Black Earth (Farmersville) Township turns 175 years in 2023
What is now the town of Black Earth incorporated as part of the town of Farmersville (along with present day Berry & the southern half of Mazomanie townships) on 2 August 1848, just months after Wisconsin became a state. The present-day northern half of Mazomanie township was added to Farmersville days later. Two years later in 1950, Berry was removed to become its own town. Population for Farmersville was 206, according to the 1850 census.
The following year in 1851, the town's name was changed from Farmersville to Black Earth. It was only known as Farmersville for about three years. To further complicate the town's origins, the present-day town of Black Earth section split off from the then-larger town of Black Earth in 1858 and called itself Ray township. This was due to a received competition between the two railroad villages of Black Earth and Mazomanie existing within the same Black Earth township. It seemed the town wasn't big enough for the both. However, this short-sighted split resulted in the village of Mazomanie being surrounded by the town of Black Earth; and the village of Black Earth being surrounded by the town of Ray. The next state legislature ended the confusion by re-naming the towns Black Earth and Mazomanie as they exist today, with both villages within their namesake townships. The short-lived town of Ray only lasted a matter of months.
Today, this explains why the two present townships of Black Earth and Mazomanie are much geographically smaller than most townships in Wisconsin. Will the two towns ever combine again? If so, what should they call themselves? Farmersville (again)? In 2023, the town of Black Earth is 175 years old if referring back to the original Farmersville name from 1848.
