On Butternuts and Ducklows in Pierce County
Published October 25, 2011
In a recent post I wondered why my great grandfather George Ducklow left Dodge County in about 1873 as a young man of 20 years of age and how he happened to end up in eastern Pierce County. I wrote,
“A question that has fascinated me is why did George come to Pierce County? It seems likely that after learning the trade of blacksmithing, George was ready to make it on his own. It would be unfair to stay in the Ashippun area and compete directly with the man who gave you your training. So by the nature of the apprenticeship arrangement, George needed to re-locate as to not be in direct competition with his master, Mr. Campbell. But the question remains, why Pierce County?”
In the 1860s investors based in Milwaukee had heard reports that the entire eastern half of Pierce County was thick with pine, basswood, maple and elm trees. Based on these reports, they sent scouts to size-up the timber opportunity. And beyond simply assessing the size, number and species of trees, the scouts considered locations for establishing a water-powered sawmill, and perhaps even building sites for development of a small village. The area they found most attractive is what became Rock Elm Center. The scouts returned home in the fall of 1866. Shortly after (within a few weeks) investments of land and equipment along with the commitment of pioneers, began producing lumber. The lumber hauled 15 miles over hills and valleys until it reached Maiden Rock on the Mississippi River. There it could be shipped up or down stream to many markets, or reach train depots to be shipped back east. George Ducklow came to Rock Elm some seven years later (about 1873) to serve as a blacksmith.
So what is new to this story?
Butternut Trees.
As it turns out, the main attraction to the forests of Pierce County was not just the large tracts of elm, maple, basswood, and pine trees for lumber, but more so for its many butternut trees. In the late 1860s butternut wood commanded a premium, going for $60 to $80 a thousand board feet in Milwaukee. This was apparently considerably more than what traditional lumber would bring. During the 1860s and likely extending in the 1870s, butternut wood was in strong demand by cabinet makers, giving sawyers (and their investors) opportunity to make more money than if they pursued a forest full of the conventional wood. And because the forests of Rock Elm were full of butternut trees (see footnote) along with the elm, maple, basswood and pine, it became the target for investment.
The strong link between early families in Dodge County and early families in eastern Piece County seems to stem from this scouting party and the subsequent building of the Hawn sawmill. The names of the scouts who evaluated the forests around Rock Elm Center in 1866 were Otis Churchill, Willard Rider, and Oscar Fowler. They were so convinced of the opportunity for lumbering success that they went to the owners of an existing sawmill in Dodge County: Mr. Charles Hawn and Mr. David White. The scouting team persuaded Hawn and White to pull-up stakes in Dodge County and re-establish themselves in the frontier of the “Big Woods.” While the connection between all these men is not yet clear, some sort of trusting relationship must have existed for such persuasion to be successful. The news Hawn and White moving naturally gained attention of all their network of employees, friends, customers, and acquaintances. Some followed the mill on its move north. Thus, the Dodge – Pierce County immigration pipeline became established.
It is said that the Milwaukee investors intended to induce 25 families to move with the relocation of the sawmill and form a colony. It is not obvious that 25 families actually came all at once. But over time it seems that at least this many did eventually come from the Dodge County area. One of the families that did come with the sawmill was that of Sylvester John (S.J.) Fox. Sylvester was persuaded to establish a mercantile store near the mill. He invested $1,000 in supplies to initially stock his store.
So it can be said that many of the families in eastern Piece County, including George Ducklow, the ancestral grandfather to many living Ducklows, established himself in Pierce County because he followed Dodge County sawyers who were after the butternut trees.
Footnotes:
Many people are not familiar with butternut wood. It is a relativity soft wood that is easy to work, has a color that is natural medium dark, and often features strong grain patterns. The butternut tree is so named for the crop of butternuts it produces every three or four years.
Much of this information comes from a book published in 1937 by Charles Lowater. The book is called the “History of Pierce County.” Mr. Lowater was also the publisher of the Spring Valley Sun and Elmwood Argus for many years. This book is available at the River Falls Area Research Center. Charles Lowater [1867-1944] is buried in the Popular Hill Rock Elm Cemetery. He is related to the Ducklow family by marriage. His wife was Estella Weldon. Estella's aunt was Emma Hamilton, wife of George Ducklow.
The Churchill surname continues to be a well-known Rock Elm and Elmwood family name in eastern Pierce County.
Sylvester John Fox [1831-1915] is buried in the Rock Elm Cemetery. He was about 22 years older than George Ducklow and about 19 years younger than George’s father, Thomas Ducklow.
It must be noted that the Rock Elm area was not without settlers prior to 1866 and the building of the Hawn mill. The William Craig family came in 1863, and for several years Mr. Craig was head sawyer in the Hawn mill. The James C. Miles family also came in 1863 and the William H Miles in 1865, the James Colletts and Alexanders in 1863.
The establishment of the Hawn mill in Rock Elm in 1866 is hardly the first mill in the area. W. Holman is reported to have had a mill on the Eau Galle in 1852. Its location is unclear, but may have been as far north on the Eau Galle to be in St. Croix County (just north of Spring Valley). The Carson and Rand sawmill near what is now the village of Eau Galle also dates back in the early 1850s.
