550 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 



purposes; that the vast supply and variety of minerals, in 

 the underlying strata, constitute excellent plant food, and insure 

 a permanent foundation for agriciiltural industries, and that 

 the wealth of the county must depend primarily upon agricul- 

 tural and dairy pursuits/ 



Chapter III. 



THE PEOPLING OF THE COUNTY. 



We now come to the study of the peopling of Kenosha county. 

 During the period of 1836 and the few years just preceding that 

 rivers and in small areas in the low lands throughout the county, 

 time, the gi'eat West, its boundless natural resources and its 

 many advantages for the acquiring of wealth was the subject of 

 absorbing attention throughout the Middle and Eastern states. 

 In December, 1834, a resident of the toAvn of Hannibal, Os- 

 wego county, N. Y., gave a dinner party to a number of friends. 

 At this dinner the dominant theme of discussion was the West, 

 its beautiful prairies, productive soil, and remarkable possibili- 

 ties. Members of the party related marvelous tales and glow- 

 ing descriptions which they had heard from travelers who had 

 explored the country west of the great lakes. The enthusiasm 

 during the evening became so great that before the party broke 

 up those present had mutually resolved upon a plan to organ- 

 ize an association to settle a colony in the West, in which those 

 becoming members should be of assistance to each other, and 

 mutually share profits and losses in the enterprise. Shortly 

 afterwards there was a general meeting of the people of the 

 town called for the purpose of inviting the co-operation of all 

 who desired to join such an enterprise. The meeting was well 

 attended and the obiect under consideration met with more ffen- 

 eral favor than was anticipated. At a subsequent meeting, held 

 Feb. 20, 1835, an organization was finally perfected, under the 

 name of the '' Western Emigration Company." Peter Woodin 



iFor soils and topography see Plate XXXIX. 



