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- During the winter of 1843, the settlers
in Fulton, as now bounded, met at the
- house of Lyman MORSE, drew up and signed a
petition, asking the Legislature to organize their town, to be called
"Franklin." There being another town by that name, they changed it to
Fulton and passed the act of organization. The first Tuesday in April,
1843, the voters in the town (some twenty in number) met at the house
of William B. FOSTER and held their first town meeting. The settlement
of this town began in 1836-37. The pioneers were Robert and Daniel
STONE. Other early comers were George R. RAMSAY, William B. FOSTER
(who established Foster's Ferry), Elijah TRUE, Lyman MORSE, George E.
COWAN, Anson GOODRICH, William SQUIRES and Silas HURD. The first
wedding was George E. COWAN and Mary WARD's, at Silas HURD's, in 1840.
The first death was Mrs. PROCTOR's, at Cloudon STOUGHTON's. The first
child was born in 1839. Dr. Rollin HEAD taught the first school at the
house of William B. FOSTER, in 1841. Guy STOUGHTON, owning land on the
river at the foot of Lake Koshkonong, believing that the fall was
sufficient to make a good water-power, contracted with Mr. HANCHETT,
in the spring of 1845, to build a dam. The dam was completed during
that year, and a sawmill built, which was run for several years and
then converted into a gristmill. The first bridge across the river was
at Indian Ford, built in 1845, by private subscription. This in the
central town on the northern border of the county. It comprises
township 4 north, of range 12 east.
- Edgerton, in the town of Fulton, on the
northern border of the county, twelve
- miles north of Janesville, was settled in
1836, laid out as a village in 1854 and incorporated as a city in
1883. It is an important station on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
Paul Railway. The shipment of tobacco is the principal industry,
nearly half of what is raised in the State being shipped from this
point. Robert and Daniel STONE and William SQUIRES were the pioneer
settlers. Thomas QUIGLEY came in 1843, and located sixty acres where
the railroad depot now stands. Soon after him came Lucius M. PAGE, who
bought eighty acres north of QUIGLEY's claim. That part of the village
north of the railroad was laid out by H. S. SWIFT, that part south of
the railroad by Adin, J. and E. A. BURDICK. Ferdinand DAVIS built the
first frame house in 1853; H. S. SWIFT built SWIFT's block in 1857;
the Exchange and the United States Hotel were built by Nelson COON,
who opened the former in 1854; and the American House was built in
1854. The first birth was that of Frank HALL, the first marriage was
that of John QUIGLEY and Theresa MALIAN, and the first death that of
Mr. HAKES. The post-office was established in 1854, with William B.
HALL in charge. The place contains Methodist, Catholic, Baptist and
German Lutheran churches, German and public schools, two banks, two
hotels, a well-equipped fire department, and two weekly newspapers -
the Wisconsin Tobacco Reporter and the Edgerton Index. Live stock,
grain and brick are shipped. Population, 2,000.
- Indian Ford, on Rock River, ten miles
north of Janesville, in the town of
- Fulton, is so called because, in 1836,
Black-Hawk and his braves forded the Catfish River on the site of what
is now the village. It owes its existence to Guy and Clouden
STOUGHTON, who obtained a charter for the water-power from the
government, erected a dam there and built a mill, in 1843. Mr. Guy
STOUGHTON, to whom the credit of the latter work must be given, was
the first bona-fide settler and claim-holder on the village plat, and
erected the first house thereon. Mr. Silas HURD and Mr. George E.
COWAN were the first settlers in the neighborhood. The first store and
tavern were kept in 1840, by a man named ELLETT. The first school was
opened about 1842. The village contains two flouring-mills, two
churches and several small mechanics' shops. Population,
250.
- Fulton, on the west border of the town of
Fulton, on Catfish Creek, twelve
- miles northwest of Janesville and four
miles southwest of Edgerton, was settled in 1846, by Emmanuel CORKER,
who soon began the erection of a gristmill. Other early settlers, who
came soon after him, were James MERWIN, Edward HYLAND, Nelson COON,
David L. MILLS, Stiles HAKES, and Henry M. DICKINSON, who opened the
first store. Nelson COON built the hotel, which was opened by Philip
DAVAULT, under the name of the Fulton House. A creamery was
established in 1875. A frame school-house was erected in 1847, and
gave place to a brick one in 1864. The first Sunday-school was
organized by Frank SAYRE in 1849. The gristmill of WHITE Brothers was
purchased by them about twenty years ago. It is the same built
originally by Emmanuel CORKER.
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