Imagine the village of Brooklyn in the 1800s: narrow dirt trails winding through a landscape dotted with many trees. Charles Nelson Sutterland and his wife, having traveled from Illinois to Wisconsin Territory, filed for land in 1844 with the intent to farm. This land, totaling fifteen acres and bordering Green County, would eventually become the original plat of the village, located in Section One of Brooklyn Township.
At that time, the countryside was inhabited by Native Americans who lived near groves of trees and streams, hunting for game and fishing. Occasionally, they visited the scattered homes, attempting to trade animal furs for tobacco, chickens, and other goods.
In 1854, Sutterland sold the land to Hiram Capwell. Afterward, Sutterland moved to Rock County, where he operated a general mercantile business. Capwell, who had been living as a teacher in neighboring Rutland Village, cleared the land, opened a boarding house, and encouraged others to settle in the small community. Capwell recognized the importance of the railroad, which was looking to establish a route from Madison to Illinois. He succeeded in convincing the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company to lay tracks through Brooklyn in 1864, making the village an essential part of the region's development. Although Rutland had also campaigned for the railroad, it lost out to Brooklyn, which contributed to Rutland's decline.
In 1867, three years after the railroad arrived, lots for both commercial and residential use were surveyed by S.W. Graves and recorded. Despite its growth, Brooklyn was not incorporated as a village until 1905, while Brooklyn Township had already established its governance in 1849.
The arrival of the railroad spurred Brooklyn’s growth into a thriving rural community. By 1884, the village boasted a variety of businesses and services, including:
- Four general stores (Ben Axtell, Samuel Adams, and L.J. Wilder)
- One drug store (Albert Ellis)
- One hardware store (Samuel Adams)
- A large grain elevator and warehouse (Edmond Andrew)
- Two hotels (Northwestern Hotel and D.H. Glidden Hotel)
- A post office
- Two blacksmith shops (T.B. Conradson and Robert Clough)
- A wagon and harness shop (Joseph Millspaugh)
- A meat market
- A lumber yard
- A creamery (Brooklyn Cheese Factory)
- A clothing store (E.W. Whitmore)
- A shoe shop (Thomas Qualley)
- A doctor (H.C. Leach)
- A barber shop
- A graded school
- A church (Methodist Episcopal)
The map of the settlement from 1854 to 1891 illustrates the village's significant growth.
All documents and photos are property of Sharon George, who has graciously shared them.
