1881 History of Northern Wisconsin | Hancock

About this information: The text was taken from Waushara County Ancestral Trackers website, a now read-only RootsWeb website. Read the original page here.

Hancock was organized, in 1856, by the legally qualified voters of the territory comprising the town, by electing Sylvester Richmond, Jefferson Abbott and H.B. Lewis, Supervisors, and Hiram Barnes, Town Clerk; L.A. Babcock, Assessor, and Benjamin Chamberlain and H.B. Lewis, Justices of the Peace. Among the early settlers were William Sylvester, H. Barnes, L.A. Babcock, Storys Abboots, J.F. Wiley, Chauncey Wiley, John Rawson and family, S.R. Dunham, J.E. Tilton, C.E. Manger, John Laselle, Samuel HUtchinson, Stillman Ordway, Isaiah Moors, Heyward, William O’Connor, Thomas O’Connor, A.J. French and Walter Ware.

Hancock is situated on the Wisconsin Central Railroad, in the western tier of towns in Waushara County, and contains about 700 inhabitants. Up to the time of the building of the railroad, the town seemed to be on the retrograde. The building of the road seemed to infuse new life and energy into the people of the town. Farmers turned their attention to raising stock and clover, and having succeeded by the use of plaster, in enriching their lands and raising crops that would compare favorably with any portion of the State. About two-thirds of the territory comprising the town is under cultivation. Quite a large proportion of the land not improved would make good farms. There is room for at least 100 families more. To anyone who wants to get a good home cheap, and one that they would be proud of in the future, here is a good opportunity. E. MOntgomery will answer all communications addressed to him, and give gratuitous information in regard to soil, products, markets, schools and churches. Prominent among the settlers at present, we would mention the Hon. J.F. Wiley, Hon. C.W. Moors, Hon. E. MOntgomery, F. Chafee, C. Chafee, H.E. Heyward, A.K. Edwards, J.B. Rawson, Lorenzo Rawson, C. and G. Hutchinson, Yont and Abbott D. Ostrum, Samuel and Henry Clark, Lewis Manley, Selden Minor, J.E. Tilton, B.S. Hales, O.J. Wiley, C.C. Chollar, F.R. Jones, J.P. Wetmore, Z.T. Laselle and W.D. Weld.

Hancock Village is on the line of the Wisconsin Central road, and has a population of 200. Although settlement commenced over thirty years ago, the growth of the place has occurred within the last ten years – since the railroad was put through it. A Mr. Sylvester was the first settler, and erected a small house, called a hotel, in 1850. About 1855 quite a number came – J.F. Wiley, Levi Babcock, G. and C. Hutchinson, J.B. and L. Rawson, and G.T. Yout. Mr. Wiley opened a store, and now the leading merchant of the place, owning also an elevator and warehouse. Most of the other settlers of 1855, took up land and cultivated it. The Moors Brothers, who also run a warehouse with their general store, are pioneers and substantial business men.

Hancock is not incorporated as a village, but was surveyed and platted by C.F. Atwood in 1877, J.F. Wiley being its proprietor. It has a number of stores, a first class hotel, built by Frank Chafee in the spring of 1877 – present proprietor, Thomas Eubank; a village school and a Congregational Church, organized ten years ago by Elder J.W. Donaldson. Several congregations worship in its new edifice, the attendance being about fity. Rev. H.T. Beach is the present Pastor. Everything taken into account, Hancock is one of the pleasant and live little stations scattered all through Northern Wisconsin, on the line of the Wisconsin Central Railroad.

From 1881 History of Northern Wisconsin | Hancock