Village of Albany in Green County, Wisconsin

Village of Albany

Albany, located on the Sugar River, was first known as "Campbell's Ford". It was an ideal river crossing so was settled by James CAMPBELL and Thomas STEWART in 1839. Seven years later, Captain Erastus POND and Dr. Samuel NICHOLS, attracted by the prospects of excellent water power, came to Campbell's Ford with their families.

Legend has it that the Native Americans of the Winnebago tribe called the river "Tonasookarah" meaning sugar and also referring to the maple trees along the riverbank.

In the 1890's there was an abundance of oysters and clams in the Sugar River. This launched the American pearl rush and led to a thriving industry in the manufacture of pearl buttons. Albany became known as "The Pearl of the Sugar River"

East Side Water Street of Albany, Wisconsin

East side of Water Street

The first marriage in the village was Daniel BAXTER and Chloe NICHOLS in 1847

From the Albany Weekly Times of June 8, 1858

"The population of about 700 is chiefly composed of the most energetic people from the eastern states. Sugar River affords one of the best water powers between the Rock and Mississippi Rivers and propels at the present time, machinery for two large flouring mills, one saw mill, one cabinet and chair manufactory, one corn mill, one woolen carding and cloth dressing machine. We have in the business part of the village five dry goods stores, three groceries, one hardware, one book and drug store and 19 machine shops, such as tin, copper and sheet iron, harness, blacksmith, paint, wagon, boot and shoe, etc. We have one school house thirty by fifty feet, two stories high to be finished in modern style at a cost of about $2,000. A spacious church, the spire of which reaches to the height of 112 feet also attracts by its beauty the attention of the traveler as he wends his way to the quiet village. One big hotel is situated on the west side of the river.

Around this village is a tract of country, settled by a class of people full of energy, an agricultural region the trade of which always gives evidence of a thickly settled, highly improved and well-tilled area of country."