History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens.

              HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
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seen, Jan. 12, 1853. On the 26th of that month charges were preferred in the Assembly against Levi Hubbell,judge of the second circuit court,for divers acts of corruption and malfeasance in office. A resolution directed a committee to go to the Senate and impeach Hubbell. On the trial he was acquitted. By an act of the same Legislature, the State Agricultural Society was incorporated. Since its organization the society has printed a number of volumes of transactions, and has held, except during the civil war, annual fairs. Its aid to the agricultural interests of the State are clearly manifest. Farming, in Wisconsin, is confined at the present time to the south half of the State, the northern half being still largely covered by forests. The surface of the agricultural portion is, for the most part, gently undulating, consisting largely of prairies alternating with "oak openings." The State is essentially a grain-growing one, though stock-raising and dairy farming are rapidly gaining in importance. Wheat, the staple product of Wisconsin, is gradually losing its prestige as the farmer's sole dependence, and mixed farming is coming to the front. About twenty bushels of wheat are raised annually to each inhabitant of the State. Much more attention is now paid to fertilizers than formerly, clover and plaster being looked upon with constantly increasing favor. While within the last ten years stock-raising has been a grow¬ ing interest, yet it has not been a rapid one; not so, however, with dairying—no other agricultural interest has kept pace with this. The principal markets for the farm products of Wisconsin are Milwaukee and Chicago.
By an act approved March 4, 1853, the State Historical Society was incorporated, it having been previously organized. The society is under the fostering care of the State, each Leg¬ islature voting a respectable sum for its benefit. It has published a number of volumes of "Col lections" and of catalogues. Its rooms are in the capitol at Madison, where are to be found its library of  historical books and pamphlets.
the largest in the northwest. On the 2Ist of September, 1853, Timothy Burns, lieu¬ tenant-governor of the State, died at La Crosse. As a testimonial of respect for the decesised, the several State departments, in accordance with a proclamation of Gov. Farwell, were closed for one day, October 3. The year 1850, to the agriculturalist, was not one of much pros¬ perity in Wisconsin, owing to the partial failure of the wheat crop. The State was vis¬ ited during the year by cholera, not, however, to a very alarming extent. In 1851 the State was prosperous. In 1852 the citizens of Wis¬ consin enjoyed unusual prosperity. There were abundant harvests and high markets; an increase of money and a downward tendency of the rates of interest. The next year (1853) was also one in which every branch of industry prospered. There was an especial increase in commerce and manufactures. And here it might be said that next to agriculture the most important pursuit in Wisconsin is manufacturing; fore¬ most in this interest is lumber, of wlhich the pineries furnish the raw material. The pine region extends through the northern counties of the State from Green Bay to the St. Croix river. The demand for lumber is constantly increas¬ ing, while the facilities for its manufacture are continually enlarging. Over one billion feet of logs are cut annually. The lumber mills have a capacity^ exceeding one and one-half billion feet. The products of these find their way to market, either by the Mississippi and its tribu¬ taries, by the various lines of railways, or through the great lakes. The other leading articles of manufacture are flour, agricultural implements and malt liquors.
The fourth administration—William A. Bar¬ stow, governor—was signalized by a fugitive slave case, which greatly excited the people of Wisconsin. Sherman M. Booth, for assisting in the rescue of Joshua Glover, a fugitive slave, was arrested, but discharged by the supreme court. He was again arfested under an indict¬ ment in the United States district court, and a