Town of Vernon

Town of Vernon. . Prior to settlement the Town of Vernon was composed of sugar maple and white oak forests, savanna and marsh from which the Potawatomi derived food, medicine, shelter, tools and fibers., On Nov. 1, 1836 Prucius Putnam, John Dodge and brothers Curtis and Orien Haseltine, Jr. arrived from Vermont, and built a log hut near present day Hwy L and Maple Ave. They named the area “Vernon”., Arriving settlers consisted of Scots, Germans, Irish and Norwegians, primarily coming from Vermont and New York., The prairie soil was turned under for farming. The maples were tapped for sugar and used, along with the oak and black walnut, to build houses and plank roads. Allen Haseltine was the first settler child born here in 1838., A highly crafted cobblestone home was erected in 1842., The Vernon Reformed Presbyterian Church arose in 1854. In 1857 the Waukesha County Poor House began its 40 years of service by accepting an abandoned child. In 1896 various churches, grocery stores, 7 cemeteries and 6 post offices had been established in Vernon.