USA > Wisconsin > Winnebago County > History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its Cities, Towns, Resources, People > Part 14
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John Lawe at once sat down to his desk, and attended to his correspondence and his customers just as if he had arisen from his usual night's rest.
He looked as though nothing had happened.
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X.
WHEN WINNEBAGO COUNTY WAS ALIVE WITH WILD ANIMALS.
The abundance of big game, wild animals, birds, insects and reptiles, which abounded on lake and river, forest and prairie, the sport of the missionary, trader and settler, reads like a tale from the jungles of Africa. Father Claude Dablon wrote 230 years ago on a canoe trip through here that "the quantity of all sorts of game is so great everywhere about here that without much stopping we have killed it at discretion."
The American bison (Bos Americanus), commonly called buf- falo, now nearly extinct on this continent, roamed over Wis- consin in great herds. Marquette describes them in detail, calls them after the native name, "pisikious," and says they were "scattered over the prairies like herds of cattle. I have seen a band of 400." Dablon also says: "Also among these rich pastures where we found buffaloes, which they call 'pisikiou.'" Other travelers also mention them. Down to a late date one party was delayed in their journey down the Wisconsin river awaiting the passage of a herd of buffalo.
The tall, beautiful moose, or moose deer, so often called the elk, the largest of the deer family, the tall, lithe elk of the painter, once thrived in great droves on the grass, willow buds and twigs of this vicinity. The stag has broad, high, towering horns, but the lady moose has no horns. Father Dablon calls it the cow, which the female resembles, and, writing of the prairie lands along the Fox river, says: "On which richly fed wild cows that one meets with pretty often in droves of 400 or 500 beasts." A stray one is sometimes met in our northern forests now. Thirty years ago it was reported as rarely met with. There are a few in upper Michigan, where their killing is pro- hibited for five years. Last spring the writer saw near St. Ignace some beautiful broad, flat antlers, for which $25 had been paid. The owner refused $50.
Common deer are still hunted in Wisconsin. A few years ago they were common here. Earlier they were found over the
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WILD ANIMALS IN WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
whole United States, and are still hunted in sparsely settled parts. I met a hunting party in Georgia last winter that had killed five deer, and last spring saw them flee at the approach of the railway train in northern Michigan. They are mentioned by Allouez in 1670 as being "in sufficient great numbers" along the Fox. Other writers also mention them. They were plenty on Doty Island. Rev. Mr. Clinton once shot one on the site of the Northwestern depot. Deer was the regular meat of the pioneer. They were even shot in door yards, pastures, woods and fields. At Dr. Linde's home a large buck was shot from the front door.
The gray and prairie wolf were once too numerous. The bounty for its scalp and the persistent enmity of the human race for this meanest of the forest rangers has nearly wiped them out. Some still rob hen roosts and kill hogs in the new settlements. Once their dismal howl was the nightly music of our pioneer. Mr. Ben S. Croft, of Appleton, in 1846 went to Neenah for lime. Going home with the bag of lime on his back, his route, on the old trail, lay over a bog across Mud creek. The wolves had fol- lowed him howling, and had got so near that he threw the bag of lime into the creek, and as fear gave him speed, he flew to Mr. Marche's cabin, bolted in and yelled to Marche, "I don't know but you like this kind of music, but I am d-d if I do." In 1849 the wolves were very thick and hungry. They chased a son of John Hofner, near Appleton, for over a mile and nearly caught him, but instead of him they took a yearling steer and badly man- gled a heifer. The wolves make a great noise in howling. The same year bears took Hofner's large hogs.
Both the black and cinnamon bear were frequently shot by the settlers. The meat and fur were valuable. A bear hunt was one of the sports that gave zest and good cheer to the back- woods. Judge Wheeler killed one with a shotgun, Louis Hart killed one on Doty Island, and when Elder Clinton occupied the Governor Doty home he saw one on the Treaty Elm point across the Fox river. He paddled over after Bruin, who seeing his re- treat cut off, took to the water and made for the island. Mrs. Clinton kept him off with stones, clubs and screaming until an Indian arrived at the scene of excitement and dispatched the bear. The Indian then complimented Mrs. Clinton as being a "brave squaw."
One evening a large panther came prowling about the prem- ises, uttering the most terrific screeches. He fired several shots
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at him in the twilight, which may have taken effect, as several days afterward some starving cubs were shot close by.
There is still preserved in the cabinet at Lawrence university the skin of a very large panther which was killed in the limits of the city of Appleton fifty years ago. The wildcat is still met with as a stray from the forests. Among the game either extinct or nearly so is the lynx, red and gray fox, pine marten, white, little and small weasel, mink, otter, badger, wolverine, fox, gray, black and red squirrels, northern hare, which are - white in winter and gray in summer, and gray rabbit. The opossum was once caught in this vicinity.
Perhaps of all the animals of our country the beaver has had the most influence on our history. Its fur was the object for which nations planted outposts and maintained armies, fought for control of this territory, and thousands of brave men risked their lives and great wealth was amassed.
Beaver peltry was the medium of exchange-the money of the country. All accounts were kept in beaver-skin value. The coinage value of beaver was two shillings sixpence. If otter or marten were accepted their value converted into beaver value was otter six shillings and marten one shilling sixpence. The beavers were very numerous. They had their dams and houses on every creek, brook or rivulet. Remains of these dams can still be seen on all our creeks and dry runs, now a ridge running to both sides of a dried up brooklet in the midst of plowed fields. Thousands of beavers were killed for their furs. As it was only valuable when the animal was taken in winter, that was the hunting season. The beaver house was broken up to dislodge the animals, which sought refuge in holes in the banks.
The edge of the ice was sounded for these hollow places, which were broken into and the beaver taken out by the hands, which were often badly bitten. The beaver flesh was good to eat, and "the tail was accounted a luxurious morsel."
As to birds, Captain Carver says of the upper Fox: "This river is the greatest resort of wild fowl of every kind that I met with in the whole of my travels. * * * Frequently the sun would be obscured by them for some minutes together." Mar- quette says: "They obscured the sun in their flight." Father Allouez says : "In passing, we saw clouds of swans, bustards and ducks. * . * Ducks, swans, geese, in great numbers in all these lakes and rivers." The pigeon roosting trees, where they were slaughtered by the thousands, are mentioned. And
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WILD ANIMALS IN WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
Allouez mentions, "Where we saw two turkeys perched on a tree (near Winneconne), male and female, exactly like those of France, same size, same color, same cry."
Edward West relates of his settlement of Omro. "Most kinds of game were made scarce by the Indians, except wolves and prairie hens, which they did not molest. Prairie hens were so numerous that I killed them in great numbers with my gun to save my grain. What could not be eaten were fed to the hogs."
The American white pelican, this large scoop-net fisherman, was formerly a common migrant and, with the heron, sand- hill crane and other strange wild birds, lent a tropical aspect to our picturesque shores now seldom if ever seen, but found moving westward along the Mississippi river was noticed and described by the missionaries who early threaded these streams.
Rev. Catling Marsh describes the dense swarms of Green Bay flies met with on one occasion which is far beyond anything known of now, and all the accounts of the mosquito are vicious as, of course, they were much worse before the lands were dried up.
Dr. Foot killed inside Fort Winnebago a yellow rattlesnake seven and a half feet long. Charles De Langlade and his motly company of French and Indians, on the way to ambush Braddock, relying on such food as they could collect by the way, were at one time nearly starved when they discovered some live rattle- snakes, and by means of forked sticks placed over their necks, severed their heads, dressed the meat and made a savory dish.
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XI.
THE BEAUTY OF THE VIRGIN SCENERY OF THE COUNTY AS DESCRIBED BY TRAVELERS, JUST BEFORE THE COMING OF THE PIONEER.
Mrs. John Kinzie made the journey up river in 1830, and thus describes the incidents of a voyage across this county in its primi- tive condition : "It was a moderate sized Mackinac boat, with a crew of soldiers, and our own three voyageurs in addition, that lay waiting for us, a dark looking structure of some thirty feet in length. Placed in the centre was a framework of slight posts, supporting a roof of canvas, with curtains of the same, which might be let down at the sides and ends, after the manner of a country stage-coach, or rolled up to admit the light and air.
Judge James D. Doty was our admirable traveling companion. He had lived many years in the country, had been with General Cass on his expedition to the head waters of the Mississippi, and had a vast fund of anecdote regarding early times, customs, and inhabitants. The Canadian boatmen always sing while rowing or paddling, and nothing encourages them so much as to hear the "bourgeois" take the lead in the music. If the passengers, more especially those of the fair sex, join in the refrain, the com- pliment is all the greater. Their songs are of a light, cheerful character, generally embodying some little satire or witticism, calculated to produce a spirited, sometimes an uproarious, chorus. It is an invariable custom for the voyageurs to stop every five or six miles to rest and smoke, so that it was formerly the way of measuring distances-"so many pipes," instead of "so many miles." The Canadian melodies are sometimes very beautiful, and a more exhilarating mode of travel can hardly be imagined than a voyage over these waters, amid all the wild magnificence of nature, with the measured strokes of the oar keeping time to the strains of music. With all our tugging and toiling, we had accomplished but thirteen miles since leaving the Kakalin, and it was already late when we arrived in view of the "Grande Chute." near which we were to encamp.
The brilliant light of the setting sun was resting on the high
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BEAUTY OF THE VIRGIN SCENERY.
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wooded banks through which broke the beautiful, foaming, dash- ing waters of the Chute. The boat was speedily turned towards a little headland projecting from the left bank, which had the advantage of a long strip of level ground, sufficiently spacious to afford a good encamping ground. I jumped ashore before the boat was fairly pulled up by the men, and with the Judge's help made by way as rapidly as possible to a point lower down the river, from which, he said, the best view of the Chute could be obtained. I was anxious to make a sketch before the day- light quite faded away. The first sound that saluted our ears in the early dawn of the following morning, was the far-reaching call of the bourgeois: "How! how! how!" uttered at the very top of his voice. All start at that summons, and the men are soon turning out of their tents, or rousing from their slumbers beside the fire, and preparing for the duties of the day. There is, after all, no breakfast like a breakfast in the woods, with a well-trained Frenchman for master of ceremonies. It was a hard day's work to which the men now applied themselves, that of dragging the heavy boat up the Chute. It had been thought safest to leave the piano in its place on board, but the rest of the lading had to be carried up the steep bank, and along its sum- mit, a distance of some hundreds of rods, to the smooth water beyond, where all the difficulties of our navigation terminated. The Judge kindly took charge of me; while "the bourgeois" superintended this important business, and with reading, sketch- ing and strolling about, the morning glided away. Twelve
o'clock came, and still the preparations for starting were not yet completed. Everything being at length in readiness, the tents were struck and carried around the Portage at Grand Chute, and my husband, the judge, and I followed at our leisure. The woods were brilliant with wild flowers, although it was so late in the season that the glory of the summer was well-nigh past. Our encampment this night was the most charming that can be imagined. Owing to the heavy service the men had gone through in the earlier part of the day, we took but a short stage for the afternoon, and, having pulled some seven or eight miles to a spot a short distance below the "little Butte," we drew in at a beautiful opening among the trees. The soldiers now made a regular business of encamping, by cutting down a large tree for their fire and applying themselves to the preparing of a suffi-
cient quantity of food for their next day's journey, a long
stretch, namely, of twenty-one miles on Winnebago Lake. Our
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
Frenchmen did the same. Our supper was truly delightful, at the pleasant sunset hour, under the tall trees beside the waters of the lake; and when the bright, broad moon arose, and shed her flood of light over the scene, so wild yet so beautiful in its vast solitude, I felt that I might well be an object of envy to the friends I had left behind. But all things have an end, and so must at last my enthusiasm for the beauties around me, and, albeit unwillingly, I closed my tent and took my place within, so near the fall of canvas that I could raise it occasionally and peep forth upon the night.
A row of a few miles on the following morning brought us to Four Legs' village, at the entrance to Winnebago lake, a picturesque cluster of Indian huts, spread around on a pretty green glade, and shaded by fine lofty trees. We were now fairly in the Winnebago country, and Four Legs was their principal chief. The inhabitants were absent, having, in all probability, departed to their wintering grounds. The skies, hitherto so bright and serene, became overcast, and, instead of the charm- ing voyage we had anticipated over the silver waters of Lake Winnebago, we were obliged to keep ourselves housed under our canvas shelter, only peeping out now and then to catch a glimpse of the surrounding prospect through the pouring rain. About midway of the lake we passed Garlic Island, a lovely spot, deserving of a more attractive name. It belonged, together with the village on the opposite shore, to "Wild Cat," a fat, jolly, good-natured fellow, by no means the formidable animal his name would imply. He and his band were absent, like their neighbors of Four Legs' village, so there was nothing to vary the monotony of our sail. It was too wet to sing, and the men, although wrapped in their overcoats, looked like drowned chick- ens. They were obliged to ply their oars with unusual vigor to keep themselves warm and comfortable, and thus probably felt less than we the dullness and listlessness of the cold, rainy Octo- ber day.
Towards evening the sun shone forth. We had passed into the Fox river [at Oshkosh], and were just entering that beau- tiful little expanse known as Big Butte des Morts Lake, at the farther extremity of which we were to encamp for the night. The water along its shores was green with the fields of wild rice, the gathering of which, just at this season, is an important occupation of the Indian woman. They push their canoes into the thick masses of the rice, bend it forward over the side with
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BEAUTY OF THE VIRGIN SCENERY.
their paddles, and then beat the ripe husks off the stalks into a cloth spread in the canoe. After this, it is rubbed to separate the grain from the husk, and fanned in the open air. It is then put in their cordage bags and packed away for winter use. The grain is longer and more slender than the Carolina rice. It is of a greenish olive color, and, although it forms a pleasant article of food, it is far from being particularly nutritive. The Indians are fond of it in the form of soup, with the addition of birds or venison."
Mr. and Mrs. Kinzie having gone to Green Bay the following season, intending to journey east, had received by mail informa- tion which changed their plans, and they prepared to return to Fort Winnebago. No boats being available, they journeyed on horseback. Her description of the saddle ride over the Toma- hawk trail is as follows: "I suggested undertaking the jour- ney on horseback. "No, indeed," was the answer I invariably received. "No mortal women has ever gone that road, unless it was some native on foot, nor ever could." Dr. Finey, the post-surgeon at Fort Howard, on hearing the matter debated, offered me immediately his favorite horse Charlie. "He is very sure-footed," the doctor alleged, "and capital in a marsh or troublesome stream."
After crossing the river at what is now Depere, and entering the wild, unsettled country on the west of the river, we found a succession of wooded hills, separated by ravines so narrow and steep that it seemed impossible that any animals but mules or goats could make their way among them. Our Menominee guide Wish-tay-yun took the lead. The horse he rode was accus- tomed to the country, and well trained to this style of road. As for my horse Charlie, he was perfectly admirable. When he came to a precipitous descent, he would set forward his fore- feet, and slide down on his haunches in the most scientific man- ner, while my only mode of preserving my balance was to hold fast by the bridle and lay myself braced almost flat against his back. Then our position would suddenly change, and we would be scaling the opposite bank, at the imminent risk of falling backward into the ravine below. It was amusing to see Wish- tay-yun, as he scrambled on ahead, now and then turning partly round to see how I fared. And when, panting and laughing. I at length reached the summit, he would throw up his hands, and shout, with the utmost glee, "Mamma Manitou1"' (My mother is a spirit.)
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO C(
Our old acquaintances, the Grignons, seen that I should have ventured on such a journe. undertaken it, although they had lived so lo. but then there was no reason why they shc They could always command a canoe or boat to visit "the Bay." From the Kakalin to the where lived a man named Knaggs, was our The country was rough and wild, but we were ing Wish-tay-yun for our guide, so that we way with some degree of moderation. We } forty miles when we reached Knagg's, yet I w fatigued, so that the cosy little room in which Knaggs, and the bright fire, were most cheeri as we had only broken our fast since morning w ers we carried in our pockets, I must own we d to her nice coffee and cakes, not to mention ver bear's meat, the latter of which I had never Our supper over, we looked about for a place room in which we had taken our meal was of sn just sufficient to accommodate a bed, a table pla wall, and the few chairs on which we sat. Ther for any kind of a "shake-down." Where can } the night ?" inquired my husband of Mr. Knaggs, his appearance. "Why, there is no place that I k you can camp down in the old building outside." look at it. It consisted of one room, bare and d chimney, in which a few brands were burning, oc one side of the apartment. Against another was b sort of bunk. This was the only vestige of furnitu: The floor was thickly covered with mud and dirt, of which, near the fire, was seated an old Indian of boiled corn on his lap, which he was scooping t hands and devouring with the utmost voracity. V covered that he was blind. On hearing footsteps al instinctively gathered his dish of food close to him some morose grumblings; but when he was told "Shaw-nee-aw-kee" who was addressing him, his laxed into a more agreeable expression, and he eve his dish and invited us to share its contents. "Br stay here?" I asked. "Can we not sleep out of dor have no tent." replied my husband. "and the weathe to risk the exposure without one." "I could sit in
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
on legen . mes the Grignons. seemed much surperi!
!
entured on such a journey. They had never
n ii. .. agh they had lived so long at the Kakabm: has no reason why they should have lone vo. & creamand a canoe or boat when they wished the ::
. From the Kakalm to the Butte des Morts.
. " -da an named Knages, was our next day's star. "The country : rough and wild, but we were fortunate in has ng Wish-tay . a. for our guide, so that we could make our way with sen degree of moderation We had travelled but. " Forty miles & m we reached Knagg's, get I was both cold and saigav, so that the rosy Kitle room in which we found Mrs. haaggs, and the bright fire. were most cheering objects; and. as we had ... : , broken our fast since morning with a few crack. ers we care: : in our pockets. I must own we did ample juster to her mes offer and cakes, not to mention venison steaks and bear's ne the latter of which I had never before that-d. Cur suppe. over. we looked about for a place of repose. The roma in which we had taken our meal was of small dimensions. just uffic at to accommodate a bed. a table placed against the wail. and he few chairs on which we sat. There was no roo 1 for any . all of a "shake down." Where can you put us for the nigh : `inquired my husband of Mr. Knaggs, when he wade his app anos. "Why. there is no place that I know of. unless you cat aman down in the old building outside." We went to look at . it consisted at one room. bare and dirty. A bug! bien . . in which a few brands were burning. occupied near. one so of the apartment. Against another was built a ricke. queb. This was the only vestige of furniture to to see. . was obiekty covered with and and dirt. in the mat .b. near the fire, was seated an old Indian with a La"
.. ! come on his lap, which he was scooping up with both i morning with the ptpast voracity We song is That he wa. bland On heating footsteps and voices, he
gathered his dish of food close to him, and began : ** * tremblings; but when he was told that it a. ..
ker" who was addressing kim. his features r ...
Fre sarecable expression, and he even held forh "vithat is to share its contents. "but are we ; ! asked "Can we not sleep out of dong?" .Il.
. 1 ... "replied my husband. . and the weather is to ... of the expesite without one." I could sit m a chair
SAleon
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BEAUTY OF THE VIRGIN SCENERY.
night, by the fire." "Then you would not be able to ride to Bellefontaine tomorrow." There was no alternative. The only thing Mr. Knaggs could furnish in the shape of bedding was a small bearskin. The bunk was a trifle less filthy than the floor; so upon its boards we spread first the skin, then our saddle blan- kets, and, with a pair of saddle bags for a bolster, I wrapped my- self in my cloak, and resigned myself to my distasteful accom- modations. The change of position from that I had occupied through the day probably brought some rest, but sleep I could not. Even on a softer and more agreeable couch, the snoring of the old Indian and two or three companions who had joined him, and his frequent querulous exclamations as he felt himself en- croached upon in the darkness, would have effectually banished slumber from my eyes. It was a relief to rise with early morn- ing and prepare for the journey of the day. Where our fellow travellers had bestowed themselves I knew not, but they evi- dently had fared no better than we. They were in fine spirits, however, and we cheerfully took our breakfast and were fer- ried over the river to continue on the trail from that point to Bellefontaine, twelve miles distant from Fort Winnebago."
During the Black Hawk war in July, 1832, Mrs. Kinzie with others at Fort Winnebago were sent down river to Fort Howard, out of any possible danger, and she described this journey in "Wau Bun": "The next morning brought us to Powell's, at the Big Butte des Morts. Sad were the faces of the poor French- men at learning that not a loaf of bread was to be had. Our own store, too, was by this time quite exhausted. The only sub- stitute we could obtain was a bag of dark looking, bitter flour. With this provision for our whole party, we were forced to be contented, and we left the Hillock of the Dead, feeling that it had been indeed the grave of our hopes. By dint of good row- ing, our crew soon brought us to the spot where the river enters that beautiful sheet of water, Winnebago lake [at Oshkosh]. Though there was but little wind when we reached the lake, the Frenchmen hoisted their sail, in hopes to save themselves the labor of rowing across; but in vain did they whistle, with all the force of their lungs, in vain did they supplicate with a comical mixture of fun and reverence. As a last resource, it was at length suggested by some one that their only chance lay in propitiating the goddess of the winds with an offering of some cast-off garment. Application was made all round by Guardapie, the chief spokesman of the crew. Alas! not one of the poor
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