DODGE COUNTY. So named in honor of General Henry Dodge, first Governor of Wisconsin, is bounded on the north by Fond du Lac; on the east by Sheboygan and Washington; on the south by Milwaukee and Jefferson; on the west by Dane and Columbia counties. It is five townships, or thirty miles square, embracing townships, numbered nine to thirteen, in ranges numbered thirteen to seventeen, all inclusive. Its area is nine hundred square miles, or five hundred and seventy-six thousand acres. Dodge was set off from Brown county, in 1836, and organized as a separate county in 1840; and organized for judicial purposes in 1845. In 1838 it had a population amounting to eighteen, and in 1842 it had increased to one hundred and forty-nine; but such has been the rapid settlement of the county that the population is now estimated at five thousand. In 1840, there were in Dodge county, 40 horses, 150 neat cattle, 105 swine; and the produce of the preceding year is stated to be 2,100 bushels of oats, 2,000 of Indian corn, 2,425 of potatoes, 500 tons of hay, and five hundred dollars worth of skins and furs. There are five lakes in Dodge county. The largest is FOX LAKE, lying in the northwest corner township; about three miles long and two wide, and forming the source of the Crawfish river. It has nearly a regular oval form, and a small island towards the east end. LAKE EMILY is two and a half miles northwest from Fox lake, and is only about three-fourths of a mile in length. The WINNEBAGO MARSH, lying on Rock River, near its source, is principally in this county, and is, perhaps, the most extensive marsh in Wisconsin, being fourteen miles long, five and a half wide, and covering an area of fortyfour square miles. The river, in passing through it, is often divided into several channels, and sometimes it is almost impossible to trace it through the high rank grass, &c., with which the marsh is covered. It occupies parts of townships twelve, thirteen and fourteen, in ranges fifteen and six teen. ROCK RIVER enters Dodge county near the head of the Winnebago marsh, and runs in a direction almost due south through the county, and is here navigable, with the exception of a distance of about three-fourths of a mile at Hustis' rapids, where there is a fall of nearly seven feet, requiring improvement, and affording a water power of great force and value. Hustis rapids are about twelve miles below the marsh. The bottom of the river here affords excellent foundations, and good materials for improvement are found near by. Beaver Dam rivER, the outlet of Fox Lake, runs parallel to Rock river, and about twelve miles west of it. This stream also runs through the county, from north to south. OSSIN RIVER, Sometimes, but improperly, called Rock river, rises in Washington county, and running westward with a remarkably crooked course, enters Rock river in township twelve, near the foot of the Winnebago marsh. The RUBICON is another branch of Rock river, which rises in a small lake near the Musquewoc lake, in Washington county, and running west, enters Rock river three miles below Hustis' rapids. The following remarks relative to Dodge county were written by the intelligent editor of the Milwaukee Democrat, in 1843. "This county is situated in the interior, midway between Wisconsin river and Lakes Michigan and Winnebago, and at present contains more choice locations for farms than can be found in any other county in Wisconsin. The Rock river runs through the eastern part of Dodge, and expanded in the Winnebago marsh, becomes navigable for any boats that ever may be made to pass on this stream, to within about fifteen miles of Lake Winnebago. The western portion of the county is watered by the Crawfish and Beaver dam creeks, on each of which extensive water power may be created. Good wells have been obtained at the depth of twenty feet, in nearly every part of the county; and springs, and spring brooks, are more abundant than in any other portion of Wisconsin. The larger streams are skirted by groves of thick and heavy timber, consisting of oak, sugar, linn, elm, ash, butternut, hickory and walnut; while the smaller streams run through the choicest tracts of burr oak openings and prairies, interspersed with valuable thickets of pin oaks, which will furnish farmers in their neighborhood with an excellent and plentiful supply of rail timber. Excepting the Winnebago marsh, there is scarcely any land in the whole county (thirty miles square) which cannot be cultivated. Several causes have hitherto operated to prevent the settlement of this district. Its inaccessibility from the lake shore, because of the want of roads, may be stated as one cause, while another is to be found in the fact that one-half of this county is in the northern land district, and must be entered at Green Bay, which is even more inaccessible from that region than Milwaukee. Until the present year, so far as public notoriety extended, Dodge county has been left a terra incognita. Three years since, Mr. Hyland opened a wagon road from Watertown to the centre of the county, and settled on a small prairie which bears his name, whither he was followed by a sufficient number of industrious farmers to occupy not only the whole of the prairie, but every quarter section adjoining the road opened by this hardy pioneer. About the same time six families moved from Fox lake, ten miles down the Beaver Dam, and made a settlement, to which they gave the name of that stream. This settlement now contains twenty-five or thirty families. A saw-mill is in successful operation, and preparations are making to build a flouring-mill on the same dam during the coming year. The stream, which will yield an abundant supply of water, and which at this point has between twenty and thirty feet fall within three-fourths of a mile, may be successfully and easily used to any extent in driving machinery. Between Hyland's and Beaver Dam, are Rising and Slawson's prairies, on which are thriving settlements. The settlement at Fox lake, which was commenced four or five years since under the auspices of Mr. H. Stevens, has languished from its remote distance in the northwest corner township, and from the injudicious entries by non-residents, rather than from any want of choice and superior farming locations. There are, however, several substantial farmers in the Fox lake and Lake Emily region, and the prospect now is, that this inviting part of Dodge county will receive a new impetus to its settlement. All these settlements are made by immigrants from the eastern states; and not to exceed thirty sections of land in the county are in the hands of non-residents." So far as the rocks have been exposed to view, limestone is found to prevail, and usually of an excellent quality for building purposes. There are six post-offices already established in this county, which only three years since contained less than a hundred and fifty inhabitants: at Beaver Dam, Fox lake, Lake Emily, Lake Marie, Oak Grove and Waushara. The rapidity with which this county has been settled and improved within the last three years is truly surprising, even to those who are familiar with similar occurrences in the western country. Villages have sprung up, roads have been opened and improved, water privileges have been occupied, and new clearings commenced in all parts of the county. The township system of government has been adopted, and the county is divided into nineteen towns, as follows: ASHIPPUN, township nine, in range seventeen. BEAVER DAM, township eleven and the south half of twelve, in range fourteen. BURNETT, township twelve, in range fifteen. CLYMAN, township ten, in range fifteen. CHESTER, township thirteen, in ranges fifteen and sixteen. CALMUS, township eleven and south half of twelve, in range thirteen. EMMETT, township nine, in ranges fourteen and fifteen. ELBA, township ten, in range thirteen. FAIRFIELD, township eleven, in range fifteen. Fox LAKE, township thirteen and north half of twelve, in range thirteen. HUSTISFORD, township ten, in range sixteen. HUBBARD, township eleven, in ranges sixteen and seventeen. LEBANON, township nine, in range sixteen. LOWELL, township ten, in range fourteen. LE Roy, township twelve and thirteen, in range seventeen RUBICON, township ten, in range seventeen. TRENTON, township thirteen and north half of twelve, in range fourteen. WILLIAMSTOWN, township twelve, in range sixteen. ROCK RIVER The nu Rises a few miles west of Fond du Lac, and running in a south and southeasterly direction, enters the Mississippi in the State of Illinois, one hundred and sixty-five miles below the south line of Wisconsin. It derives its name from some rocks near the mouth, seen in passing on the Mississippi, and not from its being more rocky than any other of the western rivers. The "Rock river country" is very favorably known for its fertility of soil, healthfulness, and for the beauty of its natural scenery. merous remains of an ancient people, and of their works, found in its vicinity, indicate that this celebrity is not of recent date. This river may, at very moderate expense, be rendered navigable for small steamboats. The only obstructions within this Territory are at four rapids, requiring locks and dams, and about ten bars or shallow places, of inconsiderable extent. The following table shows the extent and fall on these rapids, the distance along the river |