PIERCE, a new county in the W. part of Wisconsin, contains about 570 square miles. It is bounded on the W. by the St. Croix river, on the E. by Red Cedar river, on the S. W. by the Mississippi, and drained by the Rush and Menomonie rivers. The surface is diversified by prairies and forests. It was formed in 1851, by a division of St. Croix county. Capital, Prescott. (Baldwin's New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States..., 1854)
PIERCE, County, includes all that part of St. Croix county south of the north line of town 27, and was set off from St. Croix, March 16, 1853. It therefore is bounded on the west by St. Croix river, by which it is separated from the Territory of Minnesota. This county holds out very great inducements to immigrants, a large amount of the 500,000 acre grant, given by Congress to the State for schools, is in this county, and is sold at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, the settler being allowed thirty years pre-emption. The lands are about half prairie and half timber—the prairies a black loam, producing as great a yield of wheat, oats, corn, and other grain, as any other part of the West. The timber is of an excellent quality, oak, ash, butternut, black walnut, sugar maple, &c. Steam boats pass up, during the season of navigation, near to the homes of the inhabitants. It is to be fully organized at ence, and is attached to the sixth judicial circuit, and to the same representative districts as St. Croix, Polk and La Pointe. (John Warren Hunt, Wisconsin Gazetteer..., Madison, 1853)