Town of Eaton Bulletin Board
PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING THE LAND USE COMMITTEE. WE NEED MORE HELP ON THIS COMMITTEE. PLEASE CONTACT CHAIRMAN CHRISTEL AT 920-773-2535 IF INTERESTED.
Eaton History
The town of Eaton was named after Chauncy EATON who came from Illinois in the year 1849 and engaged in the lumbering business soon after. He was one of the first settlers in this section but his holdings were located in what is now the western part of Liberty. The first actual settlers within the present confines of the town of Eaton were O. SWENSON and family who located in section 14 in 1849. The present town of Eaton (except section 1 which belonged to Maple Grove), west one-half of Liberty and sections 31, 32, 33 and one-half of 34, in Rockland were taken from the town of Newton. (Liberty was detached from Eaton November 16, 1857.) The town of Eaton was organized in 1851 with George MONROE as chairman. In 1853 the name of the town was changed to Valders, at the instance of the large number of Norwegians who had flocked there in the early fifties, the name being that of their home province in Norway. One year later the name was again changed to that of Eaton. Among the early settlers was N. PORTER who came in the fall of 1849 and settled in section 4. In 1851, N.K. JOHNSON located in section 10. In 1865 he built a sawmill and later on a store and cheese factory. C. SCHWALBE settled in section 14 in 1854. The first white child was H.M. HANSON, who was born in 1850. The first school was taught by Miss Therese MOTT in her mother's home in 1854. The first death in the town occurred the same year, a Mr. GUENTHER being killed by lightning.
From "History of Manitowoc County" by Dr. Louis Falge, 1912 Vol. 1, pg. 338