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Brighton, Township of

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Author:
Mary Moltzan

Location:
T. 27 N. - R. 2 E.

Formallized:
1874

Background:

Population: 1905-701, 2000-611

Native Americans traveled through the area and camped near what is now the Unity Branch of Brighton Park (probably in Section 8 of Brighton Township).

The settlement dates back to the building of the Wisconsin Central Railroad. The first settlers, as a rule, were American born, many of them veterans of the Civil War. The German immigration, plus immigrants from Poland, Scandinavia, and Austria, came somewhat later. In the years 1879 and 1880 there were already German farmers in the town, August Bruesewitz, William Martin, and August Luepke being among the first.

Logging was the main industry in the late 1800s with several sawmills in the area. Not much farming was done because of the forests and lack of implements. Most activity and industry was in western Brighton Township around Unity.

First Public Official:
J. H. Cook

Biography:

First Supervisor - He left for Appleton in 1883.

About The Post Office:

See Post Office info in Villages of Romeo and Unity.

Railroad:

See Village of Unity

Churches:

1. German Lutheran Church, Section 19 near Romeo Organized 1878. A small frame structure was built in 1881 and replaced with a brick structure in 1910.

See Village of Unity

Schools:

1901 Plat Map School

#1. Section 6, Unity area.

School #2, Section 30 Romeo.

School #3, Section 2.

School #4, Section 33. Erected 1887. District Disolved 1961.

School #5, Section 19, Romeo Area.

The first school house was a frame building lighted by four windows. The furnishings were a blackboard, teacher's desk, seats, box stove,dictionary, water pail, and broom.  Edward Johnson built the schoolhouse and also made the furnishings. The first teacher was John Van Hecke. The teacher's salary was $25.00 a month.

Industry:

Two small sawmills -  One owned by Upham Manufacturing Company, of Marshfield and the other owned by Anderson Brothers

Cheese factories

See villages of Romeo and Unity

Farming:

The early farmers were Civil War veterans and immigrants from Germany, Poland and Austria. The first crops of potatoes and oats were planted among the stumps left by the loggers. Later when more clearing was done, wheat became an important crop.