HISTORY

Please be sure to visit the Markesan Historical Society's page also!

1989 - Markesan farmer unearths woolly mammoth.

2000 - Markesan is State's center of population.

If you know a significant history event that highlights the Markesan area, please submit it to mail@markesanwi.com.

Markesan was once the 3rd richest community in the U.S. and has stunning Victorian homes to prove it. 

Markesan's Early History

When did Markesan Start?  You Decide

Many historians reference an "old book" saying Markesan incorporated as a village in 1853 to support their theory that 2003 should mark Markesan's 150th birthday. 

More accurately the "old book" was titled History of Green Lake County authored by John Gillespy that contains biographical sketches and anecdotes passed down by old pioneers.

However, the original application filed at the state capital seeking to incorporate the village of Markesan was officially approved May 8, 1858 and states:

"On the fourth Tuesday in May (1858), all connections between the town of Mackford and the village of Markesan, for town purposes shall be dissolved, and the duties now and hereafter imposed upon the Supervisors, and other officers of towns, shall be imposed on the officers of the Village of Markesan."

This suggests Markesan was an "unincorporated area" in the town of Mackford until incorporating itself in 1858 around the same time Green Lake County split from Marquette County. 

The Wisconsin State Historical Society and the Secretary of State found no records concerning Granville or Markesan in the legislative journals between 1852-54 and also conclude that Markesan incorporated in 1858, calling the question "a matter of semantics." 

For the record, the first "official" settler in our area was John Seward, who purchased 300 Acres for around $375.00 from the Green Bay Land Office in 1844.

John Chapel and Charles Russell planted the first "seeds of Markesan" when they filed the "Plan of the Town of Granville" plat map in Marquette County in September of 1849.

Markesan was first settled in 1843 by Miller Seward, who moved from Montgomery County in Illinois, on a mule.
Miller's brother, William, an his father, John, arrived in 1844, and John Miller purchased 300 acres of land form the U.S. Land Office at Green Bay, and erected the first frame house at what is now 80 Manchester Street. By 1846, John Seward had in operation a sawmill and a gristmill, which later expanded into four stories and made into a flouring mill only, located on the west bank of the Grand River.
Granville was a nice name for the little village, but it posed one insurmountable problem - there already was a town called Granville, 15 miles north of Milwaukee, which caused mail to often be routed to the wrong city. The postal authorities advised a name change for this Granville
The village committee called for choices of names to be submitted, and the choices were written on paper and placed in a hat. The name drawn from the hat was "Markesan" and was submitted by Henry Wright a partner in a new store opened under the name of Buck & Right. Wright had heard of the newly discovered Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific, with wonderful climate and fertile soil for crops. Wright thought that sounded great and changed the name from Marquesas to Markesan Markesan was incorporated on May 8, 1859.
By 1859, Markesan was really thriving. Besides the mill, there was listed the following: three blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, two cabinet shops, one cabinet ware-room, three shoe shops, two taverns, one drug and book store, two saloons, four first-class country stores, one variety store, one hardware store, one stove and tip shop, one harness and saddlery, two copper shops, one livery stable, one tailor shop, one watch maker and jeweler, one milliner, two physicians, one meat market, one bank of discount and deposit with a capital of $75,000, an insurance and notary agent who was also cashier of the bank, and one weekly newspaper and job office.

VILLAGE OF MARKESAN (Published in 1890)

Markesan is pleasantly situated on the uneven land lying on both sides of the Grand River, in the town of Mackford on the branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway which penetrates this county. It is seventeen miles south of Dartford and twelve miles northwest of Fox Lake, the nearest banking point.

Markesan was platted in 1849 by John Chapel and C.E. Russell, proprietors. The original plat was one and one-half square. Parker's addition was platted in 1858. The village was incorporated in May, 1853, and its first officers were: President, Ira Manley; Trustees, John Parker, P. Nelson, G. Harris, E. A. Wilder, M. George; Clerk, R. Lexington.

The first frame house built in the present site of the village was erected by John B. Seward in 1844. Mr. Seward afterward put in operation a sawmill and gristmill which was afterward remodeled and made a flouring mill only. The early settlers were of good stock, mostly Yankees, but with a sprinkling of English.

In 1859 Markesan contained the gristmill, then owned by Mr. Parker, four stories high, with two run stones and a daily capacity of 100 barrels; three blacksmith shops, a wagon shop, two cabinet shops, one cabinet wareroom, three shoe shops, two taverns, one drug and book store, two saloons, four good general stores, one variety store, one hardware store, one stove and tin shop, one harness shop, two cooper shops, a livery stable, a tailor shop, a watch and jewelry shop, a millinery shop, a meat market and bank with a capital of $75.000--Co. P. Dearborn, Cashier,--besides an insurance agency and a printing office. The population was then estimated at 800.

The village now contains a gristmill, a feedmill, a grain elevator, a cheese factory, carriage and wagon works, several churches and a live weekly newspaper, the Herald, George H. Larke, editor and proprietor. Much livestock, grain and produce is shipped.

In point of natural advantages, trade and enterprise, Markesan is the leading village in the southern portion of the county. It is the center of rich and beautiful farming country in which it possesses no rivals to be feared and it is predicted that its progress will be steady and satisfactory. The district school house is well located and one of the best buildings in the county. The Universalists have a neat church, built in 1857, the year in which their society was organized. The Congregationalist Society was organized in 1847 and their church was built in 1858. The Methodists organized in 1859 and have a neat church.

Half a mile east of Markesan, on the Grand River, a lime-kiln was long kept running constantly. There was also a manufactory of a superior kind of building material, composed principally of lime and gravelly sand. Buildings put up of this kind of composition appear to the eye, when coated with a cement or varnish used, as durable as stone, and a person unacquainted with the material would readily believe that sandstone had been cut out to make the walls.

The Markesan Herald is in its eighth year. Its publisher is George H. Larke. It is a neatly printed, newsy sheet, well patronized by subscribers and advertisers, and has had its influence for good upon the development of Markesan and that portion of the country round about.

As to the school history. here are what facts I have in my records:

On November 5th 1850 a meeting was called by the county superintendent, to organize a school district in Markesan. Three school board members were elected,- Guy White, clerk; John Beebe, treasurer; Austin McCracken, director. The first teacher was Sara Ann Day. The first school began on April 1st and was kept till September 1, 1851. The school, built of oak boards, Octagon shape, had siding boards perpendicular. This was dismantled in 1880, when a new building was built on the site where the late George Davids home was.

In 1906 the brick building was built, which still is the central unit of the present Elementary School site.

The first high school students finished a three year course in 1904,-Stella Crane, Ray Richards, & Russel Wilson.

The next three year graduates were in 1905,-Herbert Bell, Lillie Buchholz, Guy Dillie, Guy Miller, Edna Phelps, and Jessi Steers.

In 1906 there were no graduates indicated.

In 1907 there were three, -Edna Richards, Florence Straight, and Robert Wilson.

Up to 1911, inclusive, there were from six to nine graduates each year, but only three in 1912. After that the number finishing was increasing yearly.

The principals, as indicated to me, were a Mr. Price, Mr. Peterson, Mr. Cox, and Ira Stamm, up to the fall of 1921 when I took over as administrator of grades and high school.

In 1958 I typed pages of the complete record of high school graduates up to 1958. I left the original in the school office file, and that book, blank loose-leaf, should be in the school files now.

I served thirty-six years. At first there were no other men on the faculty, and all women were new when I came, except Mrs Allen Abendroth. I taught sciences and the agriculture for a number of years. Finally, when a full time agriculture teacher was engaged, I taught chemistry for nine years. Then, when there were so many more employees, and building programs came up after 1938, I had chemistry till 1949. I taught an hour of art for about four years. The last eleven years I helped students in art, archery, and rifle safety classes, after school hours. This service was gratis.

As the building needs were met, we built the Gymnasium and four class rooms in 1938, for near $80,000. Some equipment items had to be added the next year through our annual budget.

In 1951 we built the two story addition, for near $135,000.
Subsequently, also we invested about $48,000 in the lunchroom area and the new kitchen with walk-in freezer and walk-in refrigerator space. That started the noon meals for the children of elementary and high schools.

In 1940 we had an evaluation of the school system by North Central Association. We had 44 school men doing the job. There were two complete committees, so the evaluation was like double checked. It happened that the State of Maryland wanted a report of the study, and one was for our state. We had a very favorable report.

Early Transportation in the Markesan-Grand River Valley
Published in 1976 by Samuel Smith

Early explorers and traders discovered the Markesan-Grand River Valley Area by way of the Great Lakes and the Fox River, however most of the early settlers walked in and came by wagons drawn by horses and oxen. The greatest influx of these settlers came after the building of the Military Road (1835-1837) by the U.S. Army; a road that connected 3 forts: Green Bay, Portage and Prairie du Chien. This road, now marked Highway "X", passes across the fertile Mackford Prairie only 4 miles south of Markesan. Other principal early roads soon connected this area with Watertown and Madison. These and other frequently traveled trails converged naturally at a narrow isthmus between Lake Puckaway and Big Green Lake where Dantz's Tavern offered lodging, food, and drink for the travelers and their animals. This site was 6 miles north west of Markesan on State Highway 73.

Settlers looked toward the Fox River as a way of receiving and sending materials, but it took until 1857 before the river corridor was improved so steam boats od larger commercial size could make the journey down the Fox by way of the newly constructed locks. In 1869 daily steamboat runs were being made between Oshkosh and Berlin, and tri-weekly runs from Berlin to Princeton, Marquette, Montello and Packwaukee; these to continue until 1890. The effort to connect the Markesan-Grand River Valley Area to the Fox Waterway is summarized in the publication by Historian Samuel Smith (A History of Markesan) of which the following paragraph is a direct quote:
"One of the important activities to make the Fox usable for farmers in this area to ship their produce took place in 1856. James Densmoor, Sr. headed a group to dig a channel from the Fox to higher ground to the east. This took place in the Town of Marquette, just west of Highway 73 and the present road sign reads "Old Ditch Road". It enabled the flat boats to come through the marshlands along the river to piers on solid ground. Here the farmer's wagons could unload grain and other farm products directly into the flat boats and pick up supplies destined for their farms. Unfortunately, nothing remains there today."

An attempt to link the Markesan-Grand River Valley Area with the Milwaukee-St. Paul railway (Milwaukee to Berlin) was made in 1870 by forming a Company and grading and filling a road bed between Ripon and Markesan. Funds ran out and it was never completed.

Stage coaches ran regularly between the Milwaukee-St. Paul station at Brandon and the Village of Markesan. In 1880 a high quality of granite was found in quantity at Utley, midway between Brandon and Markesan. This offered an opportunity for the formation of a Markesan Brandon Railway Co., headed by James Densmoor, Sr. A rail line was laid so the granite might be shipped to the Milwaukee Chicago area as well as providing an outlet for shipping grain and livestock from the Markesan-Grand River Valley Area. Passenger service was also provided, with a mule driven "taxi" service meeting each of the three daily trains to carry passengers and luggage uptown to the famous Yosemite Hotel. The first depot was an abandoned freight car, in a year replaced with the present structure (1884). John Laper was equally active with Mr. Densmoor in this whole venture.

A depot was also constructed at Utley, later as granite production declined to be moved for use as a frame building. It was replaced by a flag depot (standard size 8 1/2 feet X 10 1/2 feet). This building has now been moved to Markesan where it has been restored and authentically furnished. It is on public display at the Museum of the Markesan Historical Society.

In the 125 years since the first train came into Markesan, millions of tons of product have come to and gone from this Grand River Valley area- fuel, fertilizer, lumber, canned goods, grain, machinery, granite, silica sand, and countless others. The Markesan depot should be preserved as a symbol of the positive character of these early settlers and as a monument to what dependable transportation, industry and agriculture has done for this Markesan-Grand River Valley area.