MORE DAILY LIFE IN OLD COOKSVILLE: Roads, Sidewalks, Street Lights and Opium in Old Cooksville, by Larry Reed

Life in rural Cooksville in the 19^th century had its own rhythms and requirements, pleasures and disappointments. Bits and pieces of that simple but rigorous life are recorded in the Cooksville Archives, mostly in weekly “newsy” gossip columns clipped from local newspapers, occasionally in diaries, sometimes in books. Now observations of some of those eventful (and not so eventful) 19^th century occurrences can be shared in the 21^st century.

“April 2, 1839, Rock County was divided into two road districts, by a line running east and west about the middle of the county… The slow mode of travel by ox teams was made still slower by the almost total absence of roads and bridges… Indian trails were common, but they were unfit to travel on with vehicles. They were paths about two feet wide—all that was required to accommodate the single-file manner of Indian traveling.” Two “Pathmasters” were chosen to be in charge of new roads. (History of Rock County, 1879.)

Cooksville Church on the main intersection, c.1910, with Tolles Road and Union Road (Hwy 59)

“Up to 1848, the principal centers of business for the whole country between Janesville and Madison were at the village of Union, a post on the territory road… or Cooksville, on the Badfish creek…” (History of Madison, Dane County and Surrounding Towns, Wm. J. Park, 1877.)

“Resolved that all Sheep and Swine in the Town of Porter be restrained from going at large on the Highways under the penalty of fifty cts for each head found running at large.” (Town of Porter Meeting minutes, April 7, 1857.)

 “Post office established in Cooksville in 1849, mail brought horseback from Union.” (History of Rock County, 1879.) Harrison Stebbins was authorized on February 1, 1858, “to execute the duties of Postmaster at Cooksville” and in 1864 his salary was “$37 annually.” In 1878 there was “an increase of mail service on the Cooksville and Fulton [and Edgerton] routes” to three days a week. But in 1880, a Cooksvillian complained, “There is but one post-office [Union] between this place [Evansville] and Cooksville… and yet it sometimes requires three days to get a letter to or from there.” (Clipping, Evansville Review, July 1880.)

 “The mail route from Evansville to Edgerton has been re-let again, and the old gentleman who drives through now is prompt and on time, whether the roads are good or bad. His promptness is appreciated by the patrons of the several offices on the route.”  (Clipping c.1882.)

“Our mail carrier now appears with a new covered carriage, which is especially adapted to the comfort of the traveling public.” [Ed. note: passengers could be transported along with the mail on the route for a fee.] (Clipping, Enterprise, 1883.)

“Evansville: The Cooksville post office has been discontinued, and all mail formerly addressed to that office should be addressed to Evansville RFD.” (Clipping, Wisconsin Tobacco Reporter, October 9, 1903.)

Leedle Mill on the Badfish Creek, c.1930

 “About a dozen boys had some rare sport one day last week. As the gates of the upper mill [Leedle] were shut down to make some repairs, they discovered fish by the hundred and spears and pitch-forks and the hands scooped them out. So for once about every family in town had fresh fish for breakfast.” (Clipping, April 1881.)

 “Cooksville Correspondence, March 8, 1878: A subscription has been started and funds nearly raised sufficient to lay plank walks on some of the principal streets...”  “March 22, 1878: The side walks are a sure thing now…” 

“May 3, 1878: This town is putting on some style with side walks, and now a street lamp at the crossing in front of Mr. Roberson’s store [southeast corner of Dane and Main streets]. (Clipping, Wisconsin Tobacco Reporter, 1878.)

 “Cooksville Gossip: Sunday while Mrs. Aris of Janesville was walking down town she fell through one of our trap sidewalks and received some slight injuries.” (Clipping, Evansville Review, July 28, 1880.) 

“Cooksville Correspondence: This ‘burg’ is putting on metropolitan airs with four street lamps. Mr. James Fairgreeves, our tinner, has displayed both taste and skill, besides a generous gift of a fine street lamp, and the same has been put in position at the corner of the church by B.S. Hoxie.” (Janesville Daily Recorder, Dec. 5, 1879.)

“Cooksville Correspondence: The Sunday School festival and New Year Gift tree on New Year’s Eve was a happy time for all and the number interested was more than the church could hold… The tree stood some over twelve feet high, beautifully decorated with gifts for all. Even the pastor, Rev. O.G. May, was not omitted, for among his presents was a fine metal plated string of bells presented by the boys and girls, which was an accompaniment to the new cutter presented by the older people…” (Janesville Daily Recorder, Jan. 7, 1880.)

Cora Atwood (1884-1952), Cooksville historian

“Three suicides in Cooksville,” noted Cooksville historian, Cora Atwood (1884-1952) in her research. “Jack Robinson, shot gun.” [Jack Robinson (1858-1930), the noted Cooksville fiddle-player, ended his life with a gun in 1930.]  “Mrs. Towne [or Town(s), 1839-1879], an English woman, dove into mill pond when she was a widow.” The third, Atwood noted, was “Benjamin Patterson [1820-1876], laudanum [tincture of opium], paid $3.00 to make his coffin, went into Dow’s haymow [where he was a hired farmhand] and died.” (Cooksville Archives.)  A local newspaper further reported in the case of Patterson:  “He drank considerable, and said many times he would kill himself…He ordered a coffin, bought a lot in the cemetery, ordered a gravestone, and engaged a preacher for the funeral, sent $2 to pay his expenses to the funeral….but no one had any idea he had any intention of carrying them out.” (Edgerton Independent, April 21, 1876.)

The Dow Farmstead, 1873 etching