The following text appeared in History of Sauk County Wisconsin compiled by C.W. Butterfield, published in 1880, and is recreated here as it originally appeared. Note: La Valle in this 19th century text is spelled Lavalle.
The town of Lavalle is formed of Township 13 north, range 3 east, lying in the north tier of towns of Sauk County, and, were it not for the town of Woodland, which stands by itself on the west, would be the northwest corner town of the county. It is bounded on the north by Juneau County, on the east by the town of Winfield, on the south by Ironton, and on the west by Woodland. The surface of the town is uneven, but well water by the Baraboo river and its tributaries. Good wells are easily obtained; springs are abundant. Timber is plenty and of good quality, principally oak, of several varieties. Railroad ties, hardwood timber and staves are made in large quantities. Considerable pine was found here at an early day, but it is not very scarce. The soil is clay and black and sandy loam; rock, principally sandstone some limestone is found, of good quality for building purposes. Adjacent to the streams are found some picturesque masses of perpendicular rock, from fifty to two hundred feet in height, decked out with vines, mosses and shrubs, adding greatly to the beauty of the landscape. Wild fruits common to this latitude are abundant in season. In early days, wild bees were so common that wild honey was obtained with but little trouble. Bee-trees are frequently found at this time by those who know how to trace them. Several good water-powers exist in the town; one at Lavalle, on the line of the Madison Division of the Chicago & North-Western Railraod, which crosses the town from the southeast to the northwest; another is found on Section 24, where William Rathbun has a good saw-mill in operation; and other on section 1, on Big Creek, where Harvey Gifford has a fine saw-mill in operation; still another mill is doing a flourishing business at a switch on the railroad, called Podunk, owned by a Milwaukee man. Large quantities of railroad ties, wood and timber, are bought here. A store, boarding-house and blacksmith-shop are in operation at this point.
The first white man to locate in the town was Samuel Karstetter, who built a shanty on Section 28, in 1847. Mr. Manelious Pearson, a native of England, came in 1848, and in July of that year erected the first substantial house, situated on Section 34.
The territory embraced in the town of Lavalle was originally in the town of Baraboo, and subsequently the town of Marston. It became the town of Lavalle in 1861. The first town meeting was held in the village of Lavalle, April 1, 1862. J. G. Blakeslee was elected Chairman: E. B. Hageman and J. H. Douglass, Supervisors: C.F. Christnot, Clerk: H.G. Howard, treasurer: H.A. Sturgess, Assessor: David Beery, H.A. Sturgess and Calvin Gardner, Justices.
The first school district was organized while the town was a part of Marston, in 1851. A schoolhouse was commenced that year, situated on the north side of Section 33, near the Ironton and Lavalle road. Owing to a lack of harmony among the people, work was suspended on it. It was finally completed in Febuary, 1853. This is said to have been the first school in the town of Marston, of which the present town of Lavalle, then formed a part. When the schoolhouse was completed, W.S. Hubbel was Clerk, William All, Treasurer, and Samuel Hoskins, Director. The first teacher was William H. Brown.
The text in Butterfield's book includes the following insight into the political landscape of the time.
The town of Lavalle was formerly a part of the town of Marston, in which was also included the territory of what is now the towns of Woodland, Washington and Ironton. The two former were set off as separate towns, leaving what are now Ironton and Lavalle, the town of Marston. A petition was sent to the Board of Supervisors, praying for a change in the name from Marston to Lavalle, but the prayer was not granted. The inhabitants of the south end of the town then petitioned to be set off as a separate town. To this, the citizens of the north end, for some reason, best known to themselves, demurred, but the Ironton people succeeded in carrying through the project, and the town of Ironton was the result. This naturally left the records of all the territory in question in possession of the town of Marston (now Lavalle), and it was considered a pretty good joke when the town of Ironton found itself compelled to make a transcript of them at its own expense. Marston soon after became, as it is now, the town of Lavalle, and every one was happy.
And, then there is this small paragraph in Butterfield's text about where the people in the Town of Lavalle in 1880 purchased services and supplies, and gathered for events.
The villge of Lavalle now contains three general stores, one hardware, one drug, and one hardware and grocery store; one hotel, two blacksmith-shops, one wagon-shop, one livery-stable, one shoe-shop, one millinery store, one saloon, one stave-mill, one hoop-pole factory, one grist-mill, one carding-mill, one graded schoool, one church, one Odd Fellows Lodge, one Good Templars; Lodge, and has one doctor.
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