▁signed ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁wh aling ▁sch oon er ▁Council , ▁which ▁returned ▁to ▁Boston ▁after ▁sail ing ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean ▁for ▁one ▁year . ▁He ▁then ▁went ▁to ▁Cl inton , ▁One ida ▁County , ▁New ▁York , ▁and ▁worked ▁on ▁a ▁farm ▁there ▁until ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁when ▁he ▁left ▁for ▁the ▁Wisconsin ▁Territ ory ▁( in ▁May ▁of ▁that ▁year ▁he ▁had ▁married ▁Elizabeth ▁Fo ote ▁of ▁Cl inton , ▁daughter ▁of ▁John ▁and ▁Mary ▁( L ove ) ▁Fo ote ). ▁They ▁tra ve led ▁via ▁the ▁Great ▁L akes ▁to ▁R ac ine , ▁then ▁got ▁a ▁ride ▁on ▁a ▁l umber ▁w agon ▁to ▁a ▁place ▁called ▁" W al nut , ▁Wisconsin " ▁( some ▁sources ▁say ▁Spring ▁Pra irie ). ▁This ▁" W al nut " ▁may ▁or ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁identified ▁with ▁Wal nut ▁Spr ings , ▁Wisconsin , ▁a ▁short - l ived ▁post ▁office ▁which ▁operated ▁for ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁dec ades ▁in ▁the ▁Town ▁of ▁Adams ▁in ▁Green ▁County ▁on ▁the ▁road ▁between ▁Mad ison ▁and ▁Wi ota . ▁ ▁Wisconsin ▁and ▁Iowa ▁and ▁Wisconsin ▁again ▁ ▁He ▁worked ▁in ▁Wal nut ▁by ▁the ▁month , ▁saving ▁up ▁enough ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁buy ▁ 1 6 0 ▁acres ▁( one - qu arter ▁of ▁a ▁square ▁mile ) ▁at ▁$ 8 ▁per ▁a cre . ▁He ▁made ▁some ▁improvements ▁on ▁the ▁land , ▁then ▁sold ▁it ▁and ▁bought ▁a ▁ 4 0 - acre ▁tract ▁nearby , ▁sold