The Pioneer Aztalan Story
The information below is borrowed from a booklet issued by the Lake Mills - Aztalan Historical Society.
The Crawfish River, flowing serenely through rolling prairies and passing gently sloping hills on its way to join the Rock River, has always presented an inviting aspect to the prospective settler. Centuries before the coming of the white man, Indians of a cluture far more advanced than that of the simple, wandering woodland tribes build a stockaded village on the Crawfish's west bank which flourished there for perhaps two hundred years. Before the middle of the nineteenth century, white men settled practically within sight of the ancient Indian ruins. Both the Indian village and the pioneer settlement came to be known as Aztalan.
Nathaniel F. Hyer and William Brayton were probably the first to inspect the area with any care. They came through late in 1835, while on a federal survey. Night overtook Hyer, Brayton and their two companions at the foot of a large hill about a mile east of the future site of Aztalan. They made camp there and, because it was Christmas eve, named the hill "Christmas Hill", a name which it still bears.
Baron Alexander von Humboldt, a well-known early nineteenth century student of Indian antiquities, reported an Aztec legend which said that the Aztec people had come to Mexico from Aztalan, a land by flowing waters far to the north. Seeing the ruins of the stockaded village on the bank of the Crawfish, known then as the West Branch of Rock River, Hyer gave the name "Aztalan" to the site. The name carried over to the pioneer settlement.
An expedition for the purpose of establishing a settlement set out from Milwaukee for what was soon to be known as Aztalan on October 26, 1836. The party included Thomas Brayton, Walter Hyer, Nathaniel F. Hyer, Timothy Johnson and Reuben Keene. Timothy Johnson and Thomas Brayton left the rest of the party on October 30th, and continued directly to Aztalan, reaching there on the thirty-first. They explored the surrounding territory for a day or two, while waiting for their friends. As the rest of the party did not arrive, Brayton and Johnson returned to Milwaukee.
Thomas Brayton and Timothy Johnson made plans to return to Aztalan. This time they were accompanied by William Brayton, a brother of Thomas, Stephen Fletcher, Rev. Jared F. Ostrander and others. They made the trip from Milwaukee to Aztalan in seven days.
The little colony flourished. Thomas Brayton's brothers, Jeremiah and Alfred A., arrived shortly after the first party.
Thomas Brayton built a log house which was sixteen by twenty feet in size. It was used as a public house to accommodate the many travelers and land seekers who passed that way. Mr. Brayton's family arrived at Aztalan on July 1, 1837, to become the third family (husband, wife and children) to settle in Jefferson County.
Other families followed the Thomas Brayton's to Aztalan. Alfred Brayton's family joined him shortly after the arrival of his brother's wife and children. Aztaline Brayton, Alfred's daughter, was born March 18, 1838, probably the first white girl born in the area.
By 1838, Dr. L.C. Bicknell had established his medical practice in Aztalan. He was joined later by N.O. Youngman, M.D. and H.B. Willard, M.D.
On march 16, 1837, Elihu Lester Atwood staked a claim near waht later became known as Hooper's mill, in old Aztalan Township. He was the first of a family which later played an important role in the development of the Aztalan-Lake Mills Area. The census of 1840 lists him, as well as John, Kelly and Isaac Atwood as heads of families in Aztalan Township. Elihu was elected a delegate to the first Constitutional Convention preparing for statehood, which met at Madison from August 6, 1846 to December 16, 1846. When the constitution which this group drafted was rejected by the people of the territory, a second Constitutional Convention was called and met at Madison from December 15, 1947 to February 1, 1948. Elihu Atwood again represented the people of Aztalan. He operated the ashery and saleratus factory which was located on the west bank of the Crawfish River, just south of the Milwaukee-Mineral Point Road.
Aztalan was located at the junction of the Milwaukee to Mineral Point Teritorial Road (now Jefferson County Highway B) and the stage coach road from Janesville to Fond du Lac and points north (now Aztalan Mound Road) and the little village was soon teeming with freight wagons, stage coaches and the prairie schooners of settlers and prospectors.
Everyone felt that Aztalan was destined for greatness. As early as 1837, when the second session of the first Legislature met at Burlington, Iowa (then a part of the Territory of Wisconsin) a Mr. Sweet presented the petition of the residents of Jefferson County, praying that said county be organized into one township which should be called Aztalan. Aztalan Township was incorporated in February, 1839, and included all of present day Waterloo, Lake Mills and Aztalan Townships and part of Milfor Township.
In 1839, the territorial legislateive session meeting at Belmont to choose a state capital, chose Madison over Aztalan by just one vote.
In October of 1839, Thomas Brayton and Henry J. Sedgewick made the first purchase of land from the United States government. Each man purchased a quarter section of land at a price of $1.25 per acre.
In 1841, Thomas Brayton, Edward Abbe and Jared F. Ostrander platted the village of Aztalan from a survey made by John Darrow Waterbury. The plat contained thirty acres of land on the west side of the Crawfish River. Aztalan became the first incorporated village in Jefferson County in 1842.
Business flourished in Aztalan. Aztalan's first hotel, the Ancient City House, was opened in 1840 by H.L. Foster and Alfred A. Brayton opened the first general store in 1841. By 1842, Aztalan was the leading business and industrial center in Jefferson County.
The Wisconsin Gazetteer,written by john Warren Hunt and published by Beriah Brown of Madison in 1853, described Aztalan of that day as follows:
AZTALAN: Post village in Jefferson County and town of the same name, 7 miles northwest from Jefferson and 28 miles east from Madison. It is on both sides of the Crawfish on the direct road from Madison to Milwaukee.
It contains 1 Babtist Church, 3 denominations of Christians, 2 blacksmiths, 1 wagon-maker, 1 shoe shop, 1 fanning mill shop, brick yard, 1 saleratus factorys, 3 stores, 2 hotels, 1 steam saw mill, 1 nursery of 150,000 trees, and an extensive stone quarry.
In this town is situated the renowned "Ancient City" which comprises 30 acres of land. The city is surrounded by a brick wall and is an object of antiquarian research. Population 250.