Cooksville Lutheran Harvest Dinner 11/11/12

Cooksville Lutheran Church, Harvest Dinner November 11th Members of the Cooksville Lutheran Church are busy preparing for the annual Harvest Dinner, scheduled for Sunday, November 11th, noon-3 PM. Church services will precede the meal, commencing at 10:15 AM. Tickets will be on sale the day of the event in the new church addition, the Fellowship Hall, which is handicapped accessible and air-conditioned. . Individuals /families are invited to eat at the Church; or carry-out meals are available. The meal will consist of the traditional homemade Thanksgiving meal: turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, baked squash, cranberries and lefse, and pie. The church building is handicapped accessible and air-conditioned. The Cooksville Lutheran Church is located in northern Rock County, at the junction of state roads 59, 138 and Tolles Road, between Edgerton, Stoughton and Evansville. The mailing address for the Church is 11927 West Church Street, Evansville, but it is located in the village of Cooksville. The website address is www.cooksvillelutheranchurch.org Please call me if you have questions, 1-608-302-1722; Hopkins@litewire.net

COOKSVILLE’S 19th CENTURY SOCIAL LIFE: PARTIES, PICNICS AND PRANKS (PART ONE) by Larry Reed

Entertainments of various kinds—parties, community gatherings, occasional pranks—were part of the active social life of 19th century Cooksville. They were the highlights in the hard-working, semi-isolated Cooksville community, before small villages were “hard-wired” with telephones, radios, televisions, the Internet, and the internal combustion engines of the 20th century.

Being neighborly and sharing simple pleasures were important attributes in small towns in the mid-and-late-1800s, with self-organized activities serving as sources of social interaction, individual pleasure and sometimes intellectual stimulation. As recorded in journals, diaries and local newspaper gossip columns, the village tea-time parties and supper-parties that lasted until the wee hours were frequent events, often with music, singing, dancing and lively discussions. At one party at Mr. Duncan’s, “we fell into a pleasant little discussion upon the sounds of the vowels.” (Maybe not all the talk was lively.) Recipes, home remedies and plants were exchanged and gossip shared at house visits in the afternoon or the evening. Picnics, especially school picnics, were popular gatherings on the village Public Square or in Dow’s Grove west of the village by the Badfish Creek. And Waucoma House, the village’s stagecoach inn and tavern, was the site of social interaction (and alcoholic refreshments) before it was demolished in 1915. Card-games, especially euchre and whist, were enjoyed and holiday parties and family festivities usually involved friends and neighbors. The Porters, just east of Cooksville, once gave a party gathering for eighteen guests where fresh oysters— a popular dish to serve— were to be featured; however, the barrel of oysters, shipped in from Milwaukee or Chicago and stored in the cool basement, had spoiled, and the hostess, Ann Eliza Porter, had to improvise on that occasion. But, she wrote in her journal, “we got along quite well without them” and at 3 a.m. “our company went home under a mellow flood of moonlight.”

Ann Eliza Porter and Joseph K.P. Porter had arrived in 1847, and Ann brought the first piano to the community. She was a well-trained musician and was the moving spirit in the many musical events in the community, including productions of “H.M.S. Pinafore” and “Laila.” She was also a popular one-woman “elocutionist,” dramatically reciting poems and stories. She was also remembered as shocking the community by sitting beside her husband in church instead of sitting on the side reserved for women. Village neighborliness sometimes took the form of “donation parties.” Such parties, the fund-raising charities of their time, were common, especially to assist the elder and were usually held at the Masonic Hall or the Congregational Church basement. At one such party, for the Widow O’Brien and her five children who faced a bleak winter, neighbors who had little money to donate came with gifts of pork, flour, and vegetables. At the Widow’s party they danced and played games, one of which involved a large flat pan half-filled with raisins and half-filled with whiskey, which was then set afire. The players had to pick the raisins out of the burning whiskey with their fingers. One little boy remembered crawling around on the floor beneath the crowd of adults and snatching up the hot raisins that were dropped. “Black berrying” was turned into pleasurable social outings. In the 1860s many diary entries by the Dow family recorded outings into the woods near Bellville and Dayton where black berries were picked, picnic suppers were eaten, and partiers camped overnight in the woods or in a nearby barn if it rained, and came home in the morning. “Had a fine time,” the diarist wrote. In 1876, a major July 4th celebratory project was undertaken by two Cooksvillians, who otherwise had extremely different religious beliefs but shared very patriotic feelings. Gideon Newman was a Maine Protestant, and John Savage was a Vermont Puritan, They argued frequently about religion, wasting time and energy, until finally both men decided to cease discussing religion and divert their energies into something constructive. Both men decided upon a project to raise a “liberty pole” in the Cooksville Public Square to celebrate America’s 100th birthday on July 4, 1876. (Liberty poles were erected during the Revolutionary War as protests against British rule, and continued to be popular public expressions of American freedom in the 19th century, as are flag poles today.) The community supported the idea of a Cooksville liberty pole wholeheartedly, and Newman and Savage were selected to secure the logs. The two men took their horse teams and journeyed to northern Wisconsin and brought back two fifty-foot logs. William Graves, a local blacksmith, and John Fisher, a local carpenter, went to work to taper the two logs together from 36 inches at the base to 8 inches at the top, with a splice at the center fastened with steel bands and bolts to connect the two fifty-foot sections. On July 4, 1876, it was reported that three thousand people gathered on the Public Square to watch the raising of this impressive Liberty Pole. A ten-foot hole was dug, with a forty-foot trench leading into it. The pole was rolled into the trench, and then slowly raised with ropes, pulleys and sheer strength. The Liberty Pole, a ninety-foot symbol of the American Spirit, was a result of the efforts of two men who disagreed on religion but agreed on democratic principles. As part of the ceremony, ten little girls, “Future Mothers of America,” raised the flag. Ann Eliza Porter, Cooksville’s talented soprano, sang two patriotic solos, and John Savage sang a song, “Tenting on the Old Camp Ground.” Community singing was led by Thomas Morgan accompanied on the portable melodeon, a small organ, by his daughter, Net. The program that day also included a fife and drum corps and “talks” by Thomas Earl, Benjamin Hoxie, Joseph Porter, Harrison Stebbins, James Gillies, John Savage, J.P. Van Vleck and John Dow. The Liberty Pole remained in place for six years, towering over the village. In 1882, the Evansville Enterprise newspaper reported that the Liberty Pole had been sawn down. (However, photos from about 1910 show a tall flagpole standing in the middle of the Public Square, perhaps a replacement .) (TO BE CONTINUED.)

“The Best Dam Man in the World!” by Larry Reed (PART TWO)

John Savage grew up in the small village of Cooksville (“a wee bit of New England in Wisconsin”), attended school there, as well as the nearby Evansville High School. He then attended the Hillside Home School at Spring Green for two years, a private academy operated by Frank Lloyd Wright’s aunts. In 1898 his family moved to Madison and he completed his junior and senior years at Madison High School, and then studied civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin for the next four years, graduating in 1903. Here is Savage about 15 years old.

His first job in civil engineering was with the U.S. Reclamation Service “Temporary Force” as an engineering aid at a salary of $60 per month to work on the Minidoka irrigation project in the Snake River Valley of Idaho. Thus began his life’s work, advancing in his profession with many impressive achievements and awards to come, although he modestly called himself just “one of Uncle Sam’s employees.” Savage always had great affection for his hometown of Cooksville on the Badfish Creek with the nearby Yahara River with their dams powering the four grist mills from their flowing waters. His father was Edwin Parker Savage (who served as chairman of the Town of Dunkirk in 1889) and his mother was Mary Therese Stebbins. He grew up on the family farm, which had been established by his grandfather who came to Wisconsin in 1842 settling in the Town of Dunkirk north of Cooksville. (Unfortunately, the historic farmhouse that he grew up in was destroyed by fire in 1996.) He first married Jessie Burdick Sexsmith of Milton Junction, Wisconsin, in 1918; she died in 1941. He later married Olga Lacher Miner in 1950. He had no children. When Savage died in 1967 at the age of 88, he was lauded for his designs of the world’s great dams, for his many impressive water project-related accomplishments throughout the world and for his dedicated service, his modesty and his self-effacement. As one person wrote, “Perhaps the final irony of his life was that John L. Savage, a man who hated publicity and was dedicated to public service, had actually left to posterity monuments as permanent as any created in the entire history of mankind.” No doubt: John Lucian Savage (1879-1967) was the best dam man in history. [Excerpt from “The Village of Cooksville: A Chronicle of the Town that Time Forgot,” by Larry A. Reed.]

“The Best Dam Man in the World!” by Larry A. Reed (PART ONE)

As a boy, John Lucian Savage—who would later become known as the best dam man in the world— undoubtedly explored the four dams on the Badfish Creek and Yahara River near his hometown of Cooksville in the late 19th century. John Lucian Savage was born on December 25, 1879, a little north of Cooksville on his father’s farm in the Town of Dunkirk, Dane County, not far from those four separate, water-powered grist mills. He attended the Cooksville School as a child and later received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1903. Savage went on to design the world’s greatest dams, earning the title of the “Best Dam Man in the World.” He served as the Chief Designing Engineer at the Bureau of Reclamation in the U.S. Department of the Interior from 1924 to1945, and supervised the design of about 90 dams and related structures in the U.S.A. and throughout the world. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science in 1934 from the University of Wisconsin, and he consulted with numerous countries on water resource projects after he retired from the Bureau. Savage is also credited with inventing and developing several significant construction techniques and devices used in hydraulic engineering. One of his most important innovations was to pour the massive amounts of concrete needed for those huge dams in sections that were cooled by circulating water through pipes embedded in the concrete; otherwise it would have taken about a hundred years for the heat to dissipate as the concrete cured.

He designed the highest dam, the Hoover Dam, and the biggest, the Coulee Dam, and initially designed the largest water project in the world— the Yangtze Gorge Dam in China in 1944, which was finally begun in the 1980s following Savage’s basic design. During his career he designed and advised on projects throughout the world— Australia, Mexico, Panama, South Africa, Japan, Canada, India, Afghanistan, Palestine, Taiwan, Spain, Puerto Rico, Colombia, China. The photo is Savage on the Yangtze River, 1944.

“If you spin a globe of the world and jab a finger at a continent, the chances are good that you’ll strike a part of the earth that has been changed by John Lucian Savage. A modest, humble man Jack Savage is a dynamic force in turning deserts into crop-bearing soil, in sending electric power into kerosene-lamp country, in raising the living standards of millions of people,” stated an article in Collier’s magazine in 1953 titled, “The Best Dam Man in the Business.” (To be continued.)

“The Night the Cooksville Opera House Burned Down” (Part Two) By Larry Reed

On December 5, 1893, the Cooksville Opera House (and Meat Market) burned down. It was the village’s first big loss to fire. The nearby Evansville Enterprise newspaper published a tongue-in-cheek story about the loss, which did not amuse the Cooksvillians. According to the newspaper account, the red glare of the flames lit up the sign of a nearby businessman, so that the letters stood out as follows: E M STEBBINS dealer in Soft and hard coal, ice cream, wood, lime, cement, perfumery, nails, putty, spectacles, and tomato catsup, chocolate caramels, hides, tallow and maple syrup, fine gold jewelry, silverware, salt, glue, codfish and gents neck wear, full line of patent medicines, diseases of horses and children a specialty. The “inflammatory” news article continued. “The Cooksville Hook and Ladder Company got to the fire and were soon ready for action, but refused to enter the burning building. It was discovered that some valuables had been left in the office of VanPatten & Co.’s Packing establishment. T’was a thrilling sight to see Mr. VanPatten as he entered the burning building and in the full glare of the devouring element rushed out with a link of bolognia [sic] and a summer ulster. This was greeted by a wild applause from the bystanders, during which the Hook and Ladder company fell over each other and added to the horror of the scene by a mad burst of pale blue profanity. Twice Mr. VanPatten was seen to shudder, after which he went home and filled out a blank which he immediately forwarded to the insurance company. Just as the town seemed doomed the fire company came rushing down the street wrapped in heavy rubber suits, and physical calm, and after discussing the valuation of the building for a time began to twist the tail of the fire fiend. It was a thrilling sight as Mr. Jack Robinson (foreman of company A) ascended one of the ladders and at the height of seven feet from the ground fell off again, and was encored by the large and aristocratic audience. This morning a space 28 feet long and 16 feet wide, where but yesterday, all was joy, prosperity, and beauty, is covered over with blackened ruins. The Red Wolf Comedy company was just closing a four week’s engagement in the opera house and sustained a heavy loss. Bertie Love, a member of the company, lost his entire wardrobe which consisted of a very fine gauze undershirt tatooed [sic] with red paint which he valued very highly and one which he always wore in his great scalp-dance act. We understand that a movement is on foot to give a literary and musical entertainment to raise funds for those who suffered the heaviest losses, at which the ex-Prohibition Glee club has consented to sing “When the Robins Nest Again” and his honor the village justice will deliver a fitting address for the occasion. A.G. Franklin and William Johnson will give a joint talk on the care of Stockers and fall Shoats, which no doubt will be interesting. Ellen Love has promised to recite “Ostler Joe” a selection that never fails to offend the best people everywhere. D.M. Johnson will recite the beautiful poem entitled “Queen of the Meadow” which is a nice thing when recited well, and is also good when taken internally.” Cooksville folks were not amused by the newspaper article. A week later, the following rebuttal by Cooksville was printed in the Evansville newspaper: “We notice an article in the Evansville Enterprise of last week relative to our late fire, while it may strike some people as being funny, we think the majority will unite with us in saying that the person who wrote it is utterly devoid of any feeling of sympathy and seems rather inclined to make a joke of what is a great loss and misfortune to others… If it was the writer’s intention to slur and hurt the feelings of all parties concerned, he failed. Although they lost by the fire all their property, they will yet be able to recover without having their horse taken for board or their clothes attached for debt.” With the loss of the second-floor Opera House and the first-floor Meat Market in 1893, three other buildings remained as venues for village performances, entertainments, parties and other gatherings: the Cooksville Schoolhouse, the Cooksville Congregational Church and the Masonic Lodge above the General Store. And other stores, often the front rooms of residences, would serve as meat markets in the absence of the one destroyed by fire. Fortunately, other fires have been very rare in Cooksville—although a few years later in 1896 the new Norwegian Lutheran Church would be struck by lightning and burn to the ground. [Excerpt from “The Village of Cooksville: A Chronicle of the Town that Time Forgot,” by Larry Reed]

“The Night the Cooksville Opera House Burned Down” (Part One) by Larry Reed

The night of December 5, 1893, was a night of loss and lament in Cooksville—the Opera House burned down! The Opera House building was the first important building to be lost¬¬¬¬ in Cooksville. Known as Van Vleck’s Hall (it was enlarged by the man who owned the Van Vleck Implement Factory nearby), the building housed Van Patten’s and Newkirk’s Meat Market on the main floor and the Cooksville Opera House on the second floor. Erected about 1845 as a merchandise store, it was one of the oldest landmarks and served multiple purposes on the northern corner of Main and Dane streets, east of the present General Store At the time of the fire, the second-floor Opera House was being used by Dr. Red Wolf for his lectures and entertainments. He had a large display of rare coins, medicines, “curiosities” and “paraphernalia,” as well as musical instruments used by himself and his two assistants. Not one article of his was rescued from the devastating fire. The neighboring Evansville Enterprise newspaper didn’t think much of the little village’s fiery disaster. In fact, the Enterprise thought the loss was an occasion for humor and took surprisingly great pleasure in reporting the “Cooksville Conflagration,” with its tongue firmly planted in its cheek, which did not please Cooksvillians. Excerpts from the newspaper story illustrate this lame, late-19th century attempt at humor: “The Opera House block, better known as the Cooksville auditorium, was totally destroyed by fire this morning. The building was a large two-story structure on the corner of Main street and Waucoma avenue. The fire was supposed to have originated in the boiler room of VanPatten & Newkirks Lard Rendering establishment, which occupied the first floor of the entire building. The Opera Hall covered the second story. “Fire Warden Whaley was first to discover the blaze, and after partaking of an early breakfast promptly called out the entire department, but the fire was beyond control before they got there with the “Invigorated Squirt” ready for action. “With a degree of forethought worthy of better cause, Mr. E.T. Stoneburner suggested the hook and ladder company, an organization of which everyone seemed to be justly proud. Some delay ensued in trying to find the janitor of the Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company No. 1’s building, but at last he was secured after he had gone home for the key. Mr. Stoneburner then ran swiftly down the street to awaken the foreman, but after he had dressed himself carefully and inquired anxiously about the fire, he said he was the foreman since the 2nd of April. On the streets was all confusion. The hoarse cry of fire had been taken up by the excited crowd and passed from one to another until it had swollen into a dull roar. The cry of fire in a small town is always a grand sight. As the devouring elements burst through the roof of the building, the spectators whose early education had not been neglected could plainly read the sign of our esteemed fellow-townsman, E.M. Stebbins, which was lit up by the red glare of the flames so that the letters stood out as follows: Meantime the fire fiend continued to rise up and ever and anon on its hind feet and lick up chicken crate after chicken crate, in close proximity to the doomed building.” (End of Part One. To be continued.)

Gardening Event Program at the Community Center

Cooksville Community Center – Gardening Event Program to be presented at Community Center - the old schoolhouse on the Village Commons, Highway 59 Sunday, June 24, 2012 4:00 pm “Learn to Love Your Hostas” Deb Sharpee, owner of Norwegianwood in Deforest and unofficial “hosta lady” of the Dane County Farmer’s Market, will bring us up-to-date on what is new in the world of hostas. She will talk about some of the new hosta varieties on the market, how to divide and propagate your plants, and problems with hosta pests and viruses. Come to this informative and entertaining presentation and bring your questions about growing hostas. You are also invited to tour Charlie and Ralph's hosta gardens, across from the Cooksville Community Center. This event is free and open to the public. Charitible contributions to the Cooksville Community Center are encouraged and accepted.