This past week I was doing a deep dive into the historical creation of Deerbrook. Dates, people and information considered authoritative have incorrect details and dates. Prior to this past week, I like everyone assumed dates correct based on existing written history.
The most notable authoritative in Langlade County, Wisconsin is The History of Langlade County by Robert M. Dessureau, published by Berner Brothers, Antigo, WI in 1922. It is an extensive work covering this history. It is here many used as reference to historical work that followed. This includes Deerbrook’s Rockwell painting description for the naming of Deerbrook.
Other things I’ve found is claims “Charles Upham was granted a land patent by the State of Wisconsin in September of 1884, granted Charles M. Upham the land that was platted as the Village of Neva, now Deerbrook.” This was in the History of Deerbrook by Martha Lucas in 1954. It is used as source of historical works later.
Neither Robert M. Dessureau nor Martha Lucas include any reference to sources of their work. What sources are given by Martha Lucas are limited and not easy to trace back to any source documents.
Information I finally received was the source documents for many patents granted by the State of Wisconsin. Charles M. Upham was granted the patent for what becomes Deerbrook in 1882. One year after the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western opened the depot at Deerbrook.
Source documents also revealed Henry Hewitt Jr. received his patent in 1884, not 1869 as I originally thought.
This new information from source documents does change how Deerbrook was named. The whole narrative around Deerbrook found in authoritative accounts is working from an incorrect and incomplete timeline.
Historical assumption is where history can be inaccurate. Not by intent, but by omission and, or not finding source documents to support what is written. One expects Lucas, who was writing from memory and limited availability to source documents, she could have states and information not written correctly. Her work is still beneficial in narrowing down what you are looking for in the historical record. Dessureau, well it is my opinion having done such an extensive history source citations should have been included.
Land movement is complex to unwrap. First all of the Township of Neva, sections 19, 20, 29 and 30 were granted to the State of Wisconsin in 1863. This will be the only record the Bureau of Land Management will have for patent records on these properties.
The Bureau of Land Management only tracks ownership of patents issued to states and people sold directly by the federal government. In the case of a state ownership, any patent granted now will be a state land patent. No record of that transaction will exist at the Bureau of Land Management.
Now you need to dig into the state records. Dates now get confusing. Often the state would sell timber rights and this has a date and transaction. The patent at the state level isn’t written until the state sells the land. This is how a 1869 date for Henry Hewitt Jr. could exist with the 1884 patent record. The 1869 date could have been the timber sale to Hewitt Jr. Next is trying to find timber sale records.
Historical assumption, that should be written from the perspective of having source reference to any theory you write.
No one can write a complete and accurate history alone. Historical records search is time consuming and carries some expenses. Then add the times you contact where you thought the records existed only to find out you now have to contact someone else.
I will take Deerbrook’s history as far as I can. At some point someone will need to take the baton and carry it forward. I only hope the sources I leave in my History of Deerbrook are enough to reduce time needed to carry it forward.