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The Hackett Family
From The Hackett Family Album:
It was about 25 years from the time Jacob (Hackett) took his family to Ontario until his four sons decided to explore the much advertised advantages of a vast section down in the "States." The sons were grown men with families of their own when they became restless and dissatisfied with their lack of progress. Newly opened territories of Illinois and Wisconsin lured them. (...)
The territiories of Wisconsin and Illinois were created by act of Congress in 1836. This included not only what is now Wisconsin and Illinois, but all of Iowa and Minnesota and parts of North and South Dakota. In all this vast territory there were about 20,000 white population; approximately the same number of Indians. The rich country with its great resources had been well advertised up in Canada.
Abraham, the third of the four brothers, was the first to make the venture investigating this new country in the fall of 1838. He crossed Lake Michigan and landed at Milwaukee, which was little more than a landing for westward-bound traffic. He continued west as far as what is now Whitewater. He was so well pleased, he secured a homestead near the tiny settlement. Upon his return to Canada, he began preparations for a trek back with his family the following spring.
They came the same route he had travelled the year before. Roads from Milwaukee were mere trails, and it took several days to make the fifty-five miles to his location in Walworth County.
The story he had taken back to his brothers in Canada fired them with desire for the adventure. So John followed Abraham's route to the same location the next spring. But Samuel, with his larger family, decided on what he thought would be an easier route by way of the Great Lakes from Toronto to a port on the west shore of Lake Erie; thence overland by team. He was headed for the Whitewater location.
The story of their hardships in traveling over rough trails through Indiana and Illinois, driving stock and fording streams and meeting many hazards was related to me by "Uncle Tim." Tim was a boy of eight. It was his job to help in driving the stock. Their most perilous experience was while fording the Rock River at Rockford, Illinois. The wagon that was carrying the family nearly capsized, giving them all a scare in view of the calamity such a disaster would have caused.
Weart of the hardships of travel, they decided to settle at a point in northern Illinois. It was just south of the Wisconsin boundary, about 35 miles from the Whitewater location. It seemed to offer the advantages they were seeking.
Abraham Hackett, Senior
by his grandniece, Belle Scholl
and Katherine Hackett Welbon, his granddaughter
II knew him well, and have many happy recollections of him, his home, and his family during his advanced years. Added to what I knew of him personally, I recall many conversations by my mother and others, extolling "Uncle Abraham's" sterling qualities. I am probably best qualified to give an account of his activities and conduct as a pioneer of the Whitewater community, as I believe no one else is available at this time.
He was born in Hackettstown, New Jersey on September 30, 1811. He migrated with his parents, Jacob and Elizabeth Hackett, to Ontario, Canada, in 1812. They settled near Toronto.
Pioneering in Canada gave him the right training and viewpoint for the experiences that he met in a still newer country, the Wisconsin Territory. Word had reached Canada of a great new country just procured from the Indians and opened by the government to settler. Abraham and his three brothers were fired with the prospects proclaimed.
Abraham, then a young man of 27 with a wife, Mary Randall (born October 26, 1816 and died May 4, 1852) and three small children, Jacob, William and Abram, was the first to make the venture. They took the train to Lake Michigan, crossed the lake by boat, and made their way westward 55 miles by ox team to the point where Whitewater now stands.
A Mr. Prince had proceeded them, and had taken up a claim at Whitewater. But Abraham went on two miles farther south. There he found 176 acres of good soil, level and well-timbered. This he secured from the government for $1.25 an acre and proceeded at once to build a log house and make other suitable preparations for his family.
I will not recount the hardships incident to the building of the community as I have already anumerated them in the story of my grandparents. It is sufficient to say the "Uncle Abrahm" was well known near and far as a man of integrity, an indulgent parent, a good neighbor, and a true Christian. The farm he developed is one of the best in the community, and he did his full share of building both community and county. He later disposed of his large farm and moved to a smaller one north of Whitewater where he lived for a number of years before moving into Whitewater, where he bought a house. He eventually had seven children: Jacob, William, Abram, Joseph (the first born in Whitewater), Mary Jane, Ellie, and Ryan.
After the death of his first wife, he married again and moved to Palmyra, where he died on October 5, 1885. He was buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery at Whitewater, where both of his wives were buried.
Added May 7, 2007
Harley Hackett, Son of Abraham and Mary Ridge Hackett
Born in 1874, he was struck by lightening in November 1912 while getting a load of cornstalks on his farm east of town. Permanently injured, he was forced to leave his farm and move into town. He did odd jobs until 1919, when the city hired him as Whitewater's first street sweeper. He took pride in his work, and visitors would tell him the streets were the cleanest they had seen. On October 26, 1945, Hackett accidentally drowned while dumping his cart at the edge of the lake.
Added June 28, 2007 (from the book "Images of America: Whitewater" by Fred G. Kraege)
It was about 25 years from the time Jacob (Hackett) took his family to Ontario until his four sons decided to explore the much advertised advantages of a vast section down in the "States." The sons were grown men with families of their own when they became restless and dissatisfied with their lack of progress. Newly opened territories of Illinois and Wisconsin lured them. (...)
The territiories of Wisconsin and Illinois were created by act of Congress in 1836. This included not only what is now Wisconsin and Illinois, but all of Iowa and Minnesota and parts of North and South Dakota. In all this vast territory there were about 20,000 white population; approximately the same number of Indians. The rich country with its great resources had been well advertised up in Canada.
Abraham, the third of the four brothers, was the first to make the venture investigating this new country in the fall of 1838. He crossed Lake Michigan and landed at Milwaukee, which was little more than a landing for westward-bound traffic. He continued west as far as what is now Whitewater. He was so well pleased, he secured a homestead near the tiny settlement. Upon his return to Canada, he began preparations for a trek back with his family the following spring.
They came the same route he had travelled the year before. Roads from Milwaukee were mere trails, and it took several days to make the fifty-five miles to his location in Walworth County.
The story he had taken back to his brothers in Canada fired them with desire for the adventure. So John followed Abraham's route to the same location the next spring. But Samuel, with his larger family, decided on what he thought would be an easier route by way of the Great Lakes from Toronto to a port on the west shore of Lake Erie; thence overland by team. He was headed for the Whitewater location.
The story of their hardships in traveling over rough trails through Indiana and Illinois, driving stock and fording streams and meeting many hazards was related to me by "Uncle Tim." Tim was a boy of eight. It was his job to help in driving the stock. Their most perilous experience was while fording the Rock River at Rockford, Illinois. The wagon that was carrying the family nearly capsized, giving them all a scare in view of the calamity such a disaster would have caused.
Weart of the hardships of travel, they decided to settle at a point in northern Illinois. It was just south of the Wisconsin boundary, about 35 miles from the Whitewater location. It seemed to offer the advantages they were seeking.
Abraham Hackett, Senior
by his grandniece, Belle Scholl
and Katherine Hackett Welbon, his granddaughter
II knew him well, and have many happy recollections of him, his home, and his family during his advanced years. Added to what I knew of him personally, I recall many conversations by my mother and others, extolling "Uncle Abraham's" sterling qualities. I am probably best qualified to give an account of his activities and conduct as a pioneer of the Whitewater community, as I believe no one else is available at this time.
He was born in Hackettstown, New Jersey on September 30, 1811. He migrated with his parents, Jacob and Elizabeth Hackett, to Ontario, Canada, in 1812. They settled near Toronto.
Pioneering in Canada gave him the right training and viewpoint for the experiences that he met in a still newer country, the Wisconsin Territory. Word had reached Canada of a great new country just procured from the Indians and opened by the government to settler. Abraham and his three brothers were fired with the prospects proclaimed.
Abraham, then a young man of 27 with a wife, Mary Randall (born October 26, 1816 and died May 4, 1852) and three small children, Jacob, William and Abram, was the first to make the venture. They took the train to Lake Michigan, crossed the lake by boat, and made their way westward 55 miles by ox team to the point where Whitewater now stands.
A Mr. Prince had proceeded them, and had taken up a claim at Whitewater. But Abraham went on two miles farther south. There he found 176 acres of good soil, level and well-timbered. This he secured from the government for $1.25 an acre and proceeded at once to build a log house and make other suitable preparations for his family.
I will not recount the hardships incident to the building of the community as I have already anumerated them in the story of my grandparents. It is sufficient to say the "Uncle Abrahm" was well known near and far as a man of integrity, an indulgent parent, a good neighbor, and a true Christian. The farm he developed is one of the best in the community, and he did his full share of building both community and county. He later disposed of his large farm and moved to a smaller one north of Whitewater where he lived for a number of years before moving into Whitewater, where he bought a house. He eventually had seven children: Jacob, William, Abram, Joseph (the first born in Whitewater), Mary Jane, Ellie, and Ryan.
After the death of his first wife, he married again and moved to Palmyra, where he died on October 5, 1885. He was buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery at Whitewater, where both of his wives were buried.
Added May 7, 2007
Harley Hackett, Son of Abraham and Mary Ridge Hackett
Born in 1874, he was struck by lightening in November 1912 while getting a load of cornstalks on his farm east of town. Permanently injured, he was forced to leave his farm and move into town. He did odd jobs until 1919, when the city hired him as Whitewater's first street sweeper. He took pride in his work, and visitors would tell him the streets were the cleanest they had seen. On October 26, 1945, Hackett accidentally drowned while dumping his cart at the edge of the lake.
Added June 28, 2007 (from the book "Images of America: Whitewater" by Fred G. Kraege)
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, Jun 28 2007, 11:36 AM EDT
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