HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
TOWN OF EXETER. 
 
Congressional township 4 north, range 8 east, 
of the fourth principal meridian, comprises the 
civil town, Exeter. It is bounded on the north 
by Dane county; on the east by the town of 
Brooklyn; on the south by the town of Mount 
Pleasant, and on the west by New Glarus. 
Sugar river crosses the surface of this town, 
coming from Dane county by way of section 2, 
and leaving through section 25. On section 14, 
where the village of Dayton is located, this 
stream affords the only water power in the 
town. Three small spring branches enter the 
river as it passes through this town. The 
largest comes from Dane county by way of sec- 
tion 1, flows south and makes junction with the 
river on section 24. Two branches, heading on 
sections 5 and 16, unite on section 10, and reach 
the river from the west on section 2. A small 
spring branch flows from near the old village 
of Exeter, to the main stream on section 25. A 
branch of little Sugar river crosses the south- 
western portion of the town. These water 
courses make the surface of the country rolling, 
but no very abrupt bluffs are found. The soil 
of this town varies. East of the river the soil 
has a much more apparent tendency toward 
sandiness than the west, and the soil improves 
as you retreat from the stream. In the ndrth- 
western portion of the town there is a good 
prairie soil, and to the south and southwest the 
surface is quite rough, having a heavy clay soil, 
and being quite well timbered. In the valleys 
the soil consists of   rich black loam. In the 
southeastern portion of the town there is con- 
siderable rolling piajrie, which generally has a 
ricft deep soil, underlaid with clay. 
 
Altogether Exeter is one of the best agricul- 
tural towns in the northern part of Green 
county. There is plenty of timber for use, 
water in abundance, and considerable natural 
meadow land, making it a fine stock district, 
and the people are improving their natural 
advantages. 
EARLY SETTLEMENT. 
The lead mines at Exeter, called in early days 
"'New Diggings," and later Sugar river mines 
and Exeter mines, caused this town to be the 
first settled of any in Green county. In a rude 
way the Indians had mined lead here years be- 
fore white men had been in this country. 'Tis 
said "a man named Burke, in crossing the coun- 
try, lost himself and found the Indian dig- 
gings." When this occurred, no one knows. 
But two miners and traders named D. McNutt 
and Mr. Boner, came here early in 1827, bring 
ing goods for the Indians, and soon became 
possessed of the lead ore in the hands of the 
Indians by trade in whiskey and trinkets. 
These built a cabin for occupancy. Whether 
they intended to remain or not, cannot be ascer- 
tained. But at all events their residence here 
was brought to a tragic termination; for a little 
over a year later McNutt killed Boner in a 
drunken quarrel. Van Sickles, their Indian in- 
terpreter, was the only white man there, except 
themselves. McNutt kept up his drunk, but 
sobered enough to reach Blue Mounds, where 
he was arrested. The next day miners buried 
Boner. Upon McNutt's trial at Prairie du 
Chien, he was acqnitted, the jury believing 
that while he might have killed Boner, the fact 
that Van Sickles, who was noted as a champion 
 
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