Editing Taft, Wisconsin (section)

==History==
In July 1847 a crew working for the U.S. government [[Surveying|surveyed]] the boundaries of the six mile square which would become Taft. This was repeated in late 1848. Then in June 1854 another crew marked all the [[Section (United States land surveying)|section corners]] in the [[survey township|township]], walking through the woods and swamps, measuring with [[Gunter's chain|chain]] and 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=April 2, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Field Notes for T30N R4W|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=PLSS&twp=T030NR004W|work=Original Field Notes and Plat Maps, 1833-1866|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|accessdate=April 2, 2011}}</ref> When done, the deputy surveyor filed this general description:
<blockquote>''The Surface of this [[Survey township|Township]] is generally Broken Soil 3rd rate producing but little vegetation the Surface of the land being generally covered with a thick heavy [[moss]](?). There are numerous Swamp in the Township Some of which are of considerable extent.  The Timber in the Swamps is principally [[Larix laricina|Tamarac]]. The dry land is timbered mostly with [[Tsuga canadensis|Hemlock]]. There are Some Scattering groves of [[Eastern White Pine|White Pine]] though of poor quality and not valuable for lumber. The Township is well watered with numerous Small Streams which rise in the Swamps. There are no Settlers in the Township.''<ref>{{cite web|last=Daugherty|first=William E.|title=Interior Field Notes (June 1854)|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=article&byte=2448058&twp=T030NR004W|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|accessdate=2 April 2011}}</ref></blockquote>

By 1900, most of what would become Taft was owned by lumber companies. The Northwestern Lumber Company owned a large block in the southeast corner and had built its Stanley, Merrill and Phillips Railway into that block three or four miles. The other largest landholders were Chippewa Lumber and Boom Co., and Lindsay & Phelps. One settler is marked on the map for the whole section: Hobbs has a homestead near Otter Creek.<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=October 27, 2023}}</ref>

By 1911 the SM&P had pushed all the way through the town and far beyond. Some sort of road followed the course of modern County F across the middle of the township, and the north-bound jog continued up what is now Skyline Drive. Another road followed the course of modern [[Wisconsin Highway 73|highway 73]] south to the county line, and that southeast corner has a fairly complete road grid, though these roads must have been crude. In this corner the Northwestern Lumber Co. had succeeded in selling most of its logged land to settlers, most with Polish names. In 1911 there were far more settlers here and around [[Lublin, Wisconsin|Lublin]] than anywhere else in western Taylor County. The rest of Taft had a few settlers at this time, with most of the land still in lumber company hands - Chippewa Lumber and Boom holding the majority.<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/20293|access-date=October 27, 2023|chapter=Plat map of T30N R4W}}</ref>