History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin. Being a General Survey of Outagamie County History including a History of the Cities, Towns and Villages throughout the County, from the Earliest Settlement to the Present Time

              HISTORY OF OUTAGAMIE COUNTY 83
ers of this locality and they prepared to seek the w^oods. In October all swamp land pre-emptors were invited to come to the register's office with two disinterested witnesses to prove the required progress on their claims.   The register of deeds was P. D. Bingham.
In November, 1856, the county board appropriated $500 with which to fence and clear the Courthouse square. The total county receipts in 1856 were $22,690.54 less $2,530.92 on hand at the be¬ ginning of the year. There was on hand at the end of the year $9,751.52.
In January, 1857, the county board made an appropriation with which to prepare a map of the county showing the location of towns, villages, and the principal streams. This map was attrac¬ tively prepared and copies were sent to scores of counties in the East for the purpose of attracting settlers to this vicinity. Excellent farm land was advertised in Center, Freedom^ Ellington, Bovina and Em¬ barrass at from $2 to $10 per acre.
"Killing Deer.—An immense number of deer were killed in this county during the latter part of last week. We hear that one Indian killed fourteen in the town of Center on Saturday. The snow was crusted over strong enough to bear a man and they hunted the poor animals with dogs and clubs. This wholesale destruction of deer is too bad. We actually wish that the legislature would take away the privilege given to Indians to hunt game out of season; and that the white savages who are so wicked and thoughtless as to exter¬ minate the species in season and out of season were made to feel the rigid penalty of the law."—{Crescent, February 21, 1857.)
The special attention of newcomers was called to the desirability of residing in the town of Bovina. The lumber interest there was very large and valuable and the mills were in steady operation. Hundreds of men were at w^ork the previous winter in the lumber camps. The village of Shiocton counted two hotels, several stores , and half a dozen mechanic's shops and already the village w^as an important point in river navigation. In addition there were many acres of unoccupied grazing and farming land within the limits of that towm.   It was considered an excellent location for actual settlers.
It was announced by the Crescent that the use of maple sugar in Outagamie county was more than ten times greater than in any previous sugar season known, and the quality w^as never better; the price was about 12c a pound.
In April the City of Appleton and the town of Grand Chute jointly voted at the courthouse the sum of $4,140 for roads and bridges in city and town. This w^as thought a liberal appropriation. It was believed the county should build and maintain the bridges, even within the limits of Appleton, over navigable rivers like the Fox and Wolf,
About the middle of June a large meteor passed over Appleton about noonday, taking a northeast direction and though the sun was shining brightly at the time it was distinctly visible. It left as a trail a white cloud and after a few seconds exploded in a series of concussions resembling the firing of a cannon in rapid succession.