1865-William Van Waters, Chairman; G. Simmenson, James McEldowney, Supervisors; Clerk, F. V. Casting; Treasurer, Monroe Palmer; Assessors, A. D. Loomis, Thomas Morrill. 1866-William Van Waters, Chairman; Thomas Morrill, Chris Larson, Supervisors; Clerk, F. V. Casting; Treasurer, S. Dunlap; Assessor, S. Dunlap.

1867-W. Van Zandt, Chairman; A. D. Loomis, E. R. Roberts, Supervisors; Clerk, F. V: Casting; Treasurer, W. H. Stanley; Assessors, William L. Dudley, Samuel Dunlap.

1868 William Van Zandt, Chairman; N. D. Loomis, O. Halvorson, Supervisors; Clerk, H. B. Beardsley (resigned), T. W. Stiles (resigned), A. J. Phillips; Treasurer, Edward Hayes; Assessors, Samuel Dunlap, W. P. Leete.

1869-William Van Zandt, Chairman; Even Roberts, Ole Knudeson, Supervisors; Clerk, A. J. Philips; Treasurer, Daniel Shell; Assessor, S. Dunlap.

1870-C. C. Palmer, Chairman; G. Simenson, Fred Sprain, Supervisors; Clerk, A. J. Philips; Treasurer, C. E. Adams; Assessor, S. Dunlap.

1871-William Van Waters, Chairman; G. Simenson, V. Weiman, Supervisors; Clerk, A. J. Philips; Treasurer, C. E. Adams; Assessor, S. Dunlap.

1872-William Van Zandt, Chairman; Ole Knudeson, V. Weiman, Supervisors; Clerk, A. J. Philips; Treasurer, Evan Johnson; Assessor, J. W. Raney.

1873-William Van Zandt, Chairman; Ole Knudeson, D. Sandman, Supervisors; Clerk, George Leete; Treasurer, Evan Johnson; Assessor, Samuel Dunlap.

1874-William Van Zandt, Chairman. William P. Leete, Ole Knudeson, Supervisors; Clerk, G. H. Leete; Treasurer, C. E. Adams; Assessor, S. Dunlap.

1875-William Van Zandt, Chairman; Ole Knudeson, F. B. Smith, Supervisors; Clerk, R. Goodrich; Treasurer, F. W. Stiles; Assessor, S. Dunlap.

1876-F. B. Smith, Chairman: Ole Knudeson, S. R. McKinley, Supervisors; Clerk, R. Goodrich; Treasurer, I. L. Green; Assessor, S. Dunlap.

1877-F. B. Smith, Chairman; T. Dudley, John Torgerson, Supervisors; Clerk, Reid Goodrich; Treasurer, John L. Green; Assessor, S. Dunlap.

1878-F. B. Smith, Chairman; John Torgerson, Timothy Dudley, Supervisors; Clerk,

R. Goodrich; Treasurer, Simeon Mahlum; Assessor, S. Dunlap.

1879-F. B. Smith, Chairman; John Torgerson, Timothy Dudley, Supervisors; Clerk,

R. Goodrich; Treasurer, Simeon Mahlum; Assessor, V. M. Adams.

1880-F. B. Smith, Chairman; John Torgerson, Timothy Dudley, Supervisors; Clerk, Reid Goodrich; Treasurer, Simeon Mahlum; Assessor, S. Dunlap.

1881-F. B. Smith, Chairman; John Torgerson, T. Dudley, Supervisors; Clerk, R. Goodrich; Treasurer, Simeon Mahlum; Assessor, Samuel Dunlap.

TOWN OF HOLLAND.

This town occupies the northwestern portion of La Crosse County, and is very irregularly surveyed. It originally constituted a portion of the towns of Onalaska and Hamilton, but the Board of Supervisors of La Crosse County, at their meeting of November 13, 1857, formed a new town, to which they gave the name of Holland, as follows: The whole of Fractional Township No. 18 north, Range No. 8 west, east and south of Black River, and the two north tiers of sections in Township No. 17 north, of Range No. 8 west, except the south half of Section No. 9 and Sections Nos. 6 and 7 of Township No. 17 north, of Range No. 7 west. In 1868, however, the town of Jackson, which had also been set off as a separate town on the 13th of November, 1857, was divided, and the three western tiers of sections, together with Sections 4, 5 and 6 from the town of Onalaska, were given to the town of Holland. The following is the description of the town of Holland, as made by the Board of Supervisors at this time, April 18, 1868: The whole of Fractional Township No. 18 north, of Range No. 3 west, east and south of the Black River and the two north tiers of sections in Township No. 17 north, of Range No. 8 west, except the south half of Section No. 9 and Sections Nos. 6 and 7, Township No. 17

W

north, of Range No. 7 west, together with such portions of Sections 4, 5 and 6 as lie in the town heretofore known as the town of Jackson, and Sections Nos. 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 of Township No. 18 north, of Range No. 7 west.

FIRST SETTLER.

In 1850, one Gordon and family emigrated from the State of Maine into La Crosse County, and purchased about 100 acres of land in the northern part of what is now the town of Holland, on or near the banks of the Black River. Here he erected for himself a log cabin, and devoted a part of his time in tilling the soil, which he had purchased, and the remainder of his time was spent in "logging." He laid out a village site on this land, to which he gave the name of Orno, but the town itself has never been built up. He also established a ferry across the Black River, which he conducted for a number of years, and which was discontinued at the time of his death, which occurred in 1875. His widow, the first pioneer woman in the town of Holland, is still living, and has the total supervision of the little farm, the foundation of which was laid by the whole-souled pioneer, noted for his steadfastness, integrity of principle and pioneer perseverance, who lived, wrought and triumphed, but has long since crossed the mystic river of death. Among those immediately following the arrival of Mr. Gordon, was Burr Johnson, who arrived and settled in the town of Holland the following year, 1851, and is still a highly respected and prominent citizen. Among those of 1852 was Ole O. Black, who emigrated from Norway to Dane County in 1850. Here he worked in a mill for two years, when he and his family, in July, 1852, came to La Crosse County and settled in the town of Holland, on Section 24, Township 18, Range 8 west, and is still conducting the same farm. The cosy little cottage and large barn, together with the waving fields of grain, give ample evidence of the success with which he has met since his advent as a pioneer settler, thirty years ago. Ole Hokenson also arrived during the year 1852, and settled on Section 31, Township 18, Range 7

west.

February 26, 1853, Oepke Bonnema, together with a few other persons, emigrated from the old world, coming by way of New Orleans, and up the Mississippi to La Crosse, where they arrived in the following July. Two of these families went from here into Minnesota, and Mr. Bonnema, together with Sjoerd Tyalsma and John Stienstre, who had emigrated with him, went further up from La Crosse into the present town of Holland, where he purchased a section of land on Section 17 and 18, Township 17, Range 8 west. This was tilled for a number of years by Tyalsma and Stienstre, when Mr. Tyalsma rented a piece of land and conducted farming for himself, and Mr. Stienstre purchased a farm on Section 35, Township 17, Range 8 west, and for a number of years successfully carried on the cultivation of the soil, until old age, incapacitating him for labor, rendered it necessary for him to rent his farm, and he now lives in the village of New Amsterdam, which was laid out by Mr. Bonnema on the land which he had purchased soon after his advent into the county.

Subsequently, Mr. Bonnema built the first store in what is now the town of Holland; and, for a number of years, supplied the subsequent pioneers with their necessary groceries. In 1855, a post office was established, with Bonnema as Postmaster. He also, at this time, acted as mail carrier on the route which was established from here to La Crosse, making two trips a week. Soon afterward, a mail route was established to Galesville, and New Amsterdam obtained their mail from the carriers on this route, which existed until about five years ago, when a new route was made from Midway to Amsterdam, since which time the mail has been obtained in that manner.

Mr. Bonnema was succeeded in the postmastership by David Neeham, who held the office for three years, and was followed by D. M. Deenstre, and he in turn by Mrs. Emma Miller, who held the office until her death, in 1880, when her nephew, Benjamin Miller, became the Postmaster, In 1856, Mr. Bonnema gave an acre of land, on which the first schoolhouse in the township was built, in 1857, and the first teacher was Mrs. David Needham, who taught in the summer of that year. In 1856, Stephen Woodward built a small frame building for Mr.

Bonnema, which was intended for a tavern. This, when finished, was first kept by Henry de Boer for two or three years, when Robert Price ran it for two years, and was followed by Mr. Nettleton, since which time it was kept by different ones until 1868, when Mr. Bonnema moved it from near the bank of the slough, where it was built, about forty rods northward, where he kept it himself until 1879, since which time it has been used by him merely as a private dwelling. In 1857, Mr. Bonnema erected a saw-mill on the bank of a branch of the Black River, having a capacity of about ten thousand feet per day. This mill he run until 1868, when it was shut down, and the machinery and apparatus has been sold to different parties.

Among the settlers of 1854, we find the names of Thomas Munson, who settled on Section 29, Township 18, Range 7 west; and Andrew Olson, who emigrated from Norway, and settled August 7, 1854, on Section 24, Township 18, Range 8 west, in what was subsequently the town, of Jackson; but now included within the limits of the town of Holland.

The first death in the town was probably that of Henry Rienks, a German, who, having died, was buried in a little grove at the foot of the hill, a few rods north of the town of New Amsterdam.

The first white children born in the town were a pair of twins-Carl and Johanna-born in August, 1852, a son and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ole Black. Carl is still living; but Johanna is dead.

The building of the first church was begun in 1873, and finished in 1879. Previous to this, ministers had come from La Crosse, and held their services in the schoolhouse.

The western portion of the town of Holland is somewhat cut up and broken by the Black and Mississippi Rivers. This consists principally of low marsh land, some parts of which are well adapted to the raising of grass. As we recede from the river, we come upon an open, sandy prairie, some three miles in width, which, as a farming country, has proven unreliable. At the eastern side of this prairie extends a range of bluffs northward and southward, and although they are not accessible in the matter of agriculture, afford excellent facilities for pasturage. Crossing over these bluffs at various places, and we find ourselves in beautiful and fertile valleys (or "coolies," as they are called by their inhabitants), which bear evidence of the progress that has been made in the matter of settlement and agriculture within the last thirty years, since those energetic old pioneers, buoyant with the hope of success, demonstrated to the world. the adaptability of the soil in this section of the country, to the agricultural interests.

OFFICIAL.

The first town meeting for the town of Holland was held on the first Tuesday in April, 1858, at the schoolhouse, near the village of New Amsterdam, but the writer was unable to find. any records of the officers previous to 1866. The following is a list of the officers from 1866 to date :

1866-Ole O. Black, Chairman; Henry de Boer, Leonard Groman, Supervisors; Peter Plunges, Town Clerk (resigned and John Van Loon elected in his place); Oepke Bonnema, Treasurer; Fred Gilbertson, Corn Ploeysina, Adam Gartner, Assessors; John Shaukland, John Hoff, Neils Larson, Justices of the Peace; P. J. Mosher, Theodore Comean, David Notter, Constables; H. Kass, Sealer.

1867-Ole O. Black, Chairman; Henry de Boer, Ole Peterson, Supervisors; John Van Loon, Clerk; Oepke Bonnema, Treasurer; Adam Gartner, Isaac Martin, Peter Hardy, Assessors; Suel Briggs, James O. Russell, Daniel Clark, Justices of the Peace; Peter Hanson, John McCammon, Constables; Henry Kass, Sealer.

1868-Ole O. Black, Chairman; Henry de Boer, Christopher Bolstad, Supervisors; John Van Loon, Clerk; Oepke Bonnema, Treasurer; Adam Gartner, Andrew Olson, Assessors; Elijah Jackson, Bernard McCue, Daniel Smith, Justices of the Peace; Daniel Clark, Ralph Mosher, Christopher Christopherson, Constables; Henry Kass, Sealer.

1869-Suel Briggs, Chairman; Andrew Olson, Nejer Kesterhouse, Supervisors; John Van Loon, Clerk; Oepke Bonnema, Treasurer; Suel Briggs, James Mosher, David Needham,