Village of Brooklyn
Charles Nelson SUTTERLAND and his wife came from Illinois
to the Wisconsin Territory. They filed for land for farming purposes in 1844.
Those 15 acres became the original plat of the village of Brooklyn. Ten years
later Sutterland sold his land to Hiram CAPWELL. Capwell cleared the land and
opened a boarding house. Capwell knew the railroad was looking for a passage
from Madison to Illinois so persuaded the Chicago & Northwestern Railway
Company to lay their rails through Brooklyn in 1864.
Brooklyn wasn't incorporated until 1905 even though the Brooklyn Township had already established governing their land in 1849. The railroad spurred growth for Brooklyn and retailers set up shop on both sides of the tracks. In 1884 there were four general stores. Ben AXTELL was the first merchant of Brooklyn. Other merchants of the general stores were Samuel ADAMS and L. J. WILDER. Other retailers were Albert ELLIS, drug store, Samuel ADAMS, hardware store, Edmond ANDREW, a large grain elevator and warehouse, T. B. CONRADSON and Robert CLOUGH each owned a blacksmith shop, Joseph MILLSPAUGH, wagon & harness shop, E. W. WHITMORE, clothing store, Thomas QUALLEY, shoe shop and Brooklyn's first doctor was H. C. LEACH. Other businesses included two hotels (Northwestern Hotel and D. H. GLIDDEN Hotel), post office, meat market, lumber yard, creamery (Brooklyn Cheese Factory) and a barber shop. A grade school and the Methodist Episcopal church also served the community.
Brooklyn wasn't incorporated until 1905 even though the Brooklyn Township had already established governing their land in 1849. The railroad spurred growth for Brooklyn and retailers set up shop on both sides of the tracks. In 1884 there were four general stores. Ben AXTELL was the first merchant of Brooklyn. Other merchants of the general stores were Samuel ADAMS and L. J. WILDER. Other retailers were Albert ELLIS, drug store, Samuel ADAMS, hardware store, Edmond ANDREW, a large grain elevator and warehouse, T. B. CONRADSON and Robert CLOUGH each owned a blacksmith shop, Joseph MILLSPAUGH, wagon & harness shop, E. W. WHITMORE, clothing store, Thomas QUALLEY, shoe shop and Brooklyn's first doctor was H. C. LEACH. Other businesses included two hotels (Northwestern Hotel and D. H. GLIDDEN Hotel), post office, meat market, lumber yard, creamery (Brooklyn Cheese Factory) and a barber shop. A grade school and the Methodist Episcopal church also served the community.
Brooklyn Firsts
- The first settler was H. B. CAPWELL.
- The first merchant was B. S. AXTEL.
- Other first settlers were: T. B. CONRADSON, Thomas QUALLEY, E. J. ANDREW, and J. C. CARPENTER.
- The firs physician was H. C. LEACH.
Extracted form the "History of Green County, Wisconsin" published by Union Publishing Company, Springfield, Ill. 1884
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