Skeletons of 3 Men Found At Mauston

(Tribune News Service)

Mauston, Oct. 10 - While excavating recently on the site of a new home which is being built for Mr. and Mrs. Karl Sharp on East State street here the bones of these men were unearthed.

The bones of one of the men were found several days ago and the bones of two others, one believed have been an Indian, were uncovered two days later in nearly the same place.

It is thought that the three men whose bones were discovered were among the first settlers in Juneau county and that they were buried on the highest point of the bank along the Lemonweir river, the course of which formerly passed through the center of town and made a turn at about the point where the skeletons were found.

According to an old county history, two men, Elsmore and Joseph Hewlett, were the owners and operators of the first saw mill in Juneau county. The mill was opened in 1842 by McNeil, McAllister and Elsmore. In 1845 Joseph Hewlett purchased the interests of McNeil and McAllister and in1848 Elsmore died. Hewlett sold part of his interest in the mill to M. M. Maughs of Galena, Illinois and the mill sites name was changed to Maugh's Mill from which the name Mauston was derived. Hewlett died a few years later and was buried near the grave of Elsmore on the river bank. The third man, possibly an Indian, cannot be identified.

Source: Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, Thursday, 10 Oct 1929

Contributed by Jackie Hufschmid

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