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 OF VERNON COUNTY.
T. S. Jordan, of Indiana, settled on section 28 in August, 1858, where he was still living in 1884.
Jacob N. Poorman, a native of Pennsylvania, came from Indiana in 1861 and settled on sec¬ tion 22.
The same year David Sabin, of the same State, settled on section 2 8.
James McKitrick, of Ohio, settled that year on section 17, but afterwards moved to section 18.
Henry Obert came in 1860 and settled on section 5. He was a native of New York State. He died in 1875.
Edward Harris, a colored man who had been a slave in Tennessee, came to the town of Un¬ ion soon after the war and purchased half of the northwest quarter of section 2. It is re¬ lated of this negro that he was very industrious and also quite ingenious. While a slave he earned money nights making bracelets, and at the earliest opportunity he left his master and came north. He was with the Union army as cook about two years. At the time of the elec¬ tion in 1868 he was getting ready to move to Canada as he expected, in case Seymour and Blair, democratic candidates for Piosident and Vice-President, were elected, to be returned to slavery. Like others of his race he was very superstitious. He was an excellent farmer and had the respect of all his neighbors. His first wife and children were taken from him and sold, and a son of his second wife was living in 1884 on the homestead in this town, where his father died.
EARLY   EVENTS
As early a death as there is any record of, was William Joseph, son of Joseph and Elizabeth Getty, who died Jan. 3, 1861. His was the first remains buried in the Newburn cemetery.
Among the earliest births in the town were Adela, daughter of William and Rebecca Out¬ land, in the winter of 1856-7, and Joseph F., son of Archibald and Harriet (Wear) Calaway, born Sept. 6, 1857.
The first settler was James Cooper, who set¬ tled on section 2.
ORGANIC.
The town of Union was organized at a meet¬ ing held April 10, 1856, at the house of Joseph Beans, when the following officers were elected: Joseph Newburn, (chairman), Elliot Benson and Herman Heath, supervisors; Horace H. Ripley, clerk; Joshua W. Osgood, treasurer; Thomas De Jean, assessor; Richard Glenan, superintendent of schools; Hiram Heath, George Walts and Thomas De Jean, justices of the peace; William Shult, Adam Bryan and John H. Russel, constables.
Officers of 1883: Saiiiuel Bauman, (chairman), P. S. Steinman and Frank Johneschiek, supervi¬ sors; Robert Butcher, town clerk; Frank Grouse, treasurer; Jonathan Cry, assessor; Adam Crouse and J. N. Poorman, justices of the peace.
SCHOOLS.
The first school in the town of Union was taught in 1857, in a log building erected by the neighbors on section 30. This school was taught by Isaac Outland and was in what was afterward known as district No. 1. This build¬ ing was used as a school house for about two years, when another was erected on another part of the same section, in which Charles Searing was the first teacher. In 1872 a neat frame house was built to take the place of the rude log houses which served in pioneer times. Mary S. West was the first teacher in this frame building.
In what is now known as district No. 2, which was organized in 1859, a log school house was built on the southeast quarter of section 3. Miranda Markee was the first teacher in this district. In 1870 a new building was provided, which was located on the northwest quarter of section 12.    Moses Brown was the first teacher.
The first school in district No. 4 was taught in 1859 or 1860, in a log cabin on section 25.
District No. 5 was organized in 1864 at a meeting held at the house of David Sabin, in November.    A log  school house was built in