Harmon Van Slyke Sacia, my great grandfather who was known as a prominent pioneer of La Crosse county and a veteran of the Civil War, was born in Schenectady, New York, July 24, 1817. His paternal ancestors were French and his mothers people were German. In New York he lived with his parents until May 6, 1834 when he and his two brothers, Peter and William moved to Rock River Woods near Watertown, Wisconsin, where they kept Bachelor Hall.
On June 23, 1841 Mr. Harmon V. Sacia was married to Miss Cordelia Sophia Packard of Milwaukee. She was born in Vermont January 16, 1826. Her ancestors of old New England came to this country in 1638; this family record shown the names of many revolutionary patriots of note, including Captain Samuel Packard.
Mr. and Mrs. H. V. Sacia were the parents of ten children two of whom are living Lincoln B., of Council Bay and Clarence E. of Galesville. One son was Harmon G., my deceased grandfather who resided in Holmen.
On March 30, 1840 they moved two miles from their old residence in Rock River Woods to Concord, Wisconsin, where they kept a hotel. At this little hotel, the travelers had to pay {Begin page no. 2}the small sum of seventy-five cents for one nights lodgin.
They left their hotel in Concord on July 19, 1843 and moved to a little town called Cudey which was about thirty-five miles from their former residence. While they were living here great grandmother and father heard about the great gold mines in California, he then sold his farm and land, left his wife and children with some of her relatives and went to California in a covered wagon drawn by a yolk of oxen. While traveling along these tiresome and dusty roads, they were surrounded by a herd of buffalo of which one was shot and used for food.
When they reached California after the long monotonous trip, my great grandfather was discouraged by finding no gold and decided to turn back. While on his way back he became sick with the mountain fever, so he stopped at a place where Brigham Young's brother lived, near Salt Lake, where he tended the ferry boat while Young's were to a Church Revival. He also saw Brigham Young who was the first Mormon.
Later he returned home to his wife and children in Cudey, where he lived until August 10, 1845, when he and his family moved to Galena, Ill. They moved by covered wagon drawn by oxen. After residing in Galena for six years, he and his {Begin page no. 3}family moved to Holland township, La Crosse Co. Wisconsin on April 3, 1851, but at that time throughout Holland it was known as Jackson instead of Holland township.
They first settled in a small hut in a valley called Berg's coulee but moved to where there was a spring and on a trail between La Crosse and Black River Falls. Their home was quite small and made up of logs? The roof was slanting and made up of logs and sod to keep out rain and cold.
My great grandmother who was said to have beautiful hair had it worn off in a most peculiar way. The roof of the hut was low and slanting and made up of logs, sod and twigs so that when she stood up her head touched the top of the roof and by walking around in here the twigs caught at her hair and it was also rubbed off and therefore left a bare spot on top of her head.
The home was furnished with beds which were made of boards to take the place of springs, covered with straw or corn husk ticks and also home-made benches which were used as chairs.
They secured their light by striking flint together and before this was discovered they buried coals, which they used, so as to be able to use them again and later a greased rag in a saucer was used.
{Begin page no. 3}One day when great grandmother was doing her daily work, an Indian stuck his head thru the door, which was a heavy blanket, and frightened my great grandmother very much. At first she thought her husband had been killed {Begin deleted text}bu{End deleted text} {Begin inserted text}{Begin handwritten}but{End handwritten}{End inserted text} the Indian was only looking for a missing deer be had shot and wounded.
At great grandfathers home at this time was where the first voting for this part of the country or part of La Cross Co. was held, and it was called Stevens.
In 1861 when the Civil War broke out great grandmother was forty five years old but she shouldered a musket and started South with Company I 8th Wisconsin, the famous Eagle Regiment. Frank, the second son marched shoulder to shoulder with his dad. At the battle of Farmington Miss., the father was taken prisoner and later landed in the rebel prison at Andersonville. When he came back from war[ {Begin inserted text}{Begin handwritten},{End handwritten}{End inserted text}?] he died and was buried in a small cemetery on his old homestead with some of his relatives.
{Begin page}Harmon Van Slyke Sacia, my great grandfather who was known as a prominent pioneer of La Crosse county and a veteran of the Civil War, was born in Schenectady, New York, July 24, 1817. His paternal ancestors were French and his mothers people were German. In New York he lived with his parents until May 6, 1834 when he and his two brothers, Peter and William moved to Rock River Woods near Watertown Wisconsin, where they kept Bachelor Hall
On June 23, 1841 Mr. Harmon V. Sacia was married to Miss Cordelia Sophia Packard of Milwaukee. She was born in Vermont January 16, 1826. Her ancestors of old New England came to this country in 1638; this family record shown the names of many revolutionary patriots of note; including Captain Samuel Packard.
Mr. and Mrs. H. V. Sacia were the parents of ten children two of whom are living Lincoln B., of Council Bay and Clarence E. {Begin page}of Galesville. One son was Harmon G., my deceased grandfather who resided in Holmen.
On March 30, 1840 they moved two miles from their old residence in Rock River Woods to Concord Wisconsin, where they kept a hotel. At this little hotel, the travelers had to pay the small sum of seventy-five cents for one nights lodging
They left their hotel in Concord on July 19, 1843 and moved to a little town called Cudey which was about thirty-five miles from their former residence. While they were living here great grandmother and 'father heard about the great gold mines in California, he then sold his farm and land, left his wife and children with some of her relatives and went to California in a covered wagon drawn by a yolk of oxen. While traveling along these tiresome and dusty roads, they were surrounded by a herd of buffalo of which one was shot and used for food. When they reached California after the long monotonous trip, my great - grandfather was discouraged by finding no {Begin page}gold and decided to turn back. While on his way back he became sick with the mountain fever, so he stopped at a place where Brigham Young's brother lived, near Salt Lake, where he tended the ferry boat while Young's were to a Church Revival. He also saw Brigham Young who was the first Mormon.
Later he returned home to his wife and children in Cudey, where he lived until August 10, 1845, when he and his family moved to Galena, Ill. They moved by covered wagon drawn by oxen. After residing in Galena for six years, he and his family moved to Holland township, La Crosse Co. Wisconsin on April 3, 1851, but at that time throughout Holland it was known as Jackson instead of Holland township.
They first settled in a small hut in a valley called Berg's coulee but moved to where there was a spring and on a trail between La Crosse and Black River Falls. Their home was quite small and made up of logs? The roof was slanting and made up of logs and sod to keep {Begin page}out rain and cold.
My great grandmother who was said to have beautiful hair had it worn off in a most peculiar way. The roof of the hut was low and slanting and made up of logs, sod and twigs so that when she stood up her head touched the top of the roof and by walking around in here the twigs caught at her hair and it was also rubbed off and {Begin inserted text}therefore{End inserted text} left a bare spot on top of her head.
The home was furnished with beds which were {Begin deleted text}covered{End deleted text} made of boards to take the place of springs, covered with straw or corn husk ticks and also home-made benches which were used as chairs.
They secured their light by striking flint to-gether and before this was discovered they buried coals, which they used, so as to be able to use them again and later a greased rag placed in a saucer was used.
One day when great grandmother was doing her daily work, an Indian stuck his head thru the door, which [wa?] {Begin page}a heavy blanket, and frightened my great grandmother very much. At first she thought her husband had been killed but the Indian was only looking for a missing deer be had shot and wounded.
At great grandfathers home at this time was where the first voting for this part of the country or part of La Cross Co. {Begin inserted text}was held,{End inserted text} and it was called Stevens.
In 1861 when the Civil War broke out great grandmother was forty five years old but she shouldered a musket and started South with Company I 8th Wisconsin, the famous Eagle Regiment. Frank, the second son marched shoulder to shoulder with his Dad. At the battle of Farmington Miss., the father was taken prisoner and later landed in the rebel prison at Andersonville. When he came back from war he died and was buried in a small cemetery on his old homestead with some of his relatives.