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Town Of Pleasant Springs

2354 County Highway North
608-873-3063

History:
By an act of the Wisconsin territorial legislature in April of 1846, the township now known as Pleasant Springs became part of a newly formed town, the town of Madison. The area now known as Dunn was also included in this act. In 1847 the areas of Dunn and Pleasant Springs were merged into a town called Rome and the next year the same legislature divided Dunn and Pleasant Springs into separate towns.

The first meeting of the town was held on April 4, 1848, at the home of John Patterson. Officers elected were: supervisors, Daniel Wheeler, Chairman, John Ketcham and John Patterson; clerk, John Sunderman; treasurer, Winard Dinman, fence viewers, Jacob Patterson and Jacob Waldruf; assessors, John Patterson and Robert McComb; and school commissioners, Jacob Stombought, John Sunderman and Archibald Griffith.

As the township grew, residents and visitors, too, enjoyed the recreational asses of Lake Kegonsa. A large grove of sugar maple trees growing on the John Williams farm - a farm that bordered Lake Kegonsa - became a gathering spot. A railroad track was built by the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad to this site - called the Sugar Bush Grove - and passengers were taken from Stoughton to enjoy the recreational pleasures of the lake. The area became a favorite place for fishing, camping and picnicking. a carriage house was built there as well as a depot. For a number of years, The Emma, a 57 foot steamboat, owned by Mr. Williams, cruised the lake carrying happy holiday crowds. The boat could carry about 65 passengers.

The years have brought may changes to Pleasant Springs. From the scene viewed by the early pioneers, of rolling hills, lush prairies, thick timber stands and marshes, a visitor to the town now sees prosperous looking farms, large urbanized areas, scattered new homes, and as always, the beautiful and well-maintained Koshkonong churches.