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by Mrs. Sophronia A. (McGhan) McLimans
Fennimore Times
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Sophronia Ann (McGhan) McLimans
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In the spring of 1846 my father, Silas McGhan, having felt the call of the west, bought a land patent off an old revolutionary soldier by the name of James Dow, and in company of his nephew, George McGhan, started from our home town of Edinboro, Erie Co. Pa. to see what he could find for a home, taking provisions and a team for a journey of several weeks.They headed for Nauvoo, Illinois where two of fathers brothers had moved some five years previous.
After traveling for some time they reached their destination but on looking over the country decided to go on to Wisconsin and visit father’s sister, Mrs. Jacob Dehart, who had moved to Beetown from Canada two years before, and who father had not seen for a number of years. They reached Beetown without any mishaps, and having finished his visit, father was looking over the country before going away.
Coming on to the prairie near where Fennimore now is located, and liking the looks of the land so well, he decided to locate here, so going to Mineral Point, the Government Land Office, he entered 160 acres of land east and a half mile south of where the main street of Fennimore now is.
Returning home to Pennsylvania, he began preparations for moving the following spring, selling all the stock but five horses, and taking what goods could be loaded in two large wagons and one small one.
Dr. Chester Pratt living nearby, concluded to risk coming with us to the new country, but cousin George had enough travel and could not be induced to leave the old home in Pennsylvania.
Everything being in readiness in the spring of 1847, we left our old home. Now vivid memory brings the picture of it – the old log house with it's wide open fireplace, built with the stairway on one side, the pantry on the other, in which stood the old flour bin, and by its side, the maple sugar barrel; the spring gushing from the hillside and the brook across which we had to go to reach the barn; the big chestnut stump that stood by the path which was sawed for a mounting block and last of all, the peach orchard which yielded the most rosy cheeked, luscious peaches it has ever been my lot to taste.
Father took the lead with my brothers, George and Will, a close second, Dr. Pratt, coming next, while mother and we three younger children brought the rear in the light wagon.
We traveled thus for days and days. It became very monotonous as well as tiresome. We at last came in sight of Cleveland, Ohio. I remember how glad we were. Here, father and Dr. Pratt decided to take the steamer up the lakes, as it would shorten the trip. What a wonderful thing it seemed to us when they drove the teams on the boat, which I was afraid would sink with its weight.
Some of us were sea-sick. Mother was very sick for several days, but father enjoyed it, as he had sailed on the lakes for several years when he was a younger man, carrying on trade with the Indians of Fort Dearborn, now Chicago, when it was a hamlet. To him it was quite a treat.
We finally reached Milwaukee, where we unloaded and made ready for the trip over land. The land for a mile around Milwaukee was low and marshy. The men had to keep to the unbroken sod, instead of following each other, they circled out, each one making a new track.
In a few days we reached Madison, then just a small village where we stopped and laid in a supply of provisions. In Dane County, we stopped for a few days to rest. There was a very sick woman here, and hearing there was a Doctor with us, the husband came and insisted on Dr. Pratt to come and see his wife. He finally induced Dr. Pratt to stop for there was much call for a physician. The man got a house for Dr. Pratt to move his family to. Dr. Pratt remained there a year and then came on to Fennimore Prairie and located south of father across the road on a quarter section (later owned by R.P. Green) and built by a spring where he died a few years later. He was laid to rest in the cemetery at the No.1 school house.
From Dane county we came next to Blue Mounds, then to Wingville (Montfort). As we came along the military road toward the farm father had located, we came to a cabin by a spring in a large grove on the right hand side of the road, where we stopped to water the horses, as springs were scarce. An old man lived there by the name of Fennimore who trapped for a living. The territory embraced the townships of Hickory Grove, Marion, Mt. Ida, and Fennimore was called Fennimore in honor of the old trapper, who lived there so long, died and was buried near his cabin in the woods.
From the farm we went to town where mother and we children stayed while father and the boys built the house on the farm.
The winter of '47 and '48 was very cold and the deep snow, making it hard for father and the boys to do the work necessary. I recall the trip we made the latter part of October. Mother having prepared a lot of provisions for father and the boys, got Silas Dehart, our cousin to take the big sleigh and take us to Fennimore Prairie. Mother and Silas took the seat, while we children sat in the box so we could be warmly covered. We made the trip, found father well and had started out for Beetown again, when a few miles out on the road it began to snow, and how it did snow! It snowed so hard they put a blanket over our heads. It was not long until the blanket began to get heavy, then heavier, until it seemed we could not stand it. We began to make ourselves heard and Silas got out and shook the snow off the blanket, declaring there was most of a foot on it. However, it was quite a relief to us. We wallowed on through the snow and finally reached Beetown. This was the second of November, 1847. I have heard my mother say we saw no more bare ground until the following April.
There were a few families living on the prairie when we came or coming about that time. As I remember them, they were Mr. Wright, father of Philanderer Wright, Wilson McNair, William Thorp, Thomas Bailey, Mr. Benner, Joel Cramer, William and George Dixon, McRenolds, and Russells.
In '49 and '50 a large number of people came settling all around us – Dillons, Switzers, Smiths, Earls, McLimans and many others. About the spring of 1849, as people felt a need of school for the growing children in the settlement, father told them he would give an acre on the southeast corner of his farm for a school site.
Accordingly they went to work and erected a strange schoolhouse, taking the covers of the movers wagons which had been used in the journey west, fixed a frame of wood and stretched this over, making a "tent" schoolhouse. Using boards for seats. They hired Cyntha Pratt to teach three months of school. Then they could draw public money. This was called No. 1. and is the first schoolhouse built in Fennimore township. The next spring they built a small frame schoolhouse and I think Cynthia Pratt taught another term. The next winter Ben Shearer taught and if I am not mistaken, he taught another term or two after this. The pupils who attended the first term of school at No. 1, as near as I can remember were Lucy and Ephraim Wright, six or seven of Dr. Pratts children and Owen and Sophronia McGhan.
Not long after the schoolhouse was built a Baptist Minister by the name of Matlock moved into the neighborhood and began holding meetings in the schoolhouse. A class soon formed and many conversions made. Philander Wright, better known as Deacon Wright, was elected deacon of the church, which office he held a number of years. A family moving through about the time Matlock began preaching had a very sick child, they ask father to have the services of Dr. Pratt, but all to no avail – the child died and was buried on land adjoining the school site.
Father realizing the need of a cemetery gave a deed of two acres for a cemetery, and here many of the pioneers lie buried. Although the land was new, I do not remember ever seeing an Indian. There were many deer, wolves and rattlesnakes. Once in awhile deer would come near enough to the buildings so father could shoot them. Sometimes they would go some distance before dropping, and sometimes there would be an exciting chase.
I well remember George Dixons race with the wolves. It was the custom of the early settlers to divide with each other when they butchered, so when George and William Dixon butchered, George took a ham on his shoulder and started for fathers. When he was well on his way, he heard the wolves, they smelled the fresh meat and were after it. George realizing his danger, began hastily to make tracks, but although he hurried, they came faster than he could go. He began to shout and father being outside, heard the wolves and also the shouts, caught his gun which was always loaded, calling the boys and dog and ran to George's assistance, when the wolves saw help coming they slunk sparingly away, but George was pretty well winded in the race. This you young folks must remember happened only one mile from the heart of Fennimore City.
I will have to tell you a rattlesnake story too. In 1852 George and William were hauling wood from Fennimore grove. They made one trip and found the grove full of blackberries; so George's wife and I thought we would go along the next morning and gather berries while the men chopped a load of wood, hauled it home and came back for another. So bright and early the next morning, laden with pails and riding on the wood-rack, we set out for the grove.
Just entering the grove and were horrified to see, stretched at full length on a log, a monstrous, yellow and black rattlesnake asleep in the sun as it shone through an opening in the trees. William saw it first and warning George to stop the team, took his axe from the wagon and cautiously crept up to the sleeping snake. With one blow of the axe he severed his head from his body. He quickly stepped back to the wagon and of all the convulsions I ever saw, none equaled that. It would curl and jump several feet off the ground, then twist and jump again. After a time it grew still, then the boys took a small rope, tied it to the back of the wagon, taking it home as a trophy of their mornings work. How about the berry pickers? Well, we had seen enough for one day. We kept pretty close to the wagon and when it was loaded, were the first ones on, and ready for home. We were not hungry for berries.
When we first moved to Prairie, the nearest post office was at Lancaster, but that troubled us but little, as we did not get as much mail in a year then as we get in a week now. Father was one of the first subscribers to the Grant County Herald. It was only a small sheet, but large enough to hold the news. Later Mike Bowers got a post office at his home, where Mrs. Abe Howell now lives on the farm. This place was the post office until after the war.
There was a blacksmith shop near the Bowers’ post office. In the fall of 1862, several neighbors and father moved this building to the corner, where the Gunderson Lomas and Tuckwood store now stands. Then they moved a building for Dr. Thomas Bailey from the southeast of Fennimore to the corner where the opera house now is, and in this they opened a general store.
Squire, C.W. Loney and Father H.H. Harl built on the southeast corner and kept a grocery store. The post office was moved here and Father Earl was postmaster for several years. This place was called "Fennimore Center" or more commonly "Center". This was the beginning of the city of Fennimore.
In the past seventy years I have never lived more than twelve miles away from the present site of Fennimore and most of that time in the near vicinity and all these years have only spent one away from this locality.
- - - - Her 75th Wedding Day Today
Fennimore Times, Wednesday, April 15, 1931
Today is Grandma Sophronia McLimans’ wedding day – the 75th.
Grandma McLimans was born March 14, 1837, in Erie County, Pa. In 1847 by covered wagon she came with her parents and four brothers, George, William, Owen and Merritt and a sister Jane, by boat to Milwaukee, from there by ox team on the old military trail through to Madison. There were places so swampy that one wagon did not follow the other without getting stuck in the mud. July 5 they arrived at what is now No. 1 or McGhan school in Fennimore camping by the spring near where the McGhan schoolhouse now stands. Her father, Silas McGhan, entered the 160- acres the schoolhouse and grave yard are on; the land for the school and cemetery were donated by him. The first school was taught by Cynthia Pratt. Dr. Pratt came in the same wagon train that Silas McGhan did, locating on the 160 acre south of the schoolhouse. The first term of school was taught in a tent made of the canvas that were the wagon covers. Where Fennimore now stands you could hide in the tall prairie grass and not a fence in the county. She lived on the claim with here parents until 1856. On April 15, 1856, she was united in marriage to John McLimans, 75 years ago today. They then moved to Gregory Hollow in a log house just south of the road near Reckenthalers until the civil war. Her husband John McLimans enlisted in the 7th regiment, a part of the old Iron Brigade. She then moved back to the old place at the No. 1 school. During the war here father died, leaving her with three children, Silas, John R. and Nell L. They were hard times, husband and four brothers in the war and father dead. They would go over to Fennimore grove and pick up chips that were cut from the trees for firewood. There was plenty of game those days, bear, deer and wolves were more then plentiful. She well remembers Dixon’s, they at that time lived in Fennimore grove or on the R. P. Green place in Shaw Hollow. Having butchered a hog, Geo. Dixon, taking a piece of it, started over to Silas McGhan’s; on the way the wolves got on his trail but by good luck her arrived there; but the wolves did not give up the chase until Silas McGhan came with his rifle and shot one of them. The first post office was on the Howell farm, just east of the White cemetery, the first postmaster, Mike Bowers. Many of the time she has jumped on a horse and went across where Fennimore now stands over to the post office for mail.
1868 with her husband and five children, Silas, John, Nell, George and May they moved near Farview in the Hake school district where they lived on the farm where the rest of the family was born and raised. Those bon on that farm were Huldah, James, Hattie, Irene and Robert. In 1901 they moved to the village of Fennimore where they lived until her husband died in June 1899. February 11, 1920 she went to Petersburg in Crawford county to live with her daughter Irene with whom she has lived continuously since, being 94 years old March 14 of this year. Confined to her bed for several months here eye-sight and hearing is almost gone, but her mind is as clear as a bell and she can remember dates almost to the minute. A wonderful woman!
- - - - Mrs. Sophronia McLimans 95 Years Old, Passes Away
Fennimore Times, September 1932
That grand old lady, Mrs. Sophronia McLimans, is no more. In here 96th year she peacefully closed her eyes in death Sunday at 3 a.m., at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Irene Walker, in Petersburg, Crawford Co. Her health had been failing for some time and for several years she had been bedfast, but she possessed wonderful vitality.
Her remains were brought to Fennimore yesterday morning and the funeral held at 11 a.m., from the U. B. church, Rev. W. L. Sanford officiating, who preached an appropriate sermon for the occasion and dwelt on the many virtues of this mother in Israel. A quartet sang – Will Zimmerman, Mrs. Walter Dilley, Mrs. Davis Farris, Rev. Sanford, with Mrs. Rex Munns organist. Interment was at the White. The pallbearers were six grandsons, Walter McLimans, Orin Ellis, Tanner, Eddie, Albert and Bennie Walker.
Mrs. McLimans was a staunch Christian and a member of the United Brethren church for the past forty years.
She attained the ripe old age of 95 years, 6 months, 4 days.
Mrs. McLimans was a daughter of Silas and Mary Potter McGhan, and was born in Erie county, Pa., March 14, 1837, coming to Fennimore ten years later with her parents, who settled southeast of Fennimore on the farm on which the McGhan school and cemetery are, and were among Fennimore’s pioneers. Mrs. McLimans took part in that pioneer life.
April 15, 1856, she married John McLimans and they farmed in Clifton, Sept. 4, 1862, Mr. McLimans enlisted in Co.. H, 7th Wis. Volunteer infantry and served his country throughout the civil war, being mustered out May 31, 1865. At Gettysburg he was taken prisoner and confined in Libby prison, and Belle Isle, but paroled after a month, rejoined his regiment. After going through the campaign of the Wilderness he was taken sick at the siege of Petersburg, and sent to Whitehall hospital at Philadelphia, where his wife went and helped care for him. Three brothers of Mrs. McLimans were in the same company with her husband, Geo., Wm., and Owen McGhan.
After the war, the McLimans continued to farm until 1891 when they moved to Fennimore, where McLimans died, in 1899, and where Mrs. McLimans continued to reside until going to Petersburg, 12 years ago.
Mrs. McLimans had eleven children, Silas, (deceased), John R. of Perry Oklahoma, who was here visiting his mother when she died, Nellie, (Mrs. Philip Keller) of Tacoma, Wash., George O. of Fennimore, Mary (Mrs. Wm. Ellis) of Muscoda, James (whereabouts unknown), Hattie (Mrs. Norval Walker) deceased; Irene (Mrs. Tanner Walker) of Petersburg, Robert of Mineral Point, Nancy (died in infancy)/ There are 57 living grandchildren, several great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Mrs. McLimans was a most loving wife and mother who tenderly cared for her offspring and was much attached to all of them. Hers was a calm, quiet, peaceful live, and a beautiful serenity and composure marked its close.
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We shall meet over there,Where no tear shall dim the eye.
Free from toil and pain and care,
We shall meet in the sweet bye and bye.
