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.

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HISTORY OP VERNON COUNTY.
CHAPTER    XIV.
CIVIL SUB-DIVISIONS OF  VERNON   COUNTY.
When the territory now comprising the county of Vernon was organized as Bad Ax county, in April, 1851, it constituted one civil town. This was called by the same name as the county—Bad Ax. Its organization was ef¬ fected at the same time as was that of the county.
In this shape the county remained until the 29th of March, 1853, when the board of super¬ visors got together and divided the county into four civil towns. These towns were named Bergen, Jefferson, Bad Ax and Kickapoo.
The town of Bergen was made to embrace the territory now comprising the towns of Ham¬ burg and Bergen, and all of Harmony and Genoa lying north of the dividing line between townships 12 and 13. It was further ordered that the first town meeting in Bergen be held at the house of John Warner.
The town of Jefferson embraced the territory of townships 13 and 14, range 5 west, now comprising the civil towns of Jefferson and Coon. The creating resolution provided that tbe first town meeting of Jefferson be held at the  school house in the village of Springville.
The town of Bad Ax was the largest in the county. The records state that its boundaries were as follows : "Beginning at the northwest corner of township 14, of range 4 west; run¬ ning thence south on the range line to the southwest corner of township 13, range 4 west; thence west on the township line between town¬ ships 12 and 13, to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river ; thence down the river to the southwest corner of the county; thence east on the county line to the southeast corner of section 15, township 11, range 4 west; thence north on the section line to the  north¬
east corner of section 27, township 12, range 4 west; thence east on the section line to the southeast corner af section 24, township 12, range 3 west ; thence north on the range line to the northeast corner of township 12, range 3 west; thence east on the township line between 12 and 13 to the southeast corner of township 13, range 1 east; thence north on the range line to the northeast corner of township 14, range 1 east; thence west on the township line, between townships 14 and 15, to the place of beginning." Thus it will be seen that the town of Bad Ax embraced about sixteen Con¬ gressional townships.
The town of Kickapoo embraced exactly the same territory as it does to-day. Its boundaries were described by the supervisors as follows: "Beginning at the northwest corner of section 26, township 12, range 4 west, thence south on the section line to the southwest corner of sec¬ tion 14, township 11, range 4 west, thence east on the section line to the southeast corner of section 13, township 11, range 3 west, thence north on the range line to the northeast corner of section 25, township 12, range 3 west, thence west on the section line to the place of begin¬ ning." This made in all forty sections. It was ordered that the first town meeting of Kickapoo be held at the house of Orrin Wisel.
The indebtedness of the town of Bad Ax was apportioned in fair ratio between the new towns, and the records and documents belong¬ ing to the original town were to remain with Bad Ax.
In a few months it became apperant that the town of Bad Ax was altogether too large. From the northeast to the southwest corner was a distance of over sixty miles.     On the 29th of