History of Embarrass, Wisconsin
From: History of Outagamie County, Wilsonsin
Thomas H. Ryan - Editor in Chief
Goodspeed Historical Allociates, Publishers
Chicago 1911
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Town of Embarrass. - On the last day of December, 1852, by the Board of Supervisors the following resolution
was adopted: "That so much of the territory of Outagamie county as lies north and west of the Wolf river Be,
and the same is hereby organized into a separate town and the legal voters therein are duly authorized to elect
town officers and transact town business, and the first town meeting be held at the house of Washington Law on
the first Tuesday of April next; the polls to be opened at the hour specified by law for annual elections; said
town to be known by the name of Embarrass. And be it further resolved that Norman Nash be and is hereby authorized
to post up in said territory three or more copies of the above resolution, said resolution to be furnished him
by the clerk of the Board."
It does not appear when this conclusion was reached but this entry is followed by a declaration as follows:
"We the undersigned c ualified voters of the town of Embarrass, and county of Outagamie, co believe it is
for the common interest of said town to organize ourselves into a body politic, for the purpose of choosing officers
and transacting such other business as may (be) deemed proper and necessary.' Dated, "Embarrass, Wis., Oct.
25, 1853" and signed by Jer. Merricle, George Lutsey, George W. Law, Alvin C. Holcomb, Augustus Busch and
Lewis M. Holcomb. Then under same date is the notice of meeting and election. At this election thirteen votes were
cast and the following officers elected, each of whom received the total vote: Jeremiah Merricle, George Lutsey
and Alvin Burnell, supervisors; Alvin C. Holcomb, town clerk; George W. Law, treasurer; Alvin C. Holcomb, superintendent
of schools; Alvin Burnell, Alvin C. Holcomb, George Lutsey and Joseph Turney, justices of peace; Lewis M. Holcomb,
Fordyce Worth, constables; Lewis M. Holcomb, assessor; George Lutsey, sealer of weights and measures; Andrew A.
Dakin, overseer of highways. No poll list is recorded and the five voters who were not elected to office remain
unidentified. The settlers located rapidly in 1851-2 and 3 and it is believed a full poll would show nearly double
the number appearing of record though some had not "gained residence." Among those mentioned, Augustus
Busch settled on what is now the Kickhoefer place in section 17; Andrew A. Dakin came about 1851 to section 29;
Alvin Burnell was about as early as Law but settled in Liberty, was a bachelor and probably the first white man
in Liberty. Joseph Turney settled in Liberty. Fordyce Worth came to Maple Creek about 1852. Some not mentioned
in the records but known to have settled before November, 1853, were: Thomas Nickel, father of Thomas C., Levi
and John Nickel, who came to Maple Creek and located in, section 29, in February, 1852, and died the following
April. John Wheeler came to the same section about the same time or possibly earlier, Mrs. Wheeler died in March,
1852, and hers was probably the first death in the settlement. There was no cemetery and both she and Mr. Nickel,
and later, a little child of Wm. McDonald; were buried in the woods on the section where they lived; resting there
until a cemetery was established. McDonald joined the settlement in 1852. James Payton came in the fall of the
same year. Sam and John Payton about that time. Joseph N. Owen, unmarried, came with his brother in law, Gordon
House, both locating in 32, in 1853. Porter Bowen in the same year on the same section near the Embarrass river,
afterward removing to section 13, Deer Creek. Norman Gerard lived near Lutsey in saction 15, Maple Creek. Alexander
Cuthbertson and Robert Hutchison both of Scotch ancestry, bought land in 1854 on Maple Creek in section 17. Lyman
Woodward came about 1853 to section 31. Joseph N. Owen in the same year bought in 17. Carl Ohm lived in 29 and
Giesbert Stechtman in 30. The Ruckdashels, Lorence and his parents, came about 1854 and were the first in what
later became Sugar Bush Thomas C. Nickel, who came with Law 1850, settled in 29 in 1855. Michael Flannagan about
a year later settled in 19. Fred Fuerst came 1856 to 28. Walter Housten lived on Shawano road in Maple Creek about
1856, kept a tavern and had the first bar in the town. Isaac Krake came 1856, stopped at New London where by this
time there was a little settlement, until he could prepare a home in section 32, Maple Creek. His sons Levi and
Ephriam lived in same section. They were of the "Mohawk Dutch" and with the energy characteristic of
that people engaged in the development of the settlement. Warren Jepson from the same region in New York came the
same year, removing in 1860 to section 31 in Deer Creek, being one of the earliest to locate in that town. |
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