MAZOMANIE.
The township of Mazomanie is situated in the northwest corner of Dane county, and is composed of sections one to eighteen, inclusive of township 8 north, of range 6 east, and fractional part of township No. 9, lying south and east of the Wisconsin river. The northern half of this township is marsh or meadow land, very rich and productive. The southern half is watered by Black Earth creek and its tributaries.
The village of Mazomanie is a thriving place of business; located on sections 9 and 16, and is a station of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, which road passes through sections 16, 17 and 18, in the southwest part of the town. It contains two grist mills, an Episcopal, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Primitive Methodist and Congregational Churches; a good school house, 4 public houses, 2 nurseries, a brewery, and a number of stores and shops.
The town was organized in 1855. The first settlers came from Liverpool, England, in the fall of 1843. A Mr. Charles Wilson, Agent for the British Temperance Emigration Society, purchased a quantity of land, a portion of which was occupied by the members of the society. The names of the settlers were J. Rhodes, J. Ray, J. Homes, G. Robbins, J. Kerr, and others; also, Mr. A. Senier, not a member of the society, located on section 18.
The first school house was built in 1847, on section 15, and known as “Howarth’s,” or the “old log school house.” The first church was erected on section 16. It was called the First Congregational Church, and its pastor was the Rev. D. Jones, of Dover, Iowa County, Wisconsin. The first school teacher was Mary Hayes, who resided on section 15. The first marriage that occurred in the town was that of Mr. Leach and Miss Reeve.
Mr. Wm. Thompson, after coming to Wisconsin, returned to England for his family. On their way back to Wisconsin, his wife gave birth to a son, and they named it in honor of the vessel in which they were traveling, Patrick Henry Thompson.
Population in 1870; town, 569; village, 1,144.