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Seale History
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 be 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. Seale 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 shows the names
of many revolutionary patriots of note, including Captain Samuel
Packard.
Mr. and Mrs. H. V. Sacia were the parents of tea 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 Holman.
On March 30, 1840 they moved two miles from their old
residence in Bock River Woods to Concord, Wisconsin, where they
kept a hotel. At this little hotel, the travelers had to pay
T&C 5-20-37 IA.
2 --Sacia History
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 than 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. Mile 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 findingma gold and
decided to turn back. Mile 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 hone to his wife and children in
Oudey, 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
5--gacia History
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 hone 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 but was
law and slanting and made up of logs* sod and twigs so that when
she stood up her bead 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 an 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, sd as to be able to use them again and later a greased
rag in a saucer was used.
5--Sacia History
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 bUrthe Indian was only looking
for a missing deer he had shot and mounded.
At great grandfatheis home at this tine was whore the
first voting for this part of the country or part of La Cross Co.
was held, and it was ogled Stevens.
In 1861 when the Civil War broke out great grandmother
was forty five years old but the 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 wary he died and was buried in a small cemetery
on his old homestead with some of his relatives.
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