Incidents and Anecdotes of Early Days and History of Business in the City and County of Fond Du Lac From Early Times to the Present, Personal Reminiscences, Remarkable Events, Election Results, Military History, Etc.

              FROM EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT 153
often straw colored, but was used because it was the best to be had. It was in this as in many other things of early times, it was accepted as all right because there was nothing better to be had.
First Yacht on These Waters.
The first yacht on Fond du Lac waters was named after the great hunter in Bible times, "Nimrod.'' It was of the Lake Michigan class of fishing and hunting boats, was about thirty feet long and five or six feet wide, sloop rigged. It was owned by M. J. Thomas, son-in-law of John B. Macy. It was first put into the water at the landing, but afterwards taken to Lake deNeveu, where Mr. Thomas built a neat boat house, but both were wrecked in a storm. One night a wind storm of great violence moved the house and partly turned it over, resulting in a general wreck.
Weather on January i, 1854.
On the 1st day of January, 1854, Willard Edson, father of Solon W. Edson, of the five points shops, was working at the bench in the shop of William Mumby, on West Second street, and Solon was there and knows it to be a fact that the day was as bright and warm as a day in June. It was just ten years later, on January ist, 1864,' that we had the memorable cold New Year. It was just half way between these years, on May 15, 1859, ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ snow six inches deep. Five years after the cold New Year, in 1869, we had the hot summer. One day in July the mercury went to 104 in the shade, in Ripon, and business was suspended.    95 to 100 was not unusual.
The Edson shop at the five points is the veteran wood working shop, if indeed it is not the oldest continuously working shop of any sort in the entire city. The Amory gun shop was started in 1848, but the name has been changed three times—S. B. & J. Amory to T. S. Weeks, he to Weeks & Hurlbut, and they to Hurlbut & Harris. The Edson shop was moved to its present location in 1854, and has been in charge of Willard Edson and his son, Solon W. Edson, ever since. A son of the latter, Eugene Edson, was with his father a short time, but died in 1895. This shop has not been out of the hands of the Edson family from its beginning in 1854, therefore has been in continuous existence at this date of 1905, more than half a century.
Western Avenue Bridge.
The first bridge across the west branch of the river at Western Avenue, was built of logs and logs it has been much of the time since. A resident who has crossed and re-crossed that bridge frequently during the past forty years, says he thinks it is about time that the city had a decent bridge there and few people will dispute his state¬ ment. It has been tinkered and repaired many times, but never has it resulted in a bridge that at all compared with others in the city. Once or twice it broke down, but fortunately no one was hurt.