Histories: Trempealeau Co. Historical Accounts:
"History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin, 1917":
Chapter 8:
Lincoln Township was settled in 1856 by men who came down the Trempealeau Valley from older parts of the state, men for the most part of English or New England birth. The first were Deacon Alvah Wood, Moses Ingalls and his two sons, Moses D. and Francis W., and Hiram and Albert Stratton.
The Galesville Transcript of September 28, 1860, describes a visit to these pioneers. The first house encountered in the valley after coming up over the ridge from French Creek was that of Henry Lake, the pioneer of Lake Cooley. Lake had arrived from Walworth County New York, in 1855 with 100 head of cattle. In 1860 he already had a large farm, with 130 acres of small grain, 80 acres of clover and 14 acres of peas. He had adopted the plan of sowing timothy with his small grain and thus had pasturage for his stock just at the time the prairie grass failed in the fall. In section 7, Preston, was S. S. Rice, who likewise had a fine farm. Then came the farms of James Hopkins and Wessel Lowe, in sections 6 and 7, Preston. William Van Sickle was near-by in section 31, Preston. D. W. Wade was in section 36, Lincoln Township. Next down the Trempealeau Valley, in section 25, Lincoln, was Deacon Alvah Wood, upon whose farm was one of the first pieces of land cultivated in this region. A few farms had been opened between the Deacon Wood farm and the home of A. L. Sherwood, in section 21. Mr. Sherwood, whose home was on the bank of the Trempealeau, had beautified his place with a fine lawn shaded with many native trees. Not far away was Hiram Stratton, in section 15, and E. F. Wade, in section 28. Near-by, too, was the home of Frank W. and Moses D. Ingalls and their venerable father, Rev. Moses Ingalls. On the farm was a good field of sorghum, a good acreage of potatoes, a field of large onions, and many roses and other flowers. The people of the valley were doing their trading at Sparta, owing to the fact that there was no good wagon road to Galesville, Trempealeau, La Crosse or Fountain City. A little later, when the roads were improved, Trempealeau became the shipping and trading point for these pioneers.
"History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin, 1917":
Chapter 8:
Lincoln
-As transcribed from pages 92 - 93
-As transcribed from pages 92 - 93
Lincoln Township was settled in 1856 by men who came down the Trempealeau Valley from older parts of the state, men for the most part of English or New England birth. The first were Deacon Alvah Wood, Moses Ingalls and his two sons, Moses D. and Francis W., and Hiram and Albert Stratton.
The Galesville Transcript of September 28, 1860, describes a visit to these pioneers. The first house encountered in the valley after coming up over the ridge from French Creek was that of Henry Lake, the pioneer of Lake Cooley. Lake had arrived from Walworth County New York, in 1855 with 100 head of cattle. In 1860 he already had a large farm, with 130 acres of small grain, 80 acres of clover and 14 acres of peas. He had adopted the plan of sowing timothy with his small grain and thus had pasturage for his stock just at the time the prairie grass failed in the fall. In section 7, Preston, was S. S. Rice, who likewise had a fine farm. Then came the farms of James Hopkins and Wessel Lowe, in sections 6 and 7, Preston. William Van Sickle was near-by in section 31, Preston. D. W. Wade was in section 36, Lincoln Township. Next down the Trempealeau Valley, in section 25, Lincoln, was Deacon Alvah Wood, upon whose farm was one of the first pieces of land cultivated in this region. A few farms had been opened between the Deacon Wood farm and the home of A. L. Sherwood, in section 21. Mr. Sherwood, whose home was on the bank of the Trempealeau, had beautified his place with a fine lawn shaded with many native trees. Not far away was Hiram Stratton, in section 15, and E. F. Wade, in section 28. Near-by, too, was the home of Frank W. and Moses D. Ingalls and their venerable father, Rev. Moses Ingalls. On the farm was a good field of sorghum, a good acreage of potatoes, a field of large onions, and many roses and other flowers. The people of the valley were doing their trading at Sparta, owing to the fact that there was no good wagon road to Galesville, Trempealeau, La Crosse or Fountain City. A little later, when the roads were improved, Trempealeau became the shipping and trading point for these pioneers.