USA > Wisconsin > Winnebago County > History of Winnebago County, Wisconsin, and early history of the Northwest > Part 21
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They reached Garlic Island the first night, where they remained till morning, when they again started and reached the mouth of the Fox in the afternoon. They landed on the south side, and Mr. Stanley, and his son Henry, thoroughly explored the location, and then encamped for the night. The next morning they started for the locality afterwards known as Coon's Point, now in the Fifth Ward of the City of Oshkosh, where they duly arrived and unloaded their goods. The crew assisted him
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
1836.]
to erect a shanty, into which the family moved, and then the former took their departure.
Stanley's nearest neighbor was one Knaggs, an Indian trader on the opposite side of the river. With him Mr. Stanley soon became acquainted, and accepted an offer to take, the ferry and tavern business of Knagg's, on shares. He therefore moved the establishment to his side of the river, and commenced his new vocation.
During that year the Government made a treaty at Cedar Rapids with the Menominee Indians, Governor Dodge acting as com missioner, which resulted in the cession to the United States of about four million acres of land, lying north of Fox River and west of Lake Winnebago. The Governor, while on his return home from the treaty-coun- cil, was ferried across the river by Mr. Stan- ley, whom he informed of the result. Our pioneer then lost no time in availing himself of the knowledge of the purchase, and being joined by Mr. Gallup and the sons of the lat- ter, they made claims to the tract lying on the north side of the mouth of the river. Mr. Gallup's claim embraced the beautiful point formed by the mouth of the river and Lake Winnebago; and contained one hundred and seventy acres. Mr. Stanley's tract adjoined Mr. Gallup's to the west, one hundred and seventeen acres. They erected a house on Mr. Stanley's claim, in which both families lived until the following November, when Mr. Gallup built a log house on his own land, and the future city of Oshkosh had its first perma- nent residents.
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These two families led the way in the present occupancy of the country. We find them here in the midst of an unsettled wilder- ness, the nearest point of intercourse with civ- ilization being Green Bay and Milwaukee, some fifty and seventy-five miles distant, respectively; with no lines of travel, and the nearest settler at Neenah, thirteen miles dis- tant, and the Piers at Fond du Lac, the only white settlers and civilized habitation between here and Milwaukee. But this part of the early history of Oshkosh is best told in the following very interesting and well-written narrative, from the pen of Henry A. Gallup. After mentioning their arrival at Green Bay, and describing that place, he says:
" When we left Ohio our destination was Lake Winnebago, and leaving our father, and mother, and sister, in good quar- ters, myself and brother started for that particular locality without making any inquiries, except as to the direction and clistance. We started on foot, our course being up the Fox River. A sandy road of five miles, thickly settled by French and half-breeds, with quaint-looking houses, many of them sur-
rounded hy palisades and' the windows secured by shutters, brought us to Depere, a rival of Green Bay. Here we found quite a number of houses, and extensive preparations for build- ing more. We were told here it was necessary to cross the river, and were accordingly ferried over in a skiff, an Indian trail pointed out to us to follow, and were told it was ten miles to the first house. Five miles carried us beyond civilization. We expected to find a new country, but were quite unprepared to find it entirely unsettled, and a foot path ten miles in length struck me as remarkable. Our trail led us directly along the river. Sometimes we were on the top of the hill, and then our path would wind down to the very water's edge to avoid some deep ravine, as nature seldom makes bridges. The scenery was beautiful, the side of the river we were upon was quite open, while the other side was heavily timbered. The waters of the broad river undisturbed, except by an occasional Indian canoe, which seemed to float so heantifully, we were sorry we had not adopted that mode of travel. Our trail would some- times pass through a grove of wild plum or crab apple trees with scarcely room enough for a person to pass, which 'sug- dested to us ambuscades, and we were always glad when we were through with them. Indian file was the mode of travel- ing in those days. Our ten miles was soon over ; when we came down upon a low natural prairie, covered with a luxur- iant growth of grass; the river had quite an expansion, and in it were several little grass islands. This was Petit Kackalin, and here was the house spoken of ; a log house with the usual lay-out buildings, and surrounded by a dozen Indian wigwams. This was the residence of Eleazer Williams. The veritable Dauphin of France ; but he was as ignorant of the fact at that time, as we were ourselves. As we approached the house, we were beset by an army of Indian dogs, and their hark was as intelligible to us as anything we heard on the premises. The Indians looked their astonishment at seeing two Kich-e-ma-ka- man hoys in their encampment. We made many inquiries of them, but got laughed at for our pains. As none of Williams' family_ could be found, it seemed like seeking information under difficulties ; and finding the trail that led up the river, we pushed on, feeling satisfied that if we had gained no inform- ation, we had not imparted any, so the Indians and we were even. Our next point, we had been told, was Grand Kack-a- lin, which, for some reason -- perhaps the name -- we supposed was quite a place. . About sundown, we came down from the high bank upon which our trail had been, upon the most beau- tiful flat of land I ever saw, covered with a tufi of short grass and dotted all over with little groves of crab-apple and plum trees. The flat contained perhaps a hundred acres, the hill enclosing it in the shape of a crescent, and the boiling rapid river in front, which here is more than half a mile in width. Here we found several large springs, very strongly impreg- nated with sulphur, at which we drank. Upon this flat we discovered a large pile of buildings which consisted of a large dwelling-house and trading-post, with the necessary out build. ings, and belonging to Mr. Grignon, an Indian trader. This was the Grand Kackalin, but the name is applied to the rapids in the river.
"Our greeting here was still more cordial than at our last place of calling, as there were more dogs. At this house we applied for food and lodging, but without success. Things began to have rather an unpleasant look, and we began to think we were too far from home - twenty miles from Green Bay and fifteen from any place.
"On looking about the premises we discovered, for the first
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
[1836.
time after crossing the river, something that wore pantaloons ; and on accosting him, found that he could speak English. He was half negro, and the balance Stockbridge Indian. He informed us that Mr. Grignon was not at home, and there would be no use of trying to get accommodations in his absence. That he lived directly on the opposite side of the river - that his canoe would not carry us - but he would get an Indian to take us over, and that we should be his guest over night. To all these propositions we readily consented, and procuring an Indian to take us across, we got into a log canoe, when our ferryman, an old Indian of perhaps eighty or ninety years, tak- ing his position in the stern with a shoving pole, shoved us safely through the boiling waters. Passing the night under the hospitable roof of our mixed friend, we hailed our native ferryman, and were again soon upon our march.
"At a point five miles from the Grand Kack-a-lin, called Little Chute, we found a Catholic Mission in course of erection, to which Nym Crynkle gives a very ancient origin. The man- ner of building was a very curious one, which was by setting np posts about eight feet apart, and then filling up between with small logs and pinning through the posts into the corners of the logs. There were but one or two men at work upon it. It was afterwards occupied by a Catholic priest, who was also a physician, and administered to one band of the Menomonee Indians, both bodily and spiritually, with very beneficial results. Five miles further brought us to the Grand Chute, now Appleton. Here was a perpendicular fall in the river of seven feet, but close to the shore the rock had worn away so that a boat could take the plunge in going down, and be led up by ropes if quite light. Here the Durham boats, which did all the freighting at that time up and down the river, were obliged to discharge their freight and roll it along under the bank on poles to above the falls. The boats were then lifted and dragged up by a large party of Indians and reloaded above. The amount of freighting was then considerable. All the Government supplies for Fort Winnebago were passed up this way and detachments of soldiers often passed in the same manner. Nothing could exceed the grandeur of the scenery at this point, everything at that time being in its wild and nat- ural state, and no habitation within miles. Just below the falls, at the mouth of a little ravine, was a little plat of grass turf among a grove of plum and forest trees, entwined with wild grape vines, which was the favorite camping-ground, and a more enchanting spot was never fonnd. I had the pleasure of camping here two nights that same fall, in the month of Novem- ber under most unfavorable circumstances - a crew of drunken Indians with nothing but the canopy of Heaven above us. But still the place had attractions for me. Following the bank of the river a short distance above, our trail suddenly diverged from the river, and we found ourselves floundering through the woods and mud of Mud Creek. This was the first place we had found but what had some attractions. This was dis- mal enough. A few miles and we emerged into another enchanting spot of ground known as Little Bntte des Morts, or Mounds of the Dead. Here on a rising piece of ground are several large mounds where the dead of some Indian battle had been buried. An expansion of the river here is called Little Butte des Morts Lake, at the upper end of which appears to be quite a village. This was Winnebago Rapids, (now Neenah.) Here the Government had built a grist and saw mill and had commenced the building of a large number of small log houses for the Menominee Indians, which were in different stages of completion, when the work was stopped by the Indians con-
senting to sell the land to the Government. Some of the houses the Indians had taken possession of by tearing out the floors and pitching their tent on the ground inside the walls. They were also furnished with four farmers to instruct the Indians in farming, at a salary of $300 per annum, which the Indians paid. These farmers were the only inhabitants of the place, at the house of one of whom, Mr. Clark Dickinson, we were welcomed and furnished with our dinner. We could make but a short stay, as we still had sixteen miles to travel without a habitation.
" Our trail now ran across the country, through prairies and openings, to Knagg's Ferry, now in the Fifth Ward of the City of Oshkosh, and just above Algoma Bridge. I do not suppose I could, at this time, trace that trail through all the highly cultivated fields between these two points. But at that time it was a lonesome journey, indeed; all the low ground was covered with water a foot deep, and grass up to our arms, and in the whole distance we did not see a living thing with the exception of a few prairie chickens. Arriving at the river at the point mentioned, we found a log house belonging to Mr. Knaggs, a half-breed, and owner of the ferry, but which was then run by Webster Stanley, who lived on the opposite side of the river in a board shanty, and who, in answer to our call, came over for us. We were once more among friends. Mr. Stanley had, about two years before, left Ohio and went to Green Bay, and then to Winnebago Rapids, and had, within thirty days previous to our arrival at the ferry, moved to this point. We now learned that our journey, from where we had crossed the river five miles from Green Bay, had all been through Indian territory, and that we were now for the first time on Government land.
" We had at last arrived at our journey's end, and our next object was to bring up the family. There were just two ways to do it. One way was on horseback, by land; the other by water. We adopted the latter, and, procuring a large bark canoe and an Indian, we started. Passing down the river we stopped at an Indian encampment on what is now Jackson's Point, and procured another Indian, which was thought to be sufficient crew - respectively named No-to-kee-sleek and Kish-e-quom - two fellows who were full of fun and frolic, and who, if we could have talked with them would, no doubt, have been very companionable. We then saw, for the first time, the spot on which the City of Oshkosh now stands. Our Indians worked with a will, and we very soon passed through Lake Winnebago, and were in the rapid waters of the Lower Fox. Here the Indians laid aside their paddles and taking long poles confined themselves entirely to steering the boat clear of rocks, the sharp points of many of which were above water. We were leisurely enjoying the beautiful scenery of the river when we were startled by the sudden velocity of out canoe and the wild whoop of our Indians. On looking about us we found ourselves on the very brink of the falls. The Indians had, from a listless manner and sitting posture, sud- denly sprang to their feet, one in the bow, and the other in the stern, and every nerve was strung, for their energies were to be tried to the utmost. Their manner was really terrifying. We had hardly time to notice so much before we had taken the fearful leap and were in the breakers below. One false set with the steering pole and we were surely lost. I watched the Indians closely - they were as pale and stern as marble stat- ues. The bow of our canoe, when we descended into the breakers, struck a rock, which stove considerable of a bole through it, when our leeward Indian, with the quicknes's of
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
1836.]
thought, had his blanket over the hole and his foot upon it. We were going with the speed of a race-horse. About a mile below the falls we were enabled to make a landing and repair damages. We again encountered very rapid and rough water at the Kack-a-lin, but the Indians were masters of the situation and we passed through in safety, and arrived at Green Bay towards night of the same day. Taking the family and a few necessary articles into our frail craft, the next day we started on our return, which we accomplished in two days ; the Indians using paddles in still water, poles in moderately swift water, and walking and leading the canoe when it was very rapid. 1
"The appearance of the country on the west shore of Lake Winnebago, from Neenah up, was beautiful to look upon from our canoe - heavily timbered from Neenah to Garlic Island, and the balance of the way openings.
1
"We had now arrived at the point started for when we left Ohio - the veritable Lake Win- nebago. Now the questions to decide were: Where to locate? Who to buy of? Should we buy? The country from Oshkosh to Nee- nah then belonged to the Menominee Indians. From Oshkosh (or Fox River) south to where Fond du Lac now is, and around on the east side of the lake as far as Calumet, belonged to the Government. Then came the Brother- town Indians' land, fronting six miles on the lake; and, adjoining them north, the Stock- bridge Indians, with the sameamount of front- age; the Government owning the balance of the country around to Menasha.
"We now decided to make the circuit of the lake, so as to better understand the situation, which we accomplished in about a week's time, using a pack-horse to carry our baggage, and encountering but one white family in the round trip, which was Mr. Pier, who had just built a log house on the Fond du Lac Creek. After getting back and comparing notes, the follow- ing was the summing up of all we had seen and heard : First from Green Bay to this point of our sojournment on the west side of the river and lake belonged to the Indians, and but three white families the entire distance of fifty miles, and but one family between us and Fort Winnebago (now Portage City) and Mr. Pier's the only house between here and Mil- waukee and Sheboygan. Being better pleased with the west side of the lake than any other place we had seen, and learning that the Gov- ernment intended trying to purchase it of the Indians the coming fall, we decided to await the issue, in the meantime amusing ourselves with hunting and fishing and explorations. In September I had the pleasure of ferrying Gov- ernor Dodge and suite over the river myself - the ferryman being absent - who was on his way to the annual Indian payment then held at Cedar Rapids, near the Grand Chute, (now Appleton. ) The entire party (six I think) were on horseback, the Governor armed to the
teeth. He had two pairs of pistols, and a bowie knife on his person, and a brace of large horse pistols in his saddle holsters, I suppose to impress upon the Menominees, what he told the Winnebagoes a few years before - that he was as brave as Julius Cæsar. At this pay- ment then held, the treaty was formed, ceding to the Government the territory from here to Green Bay, and although the treaty could not be ratified until December, we did not choose to wait- never doubting but what the old vet- eran Governor knew what he was about. Accordingly in the month of October, 1836, we commenced the erection of two log houses on ground now within the city of Oshkoshı. The Indians were quite plenty here at that time and manifested some curiosity as to what we were doing, but were perfectly friendly. Mr. Webster Stanley was the owner and occu- pant of the first house. About the first of Novem- ber we had to make another trip to Green Bay for our goods. Wehired a boat called a lighter, this time, of about six tons capacity, and with a crew of ten or twelve Indians we made the trip up in seven days, arriving at home on the evening of the sixteenth of November. Camp- ing out and cooking rations for that trip was anything but pleasant at that season of the year. It was the last day that a boat could have passed through, the lake freezing entirely over that night.
"Although liking the excitement of a new country, I must confess that that first winter was rather tedious. Our two families were the only ones nearer than Neenah or Fond du Lac, with no roads but the Lake, and surrounded by Indians, no less than five hundred winter- ing within what is now the City of Oshkosh. The next summer was passed rather more pleasantly, the monotony being relieved by an occasional Durham boat passing up the river with supplies for Fort Winnebago, and fre- quently a company of United States soldiers: "We had made some little progress in the way of farming, and in the fall of 1837 had raised some few crops, and sowed the first acre of winter wheat ever sowed in Wisconsin, and only to have the most of it stolen by the Indians, the next summer, as soon as harvested, they carrying it off in the sheaf in their canoe.
"In the winter of 1837 we had the first accession to our population by the arrival of two more families, Messrs. Evans and Wright, and from that time the country began to set- tle slowly on both sides of the river - that upon the north side not coming into market until 1840. We had given this point (the mouth of the river) the name of "Athens," and goods were so marked at Green Bay des-
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
[1836-77.
tined for this place; but at a meeting of the inhabitants, called for the purpose of choosing a name for this particular locality, which was held at the house of George Wright, and which was attended by all the French and half-breeds from as far up the river as Butte des Morts, and who, in fact, had no interest in the place or its name, it was decided by an even vote that the place or locality should be known hereafter and forever as "Oshkosh." But it came nearer to universal suffrage than any election I everattended, and smoking was par- ticipated in to that extent that you could not recognize a person across the room, the smoke was so dense - plug tobacco and kinnikinick (the bark of a bush by that name) mixed in about equal quantities. Such was the christen- ing of Oshkosh. "
In 1837, Mr. George Wright Sr., and his family, and David and Thomas Evans, settled on land adjoining the Gallups and Stanleys. These four families now comprised the set -. tlement, which was called Athens (rather more classical than the present name), and they are to be regarded as the early founders of the city of Oshkosh. They have all taken an active part in advancing its enterprises, and have proved useful and valuable citizens.
In the following spring, an event of much local interest occurred, chronicled in the Green Bay papers as follows:
MARRIED -At Athens, March 8, 1838, at the house of Chester Gallup, Esq., by the Rev. S. Peet, Mr. Joseph Jackson, and Miss Emeline Wright, daughter of George Wright, Esq., all of that place.
Mr. Jackson and wife shortly after went to Green Bay, where he resided for a short time, and came to Oshkosh again in 1839.
Mr. Stanley lived to see the transition from a wilderness to a populous and thriving city; but he derived but little benefit from his fron- tier enterprise, having, in one way or another, lost all his property, and removed from here a few years since, one of the numerous exam- ples of the pioneers who endure the hardships and privationsincident to the early settlement, and the fruits of whose labors are enjoyed by those who come into after-possession.
Mr. Chester Gallup, an enterprising and deserving man, highly esteemed in the new community, died in 1849; leaving to his chil- dren the inheritance of a good name, and the possession of valuable lands. This land, hav- ing become desirable for village lots, the Gal- lups sold the same, and moved on to farms adjoining the present city limits. But Henry and John were always identified with Oshkosh and its interests, and although a large portion of their early years was passed among the
rough scenes of frontier life, yet they were gentlemen of much culture, fine address and courteous manners, and had acquired, through contact with leading minds and events, and the incongruous social elements which surrounded them, that intimate knowledge of men and things which rather characterize men of varied experience in the great channels of business life. They will be kindly remembered for their hearty and generous hospitality; for their unremitting kindness to neighbors and friends, and their pleasant, companionable qualifications of heart and mind. The writer of this could not pass in this connection with- out paying the above trifling tribute to their worth.
Amos Gallup, who will be well remembered by the old settlers as an enterprising and intelligent man, a kind and good neighbor, moved from here to Missouri, about the year 1860, and died a few years subsequent. John continued to reside in Oshkosh till the time of his death, which occurred in 1876, and Henry lived on his place adjoining the city limits until 1877, when he moved to California.
Mr. George Wright, Sr., died in 1841, uni- versally lamented. His sons, George F., W. W., and P. V. Wright, who succeeded to the estate, have ever taken a prominent part in advancing the interests of the city, and have been among its honored and influential citi- zens. George F. will be remembered for his efforts, in conjunction with Albert Lull and others, to build a railroad to the southwest via Ripon. He was the first County Clerk of this county, and held other responsible offices. He died a few years ago, lamented by a large cir- cle of friends.
W. W. Wright was the first County Treas- urer, and was associated with Joseph Jackson in the survey of the first village plat. P. V. Wright also took an active part in improving and building up the city. A year ago he moved to California, on account of failing health.
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HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
1837-44.]
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Early Settlement of Winnebago County-More Accessions to the Population -Chester Ford - Milan Ford - Jason Wilkins - J. C. Coon-J. L. Schooley - Stephen Brooks -Samuel Brooks - W. C. Isbell - Doctor Christian Linde - Carl Linde - Wm. A. Boyd - Jefferson Eaton - Simon Qual - lermass - Clark Dickenson - C. B. Luce-G. H. Mansur - Harrison Reed Commences Operations at Neenah - Governor Doty and Curtis Reed Commence Work at Menasha - The First House Built at that Place - L. M. Parsons Commences the Settlement at Waukau - First Set- llers in the Several Towns of the County.
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