Family Card - Person Sheet
Misc. Notes
From The History of the City of Chetek:
The incorporated city of Chetek lies in Section 30, township 33 north, range 10 west, or somewhat more than a mile southwest of the center of Chetek Township.
It is situated on the northwest shore of Chetek Lake, a beautiful body of water of irregular outline, well stocked with bass, pickerel and other choice fish, and largely frequented in the summer time by tourists and rest seekers from various and some far-distant parts of the country. This lake is one of a chain extending seven or eight miles from northwest to southeast, the north end of Chetek city touching the south end of Prairie Lake. The country surrounding the city, and especially that near the shores of the lake, presents many picturesque features, It is well adapted to stock raising, dairying and general farming, all of which are extensively carried on.
Chetek was first settled nearly sixty years ago, in 1863. It was never incorporated as a village but became an incorporated city in 1891. It is on a branch of the Chicago, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway, which was constructed in 1882.
Previous to white settlement the country in this vicinity was well wooded, the timber consisting mostly of white and jack pine, with some varieties of hardwood. Knapp, Stout & Co., who began logging operations here in the middle of the sixties, cut only the white pine, as there was no profit to
be made at that time from the hardwood. William W. Carey, now living in Chetek city, arrived in this vicinity about 1866, as a boy of fifteen, and remembers that lumbering operations were then being actively carried on by the above mentioned company.
Among the pioneers who settled on land in the township were: William Bell, H. D. Ross, Charles Dean and Thomas E. Gotham, all of whom arrived in 1872. Mr. Bell settled on land three miles north of the village site, and about a mile farther north was a man named Albert Morrell, who had arrived about 1870 or 1871 These early settlers and, others obtained their supplies from Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire or Vanville (now Bloomer).
It is not now known who was the first white settler on the site of the city. In March, 1872, when B. L. Eighmy arrived, with his two brothers, William and 0. W., he found five settlers here, all located in what is now the south end of town, on what was subsequently laid out as the first village plat. These were D. M. Beagle, Duane Tuller, C. P. Tuller (usually known as "Cobe"), Walter L. Morrison and W. B. Lampman. They were engaged mostly in hunting and trapping. Mr. Eighmy, who is still living, first settled on a farm three miles south. but before long became a merchant in the village, or on the village site. Edward J. Banks, who arrived in 1870, settled on what is known as Banks' Addition in the western part of the city.
Chetek was platted Oct. 15, 1875, on land owned by Knapp, Stout & Co. and E. M. Sexton. It embraced a large tract including much of the present platted portion of the city and other territory besides. Dec. 4, 1877, all except blocks 29 and 30 were vacated. The present business section is
located largely on the Second Addition, replotted on a part of the vacated land formerly occupied by the original plat. This Second Addition was platted June 12, 1882, by Knapp, Stout & Co., the surveyor being Thomas Parker. It occupies six blocks and is bounded by Main and Fourth, Douglas
and Moore streets. The two blocks left of the original plat lie between Main and Second, Mill and Douglas streets.
During the earliest period in the history of the settlement, Mr. Beagle's log cabin was the stopping place for travelers, but John Barry was the first to erect a building designed for hotel purposes. It was called the Lake View House, and stood on block 29 on the original plat, where the building may still be seen. Mr. Barry was proprietor of this hotel for some eight or ten years. Some time after the erection of the Lake View House Mr. Beagle moved to a farm across the creek and about half a mile to the southeast, where he built a large frame hotel, which was quite a building for its day, and is still a notable landmark, though now used as a farm residence. For some time town meetings were held there. This building is now within the city limits.
John Townsend may be regarded as the first storekeeper in or near Chetek, as he kept a few groceries for sale in his dugout located close to the large Beagle Hotel. He was also accustomed to go to Long Lake to buy fish from the Indians, which he sold in Eau Claire.
The question as to who started the second store remain somewhat in doubt, but it is known that a man called Pink Mattix, who married a daughter of Bradford Lampman, had a little store on the bank of the lake near the W. L. Morrison place.
B. L. Eighmy also started a store in the early seventies, in which the postoffice was kept, A. A. French being postmaster. The next general store seems to have been that of Chase & Elmer, and was conducted by them for two years, when, according to one account, they sold out to a Mr. Miller, whose daughter was the wife of George Whitman, and Mr. and Mrs. Whitman conducted
it for a while in the latter's name. Both the Eighmy and Whitman stores were in operation in 1876, but the Whitmans remained but a short time longer, as in 1877 Mrs. Whitman's father, Mr. Miller, was conducting the store, though, it is said, he had very little in it. A Mr. Parker also kept
a little store about this time. But by far the largest and most complete store was started by Knapp, Stout & Co. about 1879. Its dimensions were 80 by 26 feet and there was a large warehouse built onto it. From the start it did a large business, the people finding there a larger variety of goods
than they could in places operated with a small capital. It was first managed for the lumber company by C. W. Moore, who had erected the building, his successors in the same position being J. W. Munnell, J. Hornby Butcher and J. C. Phillips, the last mentioned of whom is still a resident of Chetek. C. W. Moore in 1893 started a store of his own. He has passed away, but is survived by his widow, who resides at St. Croix Falls, Wis. Knapp, Stout, & Co. also conducted a boarding house for their men, which was managed for them first by Mr. and Mrs. John McGregor and later by
Mr. and Mrs. Cush Rogers.26
The incorporated city of Chetek lies in Section 30, township 33 north, range 10 west, or somewhat more than a mile southwest of the center of Chetek Township.
It is situated on the northwest shore of Chetek Lake, a beautiful body of water of irregular outline, well stocked with bass, pickerel and other choice fish, and largely frequented in the summer time by tourists and rest seekers from various and some far-distant parts of the country. This lake is one of a chain extending seven or eight miles from northwest to southeast, the north end of Chetek city touching the south end of Prairie Lake. The country surrounding the city, and especially that near the shores of the lake, presents many picturesque features, It is well adapted to stock raising, dairying and general farming, all of which are extensively carried on.
Chetek was first settled nearly sixty years ago, in 1863. It was never incorporated as a village but became an incorporated city in 1891. It is on a branch of the Chicago, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway, which was constructed in 1882.
Previous to white settlement the country in this vicinity was well wooded, the timber consisting mostly of white and jack pine, with some varieties of hardwood. Knapp, Stout & Co., who began logging operations here in the middle of the sixties, cut only the white pine, as there was no profit to
be made at that time from the hardwood. William W. Carey, now living in Chetek city, arrived in this vicinity about 1866, as a boy of fifteen, and remembers that lumbering operations were then being actively carried on by the above mentioned company.
Among the pioneers who settled on land in the township were: William Bell, H. D. Ross, Charles Dean and Thomas E. Gotham, all of whom arrived in 1872. Mr. Bell settled on land three miles north of the village site, and about a mile farther north was a man named Albert Morrell, who had arrived about 1870 or 1871 These early settlers and, others obtained their supplies from Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire or Vanville (now Bloomer).
It is not now known who was the first white settler on the site of the city. In March, 1872, when B. L. Eighmy arrived, with his two brothers, William and 0. W., he found five settlers here, all located in what is now the south end of town, on what was subsequently laid out as the first village plat. These were D. M. Beagle, Duane Tuller, C. P. Tuller (usually known as "Cobe"), Walter L. Morrison and W. B. Lampman. They were engaged mostly in hunting and trapping. Mr. Eighmy, who is still living, first settled on a farm three miles south. but before long became a merchant in the village, or on the village site. Edward J. Banks, who arrived in 1870, settled on what is known as Banks' Addition in the western part of the city.
Chetek was platted Oct. 15, 1875, on land owned by Knapp, Stout & Co. and E. M. Sexton. It embraced a large tract including much of the present platted portion of the city and other territory besides. Dec. 4, 1877, all except blocks 29 and 30 were vacated. The present business section is
located largely on the Second Addition, replotted on a part of the vacated land formerly occupied by the original plat. This Second Addition was platted June 12, 1882, by Knapp, Stout & Co., the surveyor being Thomas Parker. It occupies six blocks and is bounded by Main and Fourth, Douglas
and Moore streets. The two blocks left of the original plat lie between Main and Second, Mill and Douglas streets.
During the earliest period in the history of the settlement, Mr. Beagle's log cabin was the stopping place for travelers, but John Barry was the first to erect a building designed for hotel purposes. It was called the Lake View House, and stood on block 29 on the original plat, where the building may still be seen. Mr. Barry was proprietor of this hotel for some eight or ten years. Some time after the erection of the Lake View House Mr. Beagle moved to a farm across the creek and about half a mile to the southeast, where he built a large frame hotel, which was quite a building for its day, and is still a notable landmark, though now used as a farm residence. For some time town meetings were held there. This building is now within the city limits.
John Townsend may be regarded as the first storekeeper in or near Chetek, as he kept a few groceries for sale in his dugout located close to the large Beagle Hotel. He was also accustomed to go to Long Lake to buy fish from the Indians, which he sold in Eau Claire.
The question as to who started the second store remain somewhat in doubt, but it is known that a man called Pink Mattix, who married a daughter of Bradford Lampman, had a little store on the bank of the lake near the W. L. Morrison place.
B. L. Eighmy also started a store in the early seventies, in which the postoffice was kept, A. A. French being postmaster. The next general store seems to have been that of Chase & Elmer, and was conducted by them for two years, when, according to one account, they sold out to a Mr. Miller, whose daughter was the wife of George Whitman, and Mr. and Mrs. Whitman conducted
it for a while in the latter's name. Both the Eighmy and Whitman stores were in operation in 1876, but the Whitmans remained but a short time longer, as in 1877 Mrs. Whitman's father, Mr. Miller, was conducting the store, though, it is said, he had very little in it. A Mr. Parker also kept
a little store about this time. But by far the largest and most complete store was started by Knapp, Stout & Co. about 1879. Its dimensions were 80 by 26 feet and there was a large warehouse built onto it. From the start it did a large business, the people finding there a larger variety of goods
than they could in places operated with a small capital. It was first managed for the lumber company by C. W. Moore, who had erected the building, his successors in the same position being J. W. Munnell, J. Hornby Butcher and J. C. Phillips, the last mentioned of whom is still a resident of Chetek. C. W. Moore in 1893 started a store of his own. He has passed away, but is survived by his widow, who resides at St. Croix Falls, Wis. Knapp, Stout, & Co. also conducted a boarding house for their men, which was managed for them first by Mr. and Mrs. John McGregor and later by
Mr. and Mrs. Cush Rogers.26
Obituary
Benson L. Eighmy, 92, pioneer resident and Civil War veteran of Chetek, died at the Veterans Home at Waupaca. He came to Chetek in March 1872 with two brothers and found five settlers there.4