Second street, September 8, 1875 he associated with himself his son Joseph Tuteur, under the firm name of Isaac Tuteur & Son. They deal in all grades and all kinds of foreign and domestic wines and liquors, their yearly sales amounting to $65,000.

John B. Jungen, wholesale liquor dealer, opened his first liquor and grocery store in the fall of 1857, on Pearl street. He conducted this business at different places in the city, meeting with great success until 1876, when he associated himself with C. B. Solbreg, this partnership existing until 1879, when he established his present business. Mr. Jungen now confines his attentions solely to the local trade, and accordingly keeps on hand such goods as are used and will supply that trade. When doing business for himself at first, his sales amounted to $75,000, but will now reach only about one-fourth of that amount.

Fred Mueller established himself in the wholesale liquor business, in 1874, on Third street, between Main and State streets, one door north of his present place of business. The first year his sales amounted to between $18,000 and $20,000, and for 1880 they amounted to about $30,000 His goods are sold throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Dakota, being shipped over all the railroads leading out from the city of La Crosse. He constantly keeps on hand and deals in all kinds and grades of both imported and domestic wines and liquors.

Ignatz Schierl established a wholesale liquor-house on Third street, between Main and State streets, in 1874, where the liquor-house of Fred Mueller now is, conducting a business the first year of between $15,000 and $18,000. In 1876, he moved to his present place of business, on the east side of Third between Main and State streets. His goods, consisting of all kinds of foreign and domestic wines and liquors, are sold throughout the northern and western parts of Wisconsin, eastern and southern parts of Minnesota, and the eastern and northern parts of Iowa. He sells yearly about 200 barrels of liquors, his yearly sales amounting to about $30,000.

TOWN OF FARMINGTON.

This town is situated in the northeastern part of the county, and contains about seventy-six sections of the finest farming lands in the county, on account of which it derived the name Farmington."

Upon the division of the town of Jackson in 1868, the three eastern tiers of sections from that town, with the exception of Sections 34, 35 and 36, which became a part of Onalaska, were given to Farmington.

FIRST SETTLERS.

Lorenzo L. Lewis, in 1835, emigrated from the East into the State of Illinois, and, after remaining there some years, he removed to La Crosse County, included then within the limits of Crawford County. He arrived at Prairie La Crosse in 1845, where he found H. J. B. Miller, commonly known as "Scoots" Miller, Asa White and Samuel Snaugh, afterward known as "Dutch Doc." These, together with Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Nathan Myrick, constituted the entire white population of that section of the country now included within La Crosse County.

After having traveled more or less through different parts of the country, and having discovered land that he imagined could be made profitable farming land, he returned to Illinois, coming again with his three brothers in 1846. He located on Section 19, Town 18 north, Range 6 west, on what is now known as the Philipp McConnell farm. Two of his brothers also located on Section 19, and the fourth one on Section 24. Part of this land is now owned by Mr. Forest and part by Mr. Barkley.

In April, 1846, Luther Downer came from Wayne County, Mich., in search of a more western home, and having landed here and made the selection on Section 21, he returned to Michigan. On the 2d day of September, 1846, Mr. Downer and family, together with his brother John Downer, left Wayne County with an ox team for Galena, Ill., with the intention of taking a boat from there for "Prairie La Crosse." Upon arriving at Galena, they found the boat on which they were to come had lodged on a sand-bar, and, after an unfruitful attempt to dislodge it, the

Captain concluded not to proceed any further up the river. A few others on their way to the "pinery were also waiting to take the boat, whence they all proceeded in a body with their ox teams, arriving at "Prairie La Crosse " November 26. Here they found only a few white persons, probably not to exceed eight. Proceeding farther on, they arrived at North Bend on the 28th. Mr. Downer and family remained in North Bend until January, 1848, in the meantime working for Thomas Douglas, who had settled in what is now Jackson County in about 1840. In January, he built a log cabin about two miles north of the land which he had chosen, the boards used for flooring and covering having been washed down the Black River in a freshet. This cabin was 14x16, one story in height. In August, Mr. Downer moved onto his land, where he drove a few stakes, across which he laid the flooring and covering of his first house, and, for a time, this was their only shelter until the logs composing his first house were taken down and moved here, and again erected for his dwelling. Subsequently, additions were built on the north and south ends of his "log shanty." Here they lived until April 24, 1855, when they moved to land on Section 33, Township 18, Range 6 west, which Mr. Downer had previously purchased, and subsequently sold to different persons the land which he had at first obtained. He lived here until his death, which occurred April 2, 1856, since which time Mrs. Downer has had the supervision of the farm.

This is, of course, not a complete list of those who settled at or about this time. Others have lived, wrought and triumphed, reminding us of their sorrows, joys and ambitions, which they, like us, sought to gratify, but their names have dropped from the page of public existence and the memories of their pioneer associates.

Among those who settled in 1851, we may mention the name of George Sisson, who came from Walworth County in December, and located 160 acres of land in Sections 21 and 15, Township 18, Range 6 west. He returned to Walworth County in March, 1852, and arrived again with his family in May. For the first two weeks they lived under a tent, but that, in a heavy wind-storm, was demolished, when he moved into an old log cabin which he had helped to erect during his first stay here. He subsequently purchased a board "shanty," 16x20, of one

Van Austin, which he moved in sections to his farm, where he soon had it ready to receive its occupants. Here he lived for eight years, when he built a new and more commodious house. Having lost his health, he rented his old house and farm, and, about five years ago, he sold the old house for $20, being the same price he originally had paid for it, and it is now a portion of two or three houses.

During the year 1851, a large number of settlers came, including John Jones, who located on Section 18; Hiram Yeatman, on Section 19; Michael Trafts, on Section 20; Sylvester H. Stebbins, on Section 20.

The first marriage in the town was that of A. M. Hill and Miss Adaline Congdon, who were married at the dwelling of Mr. Congdon by a Methodist minister by the name of Shroff.

The first death occurred June 19, 1848, being that of Mrs. Margaret Lewis, the mother of the Lewis brothers, and the next was Lucy H. Lewis, a daughter of Margaret Lewis.

Loretta, now Mrs. McClintock, a daughter of Luther and Clarissa Downer, was the first white child born in the town.

In 1848, a saw-mill was built on Fleming's Creek by the Lewises, near the present dwelling of Mr. Forest, and, in 1850, a grist-mill was built by the same ones in connection with the saw-mill, the lumber being obtained from the Black River.

In 1849, the first post office was established at the house of Lloyd L. Lewis, who assumed the duties of Postmaster. To this office, he gave the name of Mindoro. At this time a mailroute was established from La Crosse, and Lodowick L. Lewis carried the first mail, making one trip a week. This route was subsequently extended to Black River Falls.

In 1847, Luther Downer plowed twelve acres of land in Section 21, this being the first plowing done in the town.

The first schoolhouse was built on the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 19, in the spring of 1851, and the first school taught in it was by Miss Louisa Leonard, in the summer of that year.

The first tavern was built in 1854 by Leroy Stanford, on land which he purchased from Luther Downer. This was a small one-story-and-a-half frame building.

In 1854, Mons Anderson and Van Austin each gave an acre of land, on which a cemetery was laid out.

In 1855, George Sisson, Leroy Stanford and John F. Arnold laid out a town site on Section 21, to which they gave the name of Newton. Upon the removal of the post office here from the dwelling of Lloyd L. Lewis, this became Mindoro Post Office, which name it still retains. The first church in the town of Hamilton was built by the Lutherans in 1857, near the Union Mills. The congregation was organized October 14, 1856, by Rev. H. A. Stub, from Coon Prairie. He remained Pastor until 1861, when he was succeeded by Rev. L. Larson, who was Pastor until 1862. Rev. J. B. Frich then assumed the pastoral care of the church, remaining until 1872, when the present Pastor, Rev. W. L. Frich, took charge of it. Among the first members organizing the congregation were Ole Anderson, Syvert Olson, Frederick Olson, Syvert Anderson, John Anderson and Kristian Klemdson. During the year 1880, this church had sixty communicants, twelve baptisms, six confirmations, two marriages and one death. In 1869, the German Methodists erected a church building, and, in 1870, the Adventists built their church.

Methodist Episcopal Church.-The early history of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Mindoro, in the town of Farmington, is very meager. We find that in 1855 Rev. Smith lived in the parsonage that had been put up the year previous but not entirely finished, preaching once in two weeks in the morning. In the afternoon of the same day, he preached at South Bend. The appointments were held at private houses, alternating between Dr. George W. Havens' and W. L. Raymond's. During the following summer, a schoolhouse was built, after which services were held in that. In 1857, Rev. John Holt preached in this circuit, having a large revival, the fruits of which are still manifest. In 1860, Rev. Dyer was sent by the Conference, but after a few months he left the work. Rev. John Medd, in connection with a Mr. Perry, a local preacher, then supplied the work. In 1861, the Conference sent Rev. Cummings, but the year following he was returned. Rev. Olmsted was then sent by the Conference in 1863, and was followed by Rev. I. W. Cunningham in 1864-65. In 1866, Rev. Sweet had charge of the work; in 1867, Rev. Aldrich; in 1868-69, Rev. George Benham.

In 1870, Rev. McCurdy was sent. He enlarged the work somewhat by including the Casteline neighborhood in his circuit. The work up to this time had been growing steadily, both by the arrival of emigrants and conversions. The subject of church building began to engage the attention of the society. During the two following years (1871-72), Rev. Bunce, who had been sent there by the Conference, circulated a subscription. During his second year, he moved his family to Galesville, continuing to preach just the same, but did nothing more toward the building of a church. In 1873, Rev. T. J. Lewis came to the circuit, and during the two years of his stay, succeeded in erecting a very pretty and commodious church. A bell was donated by an Eastern firm, and since that time has called the devout to worship. During the year 1873, Mindoro and West Salem were united, the appointments around Mindoro having been merged into that one. It is difficult to ascertain just at what time the several religious classes were formed. Father Atwater was Leader at South Bend as long as a class was held there.

George Sisson, in connection with Rev. Chauncey Hobart, who was then Presiding Elder, formed the first class in Mindoro, he being appointed Leader. When the classes were consolidated, George G. Barber was appointed Leader. The first Mindoro class consisted of J. Parsons and wife, George Sisson and wife, Ben Congdon and wife, Alonzo Angel and wife, and Ed Broadbent.

From this time the history was identified with West Salem, and will be found in connection with that.

OFFICIAL.

The first town election was held at the schoolhouse, near the dwelling of L. L. Lewis, April 4, 1854. The officers of this meeting consisted of John Hineman, George G. Barber,