Hebron

History

The first steps toward the settlement of the town of Hebron, state of Wisconsin, Jefferson County, was made by the Rock river claim company, who, December 20, 1835, made a claim of about half a section of land on section 2, embracing a water-power formed by Bark river. This company consisted of sixteen persons, among whom were, Solomon Juneau, Dwight Foster, Jonas Folts, Enoch G. Darling, Elisha W. Ajitant David Sergeant, Milo Jones, George Homer, Lu I. Barber, Daniel Wells, William Paine, William Brown, Thomas Holmes and John Gale. The next year the company commenced the erection of a sawmill, under the superintendence of Alvin Foster. And notwithstanding the many inconveniences resulting from high prices, scarcity of provisions, and the difficulty of transportation, the company pushed forward the enterprise. They completed the mill in the fall and winter of 1836 and ‘37. In the spring of 1837, it was set an operation by Enoch G. Darling, one of the company—and took the name of the Bark River Mills. The company continued the ownership until the fall of 1839, when it passed into the hands of Daniel Wells, of Milwaukee; and subsequently into the hands of the John F. Fields, the hand from him it was purchased, November 4, 1844, by Joseph Powers, the present proprietor. Near the mills was erected a mill house, by Enoch G. Darling, in the summer of 1837—a framed building, and the first erected in the county. About this time, Horace Churchell, Cyrus Cushman, Samuel M. Jones, and Darius F. Jones, settled in the town near the mills, but did not to any extent turn their attention to farming—the lumbering interest absorbing their attention. From this time up to the spring of 1842, the town was only visited by the inhabitants of the surrounding prairies and openings…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.9 square miles (75.0 km2), of which 28.9 square miles (74.7 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.35%, is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9,153
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  9,069
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  8,280
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  7,570
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  7,517
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,376
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,273
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,900

Largest nearby schools

• Fort Atkinson High
  High · Fort Atkinson · 960 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• Jefferson High
  High · Jefferson · 607 students · 13.2:1 ratio
• Fort Atkinson Middle
  Middle · Fort Atkinson · 504 students · 9.5:1 ratio
• Jefferson Middle
  Middle · Jefferson · 389 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• East Elementary
  Elementary · Jefferson · 308 students · 14:1 ratio
• West Elementary
  Elementary · Jefferson · 270 students · 11.3:1 ratio
• Purdy Elementary
  Elementary · Fort Atkinson · 268 students · 10.3:1 ratio
• Rockwell Elementary
  Elementary · Fort Atkinson · 231 students · 11:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2015-03-25
  3 km WNW of Lake in the Hills, Illinois