During the remarkably dry and seasonably warm January of 1899, town of Dane residents G.A. Meek, Joseph Zeimet, Math Schmidt, Ambrose Dickert, M. O’Dwyer, R. Anholt, John Lockwood, and Michael Kelly submitted an application for incorporation of an area of the town which was proposed to be named the Village of Dane. On April 4th of that same year fifty-six residents turned out to Koltes’ Hall on North Military Road (which stood across the street from the current location of The Ranch Saloon) to cast ballots, with fifty in favor of incorporation and six opposed. Two days later, on April 6th, 1899 A.J. Jorgenson, clerk of the Dane County Circuit Court certified the order of incorporation and the Village of Dane was born, boasting 307 initial residents.