History
Town of Lowville
January 1849, the Board of Commissioners met and decided Townships 10 and 11, Range 10 and the east half of Township 10, Range 9 to be formed into a township and called Lowville, after an early settler Jacob Low. Mr. Low was the first Postmaster.
On January 8, 1850 the County Board of Supervisors met and the Town of Lowville was made to comprise only all of Township 11, Range 10. On May 21, 1847, the first town board member were: O.C. Howe, chairman; J. F. Hand and W. W. Curtis, supervisors; Samuel Page, clerk; and Silas W. Herring, town treasurer.
The first settlement made in this township was 1843. During 1843 and 1844 Edward Clark, Jonathan Gilbert, Jacob Low, and Jacob Stone selected claims and built on them.
During 1845, John Barmore, Henry Herring, Silas W. Herring, Orin Rogers, S. J. Scott, and Jefferson Waters came. Claudius Evarts, Joseph Snell, S. P. Webb and Justice Worden settled in 1846. Most of these early settlers seem to come from Lewis County, New York State and presumed English. Until 1849, there were but fifteen families in the town.
Claudius Evart's daughter Emma was born in 1847. She was the first white child born in Lowville. Lowville's first death was Joseph Snell who died July 30, 1848.
Jacob Low, a son of Gideon Low, Captain of Fort Winnebago, built a tavern on the old Madison and Portage stage coach road, one mile from the south line and one and three-quarters mile from the west line of the Town of Lowville. When he settled here, there was not a house between Portage and his tavern. It was the stage house for Fink and Walkers line from Portage to Madison.
Just east of Mr. Low's tavern an Indian village of 37 wigwams stood. The village of Indians was located near a number of large springs that have since disappeared. They were the headwaters of Rowan Creek.
Nearly all the houses of these early settlers were built of logs and poles, mere small shacks. All public meetings were held in someone's small home. These first settlers had a decided Christian character and nearly all abstemious.
The first Sunday School was organized in May 1848 and Peter Drake, living in a pole shack,12 by 16 feet, tendered the use of it to the people for all Christian services. People came from 10 to 15 miles around on Sundays when the weather was good. This Sunday School has been given credit for being the oldest in the State of Wisconsin. In the fall of 1848, William Cornell organized a Baptist Church.
In 1848 two schools were started. One near Mr. Low's house on section 32 with Julia Stevens teaching. The other on section 5 with B.M. Webb as teacher. By the fall of 1879, there were eight good school houses, four which the town owned and the other four were joint districts with other towns.
The Town of Lowville held the distinction of having the first telephone company. In 1895, Mr. Jess Farrington began the building of a telephone line. He installed a switchboard in the stone dwelling. This was the Fred Curtis farm on Highway B, east of Highway 22, and for a number of years it was called Rocky Run Central. It was later moved to Rio.
There are three cemeteries in the Town of Lowville - Ohio Cemetery on the outskirts of Rio; Rocky Run Cemetery
and South Lowville Cemetery.
In the late 1920's and early 1930's, Mother's Clubs, 4-H Clubs and Homemakers Clubs were organized.
The Town of Lowville is a rural community and a progressive farming community.
On January 8, 1850 the County Board of Supervisors met and the Town of Lowville was made to comprise only all of Township 11, Range 10. On May 21, 1847, the first town board member were: O.C. Howe, chairman; J. F. Hand and W. W. Curtis, supervisors; Samuel Page, clerk; and Silas W. Herring, town treasurer.
The first settlement made in this township was 1843. During 1843 and 1844 Edward Clark, Jonathan Gilbert, Jacob Low, and Jacob Stone selected claims and built on them.
During 1845, John Barmore, Henry Herring, Silas W. Herring, Orin Rogers, S. J. Scott, and Jefferson Waters came. Claudius Evarts, Joseph Snell, S. P. Webb and Justice Worden settled in 1846. Most of these early settlers seem to come from Lewis County, New York State and presumed English. Until 1849, there were but fifteen families in the town.
Claudius Evart's daughter Emma was born in 1847. She was the first white child born in Lowville. Lowville's first death was Joseph Snell who died July 30, 1848.
Jacob Low, a son of Gideon Low, Captain of Fort Winnebago, built a tavern on the old Madison and Portage stage coach road, one mile from the south line and one and three-quarters mile from the west line of the Town of Lowville. When he settled here, there was not a house between Portage and his tavern. It was the stage house for Fink and Walkers line from Portage to Madison.
Just east of Mr. Low's tavern an Indian village of 37 wigwams stood. The village of Indians was located near a number of large springs that have since disappeared. They were the headwaters of Rowan Creek.
Nearly all the houses of these early settlers were built of logs and poles, mere small shacks. All public meetings were held in someone's small home. These first settlers had a decided Christian character and nearly all abstemious.
The first Sunday School was organized in May 1848 and Peter Drake, living in a pole shack,12 by 16 feet, tendered the use of it to the people for all Christian services. People came from 10 to 15 miles around on Sundays when the weather was good. This Sunday School has been given credit for being the oldest in the State of Wisconsin. In the fall of 1848, William Cornell organized a Baptist Church.
In 1848 two schools were started. One near Mr. Low's house on section 32 with Julia Stevens teaching. The other on section 5 with B.M. Webb as teacher. By the fall of 1879, there were eight good school houses, four which the town owned and the other four were joint districts with other towns.
The Town of Lowville held the distinction of having the first telephone company. In 1895, Mr. Jess Farrington began the building of a telephone line. He installed a switchboard in the stone dwelling. This was the Fred Curtis farm on Highway B, east of Highway 22, and for a number of years it was called Rocky Run Central. It was later moved to Rio.
There are three cemeteries in the Town of Lowville - Ohio Cemetery on the outskirts of Rio; Rocky Run Cemetery
and South Lowville Cemetery.
In the late 1920's and early 1930's, Mother's Clubs, 4-H Clubs and Homemakers Clubs were organized.
The Town of Lowville is a rural community and a progressive farming community.