Arena in Iowa County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Village of Dover
Photographed By Amanda Prange, July 1997
1. Village of Dover Marker
Inscription.
Village of Dover. . Beginning in 1844, nearly 700 settlers were brought into this area by the British Temperance and Emigration Society, organized the previous year in Liverpool, England. By 1850 Dover boasted a hotel, post office, cooper, blacksmith, shoemaker, wagon shop and stores. When the railroad chose Mazomanie for a depot site and made no stop in Dover, Doverites moved their houses into Mazomanie and Dover faded away to become a ghost town. A local boy who made good was John Appleby, inventor of the knotter on the grain binder. The idea came to Appleby as he watched the monotonously regular movement of his mother’s hands in knitting. In 1867 he successfully demonstrated his revolutionary “contraption” in a wheat field east of the cemetery.
Beginning in 1844, nearly 700 settlers were brought into this area by the British Temperance & Emigration Society, organized the previous year in Liverpool, England. By 1850 Dover boasted a hotel, post office, cooper, blacksmith, shoemaker, wagon shop and stores.
When the railroad chose Mazomanie for a depot site and made no stop in Dover, Doverites moved their houses into Mazomanie and Dover faded away to become a ghost town. A local boy who made good was John Appleby, inventor of the knotter on the grain binder. The idea came to Appleby as he watched the monotonously regular movement of his mother’s hands in knitting. In 1867 he successfully demonstrated his revolutionary “contraption” in a wheat field east of the cemetery.
Erected 1953 by Wisconsin State Historical Society. (Marker Number 7.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Wisconsin Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1844.
Location. 43° 9.742′ N, 89° 50.318′ W. Marker is in Arena, Wisconsin, in Iowa County. Marker is on U.S. 14, 0.1 miles east of Dover Lane, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located in a wayside, about 3 miles
Looking towards north; the Dover Cemetery is just beyond this marker.
Photographed By Keith L, May 5, 2009
4. Nearby Sign
The land for this wayside was donated by Mr-Mrs John Linley Sr in memory of his parents, Mr-Mrs Herman Linley. (The Dover Cemetery is in the background.)
Photographed By Keith L, May 5, 2009
5. Cemetery Tablet
In Memory of All Dover Pioneers Buried Here
This community was settled by members of the British Temperance and Emigration Society of England in the year of 1843.
Cemetery restored by Dover Mothers Club 1949
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on March 30, 2008, by Amanda Prange of Waukesha, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 3,922 times since then and 99 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on March 30, 2008, by Amanda Prange of Waukesha, Wisconsin. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on May 23, 2009, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.