History of Reedsburg and the Upper Baraboo Valley, by Merton Edwin Krug, Publ. February 1929 by the author. Printed by Democrat Printing Company, Madison, Wis., Page 340-341

So far as is known Mr. CARR was the first settler in this region, and the community takes its name from this circumstance. Mr. CARR came about 1850, and lived in what is known as Upper Carr Valley, but may have owned some land in Lower Carr Valley also. He settled on the W. E. BIBLE farm. Possibly the next settler to come was Ira ALLEN, locating on the farm now known as the Charles BENSON farm. His wife was Rebecca BLISS, and they had previously resided in Sheboygan County. Mrs. Mary BIBLE, Reedsburg, is his daughter.

Among the other settlers in this valley were: J. DOYLE, on the John DOYLE farm; James FRANK, on the D. ANDREWS farm; a Mr. BENNETT, where Peter VOSEN, Jr., now lives; Mr. St. JOHN, on the Bradie SMITH property; John OSBORNE, on the Eugene GASSER farm; Mr. MACKINTYRE, where John BURGESS now lives; Owen MANVILLE, on the Thos. MANVILLE place; Patrick McDONALD, on the Herbert GINGHAM farm; C. COLLINS, on the Jabez MARSHALL farm; E. SMALL, on the Frank GASSER farm; Mr. DAVIS, where the Ora SCHULUTER family reside; then were was Andrew HILLESTAD on the Daniel WEBB place; Nelson OSBRONE, where Peter VOSEN, Sr., resides, and William GRIFFIN, on the Abraham GRIFFIN farm.

The first school in this community was established about 1854, and a schoolhouse was built on the GRIFFIN farm. Some years later a frame building was put up and used for a schoolhouse. This stood on the David WEBB farm. From a letter written the editor this summer is taken the following extraction: "The Ironton Iron Mines affected the district in a way, for much of the wood cut on the farms was made into charcoal to be used in the furnace, in smelting ore. Rock for the building of the furnace was quarried on the Bradie SMITH farm, on the Wm. GRIFFIN farm, and on the hillsides one often finds the old dug-out roads which led to the furnace at Ironton."

Other settlers in the Lower Carr Valley country were the CASEY family, who resided in a little cabin in what was then known as Wigwam Hollow, a ravine which starts on the William GRIFFIN farm and opens toward Ironton. The father's name was Hugh CASEY. John CASEY, an early pupil of the first school on the GRIFFIN farm, now residing at Ironton, writes that the schoolhouse stood in a grove of trees just north of the road that climbs the hill across the Jerry DOYLE farm, and thinks the first board was comprised of the following individuals: Abraham GRIFFIN, Mr. MACKINTYRE and Mr. (Doc.) THOMPSON, who later moved to Valton. The first teacher was probably Ellen KEITH, sister of Charles KEITH; possibly Miss Theresa GREEN, aunt of Ed. MORTIMER of Ironton, was the next teacher. Theresa GREEN married Nelson OSBORNE. A Mr. CONKLIN lived on the James FRANCIS place (now the ANDREWS Farm). His children are John CONKLIN of La Valle and Mrs. Rachel WELLS of Loganville.

In regard to School District NO. 9, we would say that it was started in the early 1850's and that Alexander P. ELLINWOOD was the first teacher. In reply to inquiries Mr. Archie THOMAS wrote as follows: "The earliest record seems to be 1865. Miss Emeline FINCH was the teacher at that time. The first building was a log structure, but that was abandoned about 1865 and a new building erected. The latter was abandoned in 1875, when a frame house was built. The first schoolhouse Archie MALLON can remember was on the old KEITH farm. Later it was down in the valley across from Ernest WHITE's house. Now, of course it is on the ridge and there have been two schoolhouses there."

Submitted by Carol