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community because they formed the largest of all ethnic settle-
ments in the surrounding townships. While the Irish were
amusing their neighbors and confusing the census takers with
their thick Irish brogues, a half a dozen French immigrant fam-                        b          __
ilies to the southwest of Fitchburg near Belleville, were forming                          Donegal
the nucleus of what would become known as Frenchtown.
Their native peasant dress raised eyebrows, and for 25 cents                                        Tyr(
neighbors could buy a pair of wooden shoes from them. The
shoes were made of dry poplar wood and were stained black
with homemade dye.14 Besides Frenchtown, major European
immigrant settlements around Fitchburg included the Norwe-                     Mayo                Cavai
gians of Stoughton and the Swiss of New Glarus.                                M8
Ethnic groups celebrated national holidays of the old                                0
country and saints' days such as St. Patrick's Day, but people of
all backgrounds would rally together for the Fourth of July.                       Galway4
The Scottish settlement in Verona township near the Sugar                                      Offaly
River became famous early in the territorial days for its Fourth
of July celebration, as in 1845, when residents from Fitchburg                                   ,   
and neighboring townships converged on the western Verona                        Clare
Scottish settlement. Men and women of all ancestries found
themselves learning to dance the Highland Fling to the music              L"meric           Tipper
of bagpipes and enjoying the cheer of home-distilled Scotch
whiskey'15 The Irish of Fitchburg and immigrants throughout
Dane County were learning to be Americans by integrating                  K                      erford
some of their native traditions with those of the cultures that                     Cork
swirled around their emerging settlements.
C      e       e
Counties of Ireland