History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its cities, towns, resources, people

              328 HISTOEY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
a number of years, as they.were not satisfied with the western lands provided, and became finally settled on the reservation at Keshena, where they remain. The land of the town is rich loam, and it is one of the finest farming sections in the county. There is no railroad communication in the town; but depots at Omro and Winneconne are close at hand.
The town w^as originally a forest of hardwood, which is cleared away now, excepting an occasional wood lot. The roads are good, and the town is under a high state of cultivation, with fine farm buildings. At present the town has a popula¬ tion of 686, of whom 477 were born in this state, 32 in Ireland,- 79 in Germany, 22 in Canada, 22 in England, and 20 in Eussia. There are 14,000 acres of land in the town, of which 10,000 acres are improved, and valued at $1,000,000. The annual crops raised are 2,200 bushels of wheat, 55,000 oats, 8,000 barley, 25,000 corn, 20,000 potatoes, 3,000 apples and 4,000 tons of hay. In stock the thrifty people possess 384 horses, 2,400 cattle, 3,400 hogs, 1,000 sheep, 1,200 milch cows, and 6,000 fowls. The sales of lands show the average cash value of $73 per acre.
The town has six school houses, a church and a town hall. The first pioneer was Mr. John Keefe, who still resides on his lands near Poygan post office. He made a cruise through the town in 1848, and staked out the site that he intended to enter as his future farm as soon as the lands were open to settlement. Having located in Waukau with his family, he remained there until the spring of 1849, when he moved into the town and set up a shanty on his claim, title to which he could not obtain until it was surveyed and 'open to sale in 1852. His son Charles was the first child born in the town, in February, 1850. In the fall of 1849, Mr. Thomas Mettam moved in with his family, and found Mr. George Eawson and brother, Jerry Caulkins, and Thomas Bobbins, who had all just moved into the town. Mr. Thomas Brogden and Henry Cole, with their families, Eichard Barron, Ge'brge Burlingame, Joseph Felton, Jonathan and David Maxon and Eeed Case, all came very soon after. Phi¬ lander Hall, James Heffron, James Barron, William Johnson, G. and S. Wiseman, H. Scofield, William Tritt, and E. B. Wood settled in 1850; and the following spring Mr. Micheal O'Eeilly came. Later Mr. M. Killilea settled. His son is now a promi¬ nent attorney located in Milwaukee.
The pioneers had a difficult task to maintain peace with the Indians, who had made the treaty selling these lands, but were