| A History of STRUM and the TOWN OF UNITY by Roy Matson |
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| home to Hamlin area and must have influenced many former soldiers to view this area. A fairly good number settled in future Albion township and became part of a veteran group that had Hamlin as a focal point for their activities for many years. Memorial Day and July 4th observances here held in the Bowers grove and a note in school records acknowledged a gift of a large flag from these men to be raised especially on those days. A strong fraternal feeling naturally existed among these veterans. A dozen are buried at the Hamlin cemetery. With the end of the war came a renewed race for land settlement. The light, sandy soil of this valley made little impression of prospective settlers at that time, who were aware that Minnesota prairie lands were available. This valley provided a well used passageway to that state. The white canvas covered wagons were many, all heading westward to cross the Chippewa River near Durand, most heading north to Menomonie and then west for fairly easy travel. Here in future Unity, A. J. Lyon and Wingad brothers lived along the west line, Jack Carter had located in Section 18, the Williams brothers in Section 10 and several English speaking families lived in the coming Brick school district. But all undeveloped land, and more, in this area, was about to undergo an influx of Norwegian immigration, these coulees with their steep hillsides would appeal to these people whose homeland was only 3% agricultural. The southeastern part of this county had already experienced a heavy Norwegian settlement, their churches had been established, schools were being attended by youths in their twenties eager to learn English. Norway’s transplants were enthusiastic about possibilities in this new land, so different from the old. Land Acquisition The early pioneer had one goal in view, some land and a home. To most emigrants from northern Europe that flooded the northwest, this objective and goal meant all the security they would need in this life on earth. Some had undergone nothing but war, governmental edicts and famines since birth. To attract new settlers into new, unbroken areas, Congress passed two acts, the Railroad Act, 1856-1864, and the Homestead Act, which took effect on January 1, 1863. The first mentioned gave a qualifying railroad every other section of land for 20 miles on each side of their track. This was soon increased to twenty miles on account of early pre-emptions, and this land was to be sold to the first buyer at a price of not more than $200 per quarter section of 160 acres, or $1.25 per acre. Railroads adhered to this figure, the poorest sand acre in the Beef River Valley was purchased at the same price as the best land of the Red River Valley in North Dakota. The Western Wisconsin Railroad (WRR) had reached Tomah when outbreak of the Civil War halted expansion. At the end of the war, construction again was begun toward Black River Falls with plans to cross the Chippewa River at Eau Claire and reach Hudson, which was accomplished after two years. The track skirted the pine forest edge, and Fairchild, Augusta and Fall Creek became trade centers because of the track. The rails reached Eau Claire in 1870. The 1877 Tucker map clearly illustrates railroad holdings as of that year, twenty miles from the track includes land in sections 1, 9, and 3 of range 8, township 23, the whole of section 35, range 8, township 24. A line drawn through section 31 in Albion to section 15 in Hale marks the twenty mile radius on the west side of the WRR track. Railroads were not particularly concerned about their land disposal. Speculators roamed the frontier of a development on horseback and made a quick dollar on a good location, their price was usually $400 on a $200 purchase. The Homestead act was very popular as a settler could obtain a home site with no money at all except a $15 fee paid after 5 years. The applicant had only to file his intentions, live thereon, cultivate and improve some land and |