Keelerville, Marathon Co., Wis. 1913 History

History: Keelerville, Marathon Co., Wis. 1913

Surnames: Gouldsbury Kronenwetter Forbes

----Source: 1913 HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY WISCONSIN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS BY LOUIS MARCHETTI, WAUSAU, WIS., CHAPTER IV, pgs. 523-526

----THE VILLAGE OF KEELERVILLE, WISCONSIN

KEELERVILLE.

Bull Junior is a small stream which empties in the Wisconsin a little distance above the east end of the dam at Little Bull Falls. A short distance above its mouth it runs close to the high bank of the Wisconsin, then takes a sharp turn to the south and east before it empties finally in the main river. A shrewd native American by the name of Keeler cut a canal from where the stream flows nearest to the river, diverted its course, and in that way obtained a high fall, which he used to run a little saw mill as early as 1855.

Mr. William Gouldsbury bought the property in 1862, rebuilt the mill, operated it until 1870, when he sold it to Sebastion Kronenwetter, who in turn operated until 1903, when sawing on this creek ended. This little settlement was called Keelerville, from its owner. Not long after the mill was first established a saloon was established too near the mill, which became the scene of a tragedy. An Indian was killed in a drunken fight, which for a time threatened the peace of the community.

Pages 153-154 (same source)

OTHER INDIAN TROUBLES.

A fight with Indians, in which one of them was killed, occurred in October, 1866, at a saloon at Keelerville kept by a man by the name of Aaron Forbes.

A party of Indians came there in the evening, demanded whiskey and got it; then they wanted more, and got it, and got intoxicated and boisterous and wanted more, then were refused. The Indians then began demolishing the furniture, and the scared saloonkeeper ran for assistance to the mill boarding house of Mr. Gouldsbury. He returned with some of the men, ordered the Indians out, and upon their refusal, attempted to put them out. In the ensuing tussle and fight an Indian was killed (stabbed) which so aroused the Indians that the whites fled. The Indians proceeded to demolish counter and bar and everything in the saloon — Liquor and bottles included; but there was probably not much of a stock in the little place.

Next day the Indians demanded that the white man who had killed their brother should be given up, but he had fled, and a hunt for him proved fruitless. For awhile it looked as if the Indians were bent upon promiscuous revenge, but better counsel prevailed, and through influence of some of the white friends of the Indians, further trouble was happily averted. Public opinion was strongly against Forbes, who, it was said, had made it a practice to sell whiskey to the Indians, and he did not resume a business in Marathon county, but emigrated.

1850 United States Census, Indian Sands, Marquette, Wisconsin

Name: Aaron Forbes
Age: 45 years
Calculated Birth Year: 1805
Birthplace: New York
Gender: Male
Race (original):
Race (expanded):
Death Month:
Death Year:
Line Number: 20
Marital Status:
Free or Slave:
Household Gender Age
Aaron Forbes M 45y
Emily Forbes F 22y
Eliza A Forbes F 16y
Betsey Forbes F 9y

1850 United States Census, Winniconna, Winnebago, Wisconsin

Name: Aaron Forbes
Age: 47 years
Calculated Birth Year: 1803
Birthplace: New York
Gender: Male
Race (original):
Race (expanded):
Death Month:
Death Year:
Line Number: 30
Dwelling House Number: 1556
Family Number: 1583
Marital Status:
Free or Slave:
Household Gender Age
Aaron Forbes M 47y
Emily Forbes F 22y
Eliza Forbes F 16y
Betsey Forbes F 12y

*Also see the 1860 Census for this family.

1850 United States Census, Winniconna, Winnebago, Wisconsin

Name: Truman Keeler
Residence: Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin
Age: 37 years
Calculated Birth Year: 1813
Birthplace: Vermont
Gender: Male
Race (original):
Race (expanded):
Death Month:
Death Year:

*Also see the 1880 Census for this family

1855 Wisconsin State Census, Marathon Town, Marathon, Wisconsin

Name: William Goldsbury
Number of White Males: 6
Number of White Females: 2
Number of Black Males:
Number of Black Females:
Foreign Born:
Line Number: 17

1860 United States Census, Marathon, Wisconsin

Name: Aron Forbs
Ward: Town Of Mosinee
Age: 56 years
Estimated Birth Year: 1804
Birthplace: New York
Gender: Male
Page: 17
Family Number: 36

1860 United States Census, Marathon, Wisconsin

Name: Sebastian Kronenwertter
Residence: , Marathon, Wisconsin
Ward: Town Of Mosinee
Age: 27 years
Estimated Birth Year: 1833
Birthplace: Wurtemberg
Gender: Male
Page: 12
Family Number: 4

1860 United States Census, Marathon, Wisconsin

Name: Truman Keeler
Residence: , Marathon, Wisconsin
Ward: Town Of Mosinee
Age: 46 years
Estimated Birth Year: 1814
Birthplace: Vermont
Gender: Male
Page: 16
Family Number: 34

1880 Federal Census, Houston, Smith, Kansas

Name: Truman Keeler
Birthdate: 1813
Birthplace: Vermont, United States
Relationship to Head: Self
Spouse's Name: Mabel A. Keeler
Spouse's Birthplace: Vermont, United States
Father's Name:
Father's Birthplace: Connecticut, United States
Mother's Name:
Mother's Birthplace: Vermont, United States
Race or Color (Expanded): White
Ethnicity (Standardized): American
Gender: Male
Martial Status: Married
Age (Expanded): 67 years
Occupation: General Merchandise Dealer
Household Gender Age
Truman Keeler M 67
Spouse Mabel A. Keeler F 60
Child Caspar M. Keeler M 30