USA > Iowa > Woodbury County > Sioux City > Past and present of Sioux City and Woodbury County, Iowa > Part 63
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Henry Angie, a part blood Indian and his half blood wife, and several children came in 1854, and at first camped near Traversie's, but the next year lived east of the Floyd, opposite the new Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha shops, and his claim there was the oc- casion of what is known as the Angie war, described later.
Louis Benoist married a Sioux Indian girl Agatha, June 4, 1856, though probably he had the marriage ceremony performed then to con- firm his previous Indian marriage, as he made a deed, his wife joining, to Stephen Deroie, the January before, of part of section 18, township 88, range 47; and on June 24, 1856,
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deeded land in the same section to Samuel HI. Cassady, and it is probable he married his wife a few days before that to satisfy his prospective buyer, Cassady, as to the legality of the pro- posed deed. Benoist had probably been one of the group of early Frenchmen who lived around Floyd's Bluff, some of whom never had the money to pay for the land, but sold their claims to the Americans. He had a cabin near the river west of Bercier's in 1854. Be- noist claimed land np the Sioux just south of the Woodbury and Plymouth county line. He soon moved np the Sionx just above the mouth of the Broken Kettle, where he lived several years. He was commonly called Sorel, that being the name of the place in Canada where he was born. Several of the early French came from there, Leonnais and Traversie among the number.
Joseph Lacont had a claim on the south half of the south half of section 34, township 89, range 47, extending from the Missouri river east where the south part of the Stock Yards are now located, and also including the ground of the Armour Packing Plant. He made an entry of this land in 1856 and sold out to the syndicate of Bedard, Letellier and Lamoreaux, who platted that locality as South Sioux City, but Lacont's entry was cancelled. He was liv- ing there as early as 1854 and was a single man and probably had been there a year or two before. He was an old man and his name is given by some Frenchman who could write as LeCompte. He made his home chiefly with his next neighbor north.
Amable Gallerneaux entered the north half of the south half of section 34, where the main part of the Stock Yards and the Exchange Building now stand. Gallerneanx lived north of the Sawyer Bluff, near where the trail crossed the Floyd, and his house was a sort of stopping place and ferry house and all the early travelers knew him, as he helped them over the Floyd. He had a squaw wife and several small children and probably located
there abont 1851 or 1852, as he had a well es- tablished settlement in 1554. He sold out and moved a few miles south and then went up the Missouri river.
John Baptiste LaPlant, with his squaw wife and children, was living with Gallerneaux in 1854, but does not seem to have attempted to enter land. Ile did not remain long after 1854, but went back up the Missouri river and probably was the man of that name who lived at Sionx Point.
IImbert LaFleur had a claim east of the Stock Yards on the hill, but probably came later than 1854. He went to Sionx Point across the Sioux in Dakota and his face was cut open across the jaw below the nose with an ax in a fight. Dr. W. R. Smith patched it up as best he could, expecting he would soon die, but in a few days he was on the road to re- covery and lived many years.
Lonis Harvey of Harive, possibly an Ameri- can, had a claim on what is now Floyd City, coming probably in 1854 or 1855. He sold this claim in 1855 to Joseph Leonnais, who entered it. Harvey had a shanty there in 1854. Henry Hivon and Charles Rondeau had a claim where Greenville now is. They kept a ferry over the Floyd after the Americans came in, and in 1856 sold ont to Moses W. Bacon. Their residence there was not among the earliest of the French settlers.
Leander L. Cartier had a claim in the tim- ber cast of Leeds, and entered it under the spelling of Landers L. Cirtier. He was known as the wild Frenchman, and was commonly called Kirke. Many anecdotes are told of his drunken recklessness. IIe was a familiar fig- nre on the streets of Sioux City for many years. He probably came here about 1855. It was said of him that he left his squaw wife and child in a cabin near St. Joseph, Missouri, and went up the Missouri river on a trip for the Fur Company and returning when he came in sight of his own house it was on fire, and on reaching it discovered that his wife and child
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had perished in the flames. From this on he became wild and reckless. One of the early Sioux City surveyors, J. C. C. Hoskins, was once taken by Kirke into Sioux Point in a wagon through the timber where the road was a mere track winding among the trees. On the return Kirke, standing up, started his horses with an Indian war whoop and somehow man- aged to dodge the trees on either side by a fraction of an inch and landed his passenger safely, though badly frightened at the continu- ous series of hair breadth escapes.
Kirke became a hanger-on at saloons and restaurants and lived with his old French ac- quaintances, accepting hospitality like the In- dian. He was fond of raw liver and would get it from the butcher shops and eat it at once. His clothes were dirty and greasy.
The writer once saw Kirke fairly surprised. He was standing on Pearl street in front of a shop talking French to some one, when a stout, well dressed Frenchwoman who had just landed from a steamboat from St. Louis, a sis- ter of Paul Paquette, who had not seen her brother for many years and had come up in search of him, and no doubt was ready to expect anything in a brother who lived in this Indian country, seeing and hearing Kirke, at once concluding he was her long lost brother, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him and called him endearing names, before Kirke had time to realize what had happened. Explana- tions followed and I can not say which one was the most disgusted. One needed to see Old Kirke to realize the amusing character of the scene to a spectator. Kirke went to Leaven- worth, Kansas, into some home or hospital and probably died there. He visited Sioux City about 1890.
Eli Bedard, whose wife was a sister of Jo- seph Leonnais, came down the Missouri river as early as 1852 and was at Brugnier's then. He spent the winter of 1854-5 with Leonnais in his cabin at the mouth of Perry creek and with others got out the logs for his cabin which
he built in the spring of 1855 on his claim which he entered, and with others platted as East Sioux City, this house being one of the first houses built after Leonnais'. Bedard went to Rulo, Nebraska, later with his brother- in-law, Rulo, and died there in 1866. Some further account of him is given in connection with Joseph Leonnais. He left one son surviv- ing.
There were a number of Frenchmen on the Sioux above Bruguier's and it is hard to tell just when they came. Henry Ayotte was at one time a partner of Bruguier and lived with him on the Sioux, came here as early as 1853. He had been one of Fremont's guides across the continent. He was a small, wiry, active man and was called Blue Eyes. He lived about here for a few years. He at one time kept a ferry across the Sioux near Bruguier's. Bru- guier is said to have given Ayotte one of his squaw wives.
Paul Paquette came here about 1852 or 1853 and settled near where the Big Sioux bridge now is and entered land mostly north of the road and kept a ferry near where the bridge is, which was much used. He had been a fur trader up the river and was till his death a resi- dent on his farm. His American widow and children are still living in Sioux City.
Gustav Pecaut was one of the early promi- nent so-called Frenchmen, though he was born in Switzerland on the French speaking side July 19, 1826 ; he came to America with his sister when fourteen years old and was up the Missouri river with fur traders for many years. Was at Fort Benton four years. He was at times mail carrier for the Fur Company be- tween their forts and was shot by the Indians several times; he carried three shot in his hip and was hit in his nose with the gun wad and shot through one leg with an arrow. He came down to Sioux City in 1852 or 1853, and had a claim on the Sioux just above Paquette's. He was at Leonnais some in the winter of 1854-5 helping the surveyors, and he staked out a claim
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across the river in Nebraska and with Thomas L. Griffey laid out the town of Covington and lived there several years. He married Chris- tina Held, July 10, 1859, sister of the Held brothers, Germans, who were early settlers in Sioux City and later up the Floyd. Pecaut moved to Sioux City in 1874 and lived there till he died, December 29, 1901, a prosperous and much respected citizen. He left a famliy of eight boys and five girls.
Peter Deon and Felix LaBlanc and his wife Anna for a time lived on the Sioux, but prob- ably after 1855, and sold to Miles Coffey.
Fardina Gondrou or Ferdinand Gondrow and his wife Anastasia were living near the Sioux bridge before 1856.
Joseph Juette before 1856 lived on the Sioux at Riverside Park and sold his claim to Bru- guier.
John Lafever lived near the Sioux, but prob- ably came later.
Francis Belonger came probably about 1856, and settled up the Sioux near the Plymonth county line and later lived on the road to Riverside. He was killed by falling over the cut onto the car track while on his way home from Sioux City. His family still lives in Sioux City.
Peter Layone lived up the Sioux just over the Plymouth county line, coming before 1856.
Francois Liondell had land at Riverside be- fore 1856, and sold out to Bruguier. This may have been the same man called Herondell, who first dug for coal up the Sioux.
Louis Menard, a brother-in-law of Leonnais, had land up the Sioux next to the Plymouth county line. He probably followed Leonnais down here after it became known a town was to be located here before 1856, as he sold out that year and soon went back up the river.
Joseph Dillier came in later and lived just south of the Stock Yards.
Henry Gonlet was here for a short time in 1856 or before and elaimed land up the Sioux.
Bruno Cournover, a trader, came here in
1855, was very quiet and went to Rulo, Ne- braska, with Charles Rulo.
Louis Desey came in 1855, lived in town, kept a grocery, later died here and his widow is still alive.
Guieseppe Merrivalli was an carly settler, usually called Jo Spaniard, being of that na- tionality. He had been with the French as a trader and followed them here. He remained only a few years.
Louis D. Letellier was one of the most prom- inent of the early French and was identified with the city of Sioux City. IIe was born March 19, 1827, at Beaumont, Ballechasse County, Canada, twelve miles from Quebec. His father was a well educated man and his son received a fairly good education. He first learned the cabinet maker's trade and worked some in a ship yard and at carpenter work. He left Canada for the United States August 15, 1845, going to New York and then West to Buffalo, and worked there two years, then to Detroit and from there went to St. Louis, was sick there with fever and ague and for his health in the spring of 1850 hired to the Fur Company with Eli Bedard for a year, to go to Fort Pierre as a carpenter, going up by steam- boat. He staid there two years and then was sent to Fort Union and in the summer of 1852 was sent with a trading party to the Blackfeet Indians and was reported drowned and through word sent to Bedard who was then at the month of the Big Sioux he was reported to Letellier's parents in Canada as dead. But Letellier was still alive and reached Fort Benton. He helped to build a keel boat at Fort Benton early in the spring of 1853. In this boat he came down the river to Fort Union and staid there a year. In the spring of 1854 he came down the river in a flat boat to Fort Berthold, and from there to St. Louis by steamer and from there going to Canada he surprised his parents, who supposed him dead. He left Canada in the fore part of September in company with Clement Lamor- eaux, going first to St. Louis, where they bought
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a trapping outfit to go out on their own hook. A wagon, two horses, harnesses, traps, guns, provisions, ammunition, going to St. Joseph, Missouri, by steamboat and drove up from there with their team, reaching the Floyd river in eight days, where Amable Gallerneaux rowed them over in his boat and they floated their wagon over and soon came to Joseph Leounais' house. Eli Bedard was there and had been cul- tivating Leonnais' land in partnership with him. He and Lamoreaux had not come to settle but to trap and soon started on horseback with their pack horse and eamping and trapping out- fit, going up the Floyd. The grass was high, and they went up as far as the fork of the Floyd where Merrill now is. Game was abundant, deer, elk and wild turkey. They were stopped by a prairie fire and came back to Gallerneaux to cross the Floyd and went east to Smithland and then went above that place and found no settlement.
They were about to set their traps when a small party of Santee Sioux came and told them a large party of Sioux were coming down, so to save their horses they made haste to return to Leonnais' place and from events that fol- lowed abandoned their career as trappers to turn farmer at first, and later as townsite spec- nlators. They helped Leonnais and Bedard build a large log stable to secure their horses from these Sioux horse thieves, as from their long Indian experience they were more afraid of losing their horses than their lives.
By December 25, 1854, Letellier was in pos- session of the land he made claim to, being what is now Middle Sioux City, as Dr. John K. Cook was then at Leonnais' looking after his town- site business west of Perry creek.
On December 25, 1854, Dr. John K. Cook, George W. Chamberlain, Eli Bedard, Clement Lamoreaux and Letellier crossed the Missouri river in a flat boat and staked out timber claims on the Nebraska side, each taking a strip from the river front south. This was to get logs for their building and Letellier and the
others got their logs across that winter. Le- tellier's timber claim was the most easterly one, and he cultivated it that year, it being the first corn raised in that region.
After they staked their timber claims aeross the river, Dr. Cook and his party surveyed what is Sioux City proper, west of Perry creek. Besides those names mentioned who crossed the Missouri, there was part of the time that winter at Leonnais', Frank Chapel, Dr. Frank B. Wixon, Samuel Ruth, a man named Sheldon, and Samuel F. Watts, the surveyor.
Many have assisted a part of the time in the survey. It was an open winter. Letellier built his log cabin that winter, which was located north of Fourth street and east of Virginia street, near the bluff. Letellier kept this place a year or more and sold out to Samuel II. Cas- sady in 1856 and bought a third interest with Bedard in East Sioux City.
Early in 1857 Letillier, with his friends Bedard, Lamoreaux, Rulo and B. Cournoyer went on a visit to Canada. It was the winter of deep snow and they drove their own team as far as St. Jo, Missouri. April 2, 1857, Le- tillier married his old sweetheart and the next day started for Sioux City with his bride. Le- tillier later in 1860 went up the Missouri to Fort Pierre for Theophile Bruguier on a trad- ing expedition. Hamilton, an old trader, was in charge; also Leonnais, Sheldon and Cox. After getting part way up Hamilton got scared at reports of Indian difficulties and turned his teams back, as Letillier termed it from cowardice, and in a day or two met Bruguier coming up. Bruguier was furious and turned the outfit back and resumed the trip to Pierre. After much hardship and danger from a large band of Indians, who surrounded and robbed them of considerable of their merchandise, they reached Fort Pierre. They soon returned to Sioux City. At the time of the Indian trouble Letillier was a member of the Border Brigade, and was at Cherokee and helped build the log fort there. His health failed about this time
PAST AND PRESENT OF WOODBURY COUNTY
and he commenced to attend to the feeding of views with him, though it may include some the soldiers; and in 1863 he bought a place for matter that is more fitting for a biography. a hotel on the west side of Pearl street between Third and Fourth streets and kept what was ealled the Montreal House, which was for many INTERVIEW WITHL JOSEPH LION- AIS, NOVEMBER 23, 1896 years the stopping place for all the French.
Later he retired from business and is still living, a quiet, intelligent citizen. He kept a diary during the time he was up the Missouri river and condensed it into English. He, in the early settlement, was interested with Be- dard and Lamoreaux in what was South Sioux City, where the Stock Yards now are.
Clement Lamoreanx came from Canada with Letillier in the fall of 1854 and brought a wife back from there in 1857. He was interested with Letillier and Bedard in their real estate speeulation. He died in Sioux City in March, 1858.
Odillon Lamoreaux, a brother of Clement, came to Sioux City in 1857. Ile married Rose, the eldest daughter of Bruguier.
Charles Gagnon was in Sioux City for a time in early days and went to Rulo, Nebraska, with Rulo.
Mrs. Mary Ann Lapora, a widow, a sister of Joseph Leonnais, came here with her son Ed- mund and daughter, in the fall of 1854, and lived with Leonnais. She was the first full- blooded white woman to live in Sioux City. Mareh 12, 1856, she was married to Charles Sangster, an American, it being the first white marriage in Sioux City. Her husband died later. She is still living at Sioux Point.
George L. Tackett has been classed among the Freneh beeause he spoke the language, as well as several Indian dialects, and had been a fur trader and had had a squaw wife. He came here in 1856, married a white woman, raised a family of children, and was for many years city marshal and died here.
We have left the name of Joseph Leonnais till the last, as he is so generally reputed as the first settler in Sioux City and we have thought it best to let him tell his own story from inter-
I was born in the year 1818 in Canada, Pro- vince of Quebec, at Sorel; eame to this country, United States, when 18 years old. I first went to Maekinae Island, Michigan ; stayed there six months and went to Chicago. Chicago was a little place then; stayed there three months, then went to St. Louis, Mo. I stayed there about a month, then I commeneed traveling np the Missouri river, trading with the Indians for the American Fur Company for Pierre Chouteau firm (P. Choutean & Co. owned American Fur Company), traveled about twenty years. I commeneed to work for them when I was about 19 years old.
In about 1837 or 1838 I went up the Mis- souri river on a steamboat, the "Antelope," Captain Cier, stopped where what is now Fort Pierre. My cousin, Angust Traversie, had gone up six or seven years before and then lived just below the mouth of the Vermilion river in Dakota.
On the 15th of June that year I went up the Yellowstone in a mackinaw ; cordelled it up the river, and we were three months cordelling it up. We were five and one-half days without anything to eat ; there were fifteen men of us. There was a fort named Yellowstone-Fort Union is the proper name-at the mouth of the Yellowstone river. I earried dispatches. I
eame back to Fort Pierre the next January. I stayed at Fort Pierre from January to the next June. The fort, probably a trading post of the fur company, was commanded by Honore Picotte.
We left Fort Pierre and came down the Mis- souri river on a flat boat, and got into St. Louis the 4th of July. I first saw Theophile Bruguier at Vermilion (second or third trip up the riv- er). He was the boss at the fort there for the
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American Fur Company. I met Leander Car- tier (Kirke) while I was at Fort Pierre the last time. Paul Paquette went on these trips up the river with me. La Plante, the old man (who lived near MeCook afterward), went up with me that first year. The next year I went to Praire du Chien, Wisconsin, probably 1840.
The next year after that I came up the Missouri river on a steamboat (1841); Captain LaBarge's boat. I can not remember whether it was Andrew or Joseph LaBarge that was captain of this boat. I got the fever and ague and I got off the boat opposite Vermilion. Forty men had the fever and ague and they were put off the boat with five crackers and a pound of pork apiece to make the trip from Vermilion to Fort Pierre. We walked from there to Fort Pierre. It took us ten days; we got one antelope. We staid there a year, till 1842, and then came down to St. Louis the sec- ond time. We slept at Sioux City at the mouth of Perry crcek one night. There were some big trees between Perry creek and the bluff. The next year, 1843, we came up to St. Joe, Missouri, on a boat, and staid there a month; there were three men of us. We rode one horse and had another paek horse apiece. When we got down to Floyd's Bluff, Bill Thompson and his brother Charley Thompson were living there; had a log house. (The first trips we made we saw no person from about 100 miles below St. Joe till we got to Fort Pierre, except at the forts.) We crossed the Floyd about at Green- ville and crossed Perry creek near George Weare's place, and crossed the Sioux about where the Sioux bridge is now. Saw nobody till we got to Vermilion.
Paul Paquette stayed up at Fort Pierre the first year he went up. He went up with me then from Vermilion, and did not come back to Vermilion. We went up to Fort Benton on horseback, stayed there a year, till 1845, and eame back the next spring on a mackinaw. We got better wages when we went on horseback. We usually went up in the fall and back in the
spring to St. Louis for twenty years. I am 77 years old, will be 78 next June.
It was about forty-four years ago that I first came to Sioux City. Robert Perry lived just across the creek from George Weare's. He looked like a young man. Perry stayed about one or two years after I came, but old Bruguier scared him away with the Indians. Bruguier had built a log house, and I bought Bruguier out. The house stood where Truedell had his wagon shop. It is part of the ground on which the Tolerton & Stetson wholesale house now stands, fronting on Second street between Pearl and Water streets. I gave Bruguier $100 for his claim. I cultivated sixteen acres. August Traversie had settled near Bill Thompson's a year or two before I came onto this land. Tra- versie's wife was the Indian War Eagle's daughter. She had been Bruguier's first wife, but Traversie got her away.
My oldest son is Joseph Lionais. He was born near the foot of Sawyer's Bluff, May 19, 1853, and I lived there for five or six months before I bought the house of Bruguier. My daughter Josephine, wife of Louis O. Parent, was born June 15, 1855, two years after, while I lived at the mouth of Perry creek. My wife's name was Rosalie Menard; her father lived at Fort Pierre. They used to call him "Old Menard." He was a Frenchman and his wife was an Indian woman.
I sold out to Dr. Cook and Daniel Rider in the spring of 1855, got $3,000 for my elaim, then I bought a claim in what is now Floyd City, and paid $100 for it. I bought this claim of Louis Harvey, a Frenchman from St. Louis. Paul Paquette settled up by the Sioux some time after I settled there. Bruguier had his claim at the mouth of the Sioux, but he built this house on Perry creek. Charles Rulo had been up and down the river before that time. I went to Rulo, Nebraska, in three or four years after I sold out to Dr. Cook, and stayed there two years and then came baek. My wife died soon after. Then I married a
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woman from Quebec, named Victoria Ganon, and she died six years ago, and then I mar- ried my present wife, Rosalia.
I never had any fights with the Indians. I never stayed with them except when I was traveling and dealing with them. I never lived with them. They were peaceable.
It is about forty years ago that Leander Car- tier's wife and two children were burned in a house at St. Joseph, Missouri. He (Cartier) was away from home at the time. After that Cartier was good for nothing. They called him the "Crazy Frenchman."
When I bought Bruguier out, and paid him $100, I went on a spree with Ayotte, who was in partnership with old man Bruguier. I was on horseback, and rode from Bruguier's home on the Sioux across the hills, and then off of Prospeet Hill into the Missouri river. The horse I was on went on down the hill into the river, but I caught onto a little mulberry tree three or four feet from the river bank. Four Indians came after me and got me out. Bru- guier knew that I was full of liquor, and sent his son on horseback after me (Lionais). I thought the boy wanted to race and I whipped up my horse and ran him over the face of the hill. I took my whip and whipped my mare all I could, and raced two or three miles.
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