building, and was located within the present limits of Fayetteville. The rock used in the construction of this schoolhouse was, in 1854, utilized for the foundation of the Methodist Church, which was built in the village that year. The basement of this church was used for the district school until the present two-story structure was erected. There are now in the town ten schoolhouses.

In 1849, the first post office in the town was established in the village of Fayette. M. W. Anderson, who kept a general store at that time, was appointed Postmaster. He has been succeeded by James Trousdale, James Freeman, Mrs. Elizabeth Cornell and Dr. Abrahams, the present officer. In 1853, the northeastern part of the town was quite a mining district, and, in order to accommodate the large number of miners here at that time, and also the people generally of that section, a post office was established in that year, and named Georgetown. Nathaniel T. Parkinson was appointed Postmaster, which position he held until the office was discontinued four years later.

As early as 1838, religious services was held in the town by Rev. James Simpson, of Indiana. The place of meeting was at William Parkinson's. The first church in the town was built in the village of Fayette in 1854. It was of the Methodist denomination. The Pastor of the new church was Rev. Mr. Close. Within the limits of the town, there are now three churches, two Methodists, and one Free-Will Baptist.

In the northeastern part of the town, located on Yellow Stone Branch, is the little village of "Yellow Stone." Here a post office was established in 1854, and Benjamin Scott, the present incumbent, was appointed Postmaster. The village now has a store, a blacksmith-shop, post office and schoolhouse.

Before the organization of the town, Fayette was known as the Prairie Precinct, and embraced the present territory. The first polling place was at the residence of George Helm, in the southern part of the town. The town was organized in 1849, and the first election was held at the schoolhouse in the village of Fayette. Fifty votes were cast, and the following officers elected: John Armstrong, Chairman; Royal Pierce, Clerk; William Grennehan, Treasurer. The present officers are: R. Scott, Chairman; John Sweeney, Robert Henry, Supervisors; William Trousdale, Clerk; Mr. Henry, Assessor.

HON. PETER PARKINSON, JR.

Peter Parkinson, Jr., of Fayette, was born in Carter County, E. Tenn., on the 22d day of January, 1813.

He was the oldest son of Col. Daniel Morgan Parkinson, who was nephew to Gen. Daniel Morgan, of the Revolutionary war. His mother was Miss Elizabeth Hyder, who was a niece of Col. Wade Hampton, of South Carolina, the father of Gen. Wade Hampton, now United States Senator from that State.

In 1819, he removed with his father to Southern Illinois, and settled on Silver Creek, twenty-five miles east of St. Louis, which was then a frontier country, and St. Louis a small village. From there, in August, 1828, he came to Wisconsin, his father and family having come the year previous.

In 1832, he, with his brother N. T., settled in the town of Fayette, where he has ever since lived. In this year, he and his brother broke up sixty acres of land, the first farm of any considerable size made in the town.

On this farm he and his brother lived together for five years and kept bachelor's hall, and increased the size of the farm to 400 acres in cultivation. In 1832, he served in the Black Hawk war, under Gen. Henry Dodge, and participated in the battles of the Pecatonica and the Wisconsin Heights, and assisted in burying nearly all the men who were slain upon the border. He is now the only surviving soldier or man that was in the battle of the Pecatonica.

In 1854, he was a member of the State Legislature, and was one of the four members of the House who had nerve enough to vote against the anti-Kansas and Nebraska resolutions of that body. During the same session, he introduced the notable railroad bill extending the pro

visions of the mechanic's lien to laborers on railroads, the first bill of the kind ever introduced in any of the States, but now the law of nearly all.

He was appointed by President Pierce, in 1855, to the office of Lieutenant in the Third Cavalry of the United States Army; has been County Commissioner, Chairman of the Town Board, Justice of the Peace, etc., but he never sought public position, preferring to use his influence for others, rather than himself. Still, in addition to the above, he has often been President of the Agricultural Society of the county, President of the Old Settler's Society of the county, and the President of the Pioneer Association of the State, which he instituted and organized. As a presiding officer, he was more than ordinary.

He is not a practicing lawyer, but he understands well the elementary principles of law. He is familiar with the provisions of the statutes, and argues a case before a Justice of the Peace as well as the most of the practicing attorneys, with whom (in the early days of the country) he often came in contact. As a writer, he is strong and vigorous, writes well on all subjects, and upon some topics he is one of the best writers in La Fayette County, outside of the editorial fraternity.

As a speaker, he is clear and logical, rather than eloquent, though a correspondent, in speaking of one of his Fourth of July efforts, said that was "truly eloquent.'

He is a kind of man that is always equal to the occasion, and his public speeches were generally pronounced the best of their kind. His addresses before the pioneer associations of the county and State, are pronounced by competent judges as among the very best ever delivered in the State.

His prominent traits of character are firmness and decision. Sincere and ardent in his friendships, having no sympathy or patience with littleness or meanness; ready and severe in his cond mnation of the evil-doer; ready and willing at all times to expose and bring to justice all this class of mankind. As an old neighbor said of him, "a good hand to do right himself, and a good hand to make others do right."

He has been prominently identified with the early history of his county, town and State, and has one of the finest recollections of the early incidents and reminiscences of the county of any man in it.

In December, 1837, Mr. Parkinson was married to Miss Lucy McCollum, being the first person married in the town of Fayette. The fruits of this marriage were two sons and one daughter, only one of whom now survives, John Daniel, who is Circuit Judge of the Twentyfifth District of the State of Missouri, having been Judge of that district ten years. Thomas Benton was killed at Little Rock, Ark., during the war of the rebellion. The daughter died in infancy, and was not named. Mrs. Parkinson, his first wife, died April 5, 1842.

In 1847, Mr. Parkinson was again married, to Miss Cleantha S. Welch, of Madison, the sister of William Welch, Esq., now of that city. By this marriage, he had four daughtersLucy Hellena, Mrs. Derrick, of Oil City, Penn., now deceased; Iantha Corine, now Mrs. Abbey, of Dane County; Tessie Alberta, now Mrs. Jenkins, Cheyenne, Wyoming; Mary, unmarried.

In November, 1864, he was again married, to Miss Sarah A. Moore, of Old Belmont, the fourth daughter of Col. John Moore, one of the early pioneers of this county, whose biography will be found elsewhere in this book. By this marriage, he has had five children, three of whom are living-Nancy Jane, twelve years old; Philip Alphonso, nine years old; Miss Elvira Elizabeth, five years old.

Mr. Parkinson now resides in the village of Fayette. Owns a farm near by of 575 Is a Democrat of the Old Hickory Jackson style. Makes no profession of religion, but indorses the Methodist doctrine (mainly), and is a man of good morality.

acres.

VILLAGE OF FAYETTEVILLE

is located in Section 6 of the town of Fayette, eight miles northeast of Darlington, and disputes with Yellow Stone for precedence in point of business and material interests. Though Fayette Township was among the earlier settled in the county, some years elapsed before the thought of building a village occurred, and a later day before preliminaries in that behalf were satisfactorily disposed of. While the early history of the county is far from obscure, and though the names and origin of its inhabitants have never been subjects of discussion, the exact dates and authorship of prominent movements have never been free from doubt or separated from a mystery, the solution of which has never been entirely successful.

As near as can be ascertained, the land upon which the village was subsequently built and to-day flourishes, if not the loveliest of the plain, as was claimed for Goldsmith's "Auburn," presents much in its situation and surroundings to attract, belonged originally to John Journey. He was one of the original pioneers who came to La Fayette County-a man of enterprise not less than a man of piety, prominent not more in religious than secular advancement, and a true type of the class whose energy, perseverance and character have contributed so effectively to the development and building-up of the entire country. Early in the forties, the expediency of establishing a post town was generally agitated, and met with abundant encouragement from those interested, as also from those who would be thereby benefited. The project, however, was mooted for some time before active steps were inaugurated to that end, and it was not until June, 1844, that efforts in that connection crystallized into deeds. In the month when perfect days brighten the heart of man, and nature combines to augment the felicity of that experience, Mr. Journey set apart twenty acres of his domain for village purposes, and caused the same to be surveyed and platted by Charles F. Legate, it is said, a civil engineer residing near Mineral Point. Among those residing in the vicinity, and who, like the designer of this new dispensation of civilization in the wilderness, had plunged at an early day from cosmos into chaos, as it were, were Peter Parkison, Sr., Peter Parkison, Jr., William and Thomas Brinegar, N. T. Parkison, D. H. Clement, Isaac Bailey, John McFarland, Levi Reed, Samuel M. Bashford. Aaron and Samuel Colley, the Helm family, Amos Hunnel, James Hudson, Arthur Dawson and John and Peter Etheridge. All of these had come West at an early day. Some of them had participated in the Black Hawk war and witnessed the annihilation of the savage band who yielded up their lives a tribute to the white man's prowess at the battle of the Pecatonica. Few of them have survived the rush of time, but all are held in sacred memory by after generations for their valor, their virtues, and the lives of sturdy, unflinching integrity they led.

The village laid out was not followed by the immediate sale of lots or elaborate improvements. The men who projected and perfected this plan were farmers as a rule, to whom the idea of a home was associated with a farm and its equipment. Lots in the corporate limits of what now is Fayetteville, were sold at an average of $25 each, and, as already stated, were in excess of the demand. Settlers doubtless looked in upon the property held, and may have purchased. but there were no houses built until 1845. In that year John Roberts, who still resides in the town, where he maintains the only hotel, put up a frame tavern. It was of frame, one story high, and located on the main street, opposite Mr. Roberts' present caravansary, was known as the tavern. Here came immigrants and found shelter, travelers, adventurers, and speculators. and received a welcome. The political club, too, was a factor in the history of this house, and hither came representatives thereof, who accepted the hospitality afforded there, for which they paid with orders on the club, until the monotony of this proceeding precipitated its abandonment. The building cost $500, and served the purposes for which it was erected for many years. The next house was also a frame and occupied the present site of Abrahams' drug store. John Etheridge came to the front about this time with a frame house, and James Etheridge followed in his brother's wake with commendable promptness. The former was located to the rear of the present Methodist Church, the latter beyond Roberts' tavern, where it still is and used as a barn.

Between that date and 1850, Timothy H. Johnson built a house on the left side of Main street, near the tavern, and William McGranahan the first brick house in the village. It remains as complete as when first utilized for residence purposes, and is to-day occupied as the residence of Dr. Abrahams. In 1854, the schoolhouse was built, as also the Baptist Church, the latter of brick. At one time the Baptists were a powerful congregation in Fayetteville. The society numbered fully 300, and exerted an extended influence. Internal discords, dissensions and scandals, however, weakened the forces, destroyed its influence and exerted a wide-spread comment. To-day the church is represented by "three scattering members" in the village, while its edifice is unoccupied and rapidly going to decay.

The chief source of village pride is its school; established before the village itself was concerned, it has furnished the means of education to hundreds of ambitious youth, all of whom have profited by their teaching, and many of whom are now in the enjoyment of distinguished honors throughout the East and West. Among these are the Hon. John D. Parkinson, Judge of the Circuit Court for the Twenty-fifth Judicial Circuit of Missouri; John B. Parkinson, Professor of Mathematics in the State University at Madison; Thomas Benton Parkison, an officer in the army, killed at Little Rock; Robert M. Bashford, a prominent lawyer, and son-in-law of ex-Gov. Taylor; Wesley Bashford, also a lawyer, now practicing at La Crosse; the Rev. James Bashford, in charge of the church at Jamaica Plains; the Rev. Whitford Trousdale, an eminent divine at Boston, and others, who were educated in the stone schoolhouse at Fayetteville.

The village has scarcely kept pace with the times, or its rivals in other portions of the county, in many respects, however. Those who are conversant with the facts, insist that it is no larger than it was a quarter of a century ago. The buildings then are all that are to be observed to-day-many of them weather-beaten and aged in appearance, but revered as the pioneer residences of first settlers, and the homesteads from which many young men went forth to contend with the world, and have done honor to their blood, and protected as the shrines to which these honored descendants return when weary with the cares of life.

The population to-day is estimated at less than one hundred, to whom this pleasant hamlet, shut in by hills and forests, contains as much that is sacred and attractive as do more pretentious towns and cities. The improvements consist of a brick hotel, two stores and probably twentyfive houses devoted to residence purposes. But the limited numbers, who live, trade and are educated and prepared for the active duties of life within its corporate limits, unite in contending that, though humble, there is no place like home.

THE SCHOOL.

The first school erected in the village limits was completed during the latter portion of 1847, and occupied the following summer. It occupied a site nearly opposite the present Methodist Church, was of stone and cost $250.

It might here be observed that the first school in the township was taught by James Trevoy in the cellar kitchen of Peter Parkison, Sr.'s residence. This was in the winter of 1837, and his pupils consisted of Nathan and Joseph Van Matre, Todd Gibler, Peter Etheridge, the Journey girls, Mary, who subsequently became a Mormon, and some few others. Among other accomplishments introduced by Mr. Trevoy, was "oratory.' oratory." He organized a debating club during his administration, which was maintained until the breaking-out of the war, and was the means of developing a number of good speakers.

The school begun in the village was taught by Hopey Foster, first in C. Parkison's private house, until the building was erected, and attended at its first term by John B. and Margaret Parkison, Angeline, Jane and Elizabeth Journey, Joseph and Nathan Van Matre and some others whose names are not remembered. The course of instruction was simple, embracing reading, writing and arithmetic, with such other advanced branches as the pupils elected to pursue. This schoolhouse was occupied with varying regularity and varying attendance, averaging from ten to thirty pupils, until about 1857, when its worn and aged superstructure was razed, the foundation being appropriated to similar uses for the Methodist Church. When the same was laid and the apart

ment therein inclosed sufficiently protected, school was again opened, and the cause of education advocated within the sacred precincts of this religious underpinning for ten years and upward. Along in 1873 or 1874, the present stone schoolhouse opposite the residence of Peter Parkison, Jr., was contracted for and built. It is, as stated, of stone, commodious and handsomely finished, and was built with the intention of adopting the graded system. At first two teachers were employed, but in 1876, the number of scholars diminished, and but one teacher was regarded necessary, since which date the force has remained the same.

At present the school enjoys an average daily attendance of forty pupils. The support of the school requires an annual expenditure of $300, and its management is delegated to a board, as at present constituted, consisting of John Roberts, Mathew Wilkins and Charles Abrahams.

THE FAYETTE METHODIST CHURCH.

The only congregation established in the village is quite large, and said to be in independent circumstances. The nucleus of the present congregation was organized as early as 1840, when John Journey officiated as Leader of a small class of Wesleyans, composed of C. E. Parkison and wife, William Parkison and wife, Mrs. Peter Parkison, Sr., Edward Journey and wife, Levi Reed and wife and Amos Hunnel and wife. The services were conducted in private houses until 1847, when the stone schoolhouse first erected within the village precincts was obtained, and used until the society was enabled to build a house of worship. About 1857. this desideratum was attained, and the frame church then, erected which now does duty as a town-house. This was occupied jointly by the schoolhouse, and continued in active service as a church and schoolroom until 1873, when the present frame edifice was completed and dedicated. It is of frame, 60x36 feet, cost, furnished, a total of $4,047.43, and will comfortably accommodate a congregation of 400.

TOWN OF BLANCHARD.

Blanchard was first brought under town government as a part of Argyle. It is located in the extreme northeastern corner of the county, and is bounded on the north by Iowa County, on the east by Green County, on the south by the town of Argyle, and on the west by the town of Fayette. The town was named in honor of its leading citizen and the founder of the village, Alvin Blanchard. It comprises eighteen sections of Township 4 north, Range 5 east, of the Fourth Principal Meridian. The general surface of this town is very uneven, high bluffs and swampy bottoms, especially along the river. The town is well adapted to its leading resource. stock-raising, though there are many well-cultivated and nicely improved farms within its lim

It is well watered by the Yellowstone River and Dodge's Branch of the Pecatonica, also by many natural springs. The hills and meadows are of a sandy loam, while the farming or grain-raising district is of clay. The town is well wooded by the different kinds of oak, quaking ash, hickory, walnut, elm and maple.

The electors of the town of Blanchard met at the schoolhouse in the village of Blanchardville on the 6th day of April, 1869, as directed by order of the County Board, and organized the first annual town meeting by electing Josiah G. Baker, Chairman, John Robinson and Dudley Risley, Inspectors; John G. Baker and D. B. Rockwell, Clerks. After taking the oath of office as by law prescribed, the meeting was declared duly opened. The total number of votes cast was 69. At this meeting, it was voted that $75 be raised to defray the expenses of the town for the ensuing year.

On Sections 27 and 30 of Blanchard are located the Fretwell Diggings, which were operated successfully up to a few years ago. After the discovery of these diggings by Fretwell. in 1838, miners flocked here from all parts of the county, the majority of whom were transient settlers, though a few remained and cultivated farms, at the same time carrying on their mining operations. During the summer season, the early settlers pursued farming, while through the winter they followed mining, with varying success.