you will excuse my plainefs about it but I must lecture you a
little as I do my sister. My health is good and in good spirits expecting, if my
life is spared, soon to return to my beloved. Two months seems a great while
but it will soon pass away, if my expectations are realized you will see me
about the first of November and then our previous engagements, I trust will
be fulfilled. My love to your Father and Mother and all the family particularly
Adeline and Jane. I wonder if they can dance as prettily as ever. Tell Belding
he had better sell in Indiana and come to Wisconsin. Now remember what I
tell you about exposing your health and you will greatly gratify your ever true
friend and lover.
S.C. Tarbell

According to the biographical sketch Mr. Tarbell returned to Bristol with his
bride Caroline Squires Tarbell in the year 1838. His wife died November 1847
only nine years later.

10

1837

GENEVA ROAD OR HIGHWAY 50 SURVEYED
1842

In July 1837, Rev. Jason Lothrop,surveyed the road running west from Southport to Geneva. This was the first road running west from Southport to be surveyed.
1840

1842

BELOW IS PICTURED AN ENTRY INTO THE OFFICIAL TOWN RECORD.
THIS PAGE WAS PICTURED AND IS ONE OF THE DEWEY SLIDES THAT
ARE TO BE FOUND AT THE KENOSHA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
MUSEUM (SLIDE NO. 646 FIRST ENTRY IN OLD RECORD BOOK OF
TOWN OF BRISTOL.)

During the year 1840, settlers from the East whose names are familiar to us,
settled here. They are Jonas Bryant, D.B. Benedict, Mr. Eddy, Mr. Castle,
Freemont Frisbie, John Kingman, William Packman, Gethen and Lavey.
FIRST BRISTOL TOWN MEETING HELD

At a meeting of the legal voters of the Town of Bristol, Racine County, held
persuant to public notice on the first day of April, A.D., 1842, at the schoolhouse in said town for the purpose of an organization of the town under an
act of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wisconsin which entitles an
act to provide for the government of the liberal towns in this territory.

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Philander Judson was elected moderator, and the following resolutions were
introduced and adopted:

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1. That the election of the officers shall be by ballot.
2. That we elect two assessors.
3. That we elect three constables.
4. That we raise $35. for roads and that the road -commissioners furnish out of said sum four scrappers for the use of said town.
5. That all the officers employed by the town shall receive $1. for each
day's service except public days when they shall receive no pay.

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6. That the town clerk of said town shall be paid for all necessary writing
in the business transactions of said town at the rate of 4 cents per folio
except employed by the day when he shall receive the same as provided
for other town officers.
7. That the treasurer shall be allowed to retain out of the money recovered by him for the use of said town, 1 per cent for recovery and
disbursing the same.
8. That the sum of $121. be raised to defray the contingent expenses of
said town.
The officers elected included Salmon Upson, Joel Walker and A.B. Jackson. *(5).
!t is interesting to note that 102 years later, the grandsons of the first three town
officers, Frank Upson, Joe Walker and Clarence Jackson served as town officers.

1843

SECOND TOWN MEETING HELD

The town meeting for the Town of Bristol was held at the house of Northrup
Jackson on April 74, 1843.
It was further motioned to raise $80.00 for the coming year and also $30.00
for the purchase of three burial grounds in said town to be located by three
different committees. The committee for the north part was S Grant, E.
Phillips and R. Bourne; the west part, U.S Thorp, C. G. Coffey and D. Williams,
and the south part, Ira Pierce, Martin Gourlott and J. Burl, The tracts were
to be located one on the Plank Road, one on Geneva Road, and one at Hosmer
Chapel.

17
12

OFFICERS OF THE TOWNSHIP OF BRISTOL
YEAR

CHAIRMAN

1842
1843
1844
1845
1846

John D. Benedict
Herman S. Thorp
Uriah Wood
Ira Pierce
Samuel Upson

1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860

Ira Pierce
Ira Pierce
Levi Grant
Levi Grant
Philander Judson
Levi Grant
Samuel Upson
Samuel Upson
Samuel Upson
Ira Pierce
Philander Judson
H.S. Thorp
H.S. Thorp
H.S. Thorp

1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867

H.S. Thorp
S.E. Tarbell
S. E. Tarbell
S.E. Tarbell
Cornelius Williams
S.E. Tarbell
Sam'l R. Leonard

1868

Herman S. Thorp

1869
1870
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
1881
1882
1883
1884
1885

Herman S. Thorp
Cornelius Williams
H.S. Thorp
Cornelius Williams
Cornelius Williams
Cornelius Williams
James M. Ward
James M. Ward
James M. Ward
James M. Ward
James M. Ward
H.S. Thorp
H.S. Thorp
J.D. Fowler
C. Williams
Alzo B. Pierce
Alzo B. Pierce

TREASURER

CLERK
Levi Grant

A.B. Jackson
AR. Wilbur

Charles Jennings
Peter E. Smith
AL. Barnum
Samuel Spencer
G. W. Carpenter
S.D. Gethen
Addison Moore
Hiram Blakslee
O.M. Ward
Peter E. Smith
O.C. Stonebreaker
Hiram Blakslee

OFFICERS OF THE TOWNSHIP OF BRISTOL
YEAR

Robert Nixon
Frisbie J. Jackson
G.E. Fitch[
Rollin Tuttle
A B. Jackson

F.J. Jackson

Hiram Blakslee
J.M. Leland
Sam'l R. Leonard

William Kemp

CHAIRMAN

1886
1887-1890
1891
1892-1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906-1912
1913
1916-1940

John Lane
F. R. Shuart
W.A Upson
W.C. Bacon

1941-1944
1945-1961

W.J. Gleason
C. H. Jackson

1961-1975

Earl Hollister

TREASURER

H.R. Lavey
H.R. Lavey
George Curtis
C.E.
C.E.
C.E.
A R.
W.C.
A R.
F.W.

Williams
Williams
Williams
Cornwell
Bacon
Cornwell
Roberts

CLERK

1887

Arthur Devlin
C.H. Waldo

1896

Wm. G. Crosby

H.L Adams

1909
1918
1924
1926
1948

F. Rowbottom
Robert Pringle
Jim Waldo
Ed Powell
Fred Pitts

1962

AI Reidenbach

1969

Doris Magwitz
Doris Mageitz

1924
1932
1944
1945

1969

J.F. Chase

H.A. Tourtelotte

Wm. E. Roberts
James Shumway
Luther H. Pike
S.E. Tarbell
Sam'l R. Leonard

Ebenezer Nead
C.l. Shumway
H.G. Tourtelotte
W.K. Packman
D.A. Sovereign

1975

Noel Elfering

Willis Upson
J.B. Edwards
E.E. Powell
C.H. Jackson
James W. Waldo
Margaret Maleski

Fred Pitts
Fred Pitts

HOST OF LOCAL PUBLIC SERVANTS
Bristol retains a host of local public servants as is shown by the retirement of
two long-term officials in recent years. Fire Chief Fred Pitts retired in 1965
after 25 years of service. In 1932, when Pitts became a member of the volunteer fire department an old hand pumper and ladder cart were the sole pieces
of equipment. After 35 years in the department and 25 years as chief, Pitts
left behind one of the best equipped rural fire departments in the state. An
article on the Bristol Fire Department can be found in this book on pages
42 and 43.
Mrs. Margaret Maleski left the town clerk's office in 1968 after almost 24
years. Mrs. Maleski's years as clerk witnessed changes in Bristol as well. The
number of voters has increased from 400 in 1945 to over 1,000 in 1968. One
room schools were replaced by a modern full-service school and a high school
district. *(5)
In 1849 Philo Curtis and wife Mary Hunt, came from New York and purchased
280 acres in Bristol Township, from Hwy. 45 west on JS about two miles. He
built his home, now known as Royal Oak Farm. Mary died in 1865 and Philo
returned to New York. His son Cyrus Curtis returned to Bristol later and cultivated his fathers land.

1840's

ON THE CORNER OF HIGHWAY 50 AND COUNTY HIGHWAY D WAS A
SETTLEMENT KNOWN AS JACKSON'S CORNER OR "JACKSONVILLE"

The settlement was formed by three brothers: Andrew, Frisbie, and Northrup.
Andrew built a tavern (Castle farm, north side of Hwy. 50, east of D), Frisbie
built a store west of the tavern, and Northrup built a house and blacksmith
shop across from the tavern (formerly owned by Byron Gillmore and currently
owned by A. Revers).

1853

KENOSHA AND BELOIT RAILROAD COMPANY INCORPORATED

In 1853, the C. & N.W. Railroad built a railroad from Kenosha to Rockford
and established depots named Bristol and Woodworth. The roads in those days
were not graded or graveled and were impassable in the spring and in wet weath·
er.
In order to get the wheat to market, some enterprising man built what was
called the Plank road on what is now Highway K by cutting down trees, split·
ting the logs in half and laying them close together across the road (I believe
this was a toll road). This was a bigger improvement than 1·94. After the rail·
road came, people began building homes, business places and churches near
the depot. *(7)

l1'1l

Y-~~~,,,nU~!~

t!

.!'1!..' ~.KLDJ'l":..l:..t\.IJ.dl.!JiiJ•

~

r,.

CASTLE HOME· ASHBURY CHAPEL, JACKSONVILLE

·I
MAP OF THE KENOSHA, BELOIT RAILROAD AND THE PLANK ROAD
(DEWEY SLIDE NO. 256) *(9)

1850

In the 1850's, came the Carmens, Gaineses, laceys, Thorpes, Stonebreakers,
Williams's, Bacons, and others.
Bristol Township was developing rapidly. log cabins were replaced by frame
buildings and orchards were planted.

1B53

CIRCUS CAME TO BRISTOL

The first showing of a circus, Barnums, in Kenosha County was in Bristol Town·
ship across the road from the Bacon Home, in 1853. There was talk at that time
of a railroad through from Southport west. The name of Southport was again
changed in 1850 to Kenosha, an Indian name for Pike.

15

This picture shows the Official Surveyed Routes for the Kenosha and Beloit
Railroad and note the date on the map is 7853.

1853

KENOSHA AND BELOIT RAILROAD COMPANY INCORPORATED
The Kenosha and Beloit Railroad Company was incorporated to build a road
from Kenosha to Beloit. The name was later changed to the Kenosha, Rock·
ford and Rock Island Road and the route changed to Rockford instead of
Beloit. Kenosha and its citizens were the principal subscribers to its stock. By
1862, the line was constructed from Kenosha to Genoa City. Failing to pay
its interest, the mortgage was foreclosed and the road sold to the Chicago
North-Western Railroad in 1862. It was then operated as the Kenosha division
and was completed to Harvard, Illinois. It was a cheap means of transportation for many years until the coming of motorized vehicles.
The story of this little railroad is closely connected with Kenosha and its
effort to become more than a mere village. When the land company chose
the site during the western land boom of the 1830's, it looked for a place
that would have a harbor and a good back country. The only ready means
of transportation at that time was the Great Lakes and the thought was to
found a thriving lake port. The country to the West became a great wheat
producing section. In addition, lead was brought from as far away as Galena
for shipment from Kenosha. The long wagon trains carrying the lead would
travel slowly along the poor roads. In wet weather, these roads became almost
impassable and the dry weather following, they were rugged, rough and dustry.
Leading citizens of the city watched this trade with the West anxiously lest
some other lake city would entice it away. A plank road was constructed on
the town line road between the townships of Somers and Pleasant Prairie.
Then as various railroad projects began to threaten trade with the rich wheat
lands to the West, the railroad project was promoted.
Col. Michael Frank, the first mayor of the city of Kenosha and a man prominent in city and state affairs for many years, wrote some of the story in his
dairy:
January 26, 1853 "Chief topic of conversation, the road from here to Beloit."

October 1, 1853 "Contract for the building of Kenosha and Beloit Railroad
was let a few weeks ago."
July 24, 1855 "Nothing has been done on the western railroad since Marc/1 of.
last. By this time three-fourths of the grading was now finished on the
western railroad between Kenosha and the Fox River. The work was
going slowly. Real Estate in the city is not in good demand as it was
three months ago. The discouraging prospects of the western railroad
is evidently causing buyers to look elsewhere to establish businesses. *(11)

The Kenosha and Beloit Railroad Company route runs through the County of
Kenosha and crosses the state line near the Village of Genoa in the County of
Walworth, a distance of 30 miles in the State of Wisconsin and there connects
with a road in Illinois running to Rockford and with which it consolidated. *(4)
Kenosha and its citizens were the principal subscribers to its capital stock. The
company issued its bonds, secured by the usual mortgage on its franchises and
property. Failing to pay its interest, the mortgage was foreclosed.
The road was sold to the Chicago and Northwestern Company and was oper·
ated by it as the Kenosha division in 1863. The line was constructed from
Kenosha to Genoa in 1862. *(4)
When the railroad built the railroad from Kenosha to Rockford, it established
depots named Bristol and Woodworth. The roads in those days were not graded
or graveled and were impassable in the spring and in wet weather.
The "Iron Horses" were a welcome sight to farmers, businessmen and housewives who anxiously awaited delivery of parcels from Sears, Roebuck and
Montgomery Wards.

February 25, 1853 "Agreement signed by Kenosha and Geneva committees
in respect to the railroad west. Over $90,000. worth of stock subscribed in the city for the road."

The economic life of Bristol and Woodworth depended on the railroad. The
trains carried away the milk, tile, and mail, and took their children to high
school in Kenosha. The high point of the day was the arrival time of the sev·
eral freight or passenger trains at the depot.

March 16, 1853 "Agreement made today with Mr. Irving to survey the Kenosha
and Beloit Railroad."

In 1930, trucks took over and the end of an era in transportation was seen
in Bristol Township.

April 9, 1853 "The prospects of the Kenosha and Rock River Railroad have
considerably lessened in the past two weeks."

17

18

AFTER 101 YEARS- RAILROAD SERVING COUNTY REACHES END OF THE LINE
1962

BASSETT - Ten days ago, a section crew for the Chicago and North Western
Railroad, began tearing out the trackage of the North Western spur between
this Randall Township hamlet and Genoa 'City.
It was 101 years ago, July 21, 1861, the day the first Battle of Bull Run was
fought in the Civil War, that the first train passed over the rails, en route from
Kenosha to Harvard, Ill.
THAT WAS A DAY of triumph for a Kenosha pioneer, Zalmon G. Simmons,
Sr., and in the interim of slightly more than a century since completion of
the Kenosha, Rockford and Rock Island Railway, the line soared to a prosperous operation as the main mode of travel and transportation between Kenosha
City and the western resort sections of the county.

A flaming death knell came when the Lois Feed Co. was razed to the ground
in a $100,000. fire in the spring of 1961, The fire took a 30-year landmark
building from this village and marked the end of the old railroad as far as
Wisconsin is concerned.
Early this spring, an Interstate Commerce Commission hearing in Washington,
D.C. decided that the North Western was right in its request to abandon.
Already the trackage has been ripped out through Twin Lakes village and
graders are eliminating the last vestiges of a century of travel.
(Article printed in the Kenosha News in 1961.)

The slow death of the old railway started with the advent of the automobile
and with the paving and improvements of highways which are now the connecting links with the "west end".
But before the death of the ancient communication line, many memories were
formed. • (6)
The old railway is a cousin of the "Cog" road up Pike's Peak in Colorado.
Simmons built that unique railroad 30 years after he fought through the Kenosha-Rock Island trackage. The line was started in the 1850's, with the building moving from Kenosha westward and from Rockford eastward, but before
the final 20 miles of the road, in the vicinity of Twin Lakes Village, were installed, the company floundered in financial shoals of the ante-bellum days.
Z.G. Simmons, Sr., then a merchant and banker, came to the rescue. He poured
funds and financing into the project and pressed it to completion. The money
troubles persisted throughout the Civil War period, and after the stockholders
quit in disgust, Simmons continued the operation in almost complete control.
BY THE 1870's, when the famous Kenoshan turned to manufacturing, the
line was a prosperous business venture, carrying passengers and freight through
Pleasant Prairie, Bristol, Salem, Silver Lake, Twin Lakes and Genoa City and
on into Illinois.
When Hwy. 50 and County Trunk F were mere gravel roadways and in the
days when the auto· was a doubtful mode of travel, the old Kenosha, Rockford,
Rock Island was a dependable carrier bringing summer residents, supplies and
business into the resort sections.
With the rise of trucking, cars and other communications, the old glory of the
line vanished and it became a part of a service system of the Chicago and North
Western Railroad Co. Recent years saw it operate sporadically as a supplier of
freight for the AI Lois Feed Co., here and for the Harbaugh Lumber Yard in
Twin Lakes.

19

The last train went through Woodworth in 7939. Here is a picture of this
last train through Woodworth. *(9) At a much earlier time than this article,
the other portion of trackage from Kenosha through the county had been
torn out. Only here and there along the route does the railroad bed remain
recognizable and stands as a shadow of past days.

1854

JAMES MADISON KELLOGG- THE KELLOGG TAVERN

(This property was located north of Hwy. 50. Section 3. IT is now the loca·
tion of Quality Controlled Egg Farm.)

RAILROAD TRESTLE BRIDGE BETWEEN WOODWORTH & BRISTOL

This picture is of the Railroad trestle bridge over the Des Plaines River and is
located between Woodworth and Bristol.
Notice the pole supports under the bridge. This picture was dated 1912. The
pole supports were torn down at a later date and replaced with concrete supports. All that remains now is the skeleton of concrete on either side.
The railroad bed from this bridge location going west to Hwy. D remains much
as it was when the railroad was in operation.
This picture was given by Esther (Zuehlsdorf) Adamson. *(8)

JAMES MADISON KELLOGG 1812

1887

James Madison Kellogg came to Wisconsin in 1854 and while on a lecture
trip which led him to southern Wisconsin, he met and married Mrs. Lemira
Tarbell Fowler, the widow of Sereno S. Fowler.

Mr. Kellogg was born in Amsterdam, Livingston County, New York, on September 25, 1812. He was the youngest $On of Seth and Naomi Parsons Kellogg, in a family of six sons and three daughters. Their father was a cabinetmaker by trade, emigrating in 1800 from Connecticut.
James' earliest recollection was of his oldest brother, Russell, returning from
the war of 1812, and resting his old musket in the chimney corner. Here·
called assisting his mother in grating potatoes from which she made starch, and
of burning corncobs, from the ashes of which pearlash or soda was extracted.
He learned his letters in a little dame-school, and later attended the rural
school in the winter. This must have been a rather turbulent academic course,
for the first procedure of the school master in the morning was to season over
the live coals some very long and wiry birch switches, and after this school
opened with prayer and reading of the Scriptures!
One brother operated a sawmill and lumberyard on the Mohawk River. The
father's family moved to Steuben County, and at the age of twenty, James
went to Orleans County, where he taught school, had classes in penmanship,
and read law. He returned to Steuben County, was admitted to the bar, and
engaged in legal practice.
Another brother, Franklin Kellogg, had heard of the fertile prairies of the West,
and in the summer of 1841 with his wife and two daughters, started for
Chicago. Their goods were in two covered wagon. James had decided to cast
his lot with his brother, and to the other goods he added his Blackstone's Commentaries and oddments packed in a cowhide covered trunk with his initials
J. M. K. ornate in brass nai Is across the top.
James had a saddle horse and gun, and one of the party usually scouted ahead
for a camp site, and shot small game for the evening meal. They were a month
on the road, and it was the first of October when they reached Chicago, which
was little more than a trading post at the stage when teams mired down on
State Street.
The women were left in Chicago, and the men went land looking and selected
a fertile section near McHenry, Illinois. Here they built a cabin and broke the
prairie sod. Neighbors were not plentiful, and at first it was feared the newcomers might be "stuck up", as the women arrived from Chicago with the
wagon and team of horses instead of oxen!
In New York, Mr. Kellogg had made a study of phrenology and for fifteen
years during the w>nter months, traveled through Illinois and gave lectures
in churches, schoolhouses, and cabins where ever a gathering might be held.
For demonstration purposes in his lectures, he procured three skulls; one of
a reputed pirate, one of an Indian, and one of a murdered white man. These
skulls were carried in a pair of saddlebags, thrown over the horse's back.
These same skulls were for many years a matter of much concern to his household. When not "on tour", they were consigned to the farthest corner of the
darkest closet, and at housecleaning caused considerable consternation among
the women folk. They were finally given a respectable resting place. One of
Mr. Kellogg's favorate stories was of examining the head of old S-----, the
friendly Indian of the Black Hawk War.

One summer, he spent with a naturalist in central Wisconsin, gathering specimens of wild life and flora for some institution in New York. His lecture
trips led him farther afield in southern Wisconsin, and in 1854, he met and
married Mrs. Lemira Tarbell Fowler, the widow of Sereno S. Fowler.
The young widow was unable to carry on, and the place was rented as a tavern. Here, after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Kellogg made their home, continuing it as a tavern, where they housed many a men and beast when long
lines of ox-teams hauled wheat to Kenosha from the fertile prairies of Walworth and Big Foot. The charge for men and team was 50 cents and a stirup cup thrown in to speed the parting guests. The old house was well equipped
those days to care for a crowd and it was Mrs. Kellogg's pride that she always
had her meals on time. There was a big brick oven with a fireplace and kitchen in the basement and the dining was above this on the first floor and on
the second floor a large hall_extended to the north.
In his capacity as Justice of the Peace, Mr. Kellogg presided over the occasional law suit here, and here Loefle and Webster clashed forensics' opinions. In
common with many other public spirited citizens, Mr. and Mrs. Kellogg gave
their measure of financial assistance to the building of what is now the Kenosha
and Harvard Division of the North Western Railroad.
The Post Office was in the Kellogg home when the mail was carried by stagecoach to Lake Geneva, but after the railroad was put through the stagecoach
was discontinued and the Post Office moved to Woodworth.
The Kellogg house was at one time a station of the Underground Railroad,
that assisted fleeing slaves into Canada. One evening while a dance was going
on above, a wagon load of frightened negroes were brought over from Antioch.
They were hastily hidden in the cellar kitchen, the windows were blanketed
and the doors locked. They were warmed and fed and the next night taken to
another station in Kenosha and no one was ever the wiser.
At the close of the war, Mr. Kellogg entered extensively into dairying, and in
1869, engaged in a co-operative cheese making business. The bar room was
turned into a cheese room and William Bush, one of the sons of the pioneer
family, became cheese and butter maker. He stayed with them for 8 years and
the venture was so successful, a factory was built on the north road. Other
cheese makers were Milton Hubbard of South Bristol, Fred Jones of Pleasant
Prairie and Maggie Seavert. *(3)

WOODWORTH CO-OP CREAMERY
Mr. and Mrs. Kellogg had no children but the child of their adoption was Emma,
the daughter of Henry and Mary Cherry Hogle. Henry Hogle was an emigrant
from England to Wisconsin in 1847, and he joined the gold rush to California
with many others who crossed the divide and never returned. The young wife
died, and the little grrl was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Kellogg and later became
the wife of Daniel Rowe. She died in 1874 leaving an infant son and daughter
who is now Mrs. Herbert E. McFicker and author of this paper.
Mrs. Kellogg was a Congregationalist and Mr. Kellogg was a member of the
Methodist Church. They retained their interest in young people, in church and
school and public affairs, and as long as health permitted, visited school at
least twice a year as a civic duty.
Mr. Kellogg passed away in February 1887 and Mrs. Kellogg in 1899. He was
a Royal Arch Mason and a member of Washburn Lodge of Bristol. He had no
political aspirations and his favorite quotation was one that ended "act well
thy part, there all the honor lies".
The old house passed to the hands of strangers. It stood a neglected landmark
for many years. Those who had lived rn it were gone. It burned to the ground
in September 1929, and the hand hewn timbers from century old oaks gave
back to Earth their ashes and their memories. '(3)
UNDERGROUND RAiLWAY by Mr. Bryant Benson
(Article from "Manuscripts Old and New of Kenosha County, Vol. No. 4)
(Civil War 1860- 1865) *(2)

(CREAMERY LOCATED NORTH OF HWY. 50 ON MB) *(8)

Early in the 70's, the Patrons of Husbandry were organized and Mr. Kellogg
as state deputy, organized some 13 societies in the county. The hall over the
dairy room became the home of the Bristol Grange. A stage was erected in the
north end and the young people gave many entertainments there. Mrs. Kellogg
conceived the idea of .a circulating library, and Z.E. Simmons offered $500. if
the community would raise $300. They responded with the will and by means
of suppers, social dinners, entertainment, lectures and amateur theatricals,
achieved their goaL The Rev. Lucieus Lee had just returned from a trip around
the world and consented to lecture on one occasion. By the aid of pictures, he
had taken, several young ladies dressed in tableau to show the costumes of different countries. I believe he brought some costumes with him, but there was
much sewing of paper, cambric and draping of shawls. By these various activities, the FIRST CIRCULATING PUBLIC LIBRARY IN WISCONSIN was installed in the Kellogg house. It was of approximately 1,000 volumes. The Grange
and the Library were discontinued and the last of the books were given to the
Simmons Library in Kenosha.

During the Civil War, the Kellogg's were very active in war work in the county.
The Kellogg Tavern became one of the underground railway stations. It was
said that Mr. Kellogg could hear wagons approaching from the west when a
mile away. The northeast corner of the tavern cellar had been sealed up by a
solid stone wall, the only entrance to which was a trap door in the pantry
above. Over the trap door was a large cupboard. In this sealed room was a
cot with blankets. Into this room through the trap door was dropped many an
escaped slave to be sent on into Canada at the first opportunity.
A neighbor boy told rn later years that at the first sound of an approaching
wagon, he would run over to the tavern only to be sent home by Mr. Kellogg
if the wagon turned into the driveway of the tavern. In those days, an approach
ing vehicle was an event.

The following is a story told by Capt. Theodore Fellows whose house was at
Genoa City, then Genoa Junction. His father's farm was at the west end of
the village. When the Civil War began, Theodore was too young to enlist so had
to be content with working on the farm with his father to produce large quantities of wheat which was hauled by oxen to Kenosha a distance of about 35
miles_ It took two days to reach Kenosha. The wheat was loaded the night

However all the rest of the house is furnished in oak, the lumber being made

from trees on the place. The old door knocker is also on the Sheridan Road
home and is as useful as it was in the '30's. The FIRST ORCHARD IN THE
COUNTY was started here from seed Mr. Fowler brought from his Connecticut
home.

before in order to start early in the morning. Theodore had made this trip with
his father several times. They always stayed over night at Kellogg's tavern. On
one occasion, Theodore was to take the load of wheat alone. When helping load
the bags, the night before, Theodore noticed that he piled the bags in such a
way as to leave an open square in the center of the load. When he inquired
the reason he was told it rides better that way. He started with the load be·
fore daylight the next morning with his dinner packed in a pail and there was
a bag of grain for the oxen. His Father instructed him to drive to Fox River
and just before reaching the bridge to drive off the road by the bank of the
River and there to eat his dinner while the oxen were eating and drinking. He
warned him not to speak to anyone unless necessary and then say nothing but
yes or no. He was told to drive on to Kellogg's tavern and on his arrival it would
be dark. He did as instructed and when he turned into the Kellogg driveway,
Mr. Kellogg called, are you the Fellows boy? After being told he was, Mr.
Kellogg told him to drive into the barn. After unhitching the oxen, Mr. Kellogg
started unloading the bags of wheat from the back end of the wagon. Theodore
was surprised to see Mr. Kellogg pull a man out from under the bags and hurry
with him into the house. When Theodore stepped into the house, there was no
man to be seen. He was later told about this system and was surprised to learn
his Father had helped many slaves escape. The next year, he enlisted and in
time was promoted to Captain.
THE KELLOGG TAVERN
(Article from the book STAGECOACH AND TAVERN TALES OF THE OLD
NORTHWEST by Harry Ellsworth Cole, published in 1930 and an Article from
"Manuscripts Old and New of Kenosha County, Vol. No. 1) * (3)
Kellogg's Tavern a dismal looking structure, but holding much of human interest, stands about six miles west of Kenosha on the Geneva Road and was erected in the long ago by Sereno Fowler who was ambitious to have a college in
the far west. These were the FIRST FRAME BUILDINGS IN THE COUNTY.
In 1847, Mr Fowler died and only eight years after the school was established,
and so the educational work was abandoned. Three years later, Mrs. Fowler
married J.M. Kellogg and they opened a tavern in this building of 28 rooms.
There was another tavern in operation at the same time only a short distance
to the north and persons traveling from Woodworth to Kenosha had to go
east and back again in order to get to Kellogg's tavern. Mr. Kellogg owned all
the land north of the east and west road ( Hwy. 50) so he promptly closed the
road leading to this tavern and opened a new road thus putting the other house
out of business. (This is the reason MB at Hwy. 50 stops and goes east and
then north again about Y, mile farther east.) Mr. Charles Tarbell and his sisters
owned this farm until the spring of 1927 when Mr. Tarbell built his horne on
Sheridan Road in Kenosha. He had hoped to have all the woodwork of black
walnut from the trees on this farm, but the tenants not knowing their value,
had destroyed them, so there was only enough for the dining room.

KELLOGG TAVERN, BRISTOL TOWNSiiiP, KENOSHA COUNTY *(9)

This building was built to be a girls school in 7839. It was later operated as the
Kellogg Tavern as described in articles elsewhere in this booklet. The building
was destroyed by fire in 7929.
1850

THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. ·The Agricultural Society of Kenosha County
was organized at the house of A.B. Jackson, in Bristol, June 3, 1850, at which
a meeting was held, when a constitution and series of by-laws were adopted,
and the following officers elected for that year: Henry Johnson, of Somers.
President; Thomas Slade, of Wheatland, and Lathrop Burgess, of Brighton,
Vice Presidents; Thomas J. Rand, of Pleasant Prairie, and A. B. Jackson, of
Bristol, Recording and Corresponding Secretaries; George S. Blackman, of
Paris, Treasurer. *(4)

1850

The Bristol Village location was on the west ·side of the present Hwy. 45. This
was a dense woods as far as 82nd St. and the remainder was a pasture. The
land was owned by James Bryant. He donated his pasture for use as a fair
grounds. Several buildings were moved from the former grounds and some
were built. The fair was held for three days each fall. There was a race track,
and the Ladies Sewing Society served dinners.

The first fair was held at AB. Jackson's on the 10th day of October, 1850,
and continued for several days. The sum of $65. was awarded in premiums,
and the effort met with an encouraging success. This was supplemented by an
"Exchange Fair", which was held at Dutton's Tavern, on the 25th of February,
1851.
1856

October 26, 1856, a re-organization of the Society was perfected under the
provisions of the law "for the encouragement of agricultural societies", and
on the 1st of March, 1875, after years of deliberation, the association accepted
a proposition made by the citizens of Kenosha, to establish their fair grounds
at a location about one mile west of the city. The fair of 1874 having been
held on these grounds; so well satisfied was the Society with the convenience
and terms offered by the new site that a lease for ten years from 1875, was
concluded.
The fair afforded the farmers, stock-breeders, horticulturists, manufacturers,
dealers, etc., of Kenosha County, the fullest opportunity for an exhibition of
their productions and evidences of skill. The premiums for the year 1879
amounted to $1,500. • (4)
When the fair was moved from Bristol, the buildings were sold to individuals.
One building is part of the Holtdorf home. Another part was the telephone
office (small tenant house on the east side of 199th Ave., 2nd house south of
82nd St.) Still another part forms the store building which used to be our old
post office with Billy Turner as postmaster" (83rd E. of Hwy. 45). The building was owned by Mrs. Florence Jones.

1860

There were Indians passing through occasionally, but they were peaceable and
caused no trouble. As late as 1860·1861, they could be seen paddling down the
0' Plain River in their canoes.
Mr" Bacon recalled seeing them when he was five or six years old, when he
was living on the Joe Walker farm.
On one occasion, when he and his younger sister were home with their grandmother in the evening, they suddenly saw an Indian face pressed close to the
window, then another, and another. Their grandmother courageously opened
the door and asked them what they wanted. They made her understand that
they wanted food. She went to the pantry and gave them bread, butter and
salt-pork. Then they left.

DUTTON'S TAVERN- PLANK ROAD *(9)

Mention is made of this tavern as the place the "Exchange Fair", was held in
1851 and also mention of a tavern north of Kellogg's Tavern which was put
out of business when Mr. Kellogg moved the location of MB and this is probably the tavern referred to (Page No. 27).

1851

The second annual exhibition was given September 21 and 25, 1851 at P.B.
Woods; the third at A.B. Jackson's, in Bristol, September 30 and October 1,
1852; and the fourth in Kenosha, September 28 and 29, 1853.

1854

On the 8th of July, 1854, the fair grounds were selected and located at Bristol
by the Society and the displays occurred there yearly until 1860, when a change
of base to Bristol Village was made, eligible grounds being obtained at that point.
contigous to the railroad, which offered superior inducements to patrons and
exhibitors.

We can't realize the sort of courageous people these pioneers were to come
west" They must have been strong and stalwart to have endured the hardships
they were compelled to bear. They were ambitious and hard working to have
hewn their farms from a wilderness and built and improved their homes.
1860

The Bristol Mutual Insurance Co. was organized. John F. Chase was secretary
and Herman L. Thorp was President. You could insure your house and barn
for 50 cents per policy.

1863

MASONIC LODGE

AF *

AM.

WASHBURN LODGE NO. 145

This lodge received its Dispensation June 15, 1863, and was chartered by the
Grand Lodge of Wisconsin, June 15, 1864. The Lodge Hall on Erickson Street,
over the store of Curtiss & Shumway, is centrally located, neatly furnished and
well supplied with the necessary Masonic implements and furniture. At present
it numbers about fifty members, among whom may be found the best men in
the country, and who may be justly called "bright" in Masonic knowledge and
the work of the Order. Regular communications are held on the first and third
Saturdays of each month. Elections on the third Saturday in December of each
year, and Installations on the 27th of December. (St. John's Day.) *(10)
The Lodge was given its Dispensation June 15, 1863 and granted its Charter
June 15, 1864. Genem W. Washburn was Grand Master in 1864, and the Lodge
was named after him.

BRISTOL CHAPTER NO. 164 ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR (1906)
Nine residents of the Bristol area were initiated into a legally constituted chapter of the ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR at Union Grove, Wisconsin on
the 6th of April, 1906.
New members: Sophia Cass, Jennie Witcher, Mrs. Herman Scheloske, Edith
Murdoch, Mary Bacon, Margaret Bacon, Mrs. Wm. Bacon, Myrtle Scheloske
and Helen McVicar. These secured demits on that day.
One week later, they met and petitioned the Grand Chapter of Wisconsin for
a new chapter at Bristol, Wisconsin.

The First Officers were William Lodd, Worshipful Master; G.W. Carpenter,
Senior Warden; James Shumway, Junior Warden; J.M. Brown, Sec.; Wm. R.
Higge, Treas.; Art Hinman, Sr. Deacon. James Bryant, Jr. Deacon; J.M. Kellogg,
Steward; E.D. Robbins, Steward; J.A Dittama, Tyler.

The Grand Worthy Patron, Max W. Heck, came to Bristol on May 4, 1906, to
grant a dispensation and instituted a new chapter. He was assisted by the officers of Union Grove Chapter No. 71. During the proceedings, Kimball Cass,
Mrs. Herbert McVicar, Mrs. Charles Witcher, Emma Castle, Margaret Gunter,
and Irene Paddock were initiated into the order by a special dispensation
granted by the Grand Chapter. These six, together with the nine petitioners
became the Charter Members.

Charter Members include: H.R. Lavey, S.H. Harvey, J.H. Benedict, G. H. Delap,
Wm. Kemp, Walter J. Haile, Horace Curtiss, T. L. Benedict, J.W. Kingman, Edward Mead, A.T. Dram, Silas Smith, Issac Brown, Samuel C. Tillotson, Michael
Kingman, and J.F. Chase.

March 19, 1907, the chapter was constituted by Mrs. Ella Washburn of Racine,
Right Worthy Grand Matron of the World. She was assisted by Mrs. Grant of
Racine who acted as Grand Marshall, and Mrs. Frank Stewart of Kenosha acting
as Grand Secretary.

Officers in 1875 were the following: *(10)

The officers installed were: Sophia Cass, Worthy Matron; Mrs. Herman Scheloske,
Worthy Patron; Jennie Witcher, Assoc. Matron; Mrs. Herbert McVicar, Sec'y.;
K. K. Cass, Treas.; Edith Murdoch, Conductress; Myra Witcher, Assoc. Conductress;
Mary Adams, Chaplin; Myrtle Scheloske, Adah; Emma Castle, Esther; Helen
McVicar, EJecta; Margaret Bacon, Warder; Mrs. Wm. Bacon, Sentinel.

J.F. Chase, W.M.
J. W. Bryant, S. W.
M. Growley, J.W.
C.J. Shumway, Sec'y.

T L Benedict, Treas.
H.R. Laney, S.D.
F. Paddock, J.D.
H. Tourtelotte, Tyler

The present Temple was dedicated July 11, 1928. Presently there are 83 members.

Norman Krueger, W.M.
Ronald Thomas, S.W.
Donald Hansche, J.W. and Past Master
Alex McAionan, Treas.
Chester Boyington, Sec'y. and P.M.
Jerry Vojtech, Chaplin and P.M.
Robert LeFebve, S.D.
James Day, J.D.
Harold Rodgers, S.S. and P.M.
Jack Lynn, J.W. and P.M.
Badger lves, Organist

In 1919, Margaret Maleski became the 100th member. The membership has
remained at 100 to 125. The first meetings were held on the second floor of
the Dixon Store. In 1928, the ORDER OF EASTERN STAR began meeting
in the Masonic Temple.
1860-1865
CIVIL WAR YEARS
During the Civil War, men of Bristol volunteered to serve in the war. The women
organized a society to sew garments for the soldiers. They sewed one day a week
and were called "The Soldiers Aid".

31

32

1869

BRISTOL TOWN HALL
On October 15, 1869, a plot of land in section 21 of Bristol Township, and
adjacent to the south side of highway C, was granted to the Town of Bristol,
by Aaron and William Walker, for the purpose of construction of a Town Hall,
and for the purposes, by the properly constituted authorities of Bristol or
their representatives.
One pepper corn plus one dollar was paid the grantors, with the understanding
that, when Bristol no longer wanted said land for such purposes, it was to revert to the grantors, or their heirs.
In 1870, the Town Hall was built and the following were appointed to superintend the building: C. Williams, N. Richtmyer, and S.E. Tarbell.
The town officers were elected soon after completion of the building. They
were as follows: Chairman, Thorpe, with George Larabee and Hiram Bacon
as supervisors. The clerk was Sam Leonard, the treasurer, J. Chase, and S.E.
Tarbell as secretary. Constables were N. Jackson, William Walker and D. Pike.

The original building was used as a town hall until 1967, when the town
offices were moved to a building in Bristol. (Picture *(9))

According to the article in Kenosha News August 29, 1962, Bristol's annual
town meeting in 1961, indignantly rejected a proposal to raze the old structure
on County Trunk C and voted to retain the building erected in 1870, as a
"possible polling place of the future". The April, 1962 annual meeting, changed
the plans for the future of the ancient frame hall. The town's residents in April,
1962 adopted the following resolution:

"Whereas said Old Town Hall has significant historic interest and value to the
residents of Bristol, and Whereas, it may necessarily be used as a polling place,
and Whereas, it is felt that some immediate use could be made of the Old Town
Hall at the present time to benefit the residents of Bristol; Now, therefore be
it resolved that the Town Board of Bristol take such action as may be necessary
to retain the Old Town Hall of Bristol as the property of the town to be maintained, substantially in its present condition as a historical site."
The resolution also authorized payment of restoration costs from town funds
and requested establishment of a commission. The building was to be re-done
to keep its original shape and decor and the projected improvements were to
have included landscpaing by co-operating residents of the town and 4-H club
members who planned to use the old building as a possible meeting place.
In 1973, the Kenosha County Parks Commission purchased the woods surrounding the Old Town Hall, to be developed into a Kenosha County Park. Soon
after this, the first Bristol Town Hall was presented to Kenosha County, to be
used as a historical building in the new park, and the heirs of Aaron and William
Walker did likewise with the plot of land on which it stands.
(Article submitted by Adele M. Waldo.)
(The following is a paragraph from an article HISTORY OF TOWN OF
BRISTOL by Robert Pringle.) *(7)
The town hall which was situated on the N.E. corner of Section 21 in what
was called the Town Hall woods, was the center of activity for the township
and where all the public meetings and entertainments were held. Plays were
put on there and probably dances, and I believe the old footlights for lighting
the stage are still up in the attic of the hall. These consisted of candle holders
fastened at regular intervals on two. long boards with pieces of shiny tin for
reflectors and tallow candles in the holders.

---------1874

EXCURSION TO BRISTOL- FROM KENOSHA TELEGRAPH

September 10, 1874 •·(12)

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l_ 35

On Thursday of last week at 3:15 p.m., we took passage on the cars for Bristol intending to make a pleasure excursion through the town. Finding a horse
and buggy at the station ready for our use, we started into the country, expecting to return in time to visit the people at the station before returning
home. Being overtaken by a heavy rain Friday afternoon, we were obliged to
cut short our journey and hasten our return, seeing but a few of the people,
with my pleasure of our excursion very much lessened, and without time to
visit the people at the station as we would have done under favorable circumstances. The rain being very much needed it was welcome not withstanding
its cutting short our journey and lessening the pleasure of our excursion.
There are about 200 inhabitants at Bristol Station. Of the business portion of
them J. F. Chase, Station Agent is always prompt in attention to his duties.
James Shumway, Postmaster, is faithful to his duties. Edward Jones, Jr. with·
out encouraging litigation, discharges the duties of his office. Curtis & Shumway
and Myseller & Co. provide the people dry goods and groceries at fair prices.
Mr. Leonard manufactures buggies and carries on blacksmithing and claims to
have the best horse shoe in the country. There is probably other business carried on in the place but we do not now remember what it is or do we remem·
ber to have met other business men.
From the station we went to the next road north, first calling at A. H. Stevens,
and called on many of the residents from W. L. Dutton's on the west to A
Upson's on the east. Nearly all were busy on their farms or gone to market.
Mr. T.S. Colling was cutting up corn, Mr. C. Gibbs was returning home with
his team, and next morning at his residence was ready to start for Kenosha,
We had the pleasure of seeing Mr. R. N. Waldo, Cornelius Santel and others
at the new parson's.
From the Geneva road we went south calling at L. Spencer's and several
others residences and finally at O.C. Stonebreaker's. Mr. Stonebreaker was
in his cheese house attending to his cheese curd. He milks 37 cows, makes
cheese and has a fine cheese factory for making his own cheese. His cheese
will average from 35-36 lbs. He has sold 90 cheese and has on hand 160. Next
we called at S.R. Leonards and found him husking and his son and hired hand
cutting corn. The chinch bugs, after destroying all the wheat within their
reach had hurt his corn.
The Bristol Mineral Springs next claimed our attention. On arriving at the
springs we tied our horse and entered the enclosure. Seeing no one, we went
to the bath house and ascertained that some were taking baths and others
attending to them. Soon Mr. James M. Eddy, the resident proprietor came
into the enclosure and with him we visited the several springs and drank of
their respective waters. The enclosure is 12 rods from east to west and 5 rods
from north to south. In the enclosure there are 8 springs differing more or

36

less in their chemical composition, sensible qualities and medicinal properties,
Tasting successively of water from 8 different springs, it is difficult to tell the
different tastes and especially where they do not differ much from each other
or from common water, The water of only one of these springs has been analyzed, The composition of the water according to the analysis of Professor
G,A. Mariner of Chicago was found to be as follows:
In one gallon of 231 cubic inches of water there were
Bi carbonate of Magnesia
3207 grains
Bi carbonate of Lime
4,361 grains
Iron Oxide
A94 grains
Soda
R888 grains
Sulphate of Soda
7,739 grains
Chloride of Sodium
.435 grains
Silica
,802 grains
According to the analysis there is 1.2 grains bi-carbonate of iron in every gallon of water from one of the springs. Two of the springs near the east part
of the enclosure are supposed to contain a considerable larger proportion of
iron and to possess more decided tonic properties. That the waters possess
medicinal properties there can be no question. Taken internally the more immediate effect of some, perhaps, all of them, is diuretic. In kidney and rheumatic complaints they have obtained considerable celebrity and people are resorting to them in effects.
From the springs we went to Mr. Eddy's residence and were there supplied
with dinner and feed for our horse. Mr. Eddy does not keep a public house
but accommodates all who visit the springs as far as he can, Mrs. Eddy sets a
good table and supplies the necessaries for the well and the unwell. There were
several visitors at Mr Eddy's using the water. Some left when we were there,
Others still remained, Visitors come and go.
There is considerable demand for the water to be sent away in jugs and barrels
and this demand is filled on orders, The demand at the springs is larger than
the accommodations, The reputation of the waters requires larger and better
accommodations for visitors. These will not be supplies this year, but may be
next year.
We had the pleasure of seeing Mr. N. Richtmyer on the road opposite the
springs. He and we were going in opposite directions from there, our course
taking us to Walker's Prairie. A very heavy rain coming up we found shelter
at Mr. H. Husted's and also meeting Mr. W.B. Castle on the road. The indications of continued rain induced a change of our course from going farther
south to a owner. Going past Woodworth Station without stopping we found
shelter from a very heavy rain at Peter Devlins. (There was more to the article but we felt this covered the points of interest to us.)

1875

CITY AND COUNTY DIRECTORY '{10) INFORMATION ON BRISTOL

TOWN ORGANIZATION
TOWN OF BRISTOL
C. Williams, Ch'm.
H.A. Tourtelotte, Treasurer
J,M. Ward, Supervisor
Ed, Jones, Justice of Peace
M. Marsh, Constable
F.R. Snyder, Supervisor
Ebenezer Mead, Clerk
H.A. Tourtelotte, Constable
S. R. Leonard, Assessor
W.S. Carpenter, Constable
Town Hall situated on Sec. 21
Population, including Village of Bristol: Males, 553; Females, 551; Total
Population 1,104.
BUSINESS Dl RECTORY
Blacksmiths- S. Eddy, Geo. Larabee, R. Shotlift
Carpenters- R Bourne, S.E. Hall, CB. Santee.
Cheese Dairy- N. Richtmyer, (established 1861 L
Cheese Factories- J.M. Kellogg, H. Tourtelotte.
Dress Maker - Mrs. J. Vantleven
Groceries, & C. - Mrs. J.C. Roberts.
Manufacturers & Dealers-H.R. Lavey, Reapers, Farming, Tools, etc; R. Shotliff,
Wagons, Etc.
N.D. Edwards, Gloves, Mittens, Furs, etc.
Physician - Daniel Benedict
Sewing Machine Agent - R F. Mills.
ASBURY CHAPEL ( METHODIST EPISCOPAL
Located on Section 4, town 1, Range 21 e. Church edifice built in the year
1842. Meetings held on Sundays of each week at 10:30 a.m., and on Thursday
evenings at 7 p.m., Communion, quarterly. Sabbath School on Sundays of each
week at 10 a,m. Number of scholars, 75. Number of volumes in library, 200.
Rev. Thomas T. Howard, Pastor
J. Eddy, M. Johnson, C. Williams, C. Gibbs, CC. Shephard and A. Upson,
Trustees.
C.J. Reeve, Supt, of Sabbath School
HOSMER CHAPEL (METHODIST EPISCOPAL.
Located on Section 28, town 1, Range 21 e. Society organized in 1844. Church
built in 1857. Services on Sundays of each week at 3 o'clock p.m. Prayer
meetings on Thursday evenings of each week at 7 p.m. Communion quarterly.
No. Members, 55. Sunday School at 1 o'clock p.m. on Sundays of each week.
Number of scholars, 50. Number of volumes in library, 200.
Rev. Thomas T. Howard, Pastor
William Ladd, S" Smith, E. Mead, W, Hale, F. Buck and C. Gaines,
Trustees.
C.B. Gaines, Superintendent Sunday School.
P. Buck, Treasurer Sunday School.
W. Tillotson, Sec'yo Sunday School.

1875

CITY AND COUNTY DIRECTORY *(10) (CONTINUED)
ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
Located on Section 31, town 1, Range 21 e. Society organized in the year
1860. Church built in 1866. Services on Sunday of each week. Mass on each
Sunday at 9 a.m., and 12 N. Number of members, 100.
Rev. Thomas W. Fitzhenry, Pastor
J. Moran, J. McAlister and T. Kelley, Trustees.
WESLEY CHAPEL ( METHODIST EPISCOPAL I
Located on Sec. 24, town 1, Range 21 e. Society organized in 1850. Church
built in 1872. Services on each Sabbath during the year. Prayer meetings, Thursday evenings of each week. Communion, quarterly. Sunday School every Sunday.
No. of scholars, 50. No. of volumes in library, 125.
Rev. R. McBride, Pastor
J.M. Ward, M.D. Burt, C. Shuart, W. Walker and E. Stannard, Trustees.
C. Ward, Sup't. S. School
S.J. Hill, Treas'r. S. School
H. Fellows, Sec'y. S. School
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Dist. No. 1. Sec. 18; No. Scholars, 46; L. Stevens, Teacher.
Dist.No. 3. · Sec. 5; No. Scholars, 30; Anna Rhodes, Teacher.
Dist. No. 5 · Sec 3; No. Scholars, 45; D. Mahoney, Teacher.
Dist. No. 8. · Sec. 25; No. Scholars, 28; Lewis Turk, Teacher.
Dist. No.9. ·Sec. 14; No. Scholars, 10; H. Woodowrth, Teacher.
Dist. No. 11. Sec. 26; No. Scholars, 16; S. Hill, Teacher.
Dist. No. 13 .. Sec. 33; No. Scholars, 40; Peter Fisher, Teacher.
R.R. STATIONS
Bristol· K. & R. Div. C.N.W. Ry., J.F. Chase, Agent
Woodowrth · K. & R. Div. C. & N.W. Ry., J.C. Roberts, Agent
BRISTOL SOCIAL CLUB
Regular meetings held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. Officers
are elected and installed at the first meeting of each term. Number of members,
45.
L Stevens, President.
Etta Howard, Treasurer
Anna Rhodes, Secretary
A.F. * A.M. WASHBURN LODGE NO. 145, F. & A.M.
This Lodge received its Dispensation June 15, 1863; and was chartered by the
Grand Chapter of Wisconsin, June 15, 1864. The Lodge Hall on Erickson Street,
over the store of Curtiss & Shumway, is centrally located neatly furnished and
well supplied with the necessary Masonic implements and furniture. At present
it numbers about fifty members, among whom may be found the best men in
the country, and who may be justly called "Bright" in Masonic knowledge.

1875

CITY AND COUNTY DIRECTORY '(10) (CONTINUED)
work of the order. Regular communications are held on the first and third
Saturdays of each month. Elections on the third Saturday in December of
each year, and Installations on the 27th of December (St. John's Day).
Officers:
J.F. Chase, W.M.
J.W. Bryant, S.W.
M. Crowley, J.W.
C.J. Shumway, Sec'y.

T.L. Benedict, Treas.
H.R. Laney, S.D.
F. Paddock, J.D.
H. Tourtelotte, Tyler

BRISTOL SODA SPRINGS
The discovery of a certain and sure cure for some of the many ailments and
diseases with which mankind is afflicted, is hailed with delight by the suffering,
and received with satisfaction by all Medical men. Whatever such a discovery
may be, the afflicted and suffering are anxious to try its merits, having more
or less faith in its curative powers. That all medical discoveries do not effect
the cures which their proprietors claim they will, is true, and many invalids,
being made worse by the use of them, condemn all discoveries as impositions
and frauds. It is right,too, that such pretended discoveries should be condemned,
and their proprietors published to the world as downright swindlers. But the
discovery of a remedy or cure, prepared and compounded by the Great Creator
himself, which is certain and sure in its effects, is truly the greatest blessing
that can be conferred by an over ruling and wise creator upon h1s poor, dependent creatures, and should be tried by all invalids suffering with diseases for
which the discovery is said to be an effectual cure. Many such discoveries have
been made during the past few years, foremost of which is the BRISTOL
SODA SPRINGS. Although known for many years by those living within their
vicinity, as possessing medicinal properties, they were not submitted to a thorough analysis until the year 1871 It was by mere accident that the great
health-restoring properties of these waters became known. A Mrs. Phoebe
Moore, (now of Rockton, Ill.), who had long been suffering with dropsy and
which had reached its last stages, when upon a visit to friends living within
the vicinity of the Springs, was by them induced to try them. After a free use
of the waters for about two months, she was restored to perfect soundness.
This led others to test their curative powers, and many sufferers were entirely
cured of their diseases. By comparing this analysis with those-of the celebrated
Bethesda of Waukesha, and the Glen Flora and Magnesia of Waukegan, it will
be seen that the BRISTOL SODA SPRINGS are far superior to either of them,
in all the valuable health-restoring and health giving ingredients.

1899

1875

CITY AND COUNTY DIRECTORY

The Fire Department dates back to February 16, 1899 when the by-laws were
signed forming the organization. The first Captain of the department was Sam
Knapp; the 1st Lieut. was Donald A. Wicks; and the 2nd Lieut. was Frank R.
Lavey.

*(10) (CONTINUED)

In 1902 records show that F.R. Lavey was moved to 1st Lieut. and Archibald
Murdock was elected to 2nd Lieut. Raising money to purchase the fire fighting
equipment was done by subscription, since there was no town tax at that time.
Some equipment the men made. A bell summoned the volunteers to the station.

BRISTOL SODA SPRINGS (CONTINUED)
The BRISTOL SODA SPRINGS are located in the town of Bristol, Kenosha
County, Wisconsin, in a delightful section of the country, remarkable for beauty
of scenery, splendid roads, and beautiful lakes, the latter abounding in fish and
game, affording splendid opportunities for the pleasure seeker. They are located
one and one-half miles from Woodworth Station, on the Kenosha, Rockford
and Rock Island R.R., some seven miles from Truesdell Station on the Chicago,
Milwaukee and St. Paul R.R., twelve miles from Kenosha, on the Milwaukee
Division of the C. & N.W. R'y., and fifty miles from Chicago, and thirty-five
miles from Milwaukee via the C., Mil. St. P. R'y., leaving the Railroad at Trues·
dell Station.
There are in all, fourteen springs, the waters of which are perfectly pure and
cold, and being comparatively free from lime, are very soft. There is a marked
difference in the several springs, some being strongly impregnated with gases,
and consequently disagreeable to the taste, while in others there is but little
trace of gas and the water is pure and odorless, and wi II not offend the most
delicate. A complete and commodiuos Bath House has been erected at the
springs for the accommodation of invalids and others, and arrangements are
being perfected for other and greater improvements during the coming season.
It is expected that in a short time a suitable hotel with all the modern improvements, and affording ample accommodations, will be erected in close proximity
to the springs. In the mean time visitors will be accommodated with board,
etc., at the neighboring farm--houses, where no pains will be spared to make
their stay pleasant and agreeable. Mr. K.S. Torrey, proprietor of the Pleasant
Prairie House at Truesdell Station, will also accommodate guests, and run car-riages to and from the Springs. The Hotel is beautifully located, and cannot
fail to meet the wants of invalids or· pleasure seekers, of a summer resort. All
information relative to the Springs, accommodations, etc., must be addressed
to Messrs. Benedict & Eddy Proprietors, Bristol, Wisconsin.
PRICES
Any quantity less than half barrel, per gallon, 25 cents.
For barrel of 32 gallons, including barrel, $8.00.
For half barrel, 16 gallons, $5.00.
Parties furnishing their own or returning the barrels, two dollars will be deducted
from the above figures.
We furnish kegs, jugs, shipping cans, demijohns, & etc., at actual cost.
We ship in new, well made, iron bound barrels. To prevent water from tasting
of the wood, all packages are charred before use. We make no charge for delivery
to the Railroad or depot. A liberal discount from above prices will be made
to Druggists.

41

FIRE DEPARTMENT BEGAN

The first station was located at the rear of Perrigo's repair shop. (Picture No.
66, 199th Ave., and 82nd St.). Some years later it was moved across the street
in back of the blacksmith shop and next to the telephone office.
1933

In 1933 the men canvassed the townspeople and purchased the first electric
siren to alert volunteers. The year 1935 saw the purchase of the towns first
motorized fire truck from the Peter Pirsch and Son Co. at the cost of $4,208.80.
On May 12, 1936 the new truck and electric siren were moved to a room at
the north end of Merten's Garage. John Runge was chief in 1930, Fred Pitts
in 1938, Arthur Berg in 1959, Kenneth Johnson 1965 and Bill Bohn in 1967.
On May 15, 1941 the dept. moved to what is now the town hall.

1943

In 1943 the town purchased a tanker. In 1949 another truck was bought for
use as a tanker and in 1960 the dept. accepted delivery of a new 1000 galion750 gpm. G.M.C. pumper and a smaller G.M.C. truck for use at grass fires.

1966

The Krahn Garage was purchased in 1966 and after some renovating, equipment was moved across the street into the present fire station. An equipment
van was acquired in 1967. This van was later converted into a rescue squad,
which began service in late 1969. The Rescue Unit started with twelve men.

1973

A second engine was delivered on January 4, 1973 at a cost of $48,907. A
second rescue unit, an ambulance, was acquired in 1971. Five men have suc·
cessfully completed the 80 hour Emergency Medical Technician course under
the State of Wisconsin Dept. of Health and Social Services.

1976

Present officers are: Fire Chief, Bill Bohn; Assistant Chief, Richard Mazurek;
1st Capt. Donald Wienke; 2nd Capt. W. Glembocki; 3rd Capt. Wm. Niederer;
4th Capt. George Lentz; Lieut. Eugene Krueger; Treasurer, Lyle Krueger.
Thirty--five men comprise the department today.

1964

THE WOMEN'S AUXILIARY FORMED
The Women's Auxiliary was formed on August 19, 1964 to assist the Bristol
Volunteer Fire Dept., and as of October 7, 1971, assist also the Rescue Squad
in any way proper or beneficiaL To assist, aid, and cooperate with the departments to bring a closer relationship between the home and community for
the improvement and benefit of both. Members serve in emergency situations,
preparing food, coffee and water to be served at lengthy fires. They also participate in social functions_

42

1898
1962

BRISTOL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT (PICTURED BELOW)

Tt:LEPHONE SERVICE TO BRISTOL

The first telephone
dates back to 1898.
Joe Rowbottom and a
man from Union Grove
established a line from
Bristol to Union Grove.
Alice Castle pictured
on the left of this page
is believed to have
been the first telephone
operator in BristoL
With increased popu falion, industry and recreational facilities, ex
panded services were
required for the growing
Bristol area. In 1967
telephones were connected with the nationwide direct distance
calling network and a
$24,500. central office
building was completed
to serve the community.
New modem central
office switching facilities and direct dialing
equipment totaling
$140,000. and a
$65,000. investment
in outside plant facilities were part of the
modernization program.

Pictured from left to right: First row · Marshall Bishop, Bill Kastens, LeRoy
Horten, Kenneth Johnson, Anthony Eibl, Russell Horten, Walter Faber, Jack
Westman, Art Schroeder, Charles Larabee, John Davidson. Second row:
Stanley Joszapitus, Chief; Arthur Berg, Asst. Chief; John Kavanagh, Edger
Foulke, Earl Hollister, Glen Hollister Jr.
THE WOMEN'S AUXILIARY (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

The picture at the left
shows the switch-board
that serviced many
homes in the Bristol
are for many years.

Progress Days, parties and picnics.
Thirteen women met at the Bristol Town Hall August 19, 1964. First officers
elected were: President, Lois Johnson; Vice Prseident, Florence Wolfe; Secretary-treasurer, Delsie Keller.
1965

In February of 1965 the Auxiliary sponsored "Teen Nite", held twice a month
at the fire house. Records, dancing, table tennis, hobby center and various games
and gab sessions took place under the supervision of the Auxiliary.
The Auxiliary has served food at the Annual Turkey Shoot Dance since 1964.
Present officers are: President, Darlene Lentz; Vice-President, Ruth Radtke;
Secretary-treasurer, Stacy Muhlenbeck.

43

*( 13)

1908

The oldest orchard operation in Kenosha County is located on Hwy. C one
and one-half miles east of Hwy. 45. Longbons orchard has been in existence
since around 1908 when it was started by Lee Benedict, father-in-law of the
present operator, Loren Longbons, With 15 acres in operation, L.ongbons fea·
tures 34 varieties of apples which are sold on the Kenosha farmers' market
and at the stand at home. The operation is a family affair, with some part-time
help hired in season.

44

1903
1903

DUTCH GAP CANAL

DUTCH GAP CANAL DRAINS BRISTOL FARMLAND

The Dutch Gap Canal in Bristol has been in operation for about 67 years and
had helped boost land values in its job of draining farmland, The seven mile
canal begins above Lake George and empties into the Des Plaines River in Illinois, It drains over 10,000 acres and is maintained by assessments paid by
participating farmers,
Mr, George Shields, a farmer that lived on the Wilmot Road just east of the
now "South Bristol School" was the person responsible for digging a drainage
ditch through his farm south into Illinois,
The town records show that in 1903 a survey was made for this project, It
has been said that Mr, Shields had the approval of nearly all of the land owners
in the water shed for this type of drainage, Before the digging could begin, the
landowners that lived on the west side of Hwy, 45 changed their mind and would
not go along with the idea,
A few years later Mr, Shields convinced the land owners in the area east of
Hwy, 45 to go ahead and dig the ditch anyway,
The town records do not show what year the drainage ditch was dug but is
thought to be 1916- The records do show that money was raised by taxes to
build three bridges over the ditch that year,
Somewhere along the line, the name "Dutch Gap Canal" was put on this drainage system, It is thought because this type of drainage resembles that used in
Holland, the name came about,
The canal was dug by a dredge on a floating barge_ This machine started digging on the north end of the canal and worked its way south, into Illinois for
about ns miles_ It was a steam machine, and was operated 24 hours a day.
The story was told how a farmer in Illinois was not going to permit the dredge
to go through his property, It happened that the workers came to his property
line on a Saturday night, The next morning at 3:00 A.M. the "dredge crew"
had a full head of steam on the machine and were digging through this farmers
land. The only way he could stop them was to get a "court order" from the
Judge in Waukegan. By the time he drove a horse and buggy to Waukegan and
back on Monday the dredge was all the way through his farm and into the next
farm.
The Dutch Gap Canal, for the most part followed a small creek bed. This
creek is shown as the "Mill Creek".
After the canal was constructed, farmers were able to drain their land, thus
making productive farm land out of land that was only swamp land before,
(Article from Charles Ling.)

45

Pictured above is the dredge that built the Dutch Gap Canal.

DOCTORS AND DISEASE

Daniel Benedict was listed as a physician in the 1875 City and County Directory.
Dr. F.E. Stevens was the town's Health Officer in 1905. This was one of the
years for an outbreak of Small Pox. Jack Rompesky came to his home in
South Bristol suffering after working in the ice fields in the western part of
the county. Sixteen cases followed.
On Dec. 18, 1914 the Board of Health met at the office of Dr. Stevens (George
Otto res.) on account of the prevalence of Small Pox. Bristol churches and
schools were ordered closed for two weeks and all public gatherings at the
village were stopped and six families quarantined. A March 16, 1915 Board
of Health report states meeting at Dr. Stevens and examining health officers
account for disinfecting for the year. A total of $88_00 was authorized, including an entry on Jan. 4, 1915 of $5,00 to burn school books and disinfect
balance and $6.00 to disinfect school house,

46

DOCTOR FRANK E STEVENS AND WIFE, IDA MURPHY STEVENS
VETERINARY SERVICE IN BRISTOL TOWNSHIP
Veterinary service was provided by Dr. Thom out of Kenosha. Dr. John Evers
was the Town's Dr. of Veterinary Medicine in 1925 and continued until 1955
when DL S. Waldo took over.
Dr. Frank E. Stevens was born
in Pleasant Prairie, July 11,
1851. He was the youngest in
a family of seven and his early
days were spent in the usual
manner of farmer lads.
His early education was supplemented by a course in the
State Normal School of Oshkosh, from which he graduated
in the Class of '75. He was employed as a teacher for a year
and as a principal for one year.
Having determined to make
the practice of medicine, his
life-work, he began the study
of the science in Bristol in
1877, under Dr. L.D. Scherer,
and took his first course of
lectures in 1878, in the Medical Dept. of the Northwestern
University of Evanston, from
which he was graduated in
1879.
He first hung out his shingle
in Union Grove, Racine county,
where he engaged in practice
for four years, and in 1885
he came to Bristol and formed
a partnership with Dr. Scherer
until 1887, when Dr. Scherer
left Bristol.

Dr. Stevens was acknowledged as one of the skillful and successful physicians
of Kenosha County and had a large practice.

In 1972 Drs. F. Culbert and R. Borre formed the Bristol Veterinary Service
for the treatment of large animals.
1920

4 H CLUBS FLOURISH IN BRISTOL
Mrs. Mary Fowler was the founder of the Bristol Challenge 4-H Club in 1920,
charter members including George Price, Horace Fowler, Robert Johnson, Paul
and Elenore Brugess, Irma Hackbarth and Nellie Krook.
The club originally comprised the 60th St. area of Bristol Township and included many Paris members before the Paris Happy Workers 4-H Club was
formed.
Mrs. Charles Ling is a member who has been with the club for 37 years and
still is a sewing leader.
It is the only club in Kenosha County in full operation for 55 years. General
Leaders today are Mrs. Francis Held and Mrs. Walter Skora.
Bristol Strivers 4-H was founded in 1955 with Doris Magwitz and Edna Eckhart
as leaders. Through the years this club has maintained a high standard of ser·
vice to its community. Their efforts have been responsible for the forming of
a new club, the "High Hopes".
Present General Leaders are Mrs. Audrey Gohlke and Mrs. Arlene Masnica.
The Woodworth 4-H Club was started in 1957 with Mrs. Alvin Reidenbach,
Mrs. Walter Glasman and Mrs. Fred Zilke as leaders. President, Karen Glasman;
Vice Pres. Gary Clark; Secretary, Margurite Wehner; Treas. Margie Mills; and
David Anderson, reporter. Through the years this club has dedicated its efforts
to community service projects. The present general leader is Mrs. Ralph Volk.
In 1972 the High Hopes 4-H Club was born. Mrs. Elaine Bloyer and Mrs. Pat
Taylor became general leaders, with 26 children enrolled. With the approval
of the Division of Natural Resources in 1973, they cleared the channel in Lake
George of debris and planted several hundred seedlings received from the 4-H
Extension. High Hopes also initiated several new projects: the dairy goat,
bowling project, and a new art project offered by a professional artist, Mr.
French, a member of the community. Enrollment today is 68 members.

In 1880, Dr. Stevens married Miss Ida M. Murphy, a former classmate in the
State Normal School. They were members of the Bristol Methodist Church
and had two children, Alice and Mary.

47

48

1935

BENSON CORNERS · LANDMARK OF OVER 40 YEARS

1937

RECREATION
The first Recreation Department was formed in 1937. Clarence Hansen, Joe
Goff and Herman Zuehlsdorf were members. Baseball was offered in the sum·
mer with players paying 5 cents each to help defray the cost of the lights.
Approximately 325 persons took part in the program.
The first ball diamond was on MB in Woodworth. From there it was moved
to Hwy. 45 and Hwy. 50 on property donated for use by Bryant "Pops"
Benson.
Bristol dedicated its Richard P. Hansen Memorial Park on June 25, 1967. ML
Hansen had served on the Town Planning Commission and Recreation Board.
Today Hansen Park has a picnic shelter, tennis court, and two soft-ball diamonds.
In 1969 a new five man Recreation Committee was established: Mrs. Charles
Ling, Mrs. Wm. Glembocki, Donald Wienke, Clarence Hansen and Edward
Gillmore were the decision makers.

1918

GIRL SCOUTS
The first leader was Katherine Noback Troop No. 1 in May 1918.
Mrs. Mary D. Bradford, Superintendent of Kenosha Schools started the Girl
Scouts.
There were 20 girls in the first troop and the first camping was in 1921 at
the Boy Scout camp site at Lily Lake.

"POP" BENSON BY THE GAS PUMPS AT THE FIRST STATION AT THE CORNER
OF HWYS 45 & 50. *(13)
On land purchased in 1860 by their great-grandfather, Hiram Bacon, Bryant
and William Benson have operated a grocery store since 1935. In 1934 the
brothers built an 8 x 12 foot structure and leased it out as a gas station for
two years to Fred McConnell, who raised ducks in addition to pumping gas;
a Mr. Harrison of Genoa City; and finally to uncle John Swartz.

The first meeting of the council was held in June of 1918. President was Mrs.
J. F. Barden.
The first meetings were held in library park and were open to all girls of
Kenosha County. Their first duties were to make up and send gift packages
to Kenosha men serving overseas during the war.
BOY SCOUTS
The only record we have found ot scouting in Bristol was a troop in the 1940's.

The corner looked quite different then than it does now - · there was no
Hwy. 45 and the Phillips company wouldn't install gas pumps because they
figured the volume of business would never require it_
Additions were made to the original building to house groceries, and the Ben·
son brothers operated a family store for many years_

Presently the Cub Scout pack 385 is located in Bristol with Mr.
as the Cub Master.

D.M. Pfeuffer

Mr. Edgar Foulke was Scout Master for about 10 years from 1952 to 1962.

The Bryant Benson home, located behind the store on Hwy. 45, was built
by Levi Grant. Even today, one can see projections in each corner of the
living room that hide the original hewn logs that compose the house's frame.
*(5)

49

50

1962

1967

·Hansen Memorial Park dedicated 6/25/67. Shelter built in '72.
-Quality Control Egg Farm 1967

THE BRISTOL PLANNING BOARD

1968

-Margaret Maleski retired 12/31/68 after 24 years as clerk.

In 1958- 1961, the Town Board attended many meetings and hearings which
concerned many phases of regional planning. This gave the Town of Bristol
an awareness of its position, the town lying virtually in the path of com mer·
cial, industrial and residential development areas which can be reached by over
one and one-half hours drive. Recreational potentials as well as commercial
and industrial development, not recognized before are now found to be true.

1969

.. Water utility started August '69. Tower completed.
-AI Reidenbach retired 9/30/69 after 8 years as treasurer.
-24 hour rescue service unit put into operation.
-Beatrice Mfg. ground breaking October.

1970

-First Annual Progress Days 7/5/70.
-A country fair type community day was started in 1970. Mrs. Alvin Houtsinger won the "Name the Day" contest with her entry "Progress Days".

In 1962, the Town of Bristol instituted a Planning Commission after holding
a series of meetings at which the Town Board attempted to explain some of
the problems in the future, such as increased population, zoning problems,
building regulation, desire for police protection, public sewers, and problems
of increased enrollment in schools. The Planning Commission was endorsed
by the residents of Bristol Township, and was initially instituted as an advisory board to the town officials and as an attempt to communicate with the
residents of the township.

-A parade was held with o reigning King and Queen. All church and civic groups
were invited to put up game and food booths at Hansen Park. A fireworks display was put on by the Fire Department.
"Progress Days" has grown to a 3 night, 2 day affair with a banquet opening
the annual celebration. The King and Queen have been changed to Outstanding
Man and Woman and a Miss Bristol was added to the royalty.

The last soil survey for Kenosha County was taken in 1917, so a study was
started in 1963. Upon completion of the study, in 1965, a soil map was made
for the town by the Soil Conservation Service with the cooperation of all officials of the County units of government. The map tells in detail the type of
soil found in every acre of land in Kenosha County and can be used for agricultural, residential, commercial and industrial purposes. There are over 100
major soil classifications in the Town of Bristol and the soil is rated poor for
sewage percolation.
1963

1965

Industrial Park purchased 2/6/63, originally 70 acres. The first industry announced early in 1963. 50 acres were added in 1968. The entire acreage is complete with streets, sewer and water. There are 8 concerns in operation with
additional building under construction.

51

Queen: Margaret Maleski
King: Arthur Magwitz

1972

Queen: Marion Ling
King: Donald Wienke
Miss Bristol: Shirley Davidson

1975: Outstanding Man:

Earl Hollister
Outstanding Woman: Doris Magwitz
Miss Bristol: Diane Hansche

Utility District I started in 1965 with 120 users. District increased in 1971 with
plant expansion to include George Lake area and an additional 140 users.

Dump Site opened in industrial park 1/1/66.
Bought site of present fire house 7/5/66 and official open house held following
year.
Country Hen House opened on 194 Oct. '66.

1971

1974: Outstanding Man and Woman: Alvin and Adelaide Reidenbach
Miss Bristol: Charlotte Kozak

Bought 194 & Hwy. C property 1/22/65.

1966

Queen: Laurie Kempf
King: Lennie Eibl

1973: Outstanding Man and Woman: AI and Florence Kroening
Miss Bristol: Michelle Russo

Bristol Oaks Golf Course began on 147 acre site, have an 18 hole course and
spacious club house with beautiful views overlooking the Des Plaines River.

First annual planning dinner held at Howard Johnson Motel 9/30/65. Governor
Knowles was the speaker.

1970

1970

SENIOR CITIZENS ORGANIZATION

On February 16, 1970, the first meeting of folks interested in establishing a
Senior Citizens Organization in Bristol Township was held at the Bristol Town
Hall.
Mr. Birch of the Walworth County Recreation Department, and also the Rev.
Ed. Eschweiler of St. Scholastica Catholic Church and Rev. Wm. Janusch of
the Bristol and Wesley Chapel Methodist Churches were with the group, which
was composed of 39 senior citizens .of Bristol Township.

52

LAKE GEORGE (SECTIONS 20 8: 29 BRISTOL TOWNSHIP)

A steering committee was advised and the following were elected for this position: Joe Romano, Ruby Elfering, Marie Risch, Aurora Gillmore and Margaret
Maleski.
On February 22, 1970, the steering committee met with Mr. Brick at the home
of Aurora Gillmore. At this meeting by laws were drawn up, a nominating committee of Fred Kibor, Leo Gillmore and Olive Williams was appointed and
tentative programs for March and Apri I were planned.
On March 23, 1970, a general meeting of the senior citizens was held, the bylaws were presented, revisions made and then adopted by the group. Officers
were elected as follows:
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer

Robert Pringle
Leo Gillmore
Margaret Maleski
Mabel Petersen

1850

Five families owned land around the lake in 1850. These were: M. Kingman,
P.E. Smith, H.S. Thorp, S. Curtis, and A. Shumway.

1860

In 1860 S. Kingman, J.W. Kingman, O.S. Head, W. Hunt, J.S. Voltz, J. Swain,
F. Groat, G. Shulfelt and E. Mead had also purchased property.

1899

C.M. Bishop, H. Bryant, G.A. Shields, M. Kingman and M. Earing are listed as
property owners in 1899.

1908

This year lists M. Hollister, Mrs. M. Kingman, G.A. Shields, H. Bryan·t and M.
Earing. We have been told that farmers used to drive sheep across the area that
is now the lake and that the slough land was then the lake.

1928

Mrs. La Verne N. Sears tells of being the third house on the east side of Lake
George in 1928, with only one home on the west side. Farming was still prevalent in 1919. About this time, the suo-division plan was laid out.
Minerva Subdivision was on the north side of the lake, Hillcrest on the west
and Mangos Lake George Gardens on the east.

Meetings were to be held the second and last Monday of each month at the
Bristol Town Hall, which privilege was granted them by the Bristol Town Board.
1971

The First National Bank Bristol Branch opened 7/12/71
Developments:

~

Kenosha Land Feb. '71
Oak Farms '71 Dike Johnsons
State Line Camp Ground Feb. '72
Lehman Court Sept. '72
Rainbow Lake Court
Bristol Heights Feb. '74
Chateau Lake George Jan. '74

1973

Esther Clausen retired 3/31/73 after 42 years as Woodworth Post-Mistress
Wesley Congregation 100 years old 6/17/73
New Pirsch Fire truck delivered 1/4/73 Town Pick up Nov. '73

1974

Street Lights 3/12/74
New rescue unit May 14, 1974
Kenosha Achievement Center 6/25/74

1975

Dump Truck 1/7/75

1976

Ground breaking for new First National Bank Bristol Branch building.

LAKE GEORGE
5EC

i'.O

l' IN

BRISTOL

SUB~
R.21[

TWP

LAKE GEORGE

~

'ILL

SHANGRILA LAKE (SECTION 31 BRISTOL TOWNSHIP)

Lake Shangrila was farm and wood land at one time. Mr. Coyne sold this property
to Mr. Chris Passion. Mr. Passion built a home where the Benedictine Monastery
now stands. He also built his own lake about 1936. Difficulties arose and the
government confiscated this land and a real estate agency subdivided.
1945

E

f BRIST L

The Benedictine Fathers established a monastery and seminary here in 1945.
They· owned the south half of the lake front property and some 500 acres of
local land. The Benet Lake Post Office was established near the monastery and
the lake took on the name.
When the monastery owners on the north end of the lake objected to the
change of name they took it to the County Circuit Court. The case was not
contested, and the judge decided the lake should have two legal names: Shangrila
Lake for the north half and Benet Lake for the south half.
Mr. Albert B. Weber purchased his land, thirty years ago, from George Hoffman.
There were only about a dozen homes in the Lake Shangrila area then.

:

~

'\

BRISTOL· MAIN STREET LOOKING NORTH FROM THE DEPOT *(73)
To the far left is the blacksmith shop, to the center of the picture is the depot
and from there to the right is the Ice Cream Parlor, with only the porch showing,
next the Dixon Grocery Store, next Abe's Barber Shop and Undertaker, next
Nixon Millinery Shop, next Griffiths Grocery, next Pikes Harness Shop and to
the extreme right is Murdock's Hardware Store. This picture is about 1926.

56
\,

DEAR ROMILDA:

57

What are your memories of Bristol?
How much do you recall
Of this idyll of our childhood,
That can still my dreams enthrall.

Summer vacations we wandered
O'er the stile into Lacey's woods,
Or walked up the track picking flowers,
Exploring new neighborhoods.

I remember the town as a picture,
Painted in faded pastels;
Three steeples reached to the heavens-We knew the sound of their bells.

We liked to peek in at the factory,
Help ourselves to a small piece of ice;
The men wore white caps and aprons,
And the warm dairy smell was so nice.

How nostalgic the path going "crosslots",
The cowslips, the meadowlark's call,
The wild plums, the grapes and the berries,
And hazelnuts ripe in the fall.

Fred Thorne and Bill Long and Alec-Those names we will never forget;
The place held a facination,
It was noisy and clean and wet.

No one we met was a stranger,
We called each one by his name:
Abe and Minnie and Charlie,
Genevieve, Edith and Mame.

Summertime brought the Chautauqua
With performances held in a tent;
The shows were lively and fun-filled,
It seemed as if everyone went.

The Gethens, The Pikes and the Murdocks,
The Shotliffs: John, Polly and Ted;
The Rowbottoms, Gaines' and Willetts,
Maleski's: John, Jake and Fred.

And sometimes a small troupe of players
Stopped by in our town for awhile;
The posters announcing their coming
Brought people from many a mile.

I fondly remember your grandma,
And the things in her attic we'd find,
I can see her big bushes of currants,
And the woods we loved, growing behind.

The plays were sad and dramatic,
"Ten Nights in a Barroom" was one;
We thrilled to "Uncle Tom's Cabin",
And watched Eliza run.

And perhaps the place most important
Was the one at the end of your block,
Home of Auntie and kind Doctor Stevens,
And hired girl Miss Dora Zak.

Don Hall was always the hero,
We admired him from afar.
He wore his hair long and flowing
And lived in a railroad car.

We knew Edith Mitchell as "Central",
Charlie Murdock was power and light_.
Our kerosene lamps were in order,
When Charlie shut down for the night.

The school masquerade brought together
Almost all of the people in town,
To join in the general frolic
As farmer or hobo or clown.

We dwelt in this place that enclosed us,
Secure in familiar things all-The factory, the depot, the blacksmith,
The bank, the churches, the hall.

I've searched in vain for the picture
Of a miniature groom and bride_Of me in my father's derby,
With a dark-eyed girl at my side.

The farmers brought milk to the factory,
Then hitched their teams for a stop
At the grocery store or the hardware,
Or a shave at the barber shop.

Our make-believe wedding clothes won us
A prize at our first masquerade;
My mother, the costume designer,
Was proud of the hit that we made.

The Stonebreakers, Garlands and Castles,
The Hollisters adding their noise;
Rich Jones and his brother Evan
And the Wienke and Zuehlsdorf boys.

Paddock's Lake meant Old Settlers,
Swimming and Fourth of July:
It took a good auto and driver
To make Foster's Hill on high.

We were experts at roller skating,
Down two cement steps we could jump,
To get a drink of cold water
And refresh ourselves at the pump.

The little church made us welcome,
It was homey and snug and small;
Not awesome, imposing and gloomy,
But a place that belonged to us all.

The other hill where we skated
Was steep and exciting too;
We made side trips into Pofahl's,
Which we weren't supposed to do.

At times we'd make a decision
To stay for church services, too;
The Willetts would never enter
Until the collection was through,

We'd linger near Edith Murdock's
And each pick a spearmint leaf,
Then squeeze it to get its fragrance-Delightful beyond belief!

With the coming of Easter Sunday
The Sunday school had a parade;
In our pretty baskets we carried
Hens' eggs that were freshly laid.

Sometimes a skate strap was broken-For help we knew where to stop.
To this day the smell of new leather
Reminds ·me of Pike's harness shop.

We marched down the aisle with our offering
And at the altar we'd pause,
To hand out our egg contribution
For a worthy Methodist cause.

I can feel again the excitement
When your father came home with young crows,
Displaced from their nest by the phone lines-Dear "Spikes" was the bird that I chose.

When Christmas came it was magic,
The tree all sparkly and bright;
We gave recitations in dialogs,
And sang of that first Holy Night.

As Campfire Girls we sold popcorn
And financed a week's camping trip.
Our rigorous schedule featured
A six o'clock morning dip.

Then came the time of excitement,
The moment we'd all waited for;
When we heard the sound of the sleighbells
And saw Santa Claus at the door.

I remember the roomy cottage
And the many things that we did,·
We thought we were Indian maidens
At the tribe's Camp Astermid.

His walk and his voice were familiar,
It was always someone we knew;
But in the enchantment of Christmas,
We half-believed the myth to be true.

A special event of the season
Was the ladle's bazaar in the falli
The aroma of hot food and coffee
Met the chill musty· smell of the hall.

There are many more things I could mention-The Boosters, the gypsies, the fairs,
Or that quaint elevator at Lacey's-It was better to walk up the stairs).

Warmth was furnished by coal stoves,
One standing at either side;
The floor was smooth and slippery-(But Mrs. Stevens forbade us to slide).

We'd read the cartoons in your Tribune,
Eat wormy old chocolate bars,
Play Rook with Mary and Catherine
And study the movie stars.

School programs were something to plan for-With rags I curled every girl's tresses;
And we felt like performers on Broadway
In our tarlatan dancing dresses.

When listening to phonograph records,
Two favorites we'd usually pick
Were "The 26th of July March"
And "The Story of Little Half-Chick".

And also at these programs
Our musical talents were heard:
The trio, "Three Friends", was a favorite-Ruth, Eva or Mame made the third.

Time's patine mellows the picture,
And softens the times that were bad;
But I'm sure as I sit reminiscing,
Twas a happy childhood we had.

Always on Sunday mornings-We never questioned the rule:
We put on our best shoes and dresses
And harried to Sunday School.

So these are some memories of Bristol,
Recalled as your birthday time nears;
Remembrance has held us together
And kept us in touch through the years.
--Dorothy De Vuyst Vogl *(5)

J

8 F-?y-19 Jl/ T

VILLAGE OF BRISTOL PLOTTED BY ALFRED GIDDINGS

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In the early 1850's Alfred Giddings came from Connecticut to Bristol and invested his money in 40 acres of land. The village now stands on part of that
land

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He built a store on the corner of 199th Ave. and AH. For a number of years
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Later, Mrs. Shotlitf and Sons purchased the building and used it as a hotel that
served very good food. Then Mrs. Shotliff bought land farther north on the
same street and built a new building. The Shotliff House also had a livery stable and barn where horses and buggies were for rent or hire and cutters with
sleigh bells could be provided in the winter.

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The church in the fore-ground is the German Methodist church (English). The
building to the left center is the office of Doc Stevens, to the right of it is John
Shotliffs' home and to the far right is the Shot/iff Hotel. *(73)

1907

PERRIGO WAGON WORKS WAS ONE OF THE FLOURISHING BUSINESSES

Wm. Perrigo operated a fix-it shop where they made wagon wheels and did
wood-working.
Mr. Giddings thought this would be a good location for a town, so he laid out
some lots. He sold one to Mr. Nelson De Lapp, who built a home which was
later owned by Gethen's and by J.P. Chase, who was instrumental in building
up the town. The house is now owned by George Odell.
This home is pictured below. This was the second oldest house in Bristol. It
was the home of F. R. Snyder. He is in the buggy with his wife to the left of
the buggy. In the center of the picture are Edith and Georgia Stonebreaker. *(13)

PERRIGO WAGON WORKS- BRISTOL VILLAGE *(13)
In this picture is a Model T Ford owned by Frank Lavey. The building in back
is the Perrigo Wagon Works and it was located on 'the site the bank was built
on in 7928. It is now the home of Merkt's Cheese.
ONE OF THE BUSINESSES IN BRISTOL WAS A MILLINERY SHOP

The third building to be built in the village was a house on the corner of Hwy.
45 and 82nd St. Another house went up on the opposite corner, and the Albert
Wienke home and a store were built on the south.

I
61

James and George Nixon were to 8ristolites numbered among the first class
that graduated from Kenosha High School. They were sons of George Nixon,
Sr. and they attended the University of Ann Arbor, Michigan. James became
Judge of Probate Court of Appeals of Lebanon, Mo. and George was a milliner
in Bristol, where all the ladies bought their Easter Bonnets. The hat shop
and home of George was the store and house owned by Dave Griffiths. Chas.
Pohlman operated a grocery store in this building for some time. Arthur Bahr
made a speculative purchase of it when talk was strong of the Bong Base, but
it sold through a sheriff's sale in 1965. The building, badly deteriorated from
non-use, was purchased by Arthur Magwitz and torn down.

BRISTOL MAIL SERVICE AND POST OFFICE

In July 1837, Jason Lathrop surveyed the road running from Southport to
Geneva, being the first surveyed road west from Southport. In December of
that year, a meeting was held at the home of A.B. Jackson, petitioning for a
mail route from Southport to Geneva. Needing a name on the petition, the
town was named Bristol for Rev. Ira Bristol, one of the first settlers. A Post
Office was established in 1839 and A. B. Jackson was appointed postmaster.
He built a building on what is now the North East corner of D and Hwy. 50.
Mail carried a postillion or 25 cent stamp,
The Post Office came into the village with the appointment of F.J. Lavey as
postmaster,. and then W.m Turner was postmaster with the location of the
Post Office in the building owned by Florence Jones (north side of 83rd St.,
east of Hwy. 45); then to the Dixon- Pitts Grocery (Harvey's Bristol Foods),
then across the street into the old bank building and finally in 1962 into the
new brick building we use today. It too is becoming cramped serving 809
families on the two routes plus 175 post offices boxes.

1907

In 1907, a Mr. Zahn established a bank in Bristol. This was in the little wooden
building on main street that many of you remember as the old post office.
(This building was only recently torn down by Mr. Chudada.) In 1916, Mr. Zahn
moved to Milwaukee, having sold the bank to a group of stockholders. The new
bank building was built in 1928 on the corner of what is now 199th & 82nd St.
The cost is registered at $12,550.00. This bank closed during the depression
and the building was put up for sale.
In 1942 the building was purchased and became a locker plant under the ownership of Mr. Veenstra. It was owned by the Ed Muhlenbecks from 1947 until
1959. The plant consisted of 400 lockers, a retail room, and processing; ren··
dering and aging rooms.
june, 1959 the plant was leased to Bruhn's Freezer meats of Elkhorn, Nebr.
and Geo. Merkts of Salem, Wisconsin also leased the basement at this time.
The building was sold to the Merkts in 1966 and has become the home base
of Merkts Cheese. Two additions have been put on the building since its use
as a bank.
Bristol again has a bank with the First National Bank Branch at Hwy. 50 &
45, opening July 12, 1971. A new building is now under construction.

BRISTOL POST OFFICE
This building was first a bank from August 16, 7907 until the new bank was
built in 1928. This was last used as a Post Office on March 31, 1962. ·'(13)

INSIDE OF LAVEY & SHOTLIFF'S STORE

VIEW OF BRISTOL IN 1908. (CORNER OF WHAT IS NOW 799th & 82nd)

PICTURED ABOVE IS LAURA & FRANK LAVEY. *(13)

Perhaps to make this picture more meaningful we can share memories of
Mrs. Ed Jorgenson, a lifelong resident of the town of Bristoi. She recalls the
days in her uncle's store, later known as Davidson's Grocery, when she sold
bales of cotton for quilt-making and peppermint sticks from neatly-shelved
glass jars. She can point out the China doll head pictured in the store that she
still has. She remembers the day of her biggest sale when a customer bought
the entire stock of white shirts -- because they were the "only kind he could
wear",

Mrs. Jorgenson, formerly Genevieve Shotliff, recalls the evenings at the supper
table at the Shotliff Hotel, run by her aunt, when the boarders would sit
around the huge table and enjoy a family-style supper for 50 cents. In the
morning after a 35 cent breakfast, the guests would pick up their horses at
the adjoining livery stable and maybe stop to have a horse shod at the Shotliff
blacksmith shop down the street. * (5) (Hotel pictured on page 60.)

Pictured above is a scene in Bristol looking south to the Depot at the far end
of the street. The FOSTER MERCANTILE is on the right, the building in the
center is L.A VEY & SHOTLIFF'S STORE and to the left of this is MURDOCK
HARDWARE, later Bristol Hardware, Inc. owned by Arthur Magwitz. *(73)

Picture for a moment a blustery winter day around the turn of the century in
a small mid-western country town. Look through the hardware store window
and see the grisly old-timers gathered around the glowing pot-bellied stove,
swapping tales and waiting for mail time when the train will pull up to the
depot. Maybe if you listen closely, you'll hear a heated political discussion or
a little local gossip. If your imagaination is creative and your TV watching of
westerns is constant, you've probably pictured the scene in Murdock Hardware.
The store was the local social center and for that reason was dubbed "kangaroo
court". Bull sessions moved out to the front steps during the hot summer months,
but we can be sure that the humidity didn't dampen the spirits or the conversation that trademarked "kangaroo court". *(5)

The outside of this store is pictured on the following page and is the large
building in the center.

70

PICTUPES OF Tf!E VILLAGE OF BRISTOL '(131
PICTURES OF THE VILLAGE OF BRISTOL *(13)

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TURNERS STORE WAS 7HE POST OFFICE FOR A WHILE IN THE EARLY
1900's. THIS IS THE BUILDING ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE BUILDING AT
THE LEFT CAME FROM THE OLD FAIR GfWUNDS REFERRED TO ON
PAGE 29 & 30.
INSIDE OF THE MEAT MARKET OWNED AND OPERA TED BY CHARLIE
GUNTER. THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN ABOUT 1925. SEE BRISTOL PLOT
MAP PAGE 59 FOR THE LOCATION'

FRANK LAVEY'S STORE THIS PICTURE WAS PROBABLY PRIOR TO
1900. IT IS A MUCH EARLIER VIEW OF THE SAME BUILDING ON PAGE
70. THE INSIDE OF THIS STORE IS PICTURED ON PAGE 69.

71

SHOTLIFF'S BLACKSMITH SHOP AT 199th & 82nd,
RiGHT CHARLES
KENNETH
BLACKSMITH JOHN
AND ALBE/'IT
IS NOW A HOUSE

PICTURES Of BRISTOL VILLAGE

(73)

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Train wreck about 1913 east of Bristol. The barn in the upper right is on Earl
Hof!isters' farm. Notice the ice cars in the lower right of the picture.

WOODWORTH· PICTURE COURTESY OF THE ELMER BENEDICT FAMILY
This is a view of Woodworth, Section 10, Bristol Township, looking north on
County Hwy. MB. The history of Woodworth dates back to 1839 when the
land was claimed by Simon Lovett and recorded at the Milwaukee Territory
land office. In 1847, the land was deeded to Linus Woodworth who was the
owner at the time the railroad was constructed and the depot located on his
property, thus the name of the Depot became the "Woodworth Station". In
1862, the mail service was moved from the Kellogg home on Hwy. 50 to the
Woodworth Depot.

Merten's Bristol Garage pictured above in about 7926. Three generations of
Merten's have operated this business. The business is located on Hwv. 45.
Tl1e garage was built by Joseph Merten, Sr in the early 1900's. His sons,
Joe, Jr. & Fred worked with him. Later Fred boughr out his brother and now
the 3rd generation, Eugene Merten, is owner of the garage.

This picture shows the road through the village around 1900. Looking north,
on the right side is the blacksmith shop, which was later moved to the other
side of the road, and on the left side is the depot and at the top left of the
picture is the Roberts' home.

74

THE ROAD BETWEEN WOODWORTH
Come walk with me
Down the road between,
Let your senses be dulled,
But your memory keen.
As time rolls on
Ways and means may change,
The people and places
May seem even strange.
Yet deep inside
As we search our hearts,
We share the same feelings
Though years far apart.
From the very beginning
Man's dream is his home,
So these came from far places
To find each his own.
The past left behind them,
Their eyes fixed ahead,
They came with their families
To their new home-stead.
The beginnings were meager,
The trials were great,
But to fulfill all their plans,
They did not hesitate.
The places of business
Which once were so needed,
Are gone and the land
Where they stood goes unheeded.
The dairy where farmers
Brought milk to be sold,
Is part of the past
As we recall days of old.
The flurry of selling
In the ware - house and grainery
Has long been replaced
By new ways and machinery.
The blacksmith's shop
With its anvil and fire
Was used to make tools
And shoe horses for hire.
The railroad station
And freight trains arrival
Are no longer needed
To bring things to survival.
They are part of the memory
Of times so far past,
As we pause here today
In our thoughts they still last.

Each day as the mail
Would arrive quite on time,
The Post Office was the place
To greet your and mine.
The store with its shelves
Of good food and notions
Was the center of meeting
And at times some commotions.
On Saturday evening
When the days work was done
Young folks came to dance
And to share in the fun.
The school bells would beckon
The children to learning,
So down the road between
They would come with much yearning.
To worship their God,
They would put on their best,
And go to church with their families
To pray and be blest.
In sickness and sorrow
All shared the concern,
How to help one another
Was a lesson to learn.
Serums, Vaccines, Medicine products
For health care,
Were made at the Serum Plant
By the people employed there.
When cars and machinery
Replaced cart and horse,
There was need for a garage
And mechanic of course.
We remember the dump trucks
That hauled gravel and sand,
And the implement company
That sold seed for the land.
The children, the families,
The neighbors, the friends,
Are now our forefathers
So their life never ends.
Their work and their dreams
May each one of us cherish,
They are part of this land
Where freedom must never perish,
Help us not to forget
All the things now unseen,
As our lives touch each other,
On the ropd between.
by Mable Glasman Engberg

1914
(The Road Between is County MB, between Hwy. 50 and Hwy. C)

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4. Woodworth Station Depot.

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5. Home of R.F. Roberts, then Frank W. Roberts, Thurston's, Berg & Jeske's,
Archambuilt's, Almond's, today Goodman & Casper.

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6. Woodworth Post Office.
7. Woodworth Garage.

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8. "South Farm" original home of John C. Roberts.

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10. Woodworth School originally built on land given by S.E. TarbelL

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3. Home of Roswell Bourne, later home of J.B. Edwards, and in 1924, home
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2. Lane Homestead. Originally owned by Theodore Woodworth. Purchased by
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11. U.S. Standard Products Company, today New Tribes Mission.
12. Edwards' Homestead today home of Guy Edwards.

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13. Devlin Brothers Farm, today Woodworth Farm.
14. Site of windmill where Devlin Bros. Creamery stood, today farm of Rasmussen's.

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15. Roberts Hardware Store and Feed Business, later apartment house and today
nothing remains as the building burned last year.

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MAP OF SECTION 10 & 15
WOODWORTH, BRISTOL TOWNSHIP

1. Location of the first District No. 5 Schoolhouse on land owned by A.C
Joslyn.

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16. Cheese Factory site, only well remains. Land owned by James Engberg's.
17. Renz Creamery, later Harry Hansen Implement Company, today property
owned by Rick VarviL
18. Original spot where the blacksmith shop stood east of MB, also later site
west of MB, today owned by Helen Anderson.
19. Tarbell Homestead, today owned by Becker's.
20. Site of the Bristol Soda Springs owned & operated by Eddy and Benedict
now owned by Dale Nelson.

1850 U.S. CENSUS· SECTION 10 BRISTOL TOWNSHIP WOODWORTH
WOODWORTH

WOODWORTH is a tiny spot on the map in Wisconsin, Kenosha County, Bristol Township, Section 10 and the area immediately surrounding it. It was only
land claimed by a farmer until 1862. As early as 1839 at least part of this parcel of land was entered at the land office at Milwaukee, Wisconsin territory by
Simon Lovett. (March 12, 1839 Pre-Emption Duplicate Receipt Cert. No. 3431
Land Patent December 10, 1840 Recorded in Vol 6 P. 463, Washington, D.C.)
In 1847, the land was deeded to Linus Woodworth. According to the 1850
Census, the following statistics concerning this family were recorded:
Names

Age

Occupation

Land Value

Birthplace

Linus Woodworth
Belinda
Daniel
Ansel
Charles

39
31
8
6
4

farmer

1,000

New York
New York
Ohio
Ohio
Ohio

male
female
male
male
male

It was on the Woodworth property that the Depot was located when the Kenosha and Beloit Railroad Company constructed the Railway through this area
and thus the name of the village was "WOODWORTH STATION".
The Post Office was in the Kellogg home on Hwy. 50 when the mail was carried by stage coach to Lake Geneva. This mail route was established in 1837.
After the railroad was constructed, around 1862, the stage coach was discontinued and the Post Office was moved to the Woodworth Station.
Linus Woodworth sold his land to Robert Roberts in 1864 and the Post Office
was located in the Roberts home for the next 50 years, from 1867 to 1917. In
1917 the Post Office was moved to the Yank General Store and it has been in
the same building continuously until now. Mrs. Clarence Yank was appointed
Postmistress in 1917 and served until 1929 when she was killed in an auto
accident. Miss Esther Clausen was appointed Postmistress following Mrs. Yank's
death and served continuously for 42 years until her retirement March 31,1973.
Mr. Clarence Clausen was appointed Postmaster and holds that position at this
time.
Woodworth has retained its identity and can be found on any official map primarily because of the presence of a United States Post Office for the past 113
years. The mail service to Woodworth as an area covers a period of 138 years.

79

FAMILY NAMES

AGE & SEX

OCCUPATION

VALUE

Bl RTHPLACE

Amasa C. Joslyn
Eliza
Harriet
Gustarus
Luther Woodworth

34
30
7
1
16

Male
Female
Female
Male
Male

Farmer
80 Acres

1,200

New York
Vermont
Ohio
Wis.consin
Ohio

Gilbert J. Vincent
Betsy
Lewis
Sylvina

35
26
3
2

Male
Female
Male
Female

Farmer
160 Acres

3,500

New York
New York
Wisconsin
Wisconsin

Maria Taylor

39 Female

James Taylor

18 Male

Farmer

New York

Alpheus Parks

24 Male

Farmer

New York

Maria Parks

15 Female

Jabez Woodworth
Mahitable
Daniel
Edward B. Fay
Delila A.

64
60
23
26
18

Male
Female
Male
Male
Female

Farmer
10 Acres

600

25
Layfayette Woodworth
Eliza
20
3
Frances
Mary
1
(Son Joel N. Born 1851)

Male
Female
Female
Female

Farmer
80 Acres

1,000

New York
New York
Wisconsin
Wisconsin

Roswell Bourne
Mary T.
Henry W.
Mary Ann
Charles
Lydia
Abby E. Bourne
Eugene

42
39
15
14
12
10
7
1

Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female
Male

Farmer

1,400

Massachusetts
New Jersey
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Wisconsin
Wisconsin

William 0. Reed
Harriet
Harriet M.
Sally E"
William A.
Rhoda

44
40
16
12
7
5

Male
Female
Female
Female
Male
Female

Farmer

300

New York

New York
Connecticut
Massachusetts
New York
New York
New York

New York
New York
New York
Indiana
Indiana
Indiana

80

1853
1850 U..S. CENSUS (CONTINUED)

Linus Woodworth
Belinda
Daniel
Ansel
Charles

39 Male
31 Female
8 Male
6 Male
4 Male

Farmer
80 Acres

Samuel Vincent
Hannah
Pheoba Ann
John
Justus
Marvin
Daniel

36
30
14
12
10
8
3

Farmer

Male
Female
Female
Male
Male
Male
Male

31 Male
Henry H. Tarbell
28 Female
Cynthia
5 Female
Mary Adelia
3 Male
Samuel 0.
1 Female
Sarah A.
Raneseleai W. Heinman 21 Male

87

New York
New York
Ohio
Ohio
Ohio

John Roberts was born in England in 1809. He enlisted in the Marine service
at the age of 18 years and his oldest son Robert and daughter Lydia were born
while he was in service. His wife was Lydia Faulkner who was also born in England. He bought his discharge from service paying 25 pounds of sterling for it,
or the sum over 100 dollars. The marine service gave him the opportunity ·at
seeing many foreign countries and peoples. In 1844 he sailed for America with
his wife and five children, landing in Quebec. His intention was to proceed to
the United States but instead he was talked into settling in Canada and spent
the next five years there. In 1849, he came to Wisconsin. During his life in England, he was a loyal unpaid preacher in the Wesleyan Methodist Church.

New York

4,000

Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
New York

Robert F. Roberts, the son of John Roberts came to America with his father
at the age of 11 years. After his marriage in 1860 to Mary Ann Moore, he came
to Woodworth to live on the farm. He owned the homestead property of 80
acres and added additional acreage until he owned 175 acres. In 1884, he erected
an attractive residence on his farm near the Woodworth Station where he lived
until his death in 1907. (Picture of home on page 84, map location No. 5.)

1861

According to a map dated 1861, Peter Devlin owned a farm of 80 acres in
Section 15 of Bristol Township. The exact date of the arrival of the Devlin
family to Bristol is not known but the son Lawrence Devlin was born at
Woodworth in 1861. In the 1875 Kenosha County Directory, Peter Devlin was
listed as owning 220 acres. In 1895, the Devlin brothers owned 250 acres. The
Devlins' operated several creameries. One of these was built by Peter Devlin
on Bulik's land which was on Kimball's corners just south of the Wesley Church.
Another one of these was located on MB south of Woodworth, section 15 and
at the site a windmill stands to this day. Lawrence and Arthur Devlin operated
the creameries, farmed and also were in the feed and coal business at Woodworth.

1862

The Railroad line was constructed from Kenosha to Genoa City. This was an
important time to the Woodworth area as it was at this time the Post Office
was moved to the Woodworth Station.

1863

The Kenosha Beloit Rai Iroad Company was sold to the Chicago and North
Western Railroad Company.

In 1870, School District No. 5, children participating in a program were Christiana
Woodworth and others. Mr. Linus Woodworth made some appropriate remarks
on the part of the parents.

1864

Linus Woodworth deeded land in Woodworth to Robert R. Roberts. Also land
was sold by Linus Woodworth to Mary Devlin, in 1878 and to Robert Roberts
in 1879.

In 1918, Mrs. C. Lunn and daughter of Mitchell, South Dakota visited here.
She was the former Christiana Woodworth and graduated from Whitewater
Normal School 38 years ago or in 1880.

1866

Frank W. Roberts and parents Robert and Sarah Moore Roberts, came to
Kenosha County and took up residence on the farm in Woodworth known
as the Roberts Homestead.

Samuel E. Tarbell
Aurelia
Ann E.
Selah
George W. Wheeler

1850

Farmer
200 Acres

1,000

John C. Roberts came to Wisconsin in the tall of 1849. He rented a farm in
Bristol Township for 1 and y, years and in 1853, purchased 80 acres of land
from Charles M. Fowler.

37
40
15
7
22

Male
Female
Female
Female
Male

Laborer
Farmer
160 Acres

3,500

New York
New York
Pennsylvania
Wisconsin

Laborer

The exact date of the coming of the Woodworth family to this area is not
known. Very little has been found of their family history. According to the
above census, Mr. Linus Woodworth lived in this area owning a farm of 80
acres. (No. 4, 5 on map.) He was born about the year 1811 and came here
from New York. His wife was Belinda, born around 1819 also coming from
New York. This family had three children Daniel, Ansel and Charles. As accurate
as we can be, they had sold all their land in this area by 1879. Mrs. Woodworth
passed away in 1882. At this time, Mr. Woodworth would have been 71 years
of age.

82

1867

Nelson D. Edwards purchased 20 acres of land from William R. Higgins. This
land is still owned by Guy Edwards, the grandson of Nelson Edwards. In 1970,
Guy Durell Edwards received his certificate ~iven for family ownership of property for 100 years or more. See Map page 77, location No. 12. The following
is an advertisement in the 1875 Kenosha County Directory:

N. D. Edwards,

1882

John F. Lane married Miss Sarah Smith. Following his marriage he resided in
Kenosha for a short time, then moved to Woodworth where he bought the
property known as the Lane Homestead. He lived in Woodworth over 40 years.
The land was owned in order by Simon Lovett 1850, Theodore Woodworth
1850-1870, Shepard's 1870-1909, John Lane 1909 until his death in 1938.
It was purchased shortly after that by Sam S. Sorenson who lived there and
owned and operated the Sam S. Sorenson Sand and Gravel Co., for many
years. (See map page 77, location No.2.)

1884

The Robert F. Roberts home was built in 1884 according to an article in the
Kenosha News. This home stands in Woodworth much as it was when it was
first constructed. (Pictured below.) *(8)

1862
1937

FRANK W. ROBERTS was born in Racine in 1862 but from the age of 4 years
lived continuously on the home farm in Woodworth. He was the only surviving
child of Robert F. Roberts. He attended common schools until the age of 17
years and then concentrated his efforts upon farming. He advanced to cultivating a farm of more than 300 acres in addition to which he conducted a hard·
ware store and also dealt in lumber and feed. He began this business about
1907.

MANUFACTURER OF GLOVES, MITTENS,
AND LADIES' AND GENTS' FURS,
Woodworth Station, Kenosha Co., Wis.
Ladies' Furs Repaired.

1867

The Post Office was moved to the Roberts Family Home and remained there
for the next 50 years.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY OF KENOSHA CITY AND COUNTY 1875 ·1ST EDITION
GEORGE R. MILMINE, COMPILER

Carpenter, Geo.
Devlin, Peter
Eddy, James M.
Edwards, Nelson D.
Joslyn, A.C.
Joslyn, A.J.
Parks, Mrs. E. Widow
Parks, Newell
Parks, Silas H.
Roberts, John C.
Roberts, Robert F.
Shepard, Chester C.
Tarbell, Samuel E.
Vincent, Gilbert 0.
Woodworth, Linus

Own 1 Acre
Farmer Own 220 Acres
Farmer Own 161 Acres
Glove Mfg. Own 35 Acres
Farmer Own 100 Acres
Farmer Works A.C. Joslyn
Own 90 Acres
Farmer Own 5 Acres
Farmer
Res.
Farmer Own 20 Acres
Farmer Own 140 Acres
Farmer Own 40 Acres
Farmer Own 157 Acres
Farmer Own 80 Acres
Farmer Own 140 Acres

BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Cheese Factory
Groceries
Manufacturers

Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section

10
15
15
10
10
10
15
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10

Frank married Maude Stewart Benedict and they only had one son, Charles
Addison Roberts. In March of 1919, Charles at the age of 12 and Mrs.
Roberts died of Scarlet Fever. This left no continuing family heir to the
Roberts' property. The property was sold to David Thurston in 1940, Jeske
& Berg in 1948, James Archambault in 1951, James Almond and now is owned
by C & W Land & Livestock Corp.

J.M. Kellogg, H. Tourtelotte
Mrs. J.C. Roberts
N.D. Edwards, Gloves, Mittens, Furs, etc.

(Only those names were included here who lived in the Woodworth area of Sections
10 & 15.)
1882

83

Gottfred August Wienke came to Kenosha County directly from Pommerania,
Germany. He came with his wife Wilhelmine Fromholtz whom he married in
1872. His family consisted of four children: Frank, Anna, Fred and Emma.
This family has had five continuous generations living in Woodworth from
1882 until this present time, although they are not living on the same land.

84

1894

1894

The August Zuehlsdorf family came to Woodworth and worked tor R. Roberts
until 1914, His son Gus worked for Frank W, Roberts until Roberts' death in
1939. The family lived for many years in the home known as the "South
Farm" which was the original land owned by John C. Roberts,

WOODWORTH STATION DEPOT

SCALE AND STOCKYARDS ADDED TO WOODWORTH RAILROAD STATION
Kenosha News 1894: "We have at last been weighed on the new scale put in
by the Railway Company for the benefit of the public at this place. We did
not weigh a ton but we feel big with pride to know that a stockyard will be
built here in Spring. Due credit is given the Devlin Bros. for the active part
they have taken to bring about these improvements.

1895

SMITH

CITY AND COUNTY DIRECTORY

Castle, Jas.
Curtiss, Clarence
Devlin, Arthur (Devlin Bros.)
Devlin Bros. Creamery
Devlin, Mrs. Mary, Widow P.
Devlin, Lawrence (Devlin BrosJ
Edwards, Jay
Edwards, Nelson D.
Firchow, William
Johnson, Chris
Johnson, Hans
Joslyn, Mrs. Eliza (Widow Chandler)
Roberts, F.W, (Roberts & Son)
Roberts, R.F. !Roberts & Son)
Roberts, R. F, & Son
Shepard, C.C.
Shepard, Ed
Vincent, Bert
Vincent, O.G.
Winke, William

156 Acres

520 Acres

4
120
BO
3
3
80

Acres
Acres
Acres
Acres
Acres
Acres

180 Acres
140 Acres
271 Acres
79 Acres
102 Acres

Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section
Section

15
15
15
15
15
15
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
15

(Only the names of those who lived in Sections 10 & 15 are included in this
list of names as they are those who lived in the area of the Village of Wood·
worth. Actually many others in the surrounding area claimed Woodworth as
their address and received their mail through the Post Office in Woodworth.)
1896

Jay B, Edwards married Lillian H. DurelL Jay Edwards taught school for a
number of years before he engaged in farming, He lived for several years on
Hwy. 50 across from the Woodworth SchooL (Map page 77, Location No. 3.)
This land was owned by Roswell Bourne 1858· 1878, Lemuel Spencer 1878·
2886, Edwin Shepard 1886, Rachel Spencer 1886, Jay B. Edwards 1893·1924,
Martin Packman 1924.
The Jay B. Edwards' moved to the Edwards' Homestead and farmed for many
years. He was a supervisor and treasurer·clerk of the Township of Bristol and
active in many other organizations.

85

PICTURE COURTESY OF ESTHER ZUEHLSDORF ADAMSON, *(8)
The land for the Railroad was acquired from the land owners in Section 10
of Bristol Township in 1856. The purchase was by the Kenosha and Beloit
Railroad Company which later became part of the Chicago North Western
Railroad Company. The line was completed from Kenosha to Genoa City by
1862 and continued in operation unti! the late 1930's, Pictured by the Station building is the train order signal for manual block.
In 1875, The Station Agent was J,C, Roberts, Some of the other Station
Agents were Bill Livesy, Guy Yates, Clarence King (brother of Mrs, Gus Lantz),
and Ray Shumway,

86

YONK GENERAL STORE

WOODWORTH POST OFFICE

TRAIN STOPPED AT THE WOODWORTH STATION DEPOT

Clarence came to Woodworth
in 1904. He owned and operated the Woodworth General
Store for many years. He mar
ried Anna Caroline Linquist
in 1893 and he farmed for
about 11 years before coming
to Woodworth. Mrs. Yank was
appointed Postmistress in
1917. She was killed in an auto
accident in 1929. Shortly after
that, Esther Clausen was appointed Postmistress and remained in that position 42
years until her retirement in
1973. Clarence Yank passed
away in 1937. Esther Clausen
then became the new proprietor of the store.

PICTURE COURTESY OF MRS. ELMER BENEDICT

The 917 Train was called the Borden Milk Train and this train came through
Bristol and Woodworth going to Kenosha in the morning. There was a milk
platform at each place for loading the milk which was shipped in 8 gallon cans.
This train also carried passengers and the children that wanted to go to High
School in Kenosha.
The 905 Train came through going west in the evening and unloaded empty milk
cans and also bringing the children home at night. Pupils from as far as Genoa
Junction went to school on this train.
On the extreme left of this picture is the home of Clarence Yonk. To the immediate left of the engine is the Renz Milk Factory. To the right of the engine
is the depot and immediately in front of the depot is the platform from which
the milk cans were loaded.

87

The Post Office remains in
the same building today and
the Postmaster is Clarence
Clausen. The General Store
has not been in operation
for many years.

PICTURE COURTESY OF BYRON GILLMORE, Son-in-law of Clarence Yonk

Much of the Woodworth area is served by Rural Mail Delivery through Bristol
but about 80 people still receive their mail through the Post Office. It also
serves the New Tribes Mission as the place their publications are mailed
through.

88

U.S. SERUM COMPANY LOCATED AT WOODWORTH
BLACKSMITH SHOP OWNED BY GUS LANTZ - WOODWORTH

1915

Charles Rice was responsible for the location of the Serum Plant in Woodworth.
Mr. Rice owned a farm on Hwy. 50, Section 11 from around 1903. He lived
in Chicago and spent his weekends at the farm.
Mr. Rice owned and operated Rice Brothers at the Chicago Stockyards and for
eight years was President of the Chicago Livestock Exchange and for two years
was President of the National Livestock Exchange of the United States.
At this time, there was an epidemic of Hog Cholera and they needed. a place
to make serum to innoculate the hogs. The Illinois Legislature passed a law requiring all hogs to be innoculated before they came into the Chicago Stockyards. As a result, they sent a man out to purchase the first suitable property
across the state line. Mr. Rice being familiar here and also a friend of Roberts
was influential in choosing this property for the "United States Serum Company". This location filled the requirements for the biological and pharmaceutical plant in that it had to be near good railroad facilities; it needed available
animals for experimental purposes and therefore had to be well out in the
country; and it would be advantageous to be near the good farming areas of
Wisconsin where much of the ·hog cholera serum was to be used.

The blacksmith shop was built
by Frank W. Roberts on the
east side of MB. He brought
Gus Lantz from Salem to run
the shop for him.
This picture shows the shop
on the west side of MB where
it was moved when the property
where it had previously stood
was sold to the Serum Company.
Gus Lantz was born in Sewden
in 1870 and came to this country at the age of 19. He came
to Woodworth in 1910 and
ran the blacksmith shop until
he retired. He died in 1955.
This picture is the west end
of the shop and the man on
the left is Gus Lantz. This
building was torn down a few
years ago after many years of
vacancy. The home is still
on the property and owned by
Helen Anderson.

Mr. Rice at one time was one of the largest landowners in Kenosha County
with more than 1,000 acres under his control. His holdings included a large
"spread" on the south side of Hwy. 50 where he conducted a cattle feeder
operation. He formerly owned a large tract surrounding Lake Shangri-la. He
once owned the land now occupied by the Lothe showplace where prizewinning Holstein cattle are bred. Mr. Rice passed away in 1960.
1920

1920- During this time, the company manufactured biologicals and serums for sale
1929 to health departments of local states and communities. These consisted largely
of two serums; toxin and antitoxin. The sales of ·the company increased moderately but no new buildings were added. The company remained rather unprogressive from a businessman's point of view.
1929

1915

89

The land on which the blacksmith shop had previsouly stood was sold to the
U.S. Serum Company. They made hog Cholera Serum for 1% years and were
idle one year.

The original founders sold the company to 40 Chicago physicians who organized the U.S. Standard Products Company for the purpose of making and selling antitoxin and toxin-antitoxin. These physicians planned to sell their serum
to the State of Illinois, from which they had obtained a contract to supply
the state with diptheria antitoxin. Toxin-antitoxin at that time was the immunizing agent used in the prevention of diptheria.

At this time they began to manufacture a small pox vaccine, which was obtained frc>m treated calves, which were the property of the company. It was
in 1928, Coleman was elected president of the company. Other officers were
Dr. H.K. Nichols, vice president; and C.T. Conway, secretary-treasurer. Floyd H.
Eggert, a bacteriologist, joined the company shortly after Coleman came.
In 1929 the firm only had 12 or 14 employees and in 1947 it had over 100
employees.

90

U. S. STANDARD PRODUCT COMPANY · WOODWORTH

U.S. STANDARD PRODUCTS COMPANY OFFICE BUILDING · WOODWORTH
This building was one of the original buildings built It had dormitory rooms
for some of the workers in the back part of it. Later this building was used to
house three families of employees. *(8)

1947

The drug firm maintained shipping depots in Columbus, Ohio; Chicago and Dal·
las, Texas. At these centers, it maintained a stockpile of drug supplies.

Pictured here is the main building of the U.S Standard Product Co. *(14)

1932

Due to the more aggressive business leadership of the firm, they began to man·
ufacture a few pharmaceuticals, glandular products, liver extract tablets, elixirs
(liquids), vitamins, pollen extracts, etc. These were sold through retail drug
stores, hospitals and physicians.
During the period of the 1930's, the company continued its expansion both
in the field of new products and with new buildings which were added to the
original factory in Woodworth.
A new building addition was added almost every two years from the period
of 1930 to 1940. By 1947, the company extended to 70,000 feet of space as
the demand for its products grew throughout the country. *(6)

91

The buildings at Woodworth, Wisconsin were all built around the original plant.
Part of the structure is three stories high. It contained these special units:
Bacteriological laboratory, Tablet unit, Hormone unit, Elixir unit, Ampule
solution unit (injectibles), and small pox unit. Most of the company research
is done at the Southwest Medical College in Dallas, Texas.
The drug company manufactured about 15 different products. These ranged
all the way from a simple iodine tablet to an estrogenic hormone. The latter
is made from pregnant mare's urine and is· used for the treatment during the
menopause and after. Some of the products include the following: Vitamin B
complex, Poison Ivy Extract (Hypodermic), Liver extracts, Hay·Fever diagnos·
tics, Vaccines for diseases like influenza, Sulphur therapy for arthritis. *(6)

92

"THE OLD BUS" OF THE U.S. STANDARD PRODUCTS COMPANY
FACTORY BUILDING AT US STANDARD PRODUCTS COMPANY. This
shows some of the expansion that took palce at the firm as the company in·
creased in size.

1948

The U.S. Standard Products Company, Woodworth, is transferring all its oper·
ations to Mt. Prospect, Illinois. it presently employees 58 persons. The new
home of the company will be a brand new, though smaller, laboratory. The
buildings at Woodworth will be sold. One reason for the shift to Illinois is
that the company's new program does not require as much space. Sack when
the company was making serums, as many as 350 horses were housed at the
plant. New antitiotic drugs made the serums nearly obsolete, and their man·
ufacture was discontinued. Now U.S. Standard Products concentrates on such
things as hormones. Many of the employees have been with the company as
much as 25·30 years.
Some of the company's key personnel will be shifted to the Illinois plant.
Mt. Prospect is about 40 miles from Woodworth. The firm is beginning a new
national sales expansion program. Robert J. Coleman, Jr. will continue with
the firm in an executive capacity. *(6)

93

The history of this company and the memories of those who were employed
there for many years would not be complete without the picture of the old
bus. Untold numbers of people in this community were employed here for at
least a time of their life and many happy memories are held by them of the
times they rode to and from work on this old bus. Another bus finally replaced
this one.
1956

New Tribes Mission purchased the former property of the U.S. Standard Prod·
ucts Company. It is the office of their international business and also the
printing press of many of their publications. One of their publications is
known as BROWN GOLD.
The property is owned and operated by this organization to this date and many
families are housed at this location.

94

RENZ CREAMERY- WOODWORTH, BRISTOL TOWNSHIP
1915

CHEESE FACTORY IN WOODWORTH

The farmers of th'is area bought
shares in this business and put
up a building to serve as a
cheese factory. The land for
this building was purchased
from Frank W. Roberts by
the Woodworth Farmer's Creamery Company in 1915. It was
put up to fight the Renz Factory. Schultz ran the cheese
factory 1917-1918. The farmers were told the cheese had
to remain there to age for a
year. When they came to claim
their cheese it was gone and
also the money.
This factory only was in business for one or two years.
The building was also used as
a boarding place for the workers who worked on Hwy. 50
when it was being paved.

Picture courtesy of Esther Zuehlsdorf Adamson.

The land for this creamery was purchased from Mary Roberts by Theodore
Renz in the year 1910 and the building was probably built about that time.
Mr. Renz lived in Chicago and bought milk from the farmers in this area. The
milk was brought by wagon and unloaded at the upper level of this building.
The front part of the building was added at a later date. This creamery was
used from the time it was built until about 1922 when it closed.
The building sat idle for some time and was then purchased by Harry Hansen
around 1931 and was known as the Harry Hansen, Inc. Feed and Implement
Company. He was a dealer for the "Oliver Tractor and Implement Company".
This building was torn down some years ago and nothing remains on this
property now owned by Rick Varvil.

The land went back to Frank
W. Roberts in 1936 and it was
purchased by Clarence G lasman
that same year. The well house
and well located at this site
are still in use and serve several
families with water to this
day. The land is owned by
James Engberg and wife Mabie
Glasman Engberg.

When the cheese factory building was torn down, the materials were used to
build the George Lake tavern building.

In later years, Harry Hansen built a new building on 1-/wy. 50 and carried on
the feed, tractor and implement business, etc. until his death in 1958. The
building is now the home of the Quality Control Egg Farm.

95

96

SCHOOL HISTORY
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT MAP· MAY 28. 1842
1918- WOODWORTH GARAGE OBSERVED 50 YEARS IN BUSINESS
1968

97

1918

Clarence Glasman spent most of his life in the village of Woodworth_ With the
coming of the automobile and motorized machinery, there also came the need
lor repairs, etc_ Clarence worked as night watchman at the U.S. Standard Products Company, unloaded milk at the creamery and in the afternoon repaired
automobiles, etc. In 1920 he purchased a piece of land with a barn on it. He
tore the old barn down and built a wooden garage. When the milk factory
closed he had to depend upon his repair business to make a living. As work
increased, he built the cement block garage pictured above. This was built in
the early 1920's andthis part of the garage remains much as it was then. In
later years, an addition was added to the south of this building and also to
the rear of the building.

1968

In 1968, Clarence observed 50 years of being in the garage business. His son,
David had helped in the business for several years and when Clarence passed
away in 1970, David took over the business. The business today is still in
existence and is owned and operated by David Glasman_

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS

District No. 1 - Lower Left

Ira Pierce
Philander Judson
Sereno S. Fowler

District No. 2 - Upper Right

Met at the home of Levi Grant.

District No.4

District No. 3 - Upper Left
Lower Right

98

SCHOOL HISTORY OF BRISTOL

1835

Bristol history dates back to 1835 when Wm. Higgins made the first land claim
on the property now owned by Charles Thompson and occupied by the Nil
sens.

1837

School history started in 1837, when the first "Little Red School" was built
in the area opposite the Roland Benedict farm driveway on D about a mile
and a quarter south of Hwy. 50. In 1837, Sereno S. Fowler and his wife, Lemira
Tarbell Fowler arrived on the scene. Both were teachers, he a graduate from
Harvard and she from a select young ladies school in Southampton, Mass. They
soon established a private school in a part of their home. Many students were
attracted and to take care of the growing business, the Fowlers built for their
school the first frame house in Bristol. This building was on the north side of
present Hwy. 50 on the land Fowler claimed west of Woodworth. This later
became the Kellogg Tavern or the "Tarbell Place" known to you today as the
Quality Controlled Egg Farm. (See pages 6, 7 and 28 for pictures and infer·
mation.) Due to failing health, Mr. Fowler was compelled to close down the
school in 1847. The Fowlers were among the organizers of the Bristol Lyceum
in 1839 and the first library.

1842

Common school records start on May 16, 1842 when the commissioners met
at the home of S.S. Fowler and examined Miss Jane Burgess and found her
"qualified according to law for a school teacher".

1842

On May 28, 1842, the school commissioners, Ira Pierce, Philander Judson and
Sereno S. Fowler met at the home of Levi Grant and divided the town into
four districts. (See map on the previous page.)
This neat simple division was short lived as by March 24, 1849, fourteen districts are identified in the township. This was a long time before cars or
buses, so of need the schools were close to the kids. Today we think nothing
of transporting our students miles to their buildings.

1B44

Apportionment of school money for year 1844 was $66.00. This was distributed
in the following way:

Dist

1849

Dist.
Dist.
Dist.
Dist.
Dist.

No.
No.
No.
No.
No.

1
2
3
4
8

44
19
30
19
12

schloars
scholars
scholars
scholars
scholars

$23.40
10.12
15.97
10.12
6.39

On April 3, 1849, Samuel Leonard was elected the first Superintendent of the
common schools of the Town of Bristol. There were fourteen districts of the
common schools of the Town of Bristol, (see map on page 103), ten of which
were regularly organized and reporting the number of children over age four
and under twenty years residing in the district. The following are the records
of September 1, 1949:
District No. 1: 27 Male & 21 Female for a total of 48. The district received

99

$16.21 from the town. Orthography, reading, grammar, geography, arithmetic,
philosophy and algebra were taught.
District No. 2: They had 40 evenly divided male and female and received
$16.32 from the town. $150.00 was raised by tax for building a school house.
District No. 3: Total pupils were 66: 41 being male and 25 female. School was
kept for seven months with three months taught by a male teacher with wages
of $42.00 and four months by a female teacher with wages of $28.00. Public
money from the town was $24.00.
District No. 4: 44 pupils, 17 male and 27 female. Six months of school was
taught by a female teacher.
District No. 5: 50 pupils, 28 male and 22 female. Three months school was
held, wages being $1.50 a week for total of $18.00
District No. 6: Offered no report.
District No. 7: 20 pupils, 7 male and 13 female. Lois Wilson taught for $1.25
a week, then E. lisa Smith took over at $1.00 a week.
District No. 8: 60 pupils, 35 male and 25 female.
District No. 10: 31 pupils, 20 male and 11 female. Two months were taught
by a male at $12.00 and sixteen weeks by a female at $1.50 a week.
District No. 13: 34 pupils with 16 male and 18 female. School was taught six
and a half months during the year. That district received $18.30 from the town.
District No. 11: 19 pupils, 12 male and 7 female. Three months of school were
taught by a female teacher at $1.23 and three months by "a male approved
and qualified at $18.00 per month".
These fourteen districts underwent innumerable changes. Reasons are not mentioned in the record, but changes took place often by act of the superintendent
or commissioners from petitions or gentlemen agreements.
Historical tracing
were four school
shortly after this
we find these 10

of education in this district goes back to 1842 when there
districts; then to 1859 when there were 14 school districts:
period of time, these were reduced to 10 districts and in 1934
listed as the following:
No.1
No. 2
No. 5
No. 6
No. B
No. 9
No. 10
No. 11
No. 12
No. 13

South Bristol
North Bristol
Woodworth
Salem
Maple Ridge
Walker
Newbury
Hazel Dell
Marsh
Pikeville

EXCERPTS FROM TEACHER CONTRACTS ON FILE IN THE SCHOOL VAULT:

March 29, Miss Doris Ganzlin nine months at $135.00 per month to "teach,
govern, and conduct common school of said district to best of her ability,
keep register of daily attendance and studies of each pupil belonging to school
and such other records as district board may require, make such reports as
are required by law and endeavor to preserve in good condition and order the
school house, grounds, furniture apparatus and such other district property as
may come under the immediate supervision of said teacher." On Sept. 2, 1930,
Miss Ganzlin contracted at $140.00 per month.

100

Many from Bristol remember Miss Jessie Bice. Her contracts are Sept. 2, 1929$150.00- Sept. 5, 1932 · $145.00- and Sept. 4, 1933- $120.00. This reflects
the effects of the depression. Miss Janel Kreiman had the primary room for
$100.00 on Sept. 5, 1932 with "board to be responsible for janitor work and
janitor will build the fires". Miss Kreimans contract on Sept. 4, 1933 was for
$95.00.

1893

SCHOOL LIBRARY

The first separation of school apportionments with amounts retained for library
appears in the records Feb. 16, 1893. Each school had some books for a minimal
library, including a dictionary and set of encyclopedias. This was later supplemented by the traveling county library mentioned in Bristol P.T.A. notes of
Nov. 12, 1929. Following a talk on proposed free traveling library a motion
was made and seconded that P.T.A. petition county board to vote for the library. Prior to this, mention is made Sept. 14, 1928 that Mrs. Whitcher would
transport this traveling library and on March 8, 1928 Mrs. Murdoch was to
move the books. Quoted from a letter read to P.T.A.'s urging county library
support is the following: "Continue to support a county library plan thru series

DISTRICT NO. 1 SOUTH BRlSTOL SCHOOL

The 1st district school was started at Knoxtons Corners. The log school house
stood about 40 rods north of the school known as the "Kingman School". Wm.
Ethridge was the first teacher. This school was on the north-west corner of
Hwys. 45 & C, but when larger facilities were needed land was purchased a
half mile east of that corner on C. This building was started in 1953 and added
to in 1957.

of book service stations and branches established in all villages, schools and
cross road stores. A trained librarian would have charge of books at headquarters probably in the county court house. The book supply would be con·
stantly shifting and any special book wanted would be sent from headquarters
without extra cost. Such library service anticipated to cost the average family
less per year than the price of good magazine."

A traveling school library was put in use. Mr. Art Bohn, Mr. Ernest Kirchner
and Pop Benson were some of the people who did this by bid contract with
the county. Boxes were moved from school to school monthly, with supple·
ments from the county Supt. of Schools office in the court house. This library
was finally dispensed with in 1964 when a county Supt. of schools was no
longer a part of the county educational system. The books were moved to the
Salem Grade School, but when they needed that room for classes, the Hazel
Dell building was rented for a year and the books moved there. The library
dissolved when on June 30, 1967 the collection was sold to Paris and Brighton
Schools.
Our district today has a good library including besides the usual reference and
fiction books a good supply of film strips, tapes, charts and activity cards and
professional materials for teacher usage. Families have the privilege of using
the Gilbert Simmons or Antioch libraries for additional resource. The family
pays $10.00 and the township pays $15.00 or the $25.00 library card fee at
either library. The township also contracts with the Graham library at Union
Grove for the residents who prefer going north.

SOUTH BRISTOL SCHOOL 1925
From left to right: Back Row: Mary lamb, Harold Hollister, Edgar Foulke, Fred
Krahn, Pearl Zuehlsdorf, Edna Risch, Sara Jones, Hazel Macintyre, Katie Rausch.
Middle Row: Eugene Krahn, Rausch, Oscar Wienke, Brosia Williams, Marjorie
Zuehlsdorf, Alice Jones, Lucille Maaske, Etta Williams, Alee Krahn, Gladys
Mcintyre.
Front Row: Rausch, Raymond Maaske, Vernon Wienke, Christensen, Alice
Jones, Katie Jones.

101

1916

The P.T.A. began when a meeting of parents and others interested in the welfare of the school came together.

1917

The entire school was organized into a Jr. Red Cross to do its best toward the
winning of the war and every child was able to earn his pin by rolling trench
bandages.

1919

The county nurse program began and in the scarlet fever epidemic of 1935-36
the pupils were immunized at the local serum plant, then located in Woodworth.

102

..
DISTRICT NO. 2 · NORTH BRISTOL SCHOOL
BRISTOL TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT MAP 1934

'It

NORTH BRISTOL GRADE SCHOOL ABOUT 1927
The first North Bristol School building was on Nixon corner, presently Hwys.
45 & 50 where Bert Johnson's live today. The building was sold to Joe Row·
bottom for a garage in 1905 and the usual tug-of·war took place when a new
building was needed. The village wanted it located in the village and the rest
wanted it left on the corner.
Finally, Mr. Whitcher offered to sell land mid·way and that is how the school
was built where it stands today.

ff'f
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J

103

MARSH SCHOOl. DISTRICT No. 12
NEWBURY SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 10
NORTH BRISTOL SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 3
WOODWORTH SCHOOL DISTRICT NO.5
SOUTH BRISTOL SCHOOL DISTRICT NO.
WALKER SCHOOL DISTRICT NO.9
SALEM JOINT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO.6
PIKEVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 13
HAZEL DELL SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 11
MAPLE RIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO.8

DISTRICT NO.5- WOODWORTH SCHOOL DISTRICT

1849

November, Amasa C. Joslyn deeded Y, acre of land (S.W. corner of MB and S
of Hwy. 50) to the school district. The original Woodworth School building
was on the corner of A.C. Joslyn's place and the building burned in 1871.
There was a division in the district. They wanted the school house moved to
the east but it was voted down by Walden. The people compromised and put
it where the school is now located. We boys were there on a Saturday afternoon
playing ball and they claim we set fire to the building. The school burned down
that night. *(15)

1870

March: School Board: Selah Tarbell, Ashbell Upson, A.C. Joslyn. Teacher:
Miss D.J. Schermerhorn, Participating children: Willie Packman, Josie Bush,
Christina Woodworth, Clara Upson. Mr. Linus Woodworth made some appropriate remarks. • ( 12)

104

window; so she/d be assured of our safe arrival. We~d never expect to ride un·
DISTRICT NO. 5 WOODWORTH (CONTINUED)

1872 May: The School District deeded the land back to
Amasa C. Joslyn. The school
property location was moved
to the N. E. corner on MB
north of Hwy. 50 on the property of S.E. Tarbell, Section
No. 3. The picture on this
page is of the school building
which was first on this property.
1894 October: Students at
District No. 5: Mary, Annie,
Tris and Andrew Hanson;
Helen Gages; Grace Vincent;
Roy Marsh; Amanda Schumuckel;
Annie Krahn; Hugo and Roy
Firchow; Wardie, Flora and
Ruth Shields; Martin Packman
and Maude Benedict. J.B. Edwards was the teacher. * (6)
1925 October: Kenosha News:

The old school house in District
No. 5 was sold at auction last
Saturday night for $290. Clarence Benedict of Kenosha was
the highest bidder. The work
on the new school building
is progressing rapidly. It is expected it will be ready for occupancy by Dec. 1, 1925.
(This is the red brick building
still used by the Bristol Consolidated School District for
the lower grades.)

PICTURE OF WOODWORTH SCHOOL BUILDING. THE GIRL IS
MAUDE BENEDICT PICTURE GIVEN BY MRS ELMER
BENEDICT
MEMORIES OF SCHOOL DAYS BY DORIS KIRCHNER MAGWITZ

1 attended Woodworth school for all eight grades, graduating In 1936. We walked
to school in those days. There weren't so many cars on the road and they weren't
so high powered The trucks would be some farmer or the milk truck going to
Kenosha. We did use a path on the south road bank from MB west to our
(You recognize my home as the Plunkett farm immediately east of
Mother could watch us the whole way to school from the kitchen

less it was raining or we were having a blizzard and then we/d get a ride with
the pony on the cutter or the team on the bob sled. (Roads didn't get plowed
and salted on 24 hour schedule.) Teachers usually boarded in the district and
it took a major disaster to call school. The one time I recall was for the big
blizzard in Feb. 7936 and the scarlet fever epidemic. We carried our lunch and
being thE oldest, I also got the duty of carrying our jars of milk in my school
bag. We'd eat our lunches quickly so we'd have a long noon hour for playing
ball, pom-pom pull away, red-rover or annie-over the old wall from the old
school house. We'd jump rope and do double-dutch. In winter we'd bring our
skates and go to the pond north on M 8 to ice skate
Schools were under the county superintendent and we and the teacher would
shake in our shoes at a visit from Mr. Ihlenfeldt or Mr. Eggert and at least once
a year the state inspector would come by.
·
We left our seats to go to class or to the library with permission. You went
to the bathroom at recess and never whispered in school. We learned to read
music in fifth grade and could sing alto or soprano parts as the teacher requested
our row to do. Teachers could play piano, teach art or put us through our penmanship drills. Annual county music festivals were held at the pavilion at Paddock L.ake where the beach house is now. County graduation exercises were
held there, also. We observed annual Arbor Day and brought shovels and rakes
and spent the afternoon cleaning up the yard. The day ended with a marsh·
mellow roast over the fire that burned up the rakings. Trees were planted along
the west fence at Woodworth while I attended. We had field meets with neigh·
boring schools We'd enter our best athletes in relay races, broad jumps, high
jumps and the soft ball game. Having come through horse and buggy days to
aero-space age without benefit of psychiatrists, psychologists or full-time school
nurse, I don't feel my generation has been left totally educationally deprived.

SKETCH OF HAZEL DELL BRISTOL NOVEMBER 26, 1926 DISTRICT NO. 11
DISTRICT NO. 9 WALKER SCHOOL (PICTURED ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE)

The Walker School was on the north side of Hwy. C opposite the Richard
Walker farm a bit west of Hwy. U. This building was used as a residence by
Bill White before being torn down.
Changing educntion methods brought consolidations to the township, the first
of these in 1944 with Walker and Maple Ridge joining to Woodworth. Busing
and hot lunches were instituted at this time.
DISTRICT NO.8 MAPLE RIDGE SCHOOL (NO PICTURE AVAILABLE)

This district was located in the south eastern part of Bristol Township in part
of section 24, all of section 25 and all of section 36. Mrs. Rose Clark's home
is on the site of the Maple Ridge School, but the old building is torn down.

We have met here tonite, to bid adieu
To the old-fashioned school-house and welcome the new.
The door and the treshhold is aged and worn
For 'twas back in the sixty's, if I'm rightly informed,
That it was moved here o'er highway and lawn
For it formerly stood on the old Gates farm.
To it, then was added say twelve feet or more
For children were increasing by the score.
A fair damsel named Holbrook then paved the way
For her niece's daughters, to follow her way,
She was gentle, forbearing and carried a smile,
Her pupils would run to meet her a mile.
For youth is the time when impressions are made
Whether right, or wrong, they are sure to remain.
The records will show you how many since then
Have followed her footsteps, some women, some men.
One who gained prominence, skill and fame
Worked as a doctor, Ward was hi~ name.
Many as teachers have moved away,
Their superiority, gains them wealth each day,
Others, who left Hazel Dell and worked,
Can prove by their business, that it pays not to shirk.
Tho' some have gone to their home on high
Their influence here, can never die.
Only two are left in our township to tell
Of varied experiences which they can recall.
How time has changed the now and the then,
The things now enjoyed were unthought of then,
The rod in those days was not spared as 'tis now,
Takes them to tell it, the where, when and how.
We now do agree that to win the goodwill is a far greater knack,
Than using the rod, hair-pulling, or strap.

DISTRICT NO. 11 HAZEL DELL SCHOOL (PICTURED ABOVE)

This school district is located in the southeastern part of the Township of
Bristol. The school was first located across from E.J. Gillmore's, It was moved
to the distance of a few rods of its present location. It was next moved to the
north side of the road a few rods east of the cement bridge west of Pringles,
and then to its present location. The brick school was built in 1926.
The school was named Hazel Dell in 1885 when Mr. Carpenter was teaching the
schoo.l. They say that they were holding a Lyceum meeting at the school and
the other teachers called it Hazel Dell because there was so much hazel brush
growing around the school house.

Those old wooden benches all painted sky blue
Were filled to the limit with boys and girls too.
Full forty or more were enrolled in the winter;
The seatin' was cramped, but what did that matter;
They were chuck full of glee, frolic and fun.
So much so, that the teacher would oft make them run.
It used to be there, that eighth graders were grown
To full sized women and also men.
Diploma's were unsought for, just learning and fun
Was all that they tho't of, in life's course to run.
New methods are here, they are here to stay:
But which is better, the old or new way?
The eighth grade pupil used to go 'till twenty,
They now have diplomas at thirteen, or better.

108

The reading in those days and spelling so ran
That 'twas done by hard study, not the hit or miss plan.
Now, if the vision is clear, and the brain wide awake,
The child knows all, just at one whack.
No alphabet used; he's too smart for that
But he oft times says cow; when he ought to say rat.
As time advanced, so did wages too
A higher ambition sought thru and thru.
A teacher was hired at fifty per month.
He was a normal graduate and have him, they must.
Then came the winter of the big snow
The fence tops and tree tops were all below:
No roads were seen, not even a train,
Until the 18th of April, the time for rain.
The snow and the rain the bridges did take,
So many were called hard tasks to relate.
The farmers got busy and hastened things through,
For if any harvest, there wasn't much show.
They say the old school-house will soon be away,
But the things we learned there are here to stay.
Backward, turn backward, Oh time in your flight,
Make me a child again, just for tonite.

In the spring of 1963, Pikeville, North and South Bristol districts, consolidated
creating District No. 1, Town of Bristol (Bristol Consolidated). The district began operating as a new district in July on 1963 with the following board members: Grace Morris, Clerk; Stewart Herzog, Director; Duane Stiehr, Treasurer;
Roland Benedict and Ray Bushing were members; creating the first five member
school board in the district.
During the 1964-65 school year action within the district again took place.
Agreement was reached through consolidation which dissolved the Woodworth
and Hazel Dell districts. All of the area of the two districts in the town of
Bristol joined Bristol Consolidated District No. 1. The area in the town of
Pleasant Prairie became part of what is now Kenosha Unified District No. 1.
This order became effective July 1, 1965. Board members of the new Bristol
Consolidated District No. 1 were Myrtle Hollister, Clerk; Orville Winfield,.
Treasurer; Tom Krueger and Duane Stiehr, Members.
During the 1965-66 school year, three buildings were used to house 348 pupils
in grades 1 through 8. By the 1966-67 year, the pupil population had increased
to 399 making the existing facilities too small. The new building which was
dedicated April 1968 is the result of that planning. In 1968, there were 427
students.
The Woodworth building has been retained for the primary grades, the South
building for the intermediate grades, and the new building consists of 10 classrooms, a materials center, cafeteria; kitchen, multipurpose room and office
space. Today we have a student body of 485 including kindergarten.
DISTRICT NO. 10 NEWBURY SCHOOL (PICTURED BELOW) 1905

But why linger back and past mem'ry's unfold,
Why not engage in new that's, stead of old.
Encourage the youth in this day and age
To make of his life, one that any wise sage
Would envy if he, the future could see.
The triumphs you win thru work and glee
In baffling in-temperance, war and hate
So it can be said - "Twas not too late".
Just a word to the young folks, so gentle and gay,
Who are so happy and joyous at the new modern way
Of making a school-house convenient and warm
It's made from the products of great-grandfather's farm.
Only thru hardships which they endured
Would you be privileged your feet to keep warm.
If they had not crossed the wide sea long ago
You could not here this fine structure show.
Their voiees are silent, we hear them no more.
Lets prepare to meet on the other shore.
Written by Mrs. Frank Gethen
(Emma Holbrook ·was Hattie Powell's Aunt, she was Mrs. Frank Hoyt. She was the
first teacher when the school was moved to Hwy. MB. Her nieces daughter was the
last one in the old school and the first in the new. Margaret Powell Gillmore)

109

•

VALUATIONS OF DISTRICTS OF BRISTOL 1861
District No

Valuation

1

53
32
59
26
49
9
26
50
45
13
44
14
37

83.2~

~1.74

8
9
10
11
12
13

78,618.
40,023.
51,670.
33,449.
42,127.
76.62
39,977.
37,685.
42,897.
21,269.
27,983
16,963.
30,582.

50.25
92.65
40.84
76.94
14.13
40.84
78.52
70.66
20.41
69.09
21.98
58.11

21.25
27.48
17.76
22.37
4.06
21.23
20.01
22.77
11.29
14.65
9.00
16.24

26.50
16.00
29.50
13.00
24.50
4.50
13.00
25.00
22.50
6.50
22.00
7.00
18.50

Totals

470,905.

457

717.66

250.00

228.50

2

3
4

5
6
7

Scholars

County

Town

State

This gave a valuation ot $1030.41 behind each student.
Today in District No. 1 we have an assessed valuation of $60,510,780.00 or
$124,764.47 per student. The district tax levy for 1975 is $586,539.85 or
$1209.36 per student. In addition to the levy the district receives $113,870.00
in aids, aid to special education, trailer fees and interest. There are 21 regular and
6 part-time teachers, one administrator and one director of instruction, 4 janitors,
4 cooks and 2 helpers in the three kitchens used by the district, one regular and two
part~tlme clerical he!p Nine buses transport and shuttle children.
DISTRICT NO. 12 MARSH SCHOOL

Pictured below is the last class at the Marsh School. The building is now the residence of Albert Klemko and it is located on Hwv. 45 just north of 60th Street.

PIKEVILLE SCHOOL HISTORY DISTRICT NO. 13
The original Pikeville School District No. 13 was at Pikeville Corners. The corner
was named Pikeville, because of the
Pike brothers who had settled there.
The school was on the farm known as
Howard Farrn. The site was just across
the road from the Tillotson resrdence. The Tillotson land was used for the playThe school district at that time was a large one, too
for the chilto walk to school. A meeting was called and decided to let
Dell and
South Bristol heve part. A new school was to be built and Milo Britten offe'red
the board a site on his farm. He deeded the land to the district in 1866. The old
school was bought by Sam Tillotson for $1800. and moved west from the corner
and used for a Blacksmith
The new school on the Britten site was built
in 1866-67. The teachers did
own janitor work, be1ng at the school early,
building their own fires, and cleaning
after school hours tor a
of $35.00
monthly. in 1938, when the state
a more
system,
school was
remodeled at a cost ot $16,500. with a full
well and an oil furFox, Ray Winfield and
nace. On the school board at this time were
Harry Tillotson. In 1963, the district was consolidated into the Bristol Unified
District. The Pikeville School building is now the Red School Cafe.

Church History Of Bristol 1ownship
1837

In the year of 1837, four churches were organized in the town of Bristol. The
first meeting house in the town of Bristol was known as "Wesley Chapel on
Walkers Prairie",

SETTLERS ORGANIZED SEVERAL CHURCHES

1837 The first sermon preachei
in the area was at the funeral
of a seven year old child, the
daughter of Ira Phillips, who
at that time lived east of the
Herman Nielsen residence in a
log cabin where a little clump :
of brush stands, The Rev, Abni
Barlow preached on the words;
"But I say unto you brethren,
the time is short", This was
in the year 1837 and later
that year he preached to fifty i
people at the home of A B,
Jackson when arrangements
were made to have regular
services every two weeks,
1842 The next year, A Meth,
odist Society was formed, As- .
bury Chapel was built 1Y, milei
'
N,E, of the village in 1842,
west of A,B, Jackson's home,
In 1844, a society was organized and a church was built
in 1857, south of the village
of Bristol where the Hosmer
Cemetery now stands. It was
called Hosmer Chapel. The
building was later torn down.
1837 The first "Meeting Housej
in the town of Bristol was
.,
known as Wesley Chapel on
Walker's prairie, Before a
church building was erected,
services were held at different'
homes in the community, The
religious organization was
formed on March 7, 1837,

WESLEY CHAPEL - 1938

HISTORY OF WESLEY CHAPEL (1976)

Before a church building was erected, services were held at different homes of
of the community, There are records of them being held in the home of Abed
Ward which at the time was a log house on the corner of the present U f!< U
Hwys, The organization was from March 7, 1837, Father Sykes, a Circuit Rider,
was the ministeL
1852

The first Wesley Chapel building was located on the site where the present
church stands, In a diary of Giles Holbrook, he first mentioned the chapel on
May 30, 1852, The land for the building was donated by Abed M. Ward and
his wife Sarah. The trustees at this time were D,O. Van Slacks, Edward Jones,
Joseph Fellows and Ezra CanneL The deed for the property was drawn up
and signed January 10, 1850 at 1:45 p,m. recorded in Vol. A of Deeds pages
543 and 544, Edward Jones, one of the members of the men who helped in
the building of the church, settled one of the earliest claims in the neighbor,
hood (1842).
When the church was ready to be dedicated some rough people of the com,
munity stoned the windows and broke everyone, The Ward's were grief stricken
but Mrs, Ward hunted up a bolt of cloth called "factory" which was tacked
over the broken windows so the ceremonies could be held as planned,

1873

There is no record of what exactly happened to the first building but it was
probably torn down and replaced by a newer, larger one, The new one was
erected in 1873, The name of the carpenter was Charles Matthews. The first
windows of this church were donated by a Mrs, Howard of Chicago, a friend
of "Aunt Burt" who lived on (Hwy, V) road south of the church. These win·
dows were destroyed by the Powder Mill explosion in Pleasant Prairie, March
1911. They were replaced by the present windows, The horse sheds were also
demolished at this time and were rebuilt by the men of the community. The
basement was put under the church around 1902 by the men of the church
who hired a mason to built the chimney,

1934

The old sheds were taken down in 1934 when additional land and an ornamental fence were donated to the church by Talford Powell.

1947

In 1947, a new kitche<> with a Sunday School room above, was added to the
church.
Rev, Joseph Yemm had a vision of enlarging the church when he was minister
but he passed away before anything had been accomplished. On October 8,
1954, steps were taken to do something about the addition, In April of 1957,
a drive was made to finance the plans and in the spring of 1958, work began
with the members of the church doing a great deal of the work,

114

Church History Of Bristol Township
1837

HISTORY OF WESLEY CHAPEL (1976)

In the year of 1837, four churches were organized in the town of BristoL The
first meeting house in the town of Bristol was known as "Wesley Chapel on
Walkers Prairie".

SETTLERS ORGANIZED SEVERAL CHURCHES

1837 The first sermon preache,
in the area was at the funeral '
of a seven year old child, the
daughter of Ira Phillips, who
at that time lived east of the
Herman Nielsen residence in a I
log cabin where a little clump [
of brush stands. The Rev. Abni
Barlow preached on the words'
"But I say unto you brethren,!
the time is short", This was !
in the year 1837 and later
!
that year he preached to fifty !
people at the home of A B. '
Jackson when arrangements
were made to have regular
services every two weeks.

Before a church building was erected, services were held at different homes of
of the community. There are records of them being held in the home of Abed
Ward which at the time was a log house on the corner of the present U !l< U
Hwys. The organization was from March 7, 1837. Father Sykes, a Circuit Rider,
was the minister.

1

1842 The next year, A Methodist Society was formed. Asbury Chapel was built 1Y, milei
N.E. of the village in 1842,
'
west of A.B. Jackson's home.
In 1844, a society was organized and a church was built
in 1857, south of the village
of Bristol where the Hosmer
Cemetery now stands, It was
called Hosmer ChapeL The
building was later torn down.

1852

When the church was ready to be dedicated some rough people of the community stoned the windows and broke everyone. The Ward's were grief stricken
but Mrs. Ward hunted up a bolt of cloth called "factory" which was tacked
over the broken windows so the ceremonies could be held as planned.

1873

There is no record of what exactly happened to the first building but it was
probably torn down and replaced by a newer, larger one. The new one was
erected in 1873. The name of the carpenter was Charles Matthews. The first
windows of this church were donated by a Mrs. Howard of Chicago, a friend
of "Aunt Burt" who lived on (Hwy. V) road south of the church. These windows were destroyed by the Powder Mill explosion in Pleasant Prairie, March
1911. They were replaced by the present windows. The horse sheds were also
demolished at this time and were rebuilt by the men of the community. The
basement was put under the church around 1902 by the men of the church
who hired a mason to built the chimney.

1934

The old sheds were taken down in 1934 when additional land and an ornamental fence were donated to the church by Talford Powell.

1947

In 1947, a new kitchen with a Sunday School room above, was added to the
church.

I

1837 The first "Meeting House1
in the town of Bristol was
'
known as Wesley Chapel on
Walker's prairie. Before a
church building was erected,
services were held at different:!
homes in the community. The
religious organization was
formed on March 7, 1837,
WESLEY CHAPEL - 1938

The first Wesley Chapel building was located on the site where the present
church stands . In a diary of Giles Holbrook, he first mentioned the chapel on
May 30, 1852. The land for the building was donated by Abed M. Ward and
his wife Sarah. The trustees at this time were D.O. Van Slacks, Edward Jones,
Joseph Fellows and Ezra Conner. The deed for the property was drawn up
and signed January 10, 1850 at 1:45 p.m. recorded in Vol. A of Deeds pages
543 and 544. Edward Jones, one of the members of the men who helped in
the building of the church, settled one of the earliest claims in the neighborhood (1842).

Rev. Joseph Yemm had a vision of enlarging the church when he was minister
but he passed away before anything had been accomplished. On October 8,
1954, steps were taken to do something about the addition. In April of 1957,
a drive was made to finance the plans and in the spring of 1958, work began
with the members of the church doing a great deal of the work

Church History Of Bristol Township
1837

In the year of 1837, four churches were organized in the town of BristoL The
first meeting house in the town of Bristol was known as "Wesley Chapel on
Walkers Prairie".

SETTLERS ORGANIZED SEVERAL CHURCHES

1837 The first sermon preache,
in the area was at the funeral
of a seven year old child, the
daughter of Ira Phillips, who
at that time lived east of the
Herman Nielsen residence in a'
log cabin where a little clump ;
of brush stands. The Rev. Abni
Barlow preached on the words·
"But I say unto you brethren,
the time is short". This was
in the year 1837 and later
that year he preached to fifty
people at the home of A B.
Jackson when arrangements
were made to have regular
services every two weeks.

1842 The next year, A Meth·
odist Society was formed. As· i
bury Chapel was built 1Y, milei
N.E. of the village in 1842, !
west of A.B. Jackson's home. ·
In 1844, a society was organ·
ized and a church was bui It
in 1857, south of the village
of Bristol where the Hosmer
Cemetery now stands. It was
called Hosmer Chapel. The
building was later torn down.
1837 The first "Meeting Housel
in the town of Bristol was
·~
known as Wesley Chapel on i
Walker's prairie. Before a
church building was erected, ·j
services were held at different :
homes in the community. The;
religious organization was
formed on March 7, 1837.
WESLEY C.'"IAPEL

1938

HISTORY OF WESLEY CHAPEL (1976)

Before a church building was erected, services were held at different homes of
of the community. There are records of them being held in the home of Abed
Ward which at the time was a log house on the corner of the present U !l< U
Hwys. The organization was from March 7, 1837. Father Sykes, a Circuit Rider,
was the minister.
1852

The first Wesley Chapel buildmg was located on the site where the present
church stands. In a diary of Giles Holbrook, he first mentioned the chapel on
May 30, 1852. The land for the building was donated by Abed M. Ward and
his wife Sarah. The trustees at this time were D.O. Van Slacks, Edward Jones,
Joseph Fellows and Ezra Conner. The deed for the property was drawn up
and signed January 10, 1850 at 1:45 p.m. recorded in VoL A of Deeds pages
543 and 544. Edward Jones, one of the members of the men who helped in
the building of the church, settled one of the earliest claims in the neighborhood (1842).
When the church was ready to be dedicated some rough people of the community stoned the windows and broke everyone. The Ward's were grief stricken
but Mrs. Ward hunted up a bolt of cloth called "factory" which was tacked
over the broken windows so the ceremonies could be held as planned.

1873

There is no record of what exactly happened to the first building but it was
probably torn down and replaced by a newer, larger one. The new one was
erected in 1873. The name of the carpenter was Charles Matthews. The first
windows of this church were donated by a Mrs. Howard of Chicago, a friend
of" Aunt Burt" who lived on (Hwy. VI road south of the church. These win·
dows were destroyed by the Powder Mill explosion in Pleasant Prairie, March
1911. They were replaced by the present windows. The horse sheds were also
demolished at this time and were rebuilt by the men of the community. The
basement was put under the church around 1902 by the men of the church
who hired a mason to built the chimney.

1934

The old sheds were taken down in 1934 when additional land and an ornamental fence were donated to the church by Talford Powell.

1947

In 1947, a new kitche0 with a Sunday School room above, was added to the
church.
Rev. Joseph Yemm had a vision of enlarging the church when he was minister
but he passed away before anything had been accomplished. On October 8,
1954, steps were taken to do something about the addition. In April of 1957,
a drive was made to finance the plans and in the spring of 1958, work began
with the members of the church doing a great deal of the work.

1967

In 1967 anothe1 addition of four Sunday School rooms was made possible
through the generosity of Miss Fanny Pringle.
The Reverends Lounsbury, Parson, James, Lung Maeger, Roberson, Wilcox,
Crawford, Lugg, Bethards, Brinton, Steen, Johnson, Olsen, Abel, Buxton,
Smith, Baucher, Butekinst, Byedy, Bailey, Ransom, Wittenburg, Yemm, Wil·
cox, Stassel, Stilts, Frank, Lenard, Logsdon, Bloedow, Janush and at present
Kanhai have served the church.

1973

BRISTOL METHODIST CHURCH 1908 (Picturecl below) *(73)

The church celebrated their Centennial of the present building in 1973.
ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH (Pictured Below)

1866

St. Mary's Catholic Church was built in 1866 west of Hosmer on the same
road. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence O'Brien donated a plot of land to the Parish for
the church and cemetery. This plot is located on the south side of Hwy. V
about a mile west of Hwy. 45 where the cemetery remains and the old parish
house sti II stands.
Father Thomas Fitzhenry served as first pastor. During those years, the pastor
would offer one Mass in Holy Name Church at Wilmot and one at St. Mary's
Church each Sunday.
Farm families of the area like Coyne, Haddican, Gleason, Hunt, McAllister,
O'Brien were the first parishoners. Due to population shifts, the Parish Rectory
was closed in 1927, the church building dismantled and the lumber hauled
away. (The above picture was given by Mary Bolton.)

1945

1958

1961
115

1880's Residents of the village attended services in the Asbury Chapel until the 1880's
when the people thought it necessary to have a church in Bristol. Rev. E.C.
Perry, Dr. Scherer, Chas. Whitcher, and Cornelius Williams formed the building
committee authorized to erect a church not to cost less than $2,000., whenever $1,500. in subscriptions was received for the purpose. March 1886

ST. BENEDICT'S MISSION PARISH

AH. Stevens and James Bryant were appointed to purchase a site which was
at the extreme north edge of the village. The cost reached $2,630. At the
November conference in 1886, it was voted to hold the next quarterly confer·
ence in the new church, with a dedication to take place on a week-day, and a
new carpet to be purchased.

In 1945, St. Benedict's Mission Parish was established. Among those attending
were members of the McGreal, Spaay, Andersen, Elfering and Bolton families.

A day long dedication for Bristol Methodist Church was held in November
1887 followed by an Oyster Supper served by the Ladies Aid Society.

On July 24, 1958, the parish was incorporated at the direction of Archbishop
Meyer as a diocesan parish and was named St. Scholastica.

The following year, a parsonage was built for $900. Enoch Perry was the first
minister.

June 4, 1961, the first mass in the new church building was said by Father
Augustine, OSB. and Father Eugene Bleidorn, Pastor, assisted as server.
116

BRISTOL AND PARIS CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 1853
GERMAN METHODIST CHURCH 1908 BRISTOL

1879

*(13)

As the years passed, many people from Germany came to Bristol to make their
homes. In 1879, they formed a congregation and built a small church of Methodist denomination. This became too small, so it was used as a parsonage. Rev.
Berg occupied this building on the east side of Hwy. 45 in the middle of the
block between 81 st and 82nd Streets.

This picture is from the collection of Dewey Slides No. 119, Kenosha Historical Society. *(9)

This church building was built in 1853 on one acre of land deeded by Justus
Bishop.
The church closed its services in 1927.

117

A new church was built named "Bristol German Methodist Church". This
building no longer stands today having been torn down when a new basement
was put under the newer church building of the English Congregation.

The building was torn down in 1931.

The English and German Congregations later combined to form one group.

The records of Clerk and Treasurer from 1851 down, were deposited with the
Conference and these have been put with our other precious documents in the
State' Historical Library for safe keeping.

118

PLANK ROAD CHURCH, BUlL T 68 YEARS AGO, HAS INTERESTING HISTORY

(From Kenosha Herald July 8, 1921)

by Mrs. George Shepard

Woodworth, Wis., July 8 · The Plank Road Congregational Church of the old
pioneer days, which has produced some of the sturdiest characters of Kenosha
County, has been modernized to meet the present · day needs of the com·
munity, yet retaining most of the exterior lines that characterize it as a landmark, ten miles west of Kenosha on the dividing line between the towns of
Bristol and Paris.
The church society dates back to the earliest settlers from New Englanders,
the first of which was Seth Myrick, who in 1835 located in the present town
of Paris, he having named it for his native town in New York. These early
settlers encountered many hardships which they met with characteristic for·
titude and faith. Their small ill-ventilated log houses have all given place to
modern, homes surrounded with automobiles, milking machines, silos and
farm implements unknown and unthought of by these hardy settlers whose only
means of transportation was the ox-drawn lumber wagon and whose farming was
done with a prairie plow and a drag lubricated with "back oil and elbow grease'~
At that time, the Plank Road was the highway between Beloit and Southport
(Kenosha) and over which residents now living have counted upwards of a hun·
dred teams in a day, delivering their wheat, no corn being raised, as it was then
thought corn would not grow so far north. Their mail address was Southport
Wis. Ter.
In 1837, the first religious meeting was held, the Rev. Caldwell officiating.
Under his leadership, a church society was organized and in the following year
an old-fashioned revival was conducted in the home of S. Upson, which greatly
·
strengthened the work.
Then followed years both lean and fat, until on Jan. 5, 1851, the Rev. Thomas
Tenny, formally united in Christian convenant a number of families adopting
its delcaration of principle, which the church still reaffirms and follows. These
adherents, now all dead, are as follows: Hammond Marsh, Katherine Marsh,
Chas. M. and Emily Fowler, Misses Anna, Ellen, Jennie and Emily Fowler,
Justice P. Bishop, Miss Lucinda Tibbals, Mrs. Maria Dutton, Mrs. Jedida Reed.
In the meantime, money was solicited to build a church which was achieved
in the summer of 1853, Samuel Burnell having deeded ten acres for a parsonage
and Justus Bishop one acre on which the church was built, "where Mrs. Luman
Marsh, unable to attend services might see the House of God from her window'',
Henry Newberry superintending the construction.
It was publicly dedicated to the worship of God, Dec. 27 of the same year.
That year the cemetery was secured, Miss Emily Fowler being the first one
laid to rest therein.
In 1855, the parsonage, a nine-room house, was built. It comfortably housed
the succeeding ministers. It was resently repaired and improved for the present
pastor, Rev. B. W. Cooley, over whose head it burned June 3, 1921.

119

An interesting revelation is had in perusing the "items of Expense" for the
church, especially, "one gallon kerosene, $1.25, one pair lamps $1.00", such items,
however, appear to be balanced by $13.85 paid sexton for caring for the church
for one year.
There appears also on the records of this liberty-loving body of believers, the
following ante-bellum declaration of principles: "The church of Christ should
bear distinct and practicable testimony···-····-especially against that organized
system of wickedness··········slavery, now overshadowing our land, and leaving
at the mercy of the worst passions of human nature 3,000,000 of our fellow

men."
In 1874, the sweet-toned bell which still calls to worship was installed at a
cost of about $275.00. Later this bell was rocked from its holdings and fell
to the west roof without injury to bell or person.
The organ and chimes were in the gallery at the rear of the church towards
which the audience would turn to sing, until one minister rebelled at the idea
of surveying the backs of the worshippers, when this custom went into history.
The church records also tell of four of its sons who gave their lives in the Civil
War as follows: Frederick B. Taylor, Co. H 33 Wis. Vol., killed at Vicksburg;
Benj. F. Wood, Co. H Wis. Vol. died at Danville, Ky., June 9, '63. Capt. J.F.
Linsley, Co. H 33 Wis. Vol. killed in battle April 18, '63; John Gray, Do. E
33 Wis. Vol. died at Memphis, Tenn. Mar. 22, 1863. A glowing tribute of their
democracy and loyalty as a community;.
Fruitful years followed and many splendid men served in a double capacity
as preacher and physician.
In the year of 1902, however, the church was weakened by deaths and removals
but at a meeting called to consider disbandment, it was voted that the church
continue open, depending on "supply preaching" and later was served by a
·
Methodist.
More recent events of the church require no historian, but will some day make
equally interesting reading.
The church has a remarkable past, an efficient and active present and please
God may it have abounding growth in the wonderful yet critical future that
lies ahead.
WHEN A CHURCH COMES TO AN HONORABLE END from the CONGREGATIONALIST
Sept. 17, 1931
Churches "DIE HARD" and yet they die. In this day of easy transportation for
both families and furniture many congregations have found themselves without
a constituency. How to die is really something of an ecclesiastical art. There
are altogether too many abandoned church buildings rotting along our high·
ways-/ike corpses from which life has departed but which no one has cared
enough about to bury.

120

BRISTOL PARIS CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AND CEMETERY

ZION EVENGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF BRISTOL (1908)

'(13)

In 1895, we hear of Pastor E. Dornfeld, of Friedens Ev. Lutheran Church, with
Bible and hymn book strapped to his back, riding a bicycle out of Kenosha to
Bristol, a distance of fourteen miles. He conducted divine services with a number
of Lutherans above the carpenter shop of Wm. Perrigo. (Presently the N E corner
of 199th Ave. and 82nd St.)
In the same year, on November 24, these Lutherans gathered in Lavey's Store
for a special meeting to establish a Lutheran Church in Bristol. The names of
those attending the first business meeting are Wm. Pofahl, Carl Schmeckel,
Henry Gandt, Julius Weinholz, Wm. Krahn, Wm. Maaske, Ferdinand Otto,
Carl Dau, Wm. Paasch, Herman Krueger, Wm. Schewe, and Mrs. Vincent.
On March 29, 1896, a group of Lutherans from Paris, Wisconsin joined with
the Bristol people and the Zion Ev. Lutheran Church of Bristol was formed.
The second Sunday of October 1896, was dedication day.
October, 1960, a new building was erected on the north side of the village
on Hwy. 45. In the tall of 1974, an electronic Carillon which plays hymns each
day at 6 pm was added to the church.

PICTURE COURTESY OF HORACE FOWLER

When death comes tor a church it is almost as sad an event as when an ind
life ends. Yet one knows just as surely that the spirit of the church lives immortally in the lives of men and women who take their place in the growing
Kingdom of God on earth. After 80 years, the Bristol and Paris Church is no
more. It was organized with 12 charter members, Jan 5, 1851, as "The Free
Congregational Church of Bristol and Paris vicinity".
The church closed its service in 1927. The following year a committee for the
Association studied the field, and later Superintendent Faville had conferences
with the officials. On Jan. 14, 1930, the Church held its final Annual Meeting,
voted its funds of over $500.00 to the local Cemetery Assoc. and a mortgage
of $1,400.00 on ten acres of land to the state conference.
Soon after the meeting, the trustees completed the business and the church
organization was disbanded. The building and land were given to the Cemetery
Assoc., and the former sold by them. The next summer, the building was torn
down.

119

121

1976 BRISTOL TOWNSHIP DIRECTORY

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
Quality Controlled Egg Farm, Hwy. 50 - Chris Aralis
Beauti· Vue Products - Victor Gum beck - Bristol Industrial Park
Becker's Guns and Reloading - Hwy. 50- Ed. Becker
Benson Oil Co. · NW corner Hwy. 45 & 50
Bristol Oaks Country Club - Hwy. 50
Charmglow Products- Hwy. 45 - Industrial Park
Contact Rubber Corp. - Industrial Park
Continental Oil Co. - Jules Dreher - 194 & Hwy. 50
Bristol Veterinary Services ·· Fred Culbert and R. Borre
D & J Construction & Equip. - Dupons A. D. - 1-94
Dupons Construction Co., Inc. - A.D. Dupons- 1-94
Log Cabin Cheese - Harry Flodd - Hwy. 45 & V
Quality Carriers - 1-·94 & C
Woodworth Garage

David Glasman - Hwy. MB (Woodworth)

Gluemaster, Inc. · Kenneth R. Moore
lawrence I. Gohlke - Hwy. D
Gohlke Well Drilling - Wm. Gohlke
Go-Tane Service Station Inc. - John Nave, agent- 1-94 & Hwy. 50
Hawkeye Turkey Farm - Kenneth Hayes
Charles Horton & Son Feed

1-94

Chas. Horton - Hwy. CJ

Harveys Bristol Goods - Harvey
Illinois Range Co.
Corner Cafe - James Taylor

Hwy. 45 & C

Bristol Deep Rock · James Taylor - Hwy. 45 & C
Interstate Farm Equip. Co.

Dyke Johnson - 60th Street

Daves Interstate Service - Dave Kadlac . Hwy. 50 & 1-94

124

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY (Continued)
Koral Sales, Inc. - 12400 Wilmot Road
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY (continued)
Lentz & Bohn Automotive - Hwy. 45 & 50
Truesdell Oil Co., Inc.
Bristol Plumbing and Heating - Arthur Magwitz - 82nd St.
Bristol Animal Clinic - Dr. S. W. Waldo, D.V.M.

82nd St.

1-94 & C

Beaver Transport Co. - G.E. Mallinger

Lake George Tavern and Cheese Mart - Thomas Webb - Hwy. 45 & JS

1st National Bank of Kenosha- Hwy. 45 & 50- SW Corner

Night Fall Lounge - Richard J. Winfield - Hwy_ V
Master Aluminum Service, Inc. - E. Weoblewski - Industrial Park
Howard John Restaurant - Hwy. 50 & 1-94
Valley Truck Stop - Elroy Meier - Hwy. 45
Merkt Cheese Co.

CHURCHES

Carol M. Merkt

Bristol Garage - Eugene Merten - 200th Ave. & 84th St.

Bristol United Methodist

Rev. Cornelius Kanhai

Charlene's Coiffures - Charlene Myers - Co. Trk. U

Wesley United Methodist

Rev. Cornelius Kanhai

Bristol Radiator Service - Gerald Nash - Hwy. 50

St. Scholastica Catholic Church

Rev. Francis W. Jordan

Mobil Bristol Motors

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

Rev. Lawrence Nolte

Richard Norman - Hwy. 45 & AH

Bristol Carpet Service - Ben Patty - Hwy. 45 south of K
SCHOOLS
Wes- Gor Service - G. Peaslee - 199th Ave. & 83rd St.
Bristol Consolidated Schools
This & That Shop - Anicetas Pinigis - 102nd Ave.
Bristol Building ·· 83rd St.
Red School House Cafe - Elva Potter - Hwy. 45
South Building - Hwy. C
Bristol House

Edward Powroznik- Hwy. 50
Woodworth Building- Hwy. MB & 50

The Spa - Jean Radon - Hwy. 45 and State Line
Brat Stop, Inc. - Gerald Rasmussen

1-94 & Hwy. 50

Hansen Memorial Park · Hwy. 45

Highway C Service- B. Schmitz - 1-94
Bills Auto Body Shop- Wm. D. Schutzen

PARKS

9124 176th Ave.

Old Town Hall area - Hwy. C

Herbarium, Inc. - Nick Senchyshak - Hwy. MB

Nelson Sub.

Bristol Trenching Service - Robert Shannon

Gaines Park - 83rd St.

Hwy. C

State Line Campground, Inc. - David C. Zenner, agent - Hwy. WG

Oak Farms Sub.

Sangrala Parlors - Stanley Szczerba - VW of Hwy. 45

Shangrala ( four sites )

Texaco, Inc.. Robert Bland

Hwy. 50 & 1-94

Lake George - Beach Site
Dam Site

T's Welding Service· John Tossava - 199th Ave. & 84th Place

126

GILLMORE, CHARLES
1962
Original owner: Giles & Laura (Robinson) Holbrook came from Checktowga, Erie
County, New York in the spring of 1845 and purchased land located on
104th St. sections 23 & 26.
Succeeding owners: Harry & Mary (Sax) Holbrook
Edward & Hattie (Holbrook! Powell
Charles & Margaret (Powell) Gillmore
Farm is now operated by Edward & Patricia (Odell) Gillmore.

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP 1976

Population 3,020
Registered Voters 1,699
Town Officers:
Town Chairman
Supervisor
Supervisor
Clerk
Treasurer

Noel Elfering
Dale Nelson
Chester Boyington
Fred Pitts
Doris Magwitz

CENTURY FAMILIES OF BRISTOL TOWNSHIP

Century Certificates of ownership have been issued to the following families:
Six are still being operated by the family. This list is on file in the County
Agricultural Office.
FAMILY

CERTIFICATE GIVEN

WALKER, JOEL & WILLIAM
Original owner: Joel and Marinda (French) Walker came from Vermont in 1836
and purchased farm located on Hwy. C in Sections 14, 22 & 23.
Succeeding owners: William (son of Joel) & Josephine (Mead) Walker sons of
William:
William & Mildred (Waldo) Walker
Joel & Maude (Smith) Walker
Son of William:
Richard & Marie (Hansen) Walker
The farm has been sold but Richard still lives in the home.
UPSON, FRANK
Original owner: Ashbul Upson came from Connecticut in 1838 and purchased
land on 75th Street in Section 1.
Succeeding owners: Salmon Upson
Frank Upson
Dorothy (Upson) Durkin & Donald Upson
JACKSON, CHARLES w:
Original owner: Pamilie Richtmyer purchased farm on Hwy. C in Section 14 in
1844. She married Henry Husted. They came from New York.
Succeeding owners: Charles M. Jackson & Clara (Husted) Jackson
Clarence & Eugene Jackson
Charles & Joan (Shu it) Jackson (son of Clarence)
JACKSON, DAVID
Original owner: Northrup Jackson came from Connecticut in 1839. He and
Timothy Upson purchased land on 75th St.
Succeeding Owners: Herman & Emiline Jackson
David Jackson
The farm has been sold but Charles and Mary (Jackson) Butrick live on some of
the acreage.

127

JORGENSON, MRS. EDWARD
Original owner: Michael Kingman purchased farm on Bristol Rd. or Hwy. 45
in 1845. He came from New York.
Succeeding owners: Mrs. John Kingman & Mary Bishop
Mr. & Mrs. Edward Jorgenson
The farm has been sold.
FOWLER, HORACE
1948
Original owner: Charles M. & Emily (Cook) Fowler came from Guilford, Connecticut and purchased farm on 60th St. in 1849. Section 3.
Succeeding owners:, John D. & Lauraettie (Marsh) Fowler.
owner Louis & Mary (Blackman) Fowler
ow
Horace & Selma (Lura) Fowler
The farm is still operated by Horace Fowler.
BENEDICT, ROLAND
1956
Original owner: Peter M. & Juliette (Reed) Stonebreaker purchased the land in
Section 17 in 1856.
Succeeding owners: O.C.. & Ruby (Braman) Stonebreaker.
E.L & Cynthia (Upson) Stonebreaker.
Roland & Emily (Stonebreaker) Benedict
Farm is now operated by Everett & Pamela (Odell) Benedict.
BENSON, MRS. MARY
Original owner: Hiram & Harriet (Coburn) Bacon came from Vermont in "1862
and purchased land on corner of Hwys. 45 & 50, Sections 5 & 6"
Succeeding owners: William C. & Mary (Bacon) Benson
Bryant & William Benson"
The family does not operate the farm.
BENEDICT, MRS. ELMER
1965
Original owner: Ethel & Emma (Hoyt) Benedict purchased the land in Section
11 and located on 144th Ave. They came from New York State.
Succeeding owners: Addison & Laura (Scott) Benedict
Ralph & Elizabeth (Davis) Benedict
Elmer & Roxy (Cox) Benedict.
1970
EDWARDS, MR. i'\ND MRS. GUY DURELL
Original owner: Nelson D. & Naomi (Bush) Edwards purchased land in 1867 on
Hwy. MB in Section 10.
Succeeding owners: Jay Bush & Lillian (Durell) Edwards
Guy Durell & Marcia Edwards
The family still lives on the farm.
SHUART, EUGENE M.
McNAMARA, MR. & MRS. EDWARD

1969

128

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SOURCES OF PICTURES AND INFORMATION

"

(1)

History of Kenosha County- Wisconsin Vol1 by Frank H. Lyman Chicago
The S.J. Clark Publishing Co. 1916

(2)

Manuscripts Old & New of Kenosha & Kenosha County Vol. IV Article of
Bristol by Mrs. Bryant Benson

(3)

Manuscripts Old & New of Kenosha & Kenosha County, Vol. I

(4)

The History of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin 1879

(5)

Burlington Standard Press Bristol Pictorial November 13, 1969

(6)

Kenosha News

(7)

History of Town of Bristol by Robert Pringle

(8)

Pictures given by Mrs. Esther Zuehlsdorf Adamson

(9)

Picture from a collection of slides by Dewey obtained from the Kenosha
County Historical Society.

( 10)

Business Directory of Kenosha City & County 1875 1st Edition George R.
Milmine, Compiler

(11)

Article" A Railroad That Nearly Destroyed A City". A paper at tho Kenosha
County Historical Society Museum, Written by Carrie Cropley.

(12)

Kenosha Telegraph

(13)

Picture contributed by John Davidson from a collection given by residents
and friends of Bristol Township.

(14)

Picture contributed by Mrs. Ella Glasman Novelen

(15)

Manuscripts Old & New of Kenosha & Kenosha County, Wisconsin Vol. II
by Willis A. Upson Feb. 1938 Article "Reminisces Relating to the Township
of Bristol"_

,d

129