LA CROSSE COUNTY HISTORICAL SKETCHES

most of the family, the other members joined the advance guard in the
town of Farmington.
    Here they found other Eastern families, and conditions were very
promising. The soil of the valley was fertile, and only waiting the
breaking-plow. Oak and other trees were plentiful on the ridges, air
and water were clear and healthful, and markets were not distant com-
pared with many sections to which settlers were flocking. As a further
inducement, deer, bear and other game were numerous in the woods
and on the prairies, trout and other fish in the streams.
    With this favorable outlook, Alonzo Pettingill bought a farm  of
160 acres from George Farnam for $1200. Of this farm, 25 acres were
broke, and there was a small house sided with boards running vertically,
and battened. This was the family home for several years.
     Josiah L. Pettingill, being fifteen years old when the family came
to La Crosse County, remembers the journey and the days following
very well. The trip was made to Galena by rail, and thence north by
boat. The Mississippi was the great thoroughfore of that day, and the
boats were quite comfortable.
     The great lesson of the pioneer farm was self reliance. As there
was much hard work in those days, boys found their time well occu-
pied, especially in summer. Wheat was the principal crop of this region
as long as it could be raised profitably. The binding and some of the
cutting were done by hand. As Josiah was alert and active, he was soon
able to do his share in any of the farm activities, "binding his station"
with the best of them. In fact, by the time he reached his majority, he
could double the speed of the average man in the harvest field.
     Crops out of the way and everything snug for winter, most of the
pioneers became hunters, both for sport and utility, venison and other
wild meat being a very agreeable addition to a somewhat monotonous
fare. Mr. Pettingill early developed a fondness for the rifle which has
followed him all his life. In recent years each November finds him a
guest of his brother, John A., at Iron River, Wis., for the deer sea-
son. Very seldom has he failed to bring home the venison. In the early
days there were no game laws, and sometimes, as in 1856-57, when
there was deep snow with a crust which would hold men and dog, but
not sharp hoofed deer, the slaughter was terrible.
     The winter also brought the opening of schools, and this was the
only season when the children could be spared from the pioneer farms.
As Mr. Pettingill recalls, the schools were generally good, as illiteracy
was almost unknown among the adults, and there was usually some
one in the community sufficiently grounded in the common branches
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