Ashland’s First Lady
by Sharon Manthei
As we
come to the close of this Sesquicentennial Year, we would be remiss not to
mention Lucy M. (Haskell) Whittlesey, Ashland’s first lady. Lucy was born
and raised in Rochester, Massachusetts. She married Asaph Whittlesey,
Ashland’s first settler, at Peoria, Illinois. After their soap and candle
factory was destroyed by fire they moved to LaPointe on Madeline Island
following the advice of Asaph’s older brother Colonel Charles Whittlesey.
Colonel Whittlesey, who was engaged in a geological survey of Northern
Wisconsin, had found much to encourage settlers to come to northern
Wisconsin. The rich mineral wealth he found while surveying the Penokee
range promised the need for railroads to be built. He had named the range
“Pewabic” (Indian word for Iron) but his poor penmanship was misread as
Penokee which is the name that has stayed with the range.
Lucy
Whittlesey accepted the life of a pioneer’s wife, which at times became very
trying. After her husband made his historic trip to the head of the bay and
chopped down the first tree, which was used in the building of the first
house, Lucy and their two year old daughter Eugenia moved from LaPointe into
the new cabin. Lucy assisted her husband in the building of the second and
third cabins, along with keeping house and raising the family. Their first
cabin was made as comfortable and convenient as Asaph’s hands could build.
Lucy saw to it that the cabin was neat and in order. Rag rugs covered the
living area of the cabin while the kitchen floor was bare. The puncheon
floor logs had dried and left cracks between them. One day Lucy saw
something moving, through these cracks. She reached for the teakettle on the
stove and poured scalding water through the cracks, only to discover that
the moving object was a skunk. The results were long remembered. At first,
she feared the Indians who hunted, fished and picked berries around her
home. Later she learned that the Indians were peaceful and very loyal. She
became friends with the Indian women, who taught her the merits of things
gathered from the big woods, such as slippery elm for poulticing bad burns
and as a cure for coughs. Lucy was a tall attractive woman with chestnut
brown hair and fair skin. She had a dignity of carriage that neither illness
nor hard work changed. Late middle life saw her thick hair grow snow white.
Pioneering days were not all days of hard work. Lucy, as well as her husband
Asaph, had a strong clear singing voice. They, along with their fellow early
settlers, filled the air with patriotic and religious songs. The
Whittlesey’s hosted many early celebrations and events. The first dancing on
the town site was held there, as well as the first July 4th
celebration. Rev. Wheeler of Odanah preached the first sermon in Ashland at
the Whittlesey home. In March of 1855, their home became the first Post
Office. It was also the site for the first election of Ashland County
Officers in November of 1856. The first Sabbath School was organized at the
Whittlesey home by Ingeham Fletcher. Even the first murder in Ashland took
place at one of the Whittlesey homes, after they had moved on to another
home.
Living
so far from her childhood home, Lucy told of homesickness and lack of
privileges and of large, hungry mosquitoes. She also spoke of those early
days of Ashland as being the happiest of her life. |
