The Pleasant Ridge Settlement Begins, 1850 (Junction of Hwy 35/81 and Slabtown Road, Lancaster)

One of the earliest African-American rural settlements is the Pleasant Ridge Settlement in Grant County Wisconsin. This settlement was founded by Charles and Caroline Shepard, ex-slaves from Virginia. Pleasant Ridge shares the same topography as Cheyenne Valley- rolling hills, deep valleys, and rich soil. Pleasant Ridge itself was named for the extremely beautiful ridgetop views of the unglaciated terrain of southwest Wisconsin.