Richland County, Wisconsin
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Richland was created on February 18, 1842 from Crawford and Sauk Counties. The County Seat is Richland Center . The County was named for the rich farmland found within the county.

Counties adjacent to Richland County are Vernon County (north), Sauk County (east), Iowa County (southeast), Grant County (southwest), Crawford County (west). Richland County Cities Include Richland Center. Towns Include Akan, Bloom, Buena Vista, Dayton, Eagle, Forest, Henrietta, Ithaca, Marshall, Orion, Richland, Richwood, Rockbridge, Sylvan, Westford, Willow. Villages Include Boaz, Cazenovia, Lone Rock, Viola, Yuba.

The Richland County Official Government Website
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Records at the Richland County Courthouse

Richland County Tax Records

Richland County Vital Records

Richland County Census Records

Richland County Maps & Atlases

Richland County Military Records

Richland County Genealogical Addresses

Richland County Church & Cemeteries

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Richland County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Richland County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Richland County, Wisconsin Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

The county of Richland was organized on the first day of May, 1850, and the first entry upon the records of the board of supervisors in and for the county, is in regard thereto, and is as follows:

"In pursuance of an act of the State of Wisconsin, represented in Senate and Assembly, 'To organize the county of Richland,' approved Feb 7, 1850, an especial meeting of the board of supervisors, in and for said county, was held at the house of Alex. Smith, in the town of Richmond, in the county and State aforesaid, on the first day of May, AD 1850. Said first day of May being the day designated in said act, that from and after which, thecounty of Richland should be organized for judicial purposes, and should enjoy all the privileges and immunities of the other counties of the State."

At the time of this organization, the county was divided into three towns, and the first board of supervisors who were empowered to handle the reins of the infant government were John H Price, of Buena Vista; E H Dyre, of Richmond, and Adam Byrd, of Richwood. Of this board, the first named was chosen president, and John Rutan, clerk.

As the county had no court house, nor place wherein to transact even a moderate amount of business, that then occupied the attention of its officers, the board, at its session held May 2, the same year, ordered that "Marvin White be allowed the sum of $90 for the use of a house in Richmond, for one year, for the purpose of thecounty officials:" the same to be considered as the county courthouse until more definite arrangements could be made.

At the June session, 1850, a petition was presented, praying for the organization of a new town, to comprise the congressional townships 11 and 12 north, range 1 east. This petition was signed by Orin Haseltine and others. The board, in granting the prayer, designated the towns as above as an election precinct, and ordered that it be organized under the name of Rockbridge, and that the first election should be held at the home of Ira S Haseltine, then a resident of the village of that name.

The first county road mentioned upon the records seems to have been one from Richland City to Pine river, and was made in accordance with a petition, signed by Ira S Haseltine and others. The board appointed Orin Haseltine, N P Engels and John H Price as the commissioners to locate the same. This was at the same June session, in the year 1850.

It would seem that from a lack of funds in the treasury, or some other cause, the county officers, in June, or nearly a month after their installment into office, were without any books, papers or stationery; and they therefore instructed Marvin White, the then register of deeds, to act as a special agent to purchase the necessary books and stationery, including the seals; one for the circuit, one for thecounty court, and one for the clerk of the board of supervisors; together with ink, inkstands and sand boxes, wafers and stamps; to be paid for out of the first moneys in the treasury of thecounty, for the contingent expenses of the said county.

Nov 20, 1850, the new board of supervisors took possession of the helm of government, and the first act of their administration was to authorize James Laws to establish and keep a ferry at Briggstown on the Wisconsin river; and at the same time established the following, as the rate to be charged for ferriage: Two horses and wagon, fifty cents; one horse and wagon, twenty-five cents; one horse and carriage, thirty-five cents; one horse and man, twenty-five cents; cattle, per head, ten cents; each foot passenger, ten cents; hogs and sheep, per head, three cents. The license granted Mr. Laws was granted for the term of three years, the first year to be free of any charge.

The weather growing chilly, and the board not wishing to retard the growing greatness of the juvenile county by freezing out its officers, instruct John J Mathews, the sheriff, to make the purchase of a stove and pipe.

As an instance of the trouble of traveling in these early days, it is recorded that, it being necessary for the county to send a man to Milwaukee on business, the time being occupied by him on the journey there and back was twelve days, the mode of traveling being by horseback.

The salaries of these early days seem to have been so small that it is a wonder that men should seek political preferment. As an instance of it, it is noted in the minutes of this session of the board, that the board allowed to J W Coffinberry,county judge, the munificent salary of $10 a year. They also authorize him to procure the necessary record books for his office at the proper expense of thecounty . The same board made an allowance of $50 per year for the salary of the prosecuting attorney. The ferry from Richmond to Muscoda was also licensed, and the rates of ferriage established, by the same board, Mathews & Smith being the proprietors. It was during the same session that the board of supervisors appointed J W Coffinberry a commissioner for saidcounty , to supervise the preparation of the application and proof of claimant for bounty lands granted to the soldiers and their heirs. James H Wallace was also granted the right to establish a ferry atRichland City, across the Wisconsin river, on the same terms and at the same rates of ferriage granted the other parties.

Nov 19, 1850, the board ordered that a tax of two and one-half mills on the dollar be levied in the county for school purposes; this was the first levy for such fund in the county, and deserves special notice as an instance of the early attention paid by the former generation to the educational status of ourcounty. The entire levy of tax for all funds was seventeen and one-half mills on the dollar.

The first bridge built by the county of which any record exists seems to have been built by James Laws across Merriman's creek, and cost the whole of $17, and was finished and the bill ordered paid, Nov 20, 1850.

At the May session of the board of supervisors, it being found that the quarters occupied by the county officers were too contracted, two rooms were rented of R Barnes, in the town of Richmond, for their accommodation, at a rental of $5 per month.

At the fall session it was ordered that the sale of delinquent taxes be proceeded with; this is recorded as the first in thecounty of Richland.

On a petition, signed by R McMachan and others, being presented to the board at this session, the order was made that all of town 10 north, range 1 east, except sections 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, of said town, be attached to the town of Rockbridge, as a part and parcel of the same.

The value of property in the county, as returned by the assessors, for the year 1851, was as follows:

Buena Vista............................................$ 44023 00

Richmond................................................ 45111 00

Richwood................................................ 14801 00

Rockbridge.............................................. 3500 00

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Total.....................................................$107435 00

Of course this was much below the actual value, but some idea can be gained by these figures of the amount possessed by the early settlers in the way of worldly wealth. The tax levy for this year is given as fourteen mills forcounty purposes, three mills for State purposes, two and a half mills for school fund or nineteen and a half mills on the dollar for all funds.

COUNTY SEAT

The question of making a permanent location of the county seat having now come to the front, the board of supervisors, at their meeting held July 26, 1852, had entered upon their minutes that "It is unanimously decided by this board, thatRichland Centre is the proper place for transacting the business of the county ." This seems to be the opening of the discussion, for we find that the same day the following resolution was spread upon the minutes: "Resolved, That the board accept of twenty village lots, and also a certain building, to be used for county purposes, of Ira S Haseltine, in the village of Richland Centre, in accordance with a bond, dated Oct 24, 1851, held by the county of Richland against said Haseltine. And it is also ordered that all the county business of Richland county be hereafter transacted in the said village of Richland Centre, and the officers thereof shall forthwith repair thither for that purpose."

In explanation of this action, it would seem, the next day the board passed the following:

"WHEREAS -- Ira S Haseltine has donated to the county of Richland, in the State of Wisconsin, a certain house situated on village lots No's. 3 and 6, in block 6, in the village of Richland Centre, in said county, to be used for a courthouse and other purposes as said county board may direct, for and during a term of five years, from the first of May last: Therefore, it is ordered that said house be, and is hereby designated as the saidcounty building, for the uses and purposes as above specified. Also, it is ordered that a notice be served on the various county officers to remove the books and papers of the county forthwith to Richland Centre, the county seat of Richland county. Also ordered that the county raise $100 to furnish the new court house."

Nov 9, 1852, the first meeting of the board of supervisors in the new court-house took place. At this session, it was ordered, that "town 10 north, range 1 east, be, and is hereby set off as a separate town and election precinct, and shall be known as the town ofRichland; and that the court-house in Richland Centre be designated as the place of holding the first town meeting."

It was at the same time ordered, that towns 11 and 12 north, range 1 west, be attached to the town of Rockbridge, and the house of Orin Haseltine was designated as the place of holding the town meeting.

Either the progress of the country was quite rapid or the development of crime had increased largely, for we find, that at this meeting of the board, the salary of the prosecuting attorney was made $100 per annum, an increase of 100 per cent.

At the session of the board held in March, 1853, it was determined to build a county jail and it was decided to erect the same on lot 5, in block 14, in the town of Richland Centre, the building to stand thirty-three feet from the east line of the lot, and central as to north and south lines. The proposition to raise the sum of $300 to build the said jail, the same to be paid in three equal yearly installments, was entertained, but was finally laid over until the next meeting of the board.

At this session it was ordered, that, "all the territory embraced in towns 9 and 10 north, of range 1 west, except one tier of sections from the east side thereof, be, and is hereby set off, as a separate town and election precinct, to be known as the town of Eagle, and that Rodolf's mill, in said town, is designated as the place for holding the first town meeting."

The board of supervisors, at the annual session held in November, 1853, were presented with a bill by Amasa Cobb, the prosecuting attorney of Iowacounty, for locating the county seat of Richland county, in the year 1842, when the county of Richland was attached to the county of Iowa. This bill was for some $3, and its receipt at this time provoked much indignation. After due deliberation the board made and returned the following answer:

"This board would respectfully say to the honorable board of supervisors of Iowa county that they do not find any indebtedness to said county. Said county claims having paid Abner Nichols and John Ray for making a location of the county seat, under an act to establish the county seat of Richland county, approved Feb 18, 1842. Now, said act in section 1 describes the limits of said county. In section 2, it attaches said county, for judicial and county purposes, to the county of Iowa; gives the county commissioners, assessors and collectors, the same power over Richland county as over their won, to assess and collect the taxes thereof, in the same proportion, so that it made it, temporarily, but one county.

"In sections 3 and 4 it constituted the county commissioners of Iowa county, commissioners to locate a permanent county seat for Richland county.

"Then follows an act to organize Richland county, approved Feb 7, 1850.

"In this law it gives the people of Richland county the right to vote for a county seat; and it does nowhere refer to settlement between the two counties. Now, in our opinion, under the first law, we think that it was the intention of the Legislature, that Iowacounty, with Richland county attached, should pay the cost of locating the county seat, out of revenue arising from property assessed in said county. And as the county commissioners of Iowa county have never heretofore rendered any account between the two counties, of what they collected, and report what they paid out, we concluded that they considered, under the law passed, that we were, as long as attached to them, but onecounty. Also we think it the duty of Iowa county if they thought they were wronged in this last act, to provide through their representative, some act for a settlement between the two counties. Having this view of the question, we deem it unnecessary to answer the extravagant claim set up against us; but upon this and other grounds, disallow the claim presented."

County Courthouse

Richland County, Wisconsin
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Records at the Richland County Courthouse

See Also Wisconsin Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Richland County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Richland County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Wisconsin

Richland County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Wisconsin

Richland County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Richland County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Wisconsin

Richland County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Wisconsin Genealogical Addresses

Richland County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Wisconsin

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Extended History

Richland County, Wisconsin History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Records at the Richland County Courthouse

See Also Wisconsin Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Richland County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Richland County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Wisconsin

Richland County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Wisconsin

Richland County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Richland County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Wisconsin

Richland County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Wisconsin Genealogical Addresses

Richland County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Wisconsin

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Extended History

Richland County, Wisconsin
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy