Zimmermann Family

The history of Marathon County and Wisconsin as it relates to the Zimmermann Family:

·         1836-1848 – Wisconsin was a Territory.

·         29 May 1848 – Wisconsin became a state

·         1849 the Town of Big Bull Falls was part of Portage County and extended north to Lake Superior.

·         1849 John Christian Zimmermann arrived in the USA and likely Milwaukee.

·         1850 – What is now called Marathon County was separated from Portage County. It was first called a town (sometimes Marathon, sometimes Wausau) and still extended north to Lake Superior.

·         1850 Census for the Town of Wausau lists 416 white males, 92 white females = 508 individuals; 76 dwellings, 76 families, 7 deaths, 7 farms, Prod. Estat. 15. Many of the household listings for “lumberman” include large numbers of males both foreign & domestic born, listed as laborers or sawyers.

·         1851/2 Philip Wilhelm Zimmermann & family arrived in the USA in 1851 and in Milwaukee in 1852 when they also purchases their first farm in the Town of Wauwatosa.

·         1851-3 – Township No. 29 N: Range No. 9 East 4th Meridian of Wisconsin was platted [Figure 3] by Wm J. Nuley, C. H. Booth, and F. S. Ellis (Deputy Surveyor). Survey Approved 2/15/1854 Warner Lewis (Surveyor General). In 1853 the then “Town of Wausau” was renamed “Marathon County.”

·         1853 – a land office was set up in Stevens Point to promote sale of land in Marathon County.

·         1855 Census of the Town of Marathon by household: 1087 males, 342 females, 1 colored, 389 foreign born (27%) in a total of 182 households. Many of the households had large numbers of only males, likely indicating a boarding house or logging camp. For example: George McIndoe is listed with 48 males, 3 females, 42 foreign born. Wm McIntosh is included with 8 males, 4 foreign born.

·         12 Nov 1856 the Town/County of Marathon was divided into 3 townships: Wausau, Mosinee, and Eau Claire. What would become the Town of Easton was at times part of the Town of Wausau and at other times part of the Town of Eau Claire (renamed Weston in 1859).

·         1857 Marathon County was divided into the Town of Wausau, the Town of Marathon, the Town of Mosinee, the Town of Eau Claire, and the Town of Jenny (including T34N).

·         1857 Dennis Manning settled in the Town of Easton (160 acres in Section 6). 1858 Michael Manning came to the Town of Easton with his son, James age 4 according to the Easton Centennial book (pg 25). BLM lists his first purchase as 15 Aug 1860 of the W¹/₂NE¹/₄ and the NW¹/₄SE¹/₄ in Section 7 an assignment of a grant to Andrew Lea. Marchette states (pg 546) “The first farm settlement in the present town was made by Dennis Manning and his brother … ” “Dennis Manning and brother Mitchell each made a large farm ...” 120 acres was later purchased by William Schlei then by Herbert Zimmermann, then by David Zimmermann.

·         1858 Marathon County was divided into the Town of Wausau, the Town of Mosinee, the Town of Eau Claire, the Town of Jenny, and the Town of Texas (including T32N)

·         1859 Marathon County was divided into The Town of Wausau, the Town of Marathon, the Town of Mosinee, the Town of Berlin, the Town of Jenny, the Town of Texas, the Town of Knowlton & the Town of Eau Claire was renamed the Town of Weston. 1860 The Town of Stettin was divided out of the Town of Wausau.

·         1860 Census now included the following townships: Berlin, Jenny, Knowlton, Marathon, Mosinee, Stettin, Texas, Wausau, Weston (what would later become the Town of Easton is included in the Town of Wausau; what would later become the Town of Hewitt is included in the Town of Texas). Many more residents are listed as farmers.

·         In 1860 John Henry Zimmermann married and likely move to the Town of Hartford in Washington County.

·         1861 – The Town of Easton was officially created by the commissioners of Marathon County. Marathon County now consisted of The Town of Jenny, the Town of Berlin, the Town of Stettin, the Town of Marathon, the Town of Knowlton, the Town of Weston, the Town of Wauau, the Town of Texas and the Town of Stettin.

·         1866 John & Carrie Spilde and their 5 year old daughter came to the Town of Easton.

·         1873 The last parcel in Section 7 was sold to Gustav Wagner. NOTE: of 13 land transactions listed at the BLM patent search: 9 were military warrant transfers, 4 were outright purchases (cash entry).

·         Marathon County took what is close to its current divisions about 1890-1895.

·         The town of Easton in the 1800’s is described as follows:

As one views the Town of Easton today, it is difficult to visualize it as it was in the 1800’s–an area of natural, dense forest broken only by a few trails along the rivers. Today its countryside is predominantly modern, dairy farms interspersed with beef farms and well-kept residences. The German, Scandinavian, and Dutch settlements have become less distinct through intermarriage and an influx of other nationalities.

·         The 1881/2 plat of the Town of Easton is the first known plat of the Town of Easton and shows land owners, roads & streams. In addition to John Spildee, it shows the lands owned by the Mannings, the Etters, the Hintzes, the Klueckmans, and Wm McIntosh.

·         1883 John Henry Zimmermann purchased 200 acres from Spildee.