Dunn County Wisconsin History

  On the southwest edge of Downsville, Wisconsin lies an old cemetery abandoned long ago. Pawnell Cemetery dates to the early settlement of Downsville in the mid 1800's and for the better part of my youth was broken, untended and mostly forgotten. The cemetery is quite sizable with plenty of space for burials in a pleasant area overlooking what was to be the main part of town if it had ever chanced to grow. For some unknown reason Pawnell was forsaken and two other cemeteries took its place. The Township of Dunn has taken over the care and mowing of the cemetery and has revived its dignity if not its purpose. As you come up the old roadway to the cemetery and reach the top you will find a small number of headstones clustered together near the driveway. A large pine shelters quite a number of the markers and the rest fade away to the large unused portion, an empty field once awaiting loved ones. There is nothing remarkable at Pawnell, just another collection of lost souls and loved ...

Thomas Parker rests on the top of the highest point in Evergreen Cemetery, Menomonie, Wisconsin. One solitary Civil War marker: Lieut Thos Parker Co D 20 USC Inf. is all it says. A non-descript standard issue War Department headstone with nothing more than the basics of a mans life. Lieutenant Thomas Parker does not rest here alone, three of his children lie near his side. His fourth child rests elsewhere as does his wife Susan. The three children that rest here have only the fathers headstone to speak for them in a family plot that contains no other markers. Lieutenant Parker has a marker that begins to tells his extraordinary tale but falls far short of his amazing brilliance and outstanding service. There are numerous holes in his life's story but what I can fill in is quite a tale. Thomas was born in Maine 1832 and his next 30 years of growing up are yet a mystery to be solved. In 1862, he was living in Red Cedar Township, Dunn County, Wisconsin and on August 14th, 1862 he sign...

LaCrosse, Wisconsin and the trial, an aside to Mag and Jim. While the city of LaCrosse awaited the trial of James Carter and Margaret Wheeler with all of its titillating details and rabid excitement, the busy city continued on it’s usual course. LaCrosse was founded in 1841 when a New York native by the name of Nathan Myrick came from New York to Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin to work in the fur trade. With a great many fur traders already well-established there, Myrick decided to establish a trading post upriver at the then still unsettled site of Prairie La Crosse. In 1841, he built a temporary trading post on Barron Island (now called Pettibone Park), just west of present day La Crosse. The following year, Myrick relocated the post to the mainland prairie and partnered with H. J. B. Miller to run the business. This new location proved an ideal location for a new settlement at the confluence of the Black, LaCrosse and Mississippi rivers below the great bluffs rising behind it. By 1855 L...

While Jim Carter spent his days in Waupun prison Mag Wheeler was held in sheriffs custody at Eau Claire, comparatively free from the closed in walls she left behind. Mag arrived back in Eau Claire on April 3rd 1869 after she served nearly 22 months of her life sentence. Mag was basically on parole promising not to escape and was given a temporary home in the unoccupied sheriffs residence. She retained her old lawyer Meggett to clear up her estate and began to prepare for her new trial at Pepin. She sold off her interests and paid Meggett for his past work while awaiting what was to come. Somehow through all these years, the love founded so long ago across so much tragedy survived and without warning one day in June, Mag had a visitor. Richard Doyle, the handsome young apprentice on the steamboat reappeared. Richard and Mag rekindled their love as he visited her over the next few weeks. Richard was anxious to attain Mag's freedom and in late August, Mag retained a new lawyer who pre...

Several visitors had dropped by the Wheeler house during the afternoon and evening of March 23, 1866. Mag's bothers had come by to invite them all over for cards that evening and Jim's Uncle Isaac Ingalls had come by to discuss some minor business. While Isaac was there a short argument occurred between Brad and Mag over some spilled shoe repair tacks. Isaac finished his business and left before dinner and walked home the 1/2 mile to his farmhouse. Tensions had risen in the Wheeler household and Mag attempted to lighten the mood by changing the conversation. She mentioned that her brothers had stopped by inviting them all over to play 'whist', a popular card game of the time. The tension in the room would not be broken and a second argument ensued over who cheated at cards, each of the men blaming the other. Anger rose to a fever pitch with the men calling each other outside to fight. Mag lunged forward to stop her husband and she stepped on the tacks injuring her foot....

  A true tale of murder, denial, blame, arrest, conviction and escape less than 40 miles south of Menomonie, Wisconsin in 1866 Pepin. This story is short in the span of time but long and deep in interesting details spreading to Missouri and beyond. A history I have longed to relate, researched in depth, found answers, questions, and will bring to you as best I am able. This is such an expansive story that I find it difficult to narrow my scope to the details but I will try my utmost to keep it on track. Those interested in more details of the case are welcome to share that interest with me. There are few complete answers and the absolute truth never will be secured. Our journey begins in the early days of Pepin, Wisconsin on the incredible stretch of the Mississippi River known as Lake Pepin. Ira 'Brad' Wheeler moved there with his mother and siblings, settling a large plot of land on the Chippewa River just upstream from the lake. Margaret 'Mag' Emeline Fuller also mov...