History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin, Part 2

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899. [from old catalog]; Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1298


USA > Wisconsin > Richland County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 2
USA > Wisconsin > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Richland counties, Wisconsin > Part 2


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144 | Part 145 | Part 146 | Part 147 | Part 148 | Part 149 | Part 150 | Part 151 | Part 152 | Part 153 | Part 154 | Part 155 | Part 156 | Part 157 | Part 158 | Part 159 | Part 160 | Part 161 | Part 162 | Part 163 | Part 164 | Part 165 | Part 166 | Part 167 | Part 168 | Part 169 | Part 170 | Part 171 | Part 172 | Part 173 | Part 174 | Part 175 | Part 176 | Part 177 | Part 178 | Part 179 | Part 180 | Part 181 | Part 182 | Part 183 | Part 184 | Part 185


120% Grosse, Herman


1280 Jones, Samuel


1100


Brimer, J. N.


046 Dowling, James


9834 Guess, Oliver.


1263 Jones, Hezekiah


Britton, Orrin I ..


1087 Downs, D. L.


910, Gness, Albert W


lof Jones, Jeduthan


Brownell, Benjamin B ...


12203 Downs, William II


1037 Jones, J. W.


1231


Bunell, Jesse G.


120G Dunn, John.


1068 Hall, Calvin


126% Joslin, W. H


1155


Burnhiều, F. W.


861


Hall, William 11


1038 Joslin, Carlos ..


Burnham. J. W


1204 Eastland, IL.


86] Hallin, B. C


HIS? Joslin, William II


Burnham. Horace L.


110[ Eastland. A. C.


856 Hamoton, Richard Wade. 1251


Burwitz, Christian ..


1143 Eastland, 11. W.


1190 Hamilton, Herman T


1250 Reano, John


Buch. \ IT.


830 Eastland, K. W


$61 Hamilton, Roswell Ri


. 1017 Kelly, John


Bu-by. Harry


32 Edwards, Thomas J.


95; Hamilton, D. S


NOS Kepler, Henry 1125


Bution, Leonard 1002 Eldred, R. S. 1007 Haney, J. W.


1003


Byrd. D. H.


830 Elliott, Joseph


1:26 Hanson, Nels.


Kimcannon. Marlon MI


Bellville, C. D.


828;Coffinberry, J. W .


55G Francis, William


12254 Hillman, W. J 1212


Bender, William ..


1047 Collins, William F.


1186 Freeborn, S. I.


109] Hitchcock, J. B


Bennett, George E


1207 Conner. Henry


1222; Freeman, Morris


1219 Hoke, George


1061 Hyuck, Wensel 1068


Bills, James 1.


1005 Davis, John C.


031 Gartieki, William W. 934 Irish, Joseph E 531


860| Davis. Samuel.


93: Garner, E. S.


Blake, Simon S


1143 David, O. F.


1236 Ghormley, Michael.


Bock, Hugo N


1010 Dawson, William Henry ..


114: Glasier, Il. W.


9031 Gunnell. Thomas. 1206


luchanan, Jr .. Robert ... Buchanan, Robert


12331 Driskill, Obediah


1235 Durnford. Alfred


562 Hale, Zachariah


43 Jones, John D


Jones, Warrington. 1231


Breve. E. W.


941 Coates, J. T ..


123:| Fowler, John W


934 Hartshorn, Dr Haseltine, Ira S


Austin, E. P .. 1258 Chandler, D. O.


1218 Fereber, Samuel


1035 Haseltine, Hascal ..


1256 Ferguson, John W


1067 Hawkins, R. C 531


Bachtenkircher, James ...


979| lark. E. I.


1230 Fhekner, Peter


969 Haseltine, Orin


91 Ewing, Joshua


1050 Fries, Henry W


Bickford, A. W ..


Garfield, William W


XII


TABLE OF CONTENTS.


PAGE.


PAGE.


PAGE.


PAGE.


Kincannon, William MI


1225 Miller, William


1030 Rice, Daniel.


1186 Strang, George H. 12210


Kinder, Peter.


1224 Miller, Jacob J


1020 Richards, William.


1121 |Straight. Albert J. 1254


Kinney, Thomas


934 Miller, George


942 Rizer, John H.


977 Stratton, A. M. 1234


Kinyon, Budington


1250 Miller, R M


946 Roberts, Jchiel W ..


1293 Stroud. A. E ..


861


Klingler, John.


1185 Millison, Levi.


1264 Robinson, William


1033 Stuart, Charles. 1256


Knight, Joseph


1201 Miner, James H.


863 Robinson, William.


1018 Surrem, John E. 1021


Koch, Jeremiah ..


1066 Minett, William


1119 Robinson, Henry


1019 Sutton, R. 865


Koenig, Rev. Henry


1077 |Misslich, William


1098 Robinson, William F


1019 Sweet, W.S.


564


SKrouskop, George


1184; Mitchell, G. R


946 Rodolph, Frank G


1030


859|Tadder, Gorman. 938


Kuykendall. Alfred


1004 Moore. C. J


1235 Rose, Sidney.


1185 Telfair, R. L. 945


120] Thomas, L. G. 1006


1234 Thomas. J. M .. 1102


1040 Thompson, A. P. 857


Larson, August.


1210 Moyes, James


1279 Rummery, Thomas J.


1039 Thoip, L. M. 12327


Laws, James


1140 Muhler, George ..


1050 Runyan, Leri.


1006 Tiuker, Allen


1276


Laws, G. L ..


827 Mukler, Jr., Amadeus


1050 Rutan, John ....


827 Toms, Henry 1204


Lawrence, Fred B


1209 Munson, Oliver G


1210


Totton, Jonathan 936


Towsley. A. W 1009


Leatherberry, Thomas J ..


1062 Murray, William


1291 salisbury, Jolin.


1289


Travers, Arthur W


1065


Lewis. James


1142 Murphy, Edward


1:252 Sanford, Frank.


1209


Travers, Heury


1065


Lewis, Andrew


939 Murphy. Michael 860


864 Sargent, George L. Scholl, Christopher ..


1258


Lewis, William F


1007 Neefe, Charles A


986 Schmitz, Mathias Joseph.


1105


Turner, Jonathan


1049


Lineoln, Levi J


1104 |Newburn, Jeremiah B 1033 Schmidt, Frederick C ..


1144


Logan T. P.


1233 Nichols, D. P


1002 Schurman, William.


1182


Van Dusen, Lawrence 859


Logan, James


1233 Noble, William J


Ill5 Scott, John S ..


1121


Sellers, James A.


485


Long, Samuel


1002 Noble, Samuel.


1234 Sexton, E. M


1064 Sexton, Morris


931 Waggoner, Peter


12250


Lucas, James.


1036 Norman, George


1064 Shaffer. John


1037 Waggoner, Caleb .. 1189


94] Waggoner, William J 1049


1138 Walworth. John I201


1207 Wan HI. J .. 946


McCarthy, Patrick H


1060 Nourse, Elijah.


1095 Shireman, Ammi


1191 Wallace, John 1003


McCarthy, Conelius ..


936 Nudd, Amos.


859 Shontz, John A.


1098 Wallace David


9.15


McCaskey, Josiah


857


1092 Ogden, William.


1104 Sehuermao, Henry


1139


Walser, Henry T


93] Walser, Hiram H. 1068


McCullum, J. L. R


1088 Page, Andrew J


829 Simpson, William


1099 Wanless, Archibald


1120


MeCollum, Asa


1088 Palmer, Oswald


1068 Sippy, Joseph


930 Washburn, James


1258


McGrew, J. B


1122 Parfrey, A. C ..


1206 |Slaughter. A. B


828


Watt, James


1266


Mckay, R. N


1211 Parsons, David E.


834 Slocum, C. W.


1215 Webb, Robert


978


McKee, J. L


1186 Parsons, Thomas 936 Pateh, Franeis M


1125 Smith, B. N ..


1211


Weldy. James D.


1038


McMahan, Isaac McMillan, Samuel


438 Pease, Myron C.


1097 Welton, Hiram


533


McMurtrie, Joseph


832 Pease, E ..


1205 Smith, Whitney.


1211 Welton. 0 S


1251


McNelly, Henry


[HO Pecknam, W. R ..


985 Smith, Philip


1128 West, Moses B. 1135 Wheaton, Theodore


1249 1011


Mainwaring, John


1140 Persinger, Levi.


1249 Wherry, Demas


1062


Manchester, T. A


101% Pickard, W. J


1193 Smith, C. H ..


830 Whitcomb, Myron.


934 Whiteraft, Thomas J 1190


1234 White, George C


Marshall, Joseph


1115 Pierce, Converse


1279 Smith, Jerry A


967 White, Marvin


1289


Markham. Edward


1292 Pratt, Richard


1255 Soule, James J


125 ;. Wiley, William Willis, John W


1:294


Mason, Thomas


1063|Pratt, W. E


1201 Southard, Ransom E


Mason, James Edward


1063 Priest, Henry.


911 Southard, James


1087


1208 Winn, John ... 1192


Mathews. Thomas


1135


858|Spangler, George L Stayton, John.


1247


Winterburn, Benjamin


1101


Matthews, John J


831 Queen, Benjamin W


1119 Stewart, R. B.


12.8%


Wolf, Abraham 1009


Mayfield, Green


1137 |Ragles, Ab‹ 1.


1100 Stewart, James II


Meeker, John A


1060 Randall, Miles.


860 Wright, John


1988


Meeker, Robert Douglas ..


1259 Wright, J. C 947


Merrill, Henty.


1124 Rreob, William ..


937 Stockton, J. C


1182 Wright, W. C


Mickel, George N.


1290 Recob. William ..


1034 Storms, Daniel


Miller, Abram


1143 Reniek, Lattimore


1058 Stowell, Anson


Miller, John ..


1144 Reynolds, Jefferson J ..


1009 Stockwell, Robert M


1065


Miller, Henry.


1247 Rhodes, Joseph H


100, Stoddard, Valontine


1288 Young, E. P.


930


832 Rodolph, Charles G


Krouskop, William


1003 Moody, Joseph


1277 Rogers, Salma ..


1048 Telfair, Byron W


Lamberson, J. G.


1099 Moon, Joseph


1123 Ross, O


Lane, A. D.


1194 Morrison, Henry J.


1003 Roth, George F


Lawton, Isaac R.


1019 Munson, Martin.


9'4 Saltsman, Willlam 1126


Leiber, John,


1292 Murphy, Daniel.


1287 Sands, John G.


1011


Truesdale, John Tubbs, R. A. 1049


112"


Lincoln, Oscar B


1280 Neff, Albert S.


1063 Schmitz, Mrs. M. J ..


1105


1252 Van Pool, Jacob. 1020


Looker, Edmund B


1128 Noble, Daniel


Lybrand. J. W. 1200 Norman, Joshua J


Norman. James


1064 Sherman, M. L


1263 Shookman Philip


1258 Walker, J. F.


1197


McCorkle, William


899,Ostrander, D. B


1103|Ott, Isaac G. B


1050 Sigrist, Henry Simons, Jacob


McCord. B. F


988 Palmer, L. B


834 Sires, Alexander


McDonald, Daniel


1250 Parfrey, Edward


1206 Slater, George.


1032 Washburn, B. F.


1020 Wenker, Sebastian


1279


MeMurtrey, Lee ..


1207 Peckham, Levi.


1099 West, Edward


MeNurlen, William


1005 Pepin, Cleophus.


1050 Smith, John ..


Manning, ErasmusDarwin 1038


Phoenix, Ludger


1275 Smith, David


1266


Whitcomb, C. C.


Manley, Menzies Phelps Marsh, S. B


1231 Piekering, William


1034 Smith, Edward


Marshall, George L Martin, James


1117 Pierson, Charles B


970|smyth. John R


1291 Wildermuth, David


1199 Powell, Joseph


1032 Snow, Daniel ..


1180 Wilson. John S. 859


Mathews, Hubert


1034 Priest, Daniel B.


1132


Stewart, Mablon


998 Wright. I. J. 119[


1066 Reagles, Ezra


1291 Stevenson, F. M


1087 Wiltront, Adamı A


Winton, Nathan


Mayfield, David.


1095 Pickard, S. W


1197 Smith, Henry J.


1139 Waller, George W


1040


MeCorkle, C. M.


McCorkle, Joseph C


1097 Norman, Caleb H.


1064 Shambaugh, Adam


1064 Sherman, Frederick


857 Waddell, John 1183


Loveless, A


829 Norman, Sr., George


Lunenschloss, William


933 Moody, E. L


Krouskop, Jacob.


Moore, R. S


1009 Ross, W. D. S.


1259


Tracy, Lucius 1089


Lewis, James. .


Turgasen. Jobu. 975


1093 Ward, Edgar 479


1017 Smith, Frank O


936 Smith, Mathias M.


1124 Smith, Isaac O


1228 Smith, Angus.


1256


931 Stewart, Charles D.


1197 Vulling, E. " Mtil


ICO5 Wulfing, William 1182


Certificates of Crawford and Richland Counties.


Wo the undersigned members of the committee appointed to revise and correet the General History of Crawford County, Wisconsin, do hereby certify that the manuscript of said history was submitted to us and that we made all the changes and additions that we, in our judgment. deemed necessary; and as corrected, we are satisfied with and approve the same. Prairie du Chien, Jan. 29, 1884. [Signed.]


Win. T. Sterling, B. W. Brisbois, James Fisher John 11. Tower. Win. D. Morrell, Alexander M. Beach, John R. Hurlbut,


Committee.


We the undersigned committee appointed for the purpose of correcting the History of our respective towns for the History of Crawford County, hereby cortify that the manuscript has been read to us, and that to the best of our recollee- tion, with the corrections and additions we have made, the sume is a correct history.


11. 0. King, 11. Barrette, Mrs. Lydia Atherton.


John HI. Tower, Henry Eibret.


Samuel A. Clark,


Edward Garvey,


Samuel Armstrong.


Seneca.


G. A. Smith, (. W. Baker.


W. D. C. Lewis, J. N. Kast.


Prairie du Chien.


James A. Curran,


William T. Sterling.


Utica.


Z .. Bench,


James Fisher.


A. N. Hazen.


S. L. Wannemaker, S. S. Ferrol, J. M. Callaway.


Ralph Smith,


Mrs. R. Smith,


Eastman


Marietta.


We, the undersigned, members of the committer appointed to revise and correet the general chapters of the History of Richland county, Wisconsin, compiled by the Union Publishing Company of Springfield, Illinois, hereby certify that the said manuscript was submitted to us; that we examined and heard the same read, and that, we have made all the changes. corrections and additions that we in our judgment and to the best of our recollection deem necessary, and as corrected we are satisfied with and approve of the same. Richland Center, Jan. 8, 1884. [Signed.]


D. L. Downs,


James H. Miner,


J. M. Thomas,


R. M. Miller,


Israel Janney.


Committee.


Jas. Bachtenkircher. James Brady. .John Torgerson. Akan.


Win. Pizer. J. M. Hurless, D. V. Dellart. Bloom.


Samuel Long, J. W. Fuller, L. G. Thomas. Buena Vista.


J. T. Barnes,


Jacob Berger.


Dayton.


1. 11 Newburn,


George Miller,


William Robinson.


Eagle.


Salma Rogers, L. Clift.


Forest.


L. Renick. J. M. Garfield P. H. Mccarthy. Henrietta.


Thomas Mathews,


William Dooley,


II enry Sigrist.


Orion.


James Il. Miner.


David G. James,


D. Strickland,


David Mayfield.


Richland


John Donahoe.


A. Tinker.


Moses Bible.


Westford.


.James French,


R. B. Stewart.


V. Stoddard.


Samuel Noble,


R. M. Miller,


.Joseph Elliott.


Richtenod.


Willow.


Daniel Noble.


Archiball Wanless.


W. F. Kepler.


Marshall.


Abel P. Hyde,


George Fogo,


J. S. Scott.


Rockbridge .


Asahel Savage.


Grn. H. Babb.


N. Grim.


Sylvan.


William Dixon, C. G. Thomas, Peter A. MIckle, E. Devoe. Ithaca.


J. R. Hurlbut, Chancey Kast, Charles Coalburn. Scott. Wnuzcha.


Bridgeport .


Freeman.


John Folsom,


T. A. Savage.


Mlayton,


Hancy.


HISTORY OF WISCONSIN. 2


CHAPTER I.


PRE-HISTORIC AND SETTLEMENT.


A T a remote period there lived in this coun- try a people now designated mound build- ors. Of their origin nothing is known. Their history is lost in the lapse of ages. The evi- dences, however, of their existence in Wiseon- sin and surrounding States are numerous. Many of their earth works-the so-called mounds-are still to be seen. These are of various forms. Some are regularly arranged, forming squares, octagons and circ'es; others are like walls or ramparts; while many, especially in Wisconsin, are imitative in figure, having the shape of implements or animals, resembling war clubs, tobacco pipes, beasts, reptiles, fish and even man. A few are in the similitude of trees.


In selecting sites for many of their earth works, the mound-builders appear to have been influenced by motives which prompt civilized men to choose localities for their great marts; hence, Milwaukee and other cities of the west are founded on ruins of pre-existing struc- tures. River terraces and river bottoms scem


to have been favorite places for these mounds. Their works are seen in the basin of the Fox river, of the Illinois, and of Rock river and its branches, also in the valley of the Fox river of Green bay, in that of the Wisconsin, as well as near the waters of the Mississippi. As to the object of these earth works, all knowledge rests upon conjecture alone. It is generally believed that some were used for purposes of defense, others for the observance of religious rites and as burial places.


In some parts of Wisconsin are seen earth works of a different character from those usu- ally denominated "mounds." These, from their supposed use, are styled "garden beds." They are ridges or beds about six inches in height, and four feet in width. They are arranged methodically and in parallel rows. Some are rectangular in shape; others are in regular curves. These beds occupy fields of various sizes, from ten to a hundred acres.


The mound builders have left other evidences besides monnds and garden beds, to attest their


1


18


HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.


presence in this country, in ages past. In the Lake Superior region exist ancient copper mines, excavations in the solid rock. In these mines have been found stone hammers, wooden bowls and shovels, props and levers for raising and supporting mass copper, and ladders for descending into the pits and ascending from them.


There are, also, scattered widely over the country, numerous relies, evidently the handi- work of these pre-historic people; such as stone axes, stone and copper spear-heads and arrow heads, and various other implements and uten- sils. As these articles are frequently discov- ered many feet below the surface of the ground, it argues a high antiquity for the artificers. These relics indicate that the mound builders were superior in intelligence to the Indians. None of their implements or utensils, however, point to a "copper age" as having succeeded a "stone age." They all refer alike to one age, the indefinite past; to one people, the mound builders.


There is nothing to connect "the dark back- ward and abysm" of mound-building times with those of the red race of Wisconsin, And all that is known of the savages inhabiting this section previous to its discovery, is exceedingly dim and shadowy. Upon the extended area bonnded by Lake Superior on the north, Lake Michigan on the east, wide-spreading prairies on the south, and the Mississippi river on the west, there met and mingled two distinet In- dian families, Algonquins and Dakotas. Con- eerning the various tribes of these families, nothing of importance could be gleaned by the earliest explorers; at least, very little has been preserved. Tradition, it is true, pointed to the Algonquins as having, at some remote period, migrated from the east, and this has been con- firmed by a study of their language. It indi- cated, also, that the Dakotas, at a time far be- yond the memory of the most aged, came from the west or southwest, fighting their way as they came; that one of their tribes once dwelt


.


npon the shores of a sea; but when and for what purpose they left their home for the country of the great lakes there was no evi- denee. This was all. In reality, therefore, Wisconsin has no veritable history ante-dating its discovery by civilized man. The country has been heard of, but only through vague re- ports of savages .* There were no accounts at all, besides these, of the extensive region of the upper lakes; while of the valley of the npper Mississippi, nothing whatever was known.


FIRST EXPLORATION OF THE NORTHWEST.


The history of Wisconsin commences with the recital of the indomitable perseverance and heroie bravery displayed by its first visitant, John Nicolet. An investigation of the career of this Frenchman shows him, at an early age, leaving his home in Normandy for the new world, landing at Quebec in 1618, and at once seeking a residence among the Algonquins of the Ottawa river, in Canada, sent thither by the governor to learn their language. In the midst of many hardships, and surrounded by perils, he applied himself with great zeal to his task. Having become familiar with the Algonquin tongne, he was admitted into the councils of the savages.


The return of Nicolet to civilization, after a number of years immured in the dark forests of Canada, an excellent interpreter, qualified him to aet as government agent among the wild western tribes in promoting peace, to the end that all who had been visited by the fur-trader might remain firm allies of the French. Nay, further: it resulted in his being dispatched to Nations far beyond the Ottawa, known only by heresay, with whom it was believed might be opened a profita' le trade in furs. So he started on his perilous voyage. Ile visited the Hurons, upon the Georgian bay. With seven of that Nation, he struck boldly into wilds to the north- ward and westward never before visited by civ- ilized man. He paddled his birch canoe along


*Compare Champlain's Voyages, 1632, and his map of that date; Sagard's, Histoire du Canada: Le Jeune Relation, 1632.


19


HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.


the eastern coast of Lake Huron and up the St. Mary's Strait to the falls. Ile floated back to the Straits of Mackinaw, and courageously turned his face toward the west. At the Sault de Ste. Marie, he had-the first of white men-set foot upon the soil of the northwest.


Nicolet coasted along the northern shore of Lake Michigan, ascended Green Bay, and finally entered the mouth of Fox river. It was not until he and his swarthy Hurons had urged their frail canoes six days up that stream, that his western exploration was ended. He had, mean- while, on his way hither, visited a number of tribes; some that had never before been heard of by the French upon the St. Lawrence. With them all he smoked the pipe of peace; with the ancestors of the present Chippewas, at the Sault; with the Menomonces, the Winneba- goes, the Mascontins, in what is now the State of Wisconsin; with the Ottawas, upon the Man- itoulin Islands, and the Nez Perces, upon the cast coast of Lake Huron. He made his outward voyage in the summer and fall of 1634, and re- turned the next year to the St. Lawrence. He did not reach the Wisconsin river, but heard of a "great water" to the westward, which he mistook for the sea. It was, in fact, that stream, and the Mississippi, into which it pours its flood.


"History cannot refrain from saluting Nicolet as a distinguished traveler, who, by his explora- tions in the northwest, has given clear proofs of his energetic character, and whose merits have not been disputed, although, subsequently, they were temporarily forgotten." The first fruits of his daring were gathered by the Jesuit fathers, even before his death; for, in the autumn of 1641, those of them who were among the Hurons at the head of the Georgian bay of Lake Iluron, received a deputation of Indians occupying the "country around a rapid [now known as the 'Sault de Ste. Marie'], in the midst of the channel by which Lake Superior empties into Lake Huron," inviting them to visit their tribe. These "missionaries were not displeased


with the opportunity thus presented of knowing the countries lying beyond Lake Huron, which no one of them had yet traveled;" so Isaac Jogues and Charles Raymbault were detached to accompany the Chippewa deputies, and view the field simply, not to establish a mission. They passed along the shore of Lake Huron, northward, and pushed as far up St. Mary's strait as the Sault, which they reached after seventeen days' sail from their place of starting. There they-the first white men to visit the northwest after Nicolet-harrangued 2,000 Chippewas and other Algonquins. Upon their return to the St. Lawrence, Jogues was captured by the Iroquois, and Raymbault died on the 22d of October, 1642,-a few days before the death of Nicolet .*


WISCONSIN VISITED BY FUR TRADERS AND JESUIT MISSIONARIES.


Very faint, indeed, are the gleams which break in upon the darkness surrounding our knowledge of events immediately following the visit of Nicolet, in what is now the State of Wisconsin. That the Winnebagoes, soon after his return, made war upon the Nez Perces, kill- ing two of their men, of whom they made a feast, we are assured .* We also know that in 1640, these same Winnebagoes were nearly all destroyed by the Illinois ; and that the next year, the Pottawattamies took refuge from their homes upon the islands at the mouth of Green bay, with the Chippewas.t This is all. And had it not been for the greed of the fur trader and the zeal of the Jesnit, little more, for many years, probably, woukl have been learned of the northwest. However, a ques- tioning missionary, took from the lips of an Indian captaint "an account of his having, in the month of June, 1658, set out from Green Bay for the north, passing the rest of the sum- mer and the following winter near Lake Supe- * History of the di-covery of the northwest by John Nico- let in 1634, with a sketch of his life, by C. W. Butterfield, Cincinnati. Robert Clarke & Co., 1881.


* Le Jeune, Relation, 1636.


+ Col. Hist. New York ix, 161.


$ Not 'captive. " as somo local histories have it.


20


HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.


rior ; so called in consequence of being above that of Lake Huron. This Indian informed the Jesuit of the havoc and desolation of the lro- quois war in the west ; how it had reduced the Algonquin Nations about Lake Superior and Green bay. The same missionary saw at Que- bec, two Frenchmen who had just arrived from the upper countries with 300 Algon- quins in sixty canoes, laden with peltries. These fur traders had passed the winter of 1659 on the shores of Lake Superior, during which time they made several trips among the surrounding tribes. In their wanderings they probably vis- ited some of the northern parts of what is now Wisconsin. They saw at six days' jour- ney beyond the lake toward the southwest, a tribe composed of the remainder of the Hurons of the Tobacco Nation, compelled by the Iroquois to abandon Mackinaw and to bury themselves thus deep in the forests, that they could not be found by their enemies. The two traders told the tales they had heard of the ferocious Sioux, and of a great river upon which they dwelt-the great water of Nicolet. Thus a knowledge of the Mississippi began to dawn again upon the civilized world."*


The narratives of the Indian eaptain and the two Frenchmen induced further exploration two years later when Father Rene Menard attempted to found a mission on Lake Superior, with eight Frenchmen and some Ottawas. He made his way in 1660 to what is now Keweenaw, Mich. He determined while there to visit some Hu- rons on the islands at the mouth of Green bay. He sent three of his companions to explore the way. They reached those islands by way of the Menominee river, returning to Keweenaw with discouraging accounts. But Menard re- solved to undertake the journey, starting from the lake with one white companion and some Ilurons ; he perished, however, in the forest, in what manner is not known, his companion reaching the Green bay islands in safety. White men had floated upon the Menominee, * liistory Northern Wisconsin, p. 30.


so that the northeastern part of what is now Wisconsin, as well as its interior by'Nicolet in 1634, had now been seen by civilized white mant.


FOUNDING OF JESUIT MISSIONS IN WISCONSIN.


In August, 1665, Father Claude Allouez embarked on a mission to the country visited by Menard. Early in September he had reached the Sault de Ste. Marie, and on the first day of October, arrived in the bay of Chegoimegon, at a village of Chippewas. Here he erected a chapel of bark, establishing the first mission in what is now Wisconsin to which he gave the name of the Holy Spirit. While Allouez had charge of this field, he either visited or saw, at Chegoimegon, scattered bands of Hurons and Ottawas ; also Pottawat- tamies from Lake Michigan, and the Saes and Foxes, who lived upon the waters of Fox river of Green bay. He was likewise visited by the Illinois, and at the extremity of Lake Superior he met representatives of the Sioux. These declared they dwelt on the banks of the river "Messipi." Father James Marquette reached Chegoimegon in September, 1669, and took charge of the mission of the Holy Spirit, Allouez proceeding to the Sault de Ste. Marie, intending to establish a mission on the shores of Green bay. lle left the Sault Nov. 3, 1669, and on the 25th, reached a Pottawattamie cabin. On the 2d of December he founded upon the shore of Green bay the mission of St. Francis Xavier, the second one established by him within what are now the limits of Wisconsin. Here Allouez passed the winter. In April, 1670, he founded another mission ; this one was upon Wolf river, a tributary of the Fox river of Green bay. Here the missionary labored among the Foxes, who had located upon that stream. The mission, the third in the present Wisconsin, he called St. Mark.




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