History of Reedsburg and the Upper Baraboo Valley, by Merton Edwin Krug, Publ. February 1929 by the author. Printed by Democrat Printing Company, Madison, Wis., Page 428-430

The urge which resulted in the building up of the West during the '70s and '80s had taken many of the individual families out of the Little Baraboo Valley and scattered them far and wide. Thus the strength of the Quaker Church was being weakened, as the Friends moved away from their meeting places, and were assimilated with other churches.

This was a condition that was not local, but national in scope and resulted in the founding of the Quaker Church, shown in the accompanying illustration. The part that the people of Friendswood played in this great and highly successful movement is the story of faith and providence; to tell it is the purpose of this sketch.

A few of the Friends (Quakers) of Chicago were intensely interested in keeping the church body together for united strength in promulgating the principles and customs of life that were the heritage of the sect. Accordingly they formed the "Pickering Land and Water Company" and sent Acquilla PICKERING and his wife, distant relatives of the PICKERINGS of Friendswood, to spy out a piece of land in California, where a colony of Quakers might be founded.

During the winter of 1886 and '87 they traveled extensively in Southern California, and after visiting many localities, chose the sloping land at the base of the Puenta foothills about twenty miles north of Long Beach, and sixteen miles east of Los Angeles, about half-way between the mountains and the ocean. They purchased two tracts of land adjacent to each other, making a tract of 1,265-1/2 acres, for the sum of $69,890.00 and began advertising the colonization project in the church paper. Friendswood Quakers read of the plan, and Antoinette CORYELL was the first to suggest the venture. The Nathan PICKERING family was then planning to move to Iowa; others had already gone west. But this was a call to Southern California!

Mr. Andrew CORYELL, Antoinette's husband, communicated with the Chicago company, and was among the first to depart for the new land. He reported promptly of his venture to the Quakers of the Little Baraboo Valley, and within a short time parts of five families were on their way to the land of promise. The families were: Mrs. Andrew CORYELL and six children; Solomon COOK an his wife (they were Antoinette CORYELL's father and mother) and another daughter and a son; Charles and Ella C. VEEDER of Ironton; Nele DAVIS, his wife and son and daughter; Charles HAMBURG, a young man related by marriage to the MITCHELLS; and others from Ironton, not Quakers, were also in the crowd.

The summer's crop of mustard-seed had been harvested with a header, for the land had lain idle since its purchase. It had before been a broad barley field, grazed over after harvest by a great drove of sheep. When the Friendswood pilgrims reached it, only one house stood on the whole tract. Water was soon developed, the land was laid out in lots, and in five, ten and twenty-acre tracts and the place was named Whittier, in honor of the Quaker poet, WHITTIER, and the streets were named in honor of other famous Quakers. The Friendswood people bought and went to work building. For a time they all lived together in a little house Mr. CORYELL had previously constructed, twenty-one of them in one room. Within a short time, however, each family had reared a house and begun to make improvements.

Louis WILLIAMS' family who had gone from Friendswood to Dakota, was the next to join the colony, coming that fall. His sons, Whittier WILLIAMS, was the first child born in the City of Whittier, and was named by an aunt who was at the time still residing in Friendswood.

Ella C. VEEDER, formerly of Ironton, wrote the following poem, which was used as an announcement for the colony:

Whittier

Where Whittier stands, once the mustard bloom Overspread the ground, like the woof in a loom, Shimmered and glowed in the sunshine warm, Like the gold lace on a uniform. Multitudes came, as effect follows cause, Demonstrating the fact that mustard draws. All went to work as busy as bees, Building and plowing and planting trees; Now the fruits mature and the flowers grow faster, Where Whittier wore the mustard plaster. High school and college and works of art, Prove that the mustard made Whittier smart. Friends, come to Whittier, and come to stay, Where the gold mustard once held sway.

Martha CAMMACK, formerly of Valton, was the next arrival, coming thither from Iowa.

In 1892 William CAMMACK and his wife, formerly Lydia M. WILLIAMS, and their foster-son came in from the Quaker Valley in Woodland and within a few years the CAMMACK brothers and sisters, numbering seven and a niece, Hattie MANN BENNETT, who had lived near Valton, came in from Iowa. The WILLIAMS brothers and sisters, numbering eight, came and still remain, all living near Whittier at this writing, November 12, 1928.

Others who came to Whittier, who had previously lived in the Quaker Valley or near it, are Mr. and Mrs. Peter CROOK, and daughter Martha, and sons William and John CROOK of Ironton, three families of BUTMANS, two of GROATS, HARRISONS, PEARSON, Stephen HORINE and family and two sister, GREENOUCHS, JONES, Walter CLEMONS and wife and daughter, Milton SMITHS and Will HALSL; Nelson TABOR and wife and children, Macy and Hattie BALLARD, and their families; Charles OCOK and family; Edd BAILEY and wife; Clara Mason SHELDON; Thomas PAGE and wife and sister; Tom CANNON and family; Horance HARVEY and family and niece; Sanford PICKERING and family and sister Minnie and Edna and his mother Mrs. Nathan PICKERING; and the W. E. MOON and Willie BEESON families.

The first school in Whittier was taught by Ella C. VEEDER, Lou HENRY (Mrs. Herbert HOOEVER) graduated from the first academy, which school is now beautiful Whittier College on the hill, seven fine buildings and five hundred students. The first building erected after the homes, was the Friends' Church, now rebuilt three times. It is now the largest Friends' Church in the world, with 1,500 members and many departments of work. The little town, which the Friends of Friendswood were helpers in founding has grown to be a city of about 18,000 inhabitants, a city known far and wife for its religious qualities, educational excellence and beautiful situation. John Greenleaf WHITTIER, pleased that the city should have been named in his honor write the following poem. [Transcriber has opted not to print the poem here.)

And so, because we have forever left the dear old Quaker Valley at Friendswood, Town of Woodland, Sauk County, Wisconsin, we pass from the pages of this history, hoping, perchance, and believing that dear old Sauk County and Friendswood, we may never forget.
Submitted by Carol