Editing Molitor, Wisconsin (section)

==History==
The east side of the six mile (10&nbsp;km) square that would become Molitor, which lies on the [[Fourth Principal Meridian]], was first [[Surveying|surveyed]] in May 1847 by a crew working for the U.S. government. Then in the winter of 1857 and 1858 another crew marked all the [[Section (United States land surveying)|section corners]] in the [[survey township|township]], walking through the woods and over frozen swamps, measuring with [[Gunter's chain|chain]] and [[Solar compass|compass]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Land Survey Information|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/SurveyNotes/SurveyInfo.html|publisher=Board of  Commissioners of Public Lands|accessdate=May 31, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Field Notes for T32N R1W|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=PLSS&twp=T032NR001W|work=Original Field Notes and Plat Maps, 1833-1866|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|accessdate=May 31, 2011}}</ref> When done, the deputy surveyor filed this general description:
<blockquote>''This Township contains numerous [[Larix laricina|Tamarac]] and [[Thuja occidentalis|Cedar]] swamps but very few of much extent and Generally unfit for cultivation.  The Surface is Broken and mostly 2nd rate soil and not very good for cultivation.  Timber is very heavy all over the Township. Chiefly [[Tsuga canadensis|Hemlock]] [[Betula alleghaniensis|Birch]] [[Eastern White Pine|Pine]] and Tamarac. Tamarac and [[Spruce]] Trees principally line the Streams. There are several lake in this Township but not of much extent. There are numerous small streams running in a Northerly(?) direction (?) of which are generally Swampy among those are the East Branch of [[Yellow River (Chippewa River)|Yellow River]] raises in the South Easter portion of the Township and runs in a Northwesterly direction through the Township it flows(?) in a gentle current Deep and narrow not well adapted for good motive power or [[Watermill|mills]].''<ref>{{cite web|last=Martin|first=Alex S|title=Interior Field Notes (Dec. 1857-Mar. 1858)|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=article&byte=1765336&twp=T032NR002W|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|accessdate=3 June 2011}}</ref></blockquote>

An 1880 map of central Wisconsin shows nothing of note in what would become Molitor except a patch of [[cranberries]] near the north fork of the [[Yellow River (Chippewa River tributary)|Yellow River]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Dahl|first=Ole Rasmussen|title=Map of Chippewa, Price & Taylor Counties and the northern part of Clark County|year=1880|publisher=The Milwaukee Litho & Engr Co.|location=Milwaukee, Wisconsin|url=http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/maps/id/1046/rec/3|access-date=November 19, 2023}}</ref> The Town of Molitor was organized in 1886.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ruesch|first=H.O.|editor-last=Kalmon|editor-first=Lars|title=Taylor County Historical Sketch|date=January 2012|publisher=Taylor County History Project|page=8}}</ref>

By 1900, a road of some sort ran across much of the south end of the town, following the course of modern Keyes Avenue. Sideroads reached to the north and south, but no more than a mile. Along those roads, the maps show about fifteen settlers' homesteads. The map shows a sawmill on Kleutsch land where modern Kleutsch Drive is. A school and church are at the junction of Keyes and Division Drive, and other schools were near Sackett Lake and the intersection of Keyes and Lake 19 Road. Four parcels in the southeast quarter were owned by Molitors. The northern half was unsettled yet, with Chippewa Lumber and Boom owning the largest portion, followed by the Wisconsin Central Railroad. The map showed a logging dam on the Yellow River in Section 10 on land owned by the Shaw Tannery.<ref>{{cite book|last=Queary|first=O.K.|title=Map of Taylor County, Wisconsin|date=1900|publisher=Bogk & Rowland|location=Milwaukee, Wis.|url=https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/1568|access-date=November 19, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Wisconsin Atlas and Gazetteer|date=1999|publisher=DeLorme|location=Yarmouth, Maine|page=74|edition=6th}}</ref>

The 1911 plat map shows not a lot of change. The roads had extended another mile and a few more settlers had taken up residence in the south. The Molitor name was replaced by other owners. A road clearly followed the course of modern County M. In the north, the Northwestern Lumber Co. had bought Chippewa Lumber and Boom's land, and there were still no roads and few settlers.<ref>{{cite book|last=Paetzold|first=C.H.|title=Map of Taylor County|date=1911|publisher=C. Paetzold and Koehler Land Company|location=Medford, Wis.|url=https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/20304|access-date=November 19, 2023|chapter=Plat map of T32N R1W}}</ref>

In 1933, much of Molitor was designated part of the [[Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest|Chequamegon National Forest]].<ref>[http://www.stateparks.com/nicolet.html "Nicolet National Forest"]</ref>