HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY. 
 
Daniel M. Parkinson settled in the north 
part of the county in 1828, with his family. The 
settlement was called Willow Springs, and Mrs. 
Parkinson was the first white woman at this 
settlement. Parkinson was held in high esteem 
by the people of the county, who often elected 
him to offices of trust. He was repeatedly 
elected representative to the Territorial and State 
legislatures. John Ray and wife settled here 
in 1828, and Ray, with a Mr. Fretwell, engaged 
in keeping a hotel and grocery. Mrs. Ray was 
noted for her religious zeal. 
James Collins, John W. Blackstone, Samuel 
Scales, Capt. Funk, Mr. Deering, and Amos 
Looney, settled in the south and southwestern 
parts of the county, in 1827 and 1828, all for 
the purpose of mining, in connection with which 
interest they became prominent. Blackstone 
was a lawyer, whose merits soon becameknown; 
although he did not at first engage in the prac- 
tice of his profession, he was chosen to fill 
places of trust, both legislative and judicial. 
James Neagle, an Irish lawyer, very eccentric 
and not a little audacious, settled here very early 
and commenced mining. He afterward engaged 
in his profession, however, and was noted for 
his quaint remarks in court, and a disposition to 
have the last word. At one time, he went so 
far in his peculiar style in Judge Dunn's court, 
at Mineral Point, that the judge, finding it im- 
possible to quiet him, imposed a sharp fine for 
contempt. This action brought temporary quiet 
to the odd son of Erin, but presently he rose 
and said in broad Irish brogue: "May it please 
the court, I may be permitted to say, your honor 
is much more impregnated with dignity, this 
morning, than usual." 
The settlement of the present town of Fay- 
ette was commenced in 1828, by Mr. Duke, who 
opened the mine known as Duke's diggings, 
which for many years gave an abundant yield of 
lead ore. 
James McKnight and brother settled in the 
southeastern part of the county in 182.9, aud 
 
commenced farming; and were soon followed by 
many others. 
""Daniel S. Hawley settled in the present town 
of Argyle, where he farmed, and afterwards 
built a mill and hotel, the first hotel and mill 
in this part of the county. In 1830 J. C. Sax- 
ton opened a store at the same place, and by 
1833, Joseph Shook, William Brazzell, a Mr. 
Cunningham and others, had commenced farm- 
ing. 
James Kendall, from Gratiot's, settled in the 
present town of Kendall, in 1829, and com- 
menced farming. He built a mill for grinding 
grain in 1833. This was the second mill built 
in the county, the first havinlg been built in 
1835, "on the Pecatonica, at the site of thevil- 
lage of Gratiot (a place entirely distinct from 
Gratiot's Grove), by a Mr. Curtis. Mineral was 
found here, and Robert C. Hoard built a smelt- 
ing furnace in the year 1851. 
Owing to the menaces of the Winnebago 
Indians, there was no rapid influx of population 
into this country for two or three years after 
the discovery of the lead mines. The unfriend- 
ly disposition of the savages culminated in the 
outbreak at Prairie du Chien in June, 1827. At 
the same time they threatened a murderous de- 
scent on all the frontier settlements, and con- 
sequently nearly all the miners located in this 
region precipitately abandoned these outposts 
and concentrated in Galena for safety. The 
troubles were quieted by the march of Gen. 
Atkinson's troops to the Wisconsin portage in 
August and September, when the miners re- 
sumed their occupation. At the same time the 
reports of the war and the return of the volun- 
teers under Atkinson to Illinois, had spread the 
fame of the lead mines far and wide, and men 
immediately flocked hither in great numbers. 
This and several succeeding years were noted 
as years of wild expectation and adventure, sec- 
ond only to the gold excitement in California. 
The Winnebagoes manifested great uneasi- 
ness from the first at the intrusion of the whites 
upou their mines, and the various difficulties 
 
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