USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Milwaukee > Pioneer history of Milwaukee > Part 19
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MENASHA, September, 14, '49.
Messrs. Seaver & Gunnison :
There are many persons who desire the preservation of Indian names of places and streams in this country. I am willing to contribute to this object whatever
25
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
information I can obtain in this quarter from those whose knowledge is deemed the most certain.
If you should consider it a matter of any interest, the publication of the enclosed sheet may perhaps excite the attention of others and induce a similar collection of them.
In spelling these words, I used the letters with English sounds invariably. Those who spell Indian names for English use with the French letters, create great confusion, as well as difficulty both in pronunciation and spelling.
Wonckumeyo-The curved shore -- Fond du Lac.
Waushukaneno-The opening in the timber-Calumet.
Kiskutano-The straight cut-Clifton, or the bank at the north-east end of Winnebago Lake.
Winnebago Lake-This name is given by the Menomonies. That given by the Winnebagoes is Necsakoocheerah.
Menasha-The island, Doty island, the town on the north channel of the outlet of Winnebago Lake.
Shankecoh-The mouth of the river-Oshkosh.
Neenah-Fox river of Green Bay-clear water ; a town on the south channel of the outlet of Winnebago Lake.
Waupakun-Island-City island, in Peepeek lake.
Konomee-The cascade -Grand chute.
Wauweyahpeta ---- The whirlpool ---- Lawsbury, Appleton.
Makeenukochaputcha ---- The planted Red cedar, Cedar Point.
Kenomee shaliska ---- The little cascade, petite chute.
Kaukauna ---- The pickerel fishery, Grand Kaukaulau
Nahmahoshauma ---- Where the sturgeon spawns ---- Rapide de Croche
Waupononic ---- The mouth of Plum creek ---- the name of an Indian who lived there ; Bridgeport.
Wanpakun aukumie ---- Plumb creek ---- the clayriled river.
Kepaukanano ---- Where the river appears to be shut in, Depere.
Poacheket ---- The town of Green Bay.
Peekwautano-The hill-Butte des Morts.
Waynekuna-The place of the skull.
Powayienna-The place for gathering rice.
Powawgun lake --- The annuity payment ground.
Kushkanekun-The dam at Menasha.
Tayko Poini-At the foot of Peepeek lake.
Wauonah ---- The Neenah and Wisconsin Portage.
Wistweyor-The blacksmith, the name of an old, and one of the best pilots on Neenah river-Grand river.
Weyawega ---- The whirlwind ; the name of an old pilot ---- the name of a steam boat built at Neenah in 1849.
Peepeesaukee ---- The meeting of the waters ; Prairie du Chien.
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
Taycheedah ---- The village of the lake.
Neesoocherah ---- The red water, Fond du Lac.
REPUDIATION.
In the Sentinel of October 17th, is the following report of a meet- ing of the common council held the previous evening and headed
EXCITING TIMES IN MILWAUKEE.
The common council held a large and interesting meeting yesterday at which they concluded to stop fooling, pay their debts and behave themselves, the new city engine having been levied upon to pay the $1700 bond issued to Har- rison & Co., of Boston.
A bond for $ 1700 had been issued to this firm for a fire engine and as the council was somewhat dilatory in providing for its payment, the city was sued and the engine levied upon. It brought them to time in short order, and for a while after that they behaved very well, but they were a circus most of the time ; the same as in the present board, the difference in ability, if any, being, in favor of the old timers.
LEGISLATURE.
The following (elected November 6, 1848) were sent from Mil- waukee :
SENATE-Asa Kinney and John B. Smith.
ASSEMBLY-Jas. B. Cross, Zelotus A. Cotton, Julius White, Stod- dard H. Martin.
There was also a vote taken on free suffrage (meaning the blacks) with the following result:
VOTE ON FREE SUFFRAGE.
Yes.
No.
First Ward.
183
181
Second Ward.
44
71
Third Ward.
26
17
Fourth Ward
105
71
Town of Wauwatosa
61
5
Town of Granville.
3
II
Majority for Free Suffrage 66.
It was " nip and tuck," as the phrase goes, with free suffrage in Milwaukee in those days.
COUNTY.
John White was elected county treasurer, Chas. Lorenzen, county clerk, and F. T. Schumacher county surveyor.
208
MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
The following was the vote for senator :
SENATOR.
D. C. Reed. W. A. Prentiss. S. C. West.
Third Ward.
385
137
Fourth Ward
196
50
34
Fifth Ward.
167
58
24
Lake ...
61
So
Greenfield
121
23
Oak Creek.
109
Total
1,042
318
58
Note-Alex. Matheson received 24 votes for senator.
Among the dfferent matters to come before the legislature the coming session in 1849 was the contemplated division of the First Ward, to which at first, as there always is to every public improve- ment, there was much opposition, and W. W. Brown, who was a can- didate for legislative honors, was called upon to give a pledge not to go in for it, which he did. The Sentinel in commenting upon the candidacy of James B. Cross and John E. Cameron, (who was also a candidate) after giving the party some good advice, wound up as follows :
As for John Cameron, he had better stay home and attend to his paper mill, and his constituents will doubtless think so too.
John was, however, elected and made a good member.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
This gentleman was a brother to the late D. C. Cameron, or Dunc., (as Abner Kirby styled him in his ill-timed eulogy at the pioneer banquet, February 22, 1884,) and was a man of considerable importance as well as influence, from 1846 to 1850. He ran the Plankinton House stable for a short time. He was a jovial, whole- souled fellow (as the phrase goes) very fine looking and a noted one thousand and oner. S. B. Davis could testify to that fact if living. He never forgave John for inducing him to join the order,* and the message that he left for him at Belden's Old Home saloon, would not look well in print. Mr. Cameron died of cholera in 1852, and his reply when told by Dr. L. M. Tracy that he could not live, was characteristic of the man ; it was, "let her flicker." He was buried
*I suppose a madder man never lived than was S. B. Davis at John Cameron for getting him initiated into the 1001. He hunted for him diligently in order to whale him, but John was non est. It was rich.
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
by the Odd Fellows, of which association he was a prominent mem- ber. I remember that day very well.
GRADING.
There was much complaint this year about the amount of grading done on certain streets, ending in a call for a public meeting, Sep- tember 3, for the purpose of ventilating the matter. The following are the proceedings had at this meeting :
PUBLIC MEETING.
Pursuant to a notice published in the Sentinel and Gazette, the owners of lots situated between Mason and Michigan Streets, in the Ist and 3d Wards of the City of Milwaukee, assembled at the City Hotel, on Saturday evening, Sept. 8th, 1849, for the purpose of taking into consideration the project introduced into the Board of Aldermen for an alteration of the grade of Wisconsin Street, from East Water Street to the Lake, and of Main, Milwaukee, Jefferson, Jackson, Van Buren, Cass, Marshall and Lake Streets, from Mason Street, south towards the Milwaukee River. The meeting being called to order, on motion, Parcellet Potter was appointed Chairman, and Henry K. White, Secretary.
The meeting was then addressed by Hon. Andrew G. Miller, Joshua Hathaway, P. Potter, and several others, and on motion, a committee of three was appointed to report resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting. The committee retired, and on re-assembling, made through their Chairman, the following report:
" A project having been introduced into the Board of Aldermen of this City, for an alteration or new grade of Wisconsin Street, from East Water Street to the Lake, and also of Main, Milwaukee, Jefferson, Jackson, Van Buren, Cass and Lake Streets, from the center of Wisconsin Street to Huron Street, which, if carried into effect, will operate very injuriously to the owners of lots and buildings lying between Mason and Michigan Streets, cutting Main Street in the center of Wisconsin Street, two and one-half feet below the present grade, Milwaukee Street five feet, Jefferson Street five feet, Jackson Street nearly two feet, Cass Street eight and on the bluff about thirty-five feet. Also, Cass Street, in the center of Michigan Street, thirty feet. And whereas, if such grade is adopted by the city authorities, and the deep cutting is made pursuant thereto, it will cause a heavy expenditure of money, in taking up and relaying sidewalks, letting down dwelling houses, and other buildings, and grading off lots situated between Mason and Michigan Streets, and subject the Ist and 3d Wards to heavy damages, by suits and otherwise. Therefore,
Resolved, That in the opinion of this meeting, the projected grade of said Streets, by so deep a cutting, is entirely unnecessary, and inexpedient, and is in direct opposition to the views and wishes of nine-tenths of the property holders within said limits.
Resolved, That the present established grade of East Water, Main, Milwaukee,
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
Jefferson and Jackson Streets, in the center of Wisconsin Street, is right, and ought not to be altered; that part of Wisconsin Street, from Jackson Street towards the Lake, should be filled, and the Eastern end cut so as to give a drain- age of one foot to each block, and the Streets crossing Wisconsin between Mason and Michigan Streets, made to correspond with such grade.
Resolved, That it is the duty of the Board of Aldermen, in all matters relating to street grades, to endeavor to carry out the wishes of the owners of property thereon, if their requests are not incompatible with the public rights of way."
The report was received, and after discussion by Messrs. Hathaway, Miller and others, the meeting was adjourned, to convene at the same place on Saturday evening, September 15th, at seven o'clock, P. M., and the Secretary directed to request the Board of Aldermen to suspend further action on the subject until after such adjournment.
Saturday Evening, Sept. 15th,. 1849.
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, and the Secretary, H. K. White, being absent, on motion, Nelson Ludington was appointed Secretary. The rep of the committee, made at the previous meeting, was taken up, and after being discussed by J. H. Tweedy, Hon. A. G. Miller, J. Hathaway, and several others, the question on the adoption of the preamble and first resolution, was taken, and carried unanimously.
The second and third resolutions being then under consideration, on motion of Elisha Eldred, Esq., the former was so amended as to give a drainage of two feet to each block, on that part of Wisconsin Street lying between Jackson Street and the Lake, and was then adopted.
The following resolution was introduced by Dr. E. B. Wolcott, and after being discussed, was unanimously adopted.
Resolved, That we will use all legal and honorable means to prevent the altera- tion of street grades once established, unless such alteration is assented to by a majority of the property holders directly interested, and payment shall have been made, in advance, of all damages which may result from such alterations.
Resolved, That the Secretary transmit a copy of the proceedings of this meeting to the Board of Aldermen, and also copies to each of the daily papers in the city for publication.
On motion, the meeting adjourned.
PARCELLET POTTER, Chairman.
NELSON LUDINGTON, Secretary.
It all availed them not, the grading went on all the same.
NEW STORE.
NO. III East Water Street, by A. Cameron, dry goods, September, 1849. This was a large store for those days, but short lived.
J. Van Buren, dry goods, 384 East Water (present No.) This
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
gentleman came from Dunkirk, N. Y., and ran a large store here for several years. He was a tall, dignified, gentlemanly man, with light hair and light blue eyes, and very methodical and particular in all he did. He was, however, a very good business man. Anthony Dahlmann, now one of our prominent wholesale grocery men, com- menced his business career as clerk for Mr. Van Buren. Mr. Van Buren finally returned to Dunkirk, I think in 1856 or 1857, where he died in 1875. His successor was his son-in-law, L. A. Wheeler, who for many years was one of our prominent merchants, and at present a prominent insurance man.
The Sentinel winds up the year as follows :
DECEMBER.
Time, how fast it flies; it seems but yesterday when we were looking for election day, now we are rejoicing over a complete victory (presidential) and hurrying on towards the new year. 1849 is on the wane, and right wintry is the aspect of the new month. Chill December is here, and you who have a snug house and all the comforts of life, may bid defiance to the weather. The luxury of four walls and a tight roof, we can now appreciate and be happy. Visions of sleigh rides, social gatherings, smoking dinners and cheerful countanences, drive away much of the sadness of the grim winter king. Still, how many are there in and about the city, who depend wholly upon the charity of a few individuals for their sup- port from day to day.
JOHN D. GARDNER.
This gentleman, who was one of our substantial and prominent business men for many years, came from New Bedford, Massachu- sets, and opened a store (general merchandise) at 353 East Water, its present number, where he remained until he left for Suamico, on Green Bay, to engage in the lumber trade, and where he did a large business until his death, some two years ago. His residence was on the northeast corner of Jackson and Michigan streets, which house he built. He was a short, thick-set man, with dark complexion, dark hair and eyes. He was no talker but all business, and never idle a moment. He loved money, and went for it with all the energy that he had, and accumulated quite a fortune. I can see him in memory's eye, as he looked 30 years ago. He made few acquaintances, except among business men, and unlike
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
his brother the unscrupulous E. L. H. Gardner, never dabbled in politics.
FINANCIAL.
The following copy of the proceedings had at the meeting of the board of supervisors held November 19, and published in the Wis- consin of December 10th, is given as an illustration of the difference between the valuation, as well as expenditures, between 1849 and 1883, also as forming a portion of the history proper.
REPORT.
In pursuance of a resolution of the board adopted January, 1849, the undersigned clerk submits the following statement of the do- ings of the board at their meeting, November 19th, to wit :
In relation to the raising of a county revenue for 1849, the com- mittee on the treasury reported that county orders were then out- standing to the amount of.
$5000 00
And the amount of accounts to be audited at the present session would amount to.
4800 00
$9800 00
And that the estimated amount of county expenses for the ensuing year would be
$3500 00
Jail.
2000 00
District attorney
800 00
Coroner's inquests
300 00
Clerk of the board
500 00
County indebtedness to state (old tax)
1000 00
Incidental.
1055 30
$18,955 30
The aggregate valuation of the real and personal property in the county was
$2,707,000 64
Upon which a levy of 7- 10ths of I per cent was made which gave ..
18,955 30
And for school of 14 per cent, which gave.
6,674 45
And for state of 4-10 which gave. 10,831 60
$86,461 35
The accounts audited by the county board for which county orders were then issued, amounted to the following sums.
Election expenses
$ 114 00
Sheriff and constable's fees
677 10
Jurors and witnesses fees 318 40
Support of prisoners including medical services.
1,440 49
Wood and stationery .
437 64
Mileage for supervisors ..
339 02
Printing .
246 70
Repairs of public buildings ..
440 54
Fees of clerk of circuit court
48 33
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
Town of Oak Creek.
4 651/2
Fines refunded.
10 00
Coroner's inquests including coffins 227 28
Salary of city attorney .
Lime for jail 450 00
5 00
Wolf bounty.
8 00
Taxes refunded to the town of Oak Creek.
17 49
County orders outstanding-
5,000 00
$9.748 64
By the raising of a revenue of $18,955.30, all of the amount of orders will be redeemed and a cash balance of $9.207,66 will be left in the treasury for defraying all the neccessary expenses of the ensuing year.
A committee consisting of Messrs. Jasper Vliet, for the town of Milwaukee ; O. Damon, for Wauwatosa ; J. C. Smith, for the Fifth ward ; Martin Coulan from Greenfield and August Greulich from the Second ward, were appointed to ascertain the cost of a site for a new court house, and the expense of a suitable building thereon, and report at the meeting in January 1850.
A memorial to the legislature was also prepared and signed by the whole board for the passage of a law at the next session, authorizing the board to hire out all prisoners convicted in any court in this state and confined in Milwaukee county jail.
STATISTICS OF MILWAUKEE.
In May, 1834, Mr. Solomon Juneau was the only white settler within the limits of what is now the city of Milwaukee. The follow- ing table of census returns, taken since that period, exhibits the rate of increase in the population :
1838
700
IS40
1,700
1842.
2,700
1846, June I
9,655
1847, December 15.
14,000
1849, August, estimated
18,000
Equally rapid has been the augmentation in the exports of pro- duce, etc. It was in 1845, that the first shipments of wheat and flour to any extent, were made from Milwaukee. The following table shows how this business grows :
EXPORTS OF WHEAT AND FLOUR.
Wheat.
Flour.
1845
95,510 bus.
7,550 bbls.
1846
213,443
15,756 "
1847
598,011
34,840 "
1848
612,474
92,732
1849
1,148,807
201,941 "
26
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
It is proper to remark that the exports for 1849, in the above table, embrace those from July 1, 1848, to July 1, 1849, while those for the four previous years are for the season of navigation in each . year, respectively.
MANUFACTURES OF MILWAUKEE, 1849.
Description of Articles.
Value.
Woolen goods, various kinds
$40,000
Edge Tools.
30,000
Foundries, various kinds of machinery
195,000
Carriages and Waggons
115,000
Sash, blinds and doors
49,000
Leather
120,000
Wooden ware and wooden turnings
87,750
Lumber
20,000
Cabinet ware.
127,000
Boots and shoes
95,250
Tin, sheet iron and copper ware.
114,600
Saddles and harness
44,000
Soap and candles
37,000
Burr mill stones
36,600
Boilers (steam)
20,250
Sails and rigging
17,000
Ploughs
4,500
Clothing
97,000
Saleratus and pot ashes.
15,000
Lumber planed and matched by machinery
24,000
Fanning mills and threshing machines
25,700
Paper ..
40,000
Copper and iron smithing
27,550
Earthenware.
7,500
Brass machinery and turnings
10,000
Tobacco and cigars
15,500
Malt liquors.
71,000
Bread and crackers
27,900
Gun and lock smithing
9,500
Book binding .
8,000
Coopers' ware.
8,500
Brick, 10,000,000
40,000
Miscellaneous, such as jewelers, tool manufacturers, pump makers,
107,000
weavers, etc.
Total $ 1,714,200
In addition to the above, there are five flouring mills, propelled by water power, and one by steam, containing seventeen run of stone, each run capable of turning out 80 to 100 barrels of flour per day, and consuming in all 7,000 bushels of wheat daily.
IMPORTS
Value.
Tons of merchandize, 16,012
$ 3,202,400
Barrels of salt, 35,000
43,750
Bbls. bulk of furniture 17,500
140,000
Coal, water lime and plaster
18,000
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
Fruit (dried and green) .
11,500
Lumber, lath, shingle bolts, shingles and timber
375,000
Miscellaneous
38,000
Total
$ 3,828,650
EXPORTS.
Bushels wheat, 1, 138,807
$ 1,004,642
Barrels flour, 201,942 .
945,088
Ditto pork and beef, 5,527
44,216
Tons lead and shot, 810
53,000
Hides, 10,281
23,132
Sundry manufactured articles
28,390
Total
$ 2,098,469
VESSELS OWNED IN MILWAUKEE.
There are thirty-nine sail vessels owned in, and sailing out of this port, of which the total tonage is 5,542 tons; also stock in steam- boats and propellers of 3,000 tons ; making the total tonnage owned in the port 8,542. Sixteen sail vessels are engaged in the lumber trade, and the remainder in freighting produce and merchandize.
REMINISCENT.
HIGH PROOF WHISKY.
The following incident which occured at the Lake House in the summer of 1845, is inserted here as an illustration of how far some men will go to obtain a drink of whisky, and how far others will go to gratify them.
Among those who boarded there was an Irishman named John Shields, a blatherskite of the first water, who, no doubt, many of the old settlers will remember as the builder and owner of the brick store, number 115 Clinton Street, played a prominent part. It was a role he would probably not be in a hurry to play again unless he was dry, and even then I am inclined to think he would be a little wary, and which was as follows: It happened that John, who was an inveterate drinker and a nuisance generally, was in the habit of coming into my room and bothering me with his senseless twaddle until the thing got to be unbearable, and knowing that he would not be at all bashful about going for anything in the shape of liquor that he saw lying around loose, I hit upon the following plan to bust him. I procured some whisky, regular rot-gut, into which I had Mr. Hawkins put a quantity of red peppers, where they remained for some
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
ten days, by which time that whisky was hot enough to burn the enamel off a stone crock inside of twenty-four hours. Talk about your hot drops, or No. 6 : No. 60 would have been nearer the proof of that whisky ; its temperature must have been at least 375 Fahrenheit. I then filled a flask with it and placed it upon the floor of my room behind a trunk where John could not fail to see it if he came in, and all was lovely. Well, Sunday came and so did John, who was not long in discovering the flask, and exclaiming, " a ha ! me boy, so yees kape it on the schly!"
Yes, I replied, I always keep a little for myself and friends. Help yourself.
He did not wait for a second invitation, but seized the coveted treasure, pulled the cork, inserted the nozzle into his capacious mouth and poured nearly half the contents down his gullet before you could count six. By that time he discovered that it was not ice water, and with a desperate effort to conceal his disappointment, he replaced the cork, deposited the flask upon the floor and without waiting to answer my kind inquiries as to the quality of the fluid, he started down stairs taking four or five steps at a leap, his mouth wide open like the door of a coal stove, and as red as rooster's comb, while from that, as well as his eyes, the water was running in streams.
He broke for an artesian well that stood near, and commenced taking in water like an engine fighting fire. He must have drank a barrel, stopping at intervals to catch his breath and give vent to his feelings, which he did in more languages that Dr. Wight ever dreamed of speaking, not excepting Heathen Chinee. After he had got his fires sufficiently banked to be left with safety, he sat down on the piazza and proceeded to anathematize the dirthy spal- peen as put them peppers in that whisky (I always thought that he meant me) with an adjective sandwiched in between every second word. It was the spiciest little speech ever made on the south side, and for weeks he was unable to indulge in anything stronger than water, during which time he sat apart from the rest of the boarders in moody silence while doctoring his mouth with borax. He never came into my room after that, my whisky was too high proof.
.
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
HUNTING DESERTERS IN THE OLDEN TIME.
The question as to whether there is a hell, about which there is so much dispute among theologians, " for the punishment of the wicked" in a future state, brings to my mind an incident that occurred in 1839, which goes to show that if the existence of one hereafter cannot be substantiated, that that of an earthly one can (or could), certainly as far as the common soldiers were concerned, in the days when Forts Howard, Snelling, Mackinac, and Winnebago were in full blast, at least at the latter named post during the administration of David G. Twiggs, of rebel fame, who was notorious for acts of cruelty, tyranny and oppression to those who were unfortunate enough to be under his command, many cases of which are on record in the State historical publications, that were perpetrated by Twiggs and others. Neither were private citizens wholly exempt from their tyranny. Like Selkirk upon his island "they were monarchs of all they surveyed." Neither was there, for the time being, any resisting their will. Their word was law at these remote outposts from which there was no appeal, which of course led to frequent broils with the settlers (see Ebenezer Childs, and other reminiscences), as well as desertions on the part of the soldiers, they choosing to hazard everything in order to escape from the bondage in which they were held by these merciless tyrants, until it was no uncommon thing for half a dozen or more deserters to be seen in Milwaukee or Chicago any day, as well as a squad in charge of an officer hunting after and arresting them. And many a race for liberty has been witnessed on these streets, one of which on account of its nearly ending in a tragedy I will relate.
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