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When I Came to Burlington in 1852 - by Francis Reuschlein Ladies and Gentlemen: I came here in the year 1852. When we left Germany, our intentions were to come to Burlington, Wisconsin, as my father had two brothers and a sister living near here. So we came to Milwaukee in June. The families stayed there while my father and uncle, Mr. Prailes, walked to Burlington in order to see if they could rent rooms and bring their families here to locate. They found a farmer who was willing to take a load of wheat into Milwaukee and bring the families out on his return. It was night as we came--first to Waterford and then to Rochester. It appeared to me at that time that Rochester was a little larger than Waterford. Then we came to Burlington and Burlington looked to be just a little bit larger than Rochester. The business places in Rochester, also the houses, were closer together, more compact, whereas in Burlington there was more space between the houses, the latter covering more territory. I got up next morning and went out into the street to take a look at Burlington by day light. Behold, as I looked down the street there stood a cow, and beside the cow sat a man wearing a stove pipe hat milking the cow. I was afterwards told it was Dr. Dyer (Dr. Edward G. Dyer). As I looked on the other side of the street there stood another cow with a stove pipe sitting beside it; this was Mr. Lyon (William P. Lyon), who was afterwards Judge Lyon of the supreme court. Now, when you consider that in Germany, where I came from, the milking was done entirely by women--I hardly ever saw a man milking in Germany, except when the women had babies--you can imagine my feelings. The men, of course, were so awkward in milking that the cow would upset the milk pail. The postoffice kept by Bliss was at that time up stairs in the building that is now owned by Mrs. A. Reuschlein (on corner of Chestnut St. and Milwaukee Ave. where Johnson Bank is now located). There was a stairway leading from the outside and in the room was a table and on this table was a box three feet square with some pigeon holes and a glass front. It contained about twelve newspapers and twelve or fifteen letters. The doctors at that time were Dr. Dyer, Dr. Lewis (William Lewis), and Dr. Kords (Frederick Kords). There were no drug stores; they carried their drug stores with them--pills, powders, etc. This, I think, is all they carried as there was no particular sickness at that time. Operations and appendicitis were things unknown, as the people were all healthy. At that time there were four lawyers and three doctors. Now we have about eight or nine doctors, and only three lawyers. That shows that our farmers have become civilized, as most of the law suits at that time were among the farmers. There were a great many more farmers then than now. The farms would average 40 acres, 20 acres and some less, and the population in the country was then greater than it now is.
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Notices: Disclaimer and
Restriction of Liability |
Mr.
Reuschlein was born in Baden, Germany, February 8, 1834, and died in
Burlington on April 24, 1913. He opened a book, stationery, tobacco, and
liquor store near the Chestnut Street bend in 1861, and later moved his
variety store to the corner of Pine and Chestnut Streets, where
Zumpano's Restaurant now is. He also conducted an insurance and real
estate business, closing out his variety store about 1893.