Histories: Trempealeau Co. Historical Accounts:
"History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin, 1917":
Chapter 10:
Lewis Valley
-As transcribed from page 169
In
1857 Lewis Niffin took up a quarter section of land about four miles
above Arcadia, on a small creek that has since borne his name, being
the first settler to locate directly above Arcadia. He erected a
log hut near the creek, a few rods towards the Trempealeau River, from
what is now the main road, between Arcadia and Independence. Mr.
Niffin remained on his claim less than a year, when he abandoned it and
left the country. In 1861 Richard Rook, an Englishman, came and
picked out a location near Niffin's abandoned claim and put up a small
building, but he was not favorably impressed with his new home and
forsook it in a few months for a more suitable locality. Then
came Alonzo Baker (about 1862) and took up a homestead in one of the
branch coolies of Lewis Valley. But it remained for Capt. John D.
Lewis to become the first settler in the main valley. In May,
1866, shortly after getting his discharge from the army, he took up the
land now known as the Lewis farm and during the summer built a house
and broke some land. The following summer, 1867, J. B. Gorton and
Jonathan Busby moved into the valley.
(By Stephen Richmond.)