Tales The Tombstone Tell Columns
from the Republican Observer
Written by S. W. Fogo
Page 36
Harry Busby

 Harry Busby, brother of Col. Ike, was also a native of the state of New York. He was, according to all reports, a friendly, jolly fellow, made friends rapidly; a home loving man with a good word for one and all. He too, was a Civil War veteran.

 Harry Busby came to Richland Center in 1871. He was a painter by trade but soon operated a livery stable. In November of 1880 he was elected as sheriff of the county over John Shaffer, receiving 2,407 votes while Mr. Shaffer received 1,542. He began his term in January 1881, made a good officer but death cut his term short a year later. W. S. C. Barron was appointed to fill the vacancy and in 1882 A. D. Lane was elected.

 Harry Busby was a man everyone respected. One of his favorite expressions when speaking of children was "the little devil." It was the "little devil" this, the "little devil' that; the "little devil needs a new pair of shoes" or "little devil wants some candy." Mr. Busby was a general favorite of all the children in the town and they all had great respect for him. Lawbreakers learned to keep their distance, as Mr. Busby, a peaceful man, was not to be fooled with when it came to enforcing the law. Events moved smoothly for Sheriff Busby. He had served a full year of his two year term. Then came the night in January 1882. A play was being staged at Krouskop's hall on the second floor of the Krouskop building, a magnificent structure which stood on the corner of Central avenue and West Seminary streets, now occupied by the Eskin theater. It was a two story building, the lower floor housed the A. H. Krouskop store. This building was destroyed by fire January 28, 1883.

 The play mentioned above was attended by a large audience, Sheriff Busby being in attendance. In the play one of the actors, a child, was playing the part of a very sick person; the show was drawing to a close when Sheriff Busby turned to the person sitting next to him and said "the little devil is going to die." With those words upon his lips he  half rose from the chair and pitched to the floor, dead.

 Thus came to an end the life of Harry Busby. On the government marker upon his grave in the city cemetery are carved these words

   HARRY BUSBY
   HOSPITAL STWD
   42nd N.Y. INFT.
 

S.F
 


Page 37

Tales The Tombstone Tell   -  Republican Observer  - May 31, 1956

The Indian Creek Cemetery
The snows of 106 winters have laid white upon the grave of Capt. John Smith, a soldier in the Black Hawk war. Capt. Smith is buried in the Indian Creek cemetery in the town of Orion just a bit east of the village on highway 60. On the simple slab of marble are carved in beautiful script these words
   "Capt. John R. Smith
    Died June 27, 1850
    In the 61 years
    of his age"
 That is all the stone tells; no word of his being in the Black Hawk war back in 1832; not a word of his being one of the founders of the village of Orion or of his early days in a new country, so we turn to the pages of the history of Richland county published in 1884 which says:
 "Capt. John Smith, was born in Kentucky about 1790 and there he grew to man's estate. While a young man he moved to Illinois and there enlisted in the Black Hawk war and served as Captain. He was married to Elizabeth Holliday, who was also a native of Kentucky. He worked at his trade, which was that of a millwright, in Illinois until 1838, when he moved to Wisconsin and there engaged in the lead mines in Iowa county until 1841 when he moved to Muscoda where be worked at his trade. He was employed on the first mill ever erected in Richland county on Mill Creek at Parish Mill, now Balmoral in the town of Eagle. He came to Richland county in 1842 and remained there until his death in 1850. He left a wife and two children - Catharine, the wife of Thomas Mathews, and Benjamine M., who moved to the town of Forest. Mrs. Smith afterwards marred K. J. Darnall and died in the town Forest.
 Mr. Smith and his son-in-law Thomas Mathews, were the first settlers in the town of Orion and they laid out the village of Orion, erecting a rude log cabin on the site of the new village. The village grew and prospered, became the county seat of Richland county. It contained stores, a hotel, blacksmith shops, drug store, and the ferry landing which was important back in those days. Smith and Mathews owned the ferry which operated between Muscoda and the village. The ferry operated until about 1870 when the bridge was built and the ferry went out of business. The ferry landing at the west end of the village can still be seen.
 Thomas Mathews, also buried in the Indian Creek cemetery, a son-in-law of Captain Smith, was a native of Tennessee, born May 7, 1814. He moved with his parents to Illinois when he was just a small boy. In 1836 he came to Wisconsin and worked in the lead mines. In 1840 he married Catharine Smith and they moved to Muscoda and in 1842 to Richland county and settled on the present site of the village of Orion and built the first log cabin in the town. "Their cabin" says the history, "thongh a humble one, was where strangers ever found the latch string out." As the village grew it became known as the "settlement" and Mr. Mathews kept the hotel. He was the first white man to go up Pine river in a canoe as far as the natural bridge (Rockbridge). He also, in company with John R. Smith, cut the first road from Orion to Rockbridge. Mr. Mathews died, so his tombstone says, in 1885 at the age of 71. His grave is close to that of Capt. Smith.
 When the town of Richmond (now Orion) was organized, the meeting was held at the Mathews home in April, 1849, at which time the first officers were elected and John R. Smith was chosen as chairman of the town.
 There are many other pioneers of Orion who found the Indian Creek cemetery the end of the trail. Among these was William Dooley, who first came to this county in 1845 and was employed in the Rockbridge mill. He entered land in Orion in 1848 but continued to work in the mill until 1852. Mrs. James Laws, is another pioneer of Orion, buried in the cemetery. She died Dec. 26, 1868. Mrs. Laws, whose maiden name was Lucinda Calhoun, was born in South Carolina and was a relative of John C. Calhoun.
 Mr. Laws died in April 1865, while in Illinois on a visit and his body buried there.

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 Levi Houts, another pioneer, found his last resting place in the cemetery. He took a prominent part in the early days of Orion, and died March 1, 1900, at the age of 72.
 Many other pioneers whose names appear upon the tombstones include Mainwaring, Owens, Kershner, Weldy, Bobb, Milner, Gibbs, Stettler, Yeager, Truax, Shafer, Randall, Drew, Bremmer, Jones, Lewis, Slayback, and others. Inscriptions on three stones might interest you. They are:
 A stone for Samuel Yeager says:
  "Samuel Yeager, Veteran of two wars. Born 1825."
 That is all. No date of death and not a word about the two wars.
 A stone in the cemetery for Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Crosby. He died on March 27, 1893 at the age 76 and she died March 7, 1893, at the age of 84. The inscription on the monument read:
 "In labor and in love allied,
  In death they asleep side by side,
  Resting in peace the aged twain,
  Till Christ shall arise them up again."

 An oddity also in the Indian Creek cemetery is a monument for Ellen Neill, who passed on September 20, 1874, at the age of 71. On the bottom of the stone are these word: "Erected by Rev. Robert Smith in memory of his mother-in-law, Ellen Neill."
 Also in the cemetery are these special friends of the writer of this article; they are Walter and Matilda Cook and their son Tom. They lived for years and years at what is now known as Riverview. Their home was in the house built in 1850 by James Laws, mentioned above, and in the days long gone the place was known as Laws Landing, as Mr. Laws ran a ferry there. He bought the ferry from Walter Gage and the slough across the river is still called by old timers as Gage's Slough.
 Mr. and Mrs. Cook, Walt and Till, as we knew them were true blue and many a happy afternoon or evening was spent with them. Their son, Tom we always knew as a friend, and a good one. Tom died in 1949 of a heart attack.
 He was buried on the same lot with his parents. His father, born June 22, 1845, also died of a heart attack, January 11, 1922 and his funeral was held in the old, old church in the village; the church building, by the way, was presented to the people of Orion by Peter Bobb and wife whose daughter was the wife of Mr. Cook. Mrs. Cook was born February 8, 1845 and died January 10, 1935. Snow was deep upon the cemetery when Mrs. Cook was laid to rest and the burying ground was white and snow crunched beneath the feet of the mourners and friends as they followed the remains to the flower covered grave to pay last respect to Walter and Till. Peace be with them for evermore.
 When we chanced to visit the cemetery on May 2 of this year they were laying away another pioneer, Mrs. Hattie Reed, who died April 29 in a Madison hospital at the age of 84. Mrs. Reed was the former Hattie Randall. She was a native of Richland county but had resided in Madison for about 30 years. On the lot where she was buried where other members of her family one of whom was  Emma, wife of Stephen J. Randall. She, no doubt, was a grandmother of Mrs. Reed. She died, so the tombstone said, August 25, 1857, aged 24 years. This linked the past with the present as 99 years had passed into the far away days of 1857 to the present, 1956. Time marches on.

A Marriage In The Old Church
 As another link between the past and the present we will mention the wedding which took place in the old, old church on June 14, 1953 when Miss Marian Mathews, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Mathews, Richland Center, became the bride of Bernard Stout. Rev. Lester Mathews performed the ceremony. Rev. Mathews grandfather was Thomas Mathews one of the founders of Orion village. Miss Marian Mathew's is a great grandchild. It was fitting and proper that she be wedded in the old church which still stands in Orion village.
S.F.

Page 39

Tales The Tombstones Tell  -  Republican Observer  - June 14, 1956

 It was in March of 1890, that the first burial was made in the Five Points cemetery in the town of Akan. This well kept cemetery is across the highway from the present Five Points church. It formerly was the site of the frame structure which was destroyed by fire. Evidences of its foundation may still be seen.

 Here in this cemetery sleeping away the years, are many of the pioneers of the Five Points area. The first burial to be made there was the body of Kittle Swanson, who died on March 1, 1890. Mr. Swanson, we learned, was a native of Norway. On his tombstone it says that he was 62 years of age and underneath his name are carved these words: "A precious one from us is gone, a voice we loved is stilled, a place is vacant in our home which never can be filled."

 That verse is a favorite one and appears upon stones in many cemeteries hereabouts. Mr. Swanson seems to be the only burial on his lot as no other names appear upon the stone. His burial in March 1890, was, as noted above, the first to be made there. However other burials followed in the same year. It must have been spoken about as mourners and friends stood about the grave, the only one at the time in the cemetery.

 On our trip to the Five Points cemetery we were accompanied as a special guide and to interpret or translate the words carved upon the stones in Norwegian, by our friend Charles Johnson of Richland Center. For instance upon the monument of Maren Hanson, who died in 1932, were these words: Jesus Annamer Sydere. Mr. Johnson said translated they were in English "Jesus Saves Sinners". On the monument at the grave of Andrias Olsen Steenseng was this: "Fodt Feb. 14, 1827; Dode, Feb. 4, 1904. Hvil L. Fred." This gave the date of birth and the date of death and the words "Rest in Peace."

 There were but few monuments upon the which the inscriptions were in Norwegian, but different spelling of names gets one a bit confused as to who is who. The graveyard stones have Hansen, Hanson or Munson, Monson, Munsen. First names are a guide but when there are three or four monuments with the same first and last names it is indeed a guess as to who is who.

 We found among other monuments one for Mr. and Mrs. Albert Monson, long time residents of Richland Center and of Five Points. Both now rest in the cemetery. Some 15 or more years ago this writer was at the cemetery with Mr. Monson  and he pointed out the grave of Kittle Swanson and others who are buried there. Mr. Monson's parents are there along with other well known pioneers. Albert Monson kept store at Five Points for many years. Previous to his store keeping days he was a clerk in the H. B. Allan drug store in Richland Center. He also served as clerk of the courts for Richland county, and became postmaster at Five Points in 1898, following Nels Anderson, an uncle. While Albert was clerk of the court, the postmaster was a brother, Chris, and when Albert's term as clerk of courts expired he, Albert, became postmaster again and remained as such until the office was discontinued in 1911, and the mail was supplied by rural route out of Boaz; later out of Tavera, and at present it is out of Blue River. Mr. Monson erected a store building at Five Points in 1901. Mrs. Monson's parents were Mr. and Mrs. Barnhart Anderson, natives of Norway, coming to America in 1871, locating in the town of Eagle.

 Mr. Monson's parents were also natives of Norway, coming to America from the land across the sea.

 Either the second or third burial in the cemetery was that of Ingebor Marie Goplin, who was born April. 14, 1819, came to America in June 1877, and died in the town of Akan, May 24, 1890.
 

 Page 40

 John Johnson, long time resident of Richland Center, is also buried in the cemetery. Other names upon some of the stones are Goplen, Harris, Gulsrud, Eng, Hanson, Jacobson, Rognholt, Surrem, Bergum. There is, we believe, but one Civil War veteran buried in the cemetery. He is Ole Monson, father of Albert, who together with his wife Anna, rest beneath the sod, close to, the grave of their son. There are markers from World War I and II and the Korean War in the cemetery.

The South Church

 South on the ridge toward Blue River off county trunk X a bit, is the old South Church, used but little now-a-days. It in an old church and an old church cemetery, just 99 years old this May, 1956. In it are buried the old settlers of the area. The first burial therein was that of the body of Anna Torgerson, wife of John Torgerson who was born on
August 2, 1821, and died May 18, 1857. She was the mother of Anton M. Turgasen who resided in the town of Richland and later in Richland Center until the time of his death. It will be noticed that the spelling of the surname has been slightly changed, this action was taken by Anton M. in order to bring the title more nearly in harmony with the English spelling. Anthony's mother, the first person to be buried in the South cemetery, died five days following his birth, Anton often related that as a lad as he would go to the cemetery to visit the grave of his mother and at that time there were but three or four other graves there and berry bushes and brush, almost covered the site.

 On the gravestone for Tilda Oleson who died in 1891, at the age of five days, it says:

 "She sleeps beneath her native earth and near the spot that gave her birth. Her youthful feet trod flowers that bloom, in beauty o'er her early tomb."

 In the South Church burying ground are many members of the Dieter family. One of these was John Dieter, who died in 1867 at the age of 35 years; another was Mrs. Barbara Dieter, who passed away in 1955, and work was being started to erect a monument on the lot. Her son-in-law Edwin Anderson, and Stephen Cook, also of Richland Center, were getting things in shape for the stone.

 On one of the Dieter monuments was this verse:

  "Our brother sleeps beneath the ground, "Till the last trumpet sounds; Then burst the chains with sweet surprise; And in his
Savior's image rise."

 Two early settlers were Hans Pederson (Peterson) and Mrs. Olive Pederson. He was born in Norway in 1821 and died December 9, 1896. Mrs. Pederson, also born in Norway, first saw the light of day in 1823. Perhaps the oldest person to be buried there is Anna Westrum, who was born in 1796 and died, so her tombstone says, in 1877.

 As noted above services are infrequent in the old church building, members now worship at the Five Points church. Burials also are infrequent, except for early pioneers or members of their families and as the years pass on there will be a final end to the uses put to the church where services were held for many of those who rest in peace close by.

S. F.

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