USA > Wisconsin > Rock County > Rock County, Wisconsin; a new history of its cities, villages, towns, citizens and varied interests, from the earliest times, up to date, Vol. I > Part 8
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
At the close of the French and Indian War, under the treaty of 1763, it passed into the possession of England. On the night of the 4th of July, 1778, it was captured by Colonel George Rog- ers Clark, commanding a force of Virginia militia. By the ces- sion of Virginia on March 1, 1784, it passed to the United States and for many years was the most important commercial town in the territory northwest of the Ohio. It was the territorial and state capital of Illinois down to 1819, when the seat of govern- ment was removed to Vandalia. It was originally located about six miles from the Mississippi. The east bank of the river has been gradually washed away until the river has reached the village and carried away a large portion of it.
During the time that Kaskaskia was the capital of the terri- tory of Illinois Rock county was a portion of that territory.
Cahokia was the first permanent white settlement in the territory northwest of the Ohio. Its settlement was commenced
74
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
a few months prior to that of Kaskaskia. It was one of the most important French settlements in the Mississippi valley. It was located near the east bank of the Mississippi river a few miles below St. Louis. A French mission was established there in 1700. When St. Clair county was organized Cahokia and Kas- kaskia were made county seats of the county. When Randolph county was set off from St. Clair county Cahokia was made the county seat of Randolph county and continued to be until the county seat was removed to Belleville. In later years it ceased to be of importance.
Fort Chartres was settled and a fort erected there by the French in 1718. It was located on what is known as the Ameri- can bottom, on the east bank of the Mississippi about sixteen miles north of Kaskaskia. The fort was an irregular quadrangle, with walls twenty-six inches thick of limestone taken from the adjoining bluffs. It was the strongest fortification in the West. During the French occupation of the Mississippi valley Fort Chartres was the seat of the French government of the Illinois country. After the surrender of the valley to England it re- mained the seat of government of the English until 1772, when a portion of the foundation walls of the fort was washed away by the encroachment of the river, and the seat of government was removed to Kaskaskia. While Fort Chartres was the seat of government of the Illinois country Wisconsin was a part of that country.
Two other important settlements were made by the French in the territory northwest of the Ohio-Detroit, in 1701, and Vincennes, about 1724.
The sovereigns of France from the discovery of America by Verrazano in 1524 to the Treaty of Paris in 1763, when she ceded to England all of her rights in the territory northwest of the Ohio, were :
Francis I.
1515-1547
Henry II.
1547-1559
Francis II 1559-1560
Charles IX.
1560-1574
Henry III 1574-1580
Henry IV
1580-1610
75
HISTORIC EVOLUTION OF ROCK COUNTY
Louis XIII
.1610-1643
Louis XIV 1643-1715
Louis XV
1715-1774
English Colonial Period.
England founded her claim to the territory northwest of the Ohio river upon the discoveries of John Cabot and his son Sebas- tian, 1497-1498. John Cabot was a Venetian who had settled in Bristol, England. He had three sons-Lewis, Sebastian and San- cius. In 1496 a patent was issued by Henry VII to John Cabot and sons. This patent is the earliest surviving document relating to England's connection with this continent.
Under this patent in 1497 John Cabot and his son Sebastian sailed from Bristol, England, westerly on a voyage of discovery. After sailing for fifty-three days land was discovered. The pre- cise location of this discovery has not been determined, but it was probably in the vicinity of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In the next year Sebastian Cabot continued the explorations com- menced by his father and again visited the eastern coast of North America.
Nothing in the nature of colonization followed the voyages of the Cabots. Other English navigators made voyages into the northern Atlantic, but no efforts were made to establish settle- ments on the main land for more than three-quarters of a century.
On June 11, 1578, a charter was issued to Sir Humphrey Gil- bert to make a settlement on the American continent and grant- ing him a large tract of the country at the place where he should locate his settlement. On November 19, 1578, he sailed with a fleet of seven vessels to locate and establish a colony on the At- lantic coast of North America. His voyage was not successful. Misfortune overtook him and he returned to England without having established his colony. On June 11, 1583, he undertook another voyage, and on August 3 reached St. Johns, Newfound- land, where he found thirty-six ships of other nations, engaged in fishing. On August 5 he took possession of the country in the name of Queen Elizabeth and caused the coat of arms of England, engraved on lead, to be fixed to a post erected on the shore. He spent some days in exploration, when a storm overtook him and his largest vessel and much of his provisions were lost. Embar- rassed by the loss of his vessel and provisions, he commenced his
76
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
return August 31. On the night of September 10 he encountered a severe storm and his vessel with all on board was lost, leaving afloat only one of the vessels of his fleet. which returned to Eng- land.
In the early part of 1584 Sir Walter Raleigh, a half-brother to Sir Humphrey Gilbert, and a favorite of Queen Elizabeth, re- ceived a grant similar to that made to Gilbert, which was con- firmed by parliament. On April 27, 1584, he sent out an expedi- tion under the command of Arthur Barlow and Philip Amidas to explore the coast of the American continent south of the ex- ploration of Gilbert. They reached the coast of North Carolina July 4, and, after landing and making some examination of the main land, returned to England about the middle of September and made a report of their discovery to Raleigh. The queen, being pleased with the report, suggested that the newly discov- cred land be called, in honor of herself, "Virginia," and thus a large territory came to be named in honor of England's virgin queen.
On April 9, 1585, Raleigh sent out a fleet of seven ships to establish a colony in Virginia. They landed on Roanoke island August 17, 1585, and the ships then returned to England. In the spring of the next year the fleet of Sir Francis Drake, returning from St. Augustine to England, called at Roanoke island and of- fered to take colonists back to England. Their supplies having been exhausted, they accepted the offer and returned to England.
These returning colonists brought to England two vegetables that were destined to become poplar-tobacco and the potato.
Raleigh made one more effort, in 1587, to establish a colony in Virginia, which after a few years wholly failed.
Queen Elizabeth died March 24, 1603. She was succeeded by James I. Raleigh was convicted of high treason and his grant of territory in Virginia abrogated. The way was now clear for a new experiment in colonization.
On April 10, 1606, King James granted a charter for the or ganization of two companies to establish colonies in the newly discovered country, one composed of gentlemen from in and about London, England, called the London Company, and the other of gentlemen from in and about Plymouth, England, called the Plymouth Company.
The London Company was granted lands between degrees 34
Conlan Babbitt
7
HISTORIC EVOLUTION OF ROCK COUNTY
and 41 north latitude, that is, between a line on the south drawn east and west through a point a short distance north of the mouth of Cape Fear river, and a line on the north drawn east and west through what is now the southern portion of Pennsylvania.
The Plymouth Company was granted lands between degrees 38 and 45, that is, between a line drawn east and west through a point near the southerly boundary of Maryland, and a line cor- responding with the north line of the state of Vermont and near to the most southerly point of New Brunswick. These grants ex- tended back from the coast fifty miles and into the sea 100 miles.
The first settlement under the charter of 1606 was made on the James river. The fleet that brought the colonists sailed from the Downs, England, on New Year's day, 1607. On April 16 they sighted one of the capes of the Virginia coast, which, in honor of the prince of Wales, they called Cape Henry. They spent a fortnight in exploring the coast to find a suitable place for a settlement. On May 13 (old style) they landed at a point on the north bank of the James river twenty-two miles from its mouth and established there a colony, which they named, in honor of their sovereign, Jamestown, and thus began the first perma- nent English settlement on the American continent.
The charter of 1606 to the London Company did not prove to be satisfactory. On May 23, 1609, the king issued to that com- pany a new charter.
The second charter granted to the London Company "all those lands, countries and territories situate, lying and being in that part of America called Virginia from the point of land called Cape or Point Comfort all along the sea coasts to the north- ward 200 miles; and from said point of Cape Comfort all along the sea coast to the southward 200 miles; and all that space and circuit of land lying from the sea coast of the precinct aforesaid up into the land throughout from sea to sea west and northwest."
This description of the grant was repeated in the third charter of Virginia in 1611.
In construing this grant Virginia contended that the southerly line was an east and west line and that the northerly line was a northwest line. Thus construed the charters of 1609 and 1611 embraced the territory northwest of the Ohio river and that with- in the state of Wisconsin.
78
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
The colony of Massachusetts made a claim to lands in the ter- ritory northwest of the Ohio.
Prior to the coming of the Pilgrims they had procured from the London Company a patent for lands within the grant of that company upon which to settle. When they came in 1620 they landed, without authority, upon the coast granted to the Plym- outh Company, where no settlements had been made. Being with- out established law to govern them, before landing and on No- vember 11 (old style) they adopted the following compact :
"In ye name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwrit- ten, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by ye grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc and Ireland King, defender of ye faith, &c., haveing undertaken, for ye glorie of God and advancemente of ye Christian faith, and honour of our King and countrie, a voyage to plant ye first colonie in ye north- erne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly and mu- tualy in ye presence of God, and one another, covenent and com- bine our selves togeather into a civill body politick, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of ye ends aforesaid ; and by vertue hearof to enacte, constitute and frame such just and equall lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices from time to time, as shall be thought most meete and convenient for ye generall good of ye Colonie, unto which we promise all due sub- mission and obedience. In Witnes wherof we have hereunder sub- scribed our names at Cap-Codd ye 11 of November, in ye year of ye raigne of our soveraigne lord, King James of England, France and Ireland ye eighteenth, and of Scotland ye fiftiefourth, Ano. Dom. 1620."
It has been said of this compact that "It stands alone in his- tory as the first act of self-government by the people of New England."
After signing this compact, and before landing, the Pilgrims organized by choosing John Carver as governor for the ensuing year. They then proceeded to examine the coast to find a suit- able landing place. On Monday, December 11 (old style), they selected and landed upon what is now called Plymouth Rock. The number of Pilgrims that sailed in the Mayflower was 102; of these seventy-three were males and twenty-nine females.
One man died and one child was born on the voyage. The
79
HISTORIC EVOLUTION OF ROCK COUNTY
number of those who reached the New England coast was there- fore the same as those who sailed.
The colony consisted of thirty-four males, eighteen of whom brought their wives and children with them. There were nine- teen men servants and three maid servants. Of the children twenty were boys and eight girls. Forty-one of the adult males signed the compact. It was not signed by any of the females. Thus began the first permanent English settlement in New Eng- land. A considerable number of the descendants of the signers of this compact have found homes in Rock county. Among them are the descendants of John Alden and Elder William Brewster.
On March 4, 1629, Charles I, king of England, granted to Sir Henry Rosewell and others a charter creating a company by the name of Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay in New England and gave to such company a large tract of land, bounded on the north by a line three miles north of the Merrimac river, on the south by a line three miles south of the Charles river, on the east by the Atlantic ocean, and on the west by the South sea.
The north and south boundary lines of the grant of 1629 have never been located. The north line nearly coincides with the north line of Rock county. The south line crosses Illinois a short distance north of Chicago. Rock county was therefore within the grant made to Massachusetts.
Connecticut also made a claim to a portion of lands northwest of the Ohio. No grant of territory was made to Connecticut until 1662.
The Dutch claimed the western portion of Connecticut and about 1633 erected a fort where the city of Hartford is now lo- cated. In the latter part of 1633 William Holmes and others from Plymouth settled at Windsor, on the Connecticut river north of Hartford, and established a trading post. The Dutch ultimately abandoned their fort and left the Connecticut valley open to English settlement. In 1636 Rev. Thomas Hooker, who came over in 1632 and established a church at Newtown, near Boston, removed with a large portion of his congregation to Hartford and established his church there. Rev. Samuel Stone accompanied Hooker as a teacher in his church. A church was planted at Windsor and another at Wethersfield on the Connecti- cut river south of Hartford. These three settlements were with- out any form of government until January 14, 1648, when they
80
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
held a joint convention, adopted a constitution, which was known as the "fundamental orders," and formed a government. This constitution was prepared by Hooker and is said to have been "the first written constitution known to history that created a government, and it marked the beginnings of American democ- racy." The new colony was governed for a year by a board of commissioners appointed by Massachusetts. After that time the three towns elected representatives and organized a general court at Hartford, and thus began the government of the new colony.
Other settlements were made in the territory now embraced in the state of Connecticut. Among these was Southertown, now
*Note: As there are in Rock county many descendants of the early settlers of Stonington, the following copy of a portion of the early records of the vil- lage may be of interest. The new settlement was without laws, eourts or officers. They believed that they were within the jurisdiction of the colony of Massachusetts and, therefore, applied to the General Court of Massachusetts for aid; but the General Court being uneertain whether the settlement was in the province of Massachusetts or the province of Connecticut declined to aid them and advised them "to order their affairs peaceably by common agree- ment," and thereupon they proceeded to adopt a form of government for themselves, a portion of the record of which is as follows:
"THE ASOTIATION OF POQUATUCK PEPLE, JUNE 30th, 1658."
"Wherras thear is a difference betwene the 2 Cullonyes of the Matachusetts and Conectieoate about the government of this plae, whearby we are deprived of Expectation of protection from either, but in way of Curtecy,-& whearas we had a command from the generall Court of the Mataehusette to order our own busines in peae with common consent till further provition be maid for us, in obedyienee to which command we have addressed our selvs thearunto, but eannot atain it in regard of soomm distractions among ourselves, and thear hatlı bene injurious insoleneys done unto soom persons,-the cattell of others threatened to be taken away, and the ehattell of soom others alredy taiken away by violenc.
"We haveing taken into consideration that in tymies so full of danger as theas are, unyon of our harts and percons is most condueing to the publiek good & safety of the place,-thearfore in pursuanee of the same, the better to confirm a mutual confydenee in one another, & that we may be pre- served in righteousness and peae with such as do commere with us, & that misdemeanors may be corrected and ineorrygable persons punished ;- we hose names are hereunto subscribed, do hearby promis, testify & deelare to maintain and defend with our persons and estait the peae of the plae and to aid and assist one another aeoarding to law & rules of righteousness aoarding to the true intent and meaning of our asociation till sueh other pro- vition be maide ffor us as may atain our end above written, whereunto we willingly give our assent, & neither ffor ffear hoape or other respeets shall ever
81
HISTORIC EVOLUTION OF ROCK COUNTY
known as Stonington, on Long Island sound. The first settler in this locality was William Chesebrough, who came there in 1649. He was soon joined by Thomas Stanton, Walter Palmer, Captain George Denison, Captain John Gallup and others .*
The first charter of Connecticut was issued by Charles II to John Winthrop, John Mason and others interested in the "col- ony or plantation of Connecticut," on April 23, 1662.
The persons to whom the grant was made were by the grant created a corporation by the name of the "Governor and Com- pany of the English Colony of Connecticut in New England in
relinquish this promis till other provition be maid ffor us. And we do not this out of anny disrespec unto ether of the afoarsaid governments which we are bound ever to honor, but in the vacancy of any other governments ;- nether is it out of any sinister end or privat reveng, but for the causes afore- said.
George Denison, Thomas Shaw, Nathaniel Chesebrough, Elihu Palmer,
Thomas Stanton,
Elisha Chesebrough,
Moses Palmer,
Walter Palmer,
Tho. Stanton. Willm Chesebrough, Samuel Chesebrough.
Upon the request of severall among us to enter into this asociation with us theay are admitted and have accordingly subscribed thear names. June 30, 1658.
"By vertue of this Asociation, that justice may not be obstructed, &c the peac preserved,-we maid choise of Captain Georg Dennyson, & Willm Chese- brough to be Comytioners to issue out warrants & to cause to be brought be- fore them anny suspitious percons, or ffor anny misdemenor, & and to hear & determine the casses, and to pronounce sentence upon them & to see the judgment executed, provided it extend not to the los of life or limb or banish- ment or stigmatizing; in such casses as thear power will not reach due punishment ffor the Crime, then to taik order thear percons may be secured, and sent whear justice may procede against them.
"And further theay are to issue all other differences, whether of debts or cases, and to kepe a register of thear actions provided allwaies the action excede not fforty pound.
"This choise is the act of the houle body of the Asociates,
Walter Palmer, Tho. Stanton."
History of Ist Congregational Church of Stonington, Connecticut, 32.
82
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
America." The tract of land described in it was bounded on the north by the south line of the grant to Massachusetts, on the east by Narraganset bay, on the south by the sea and a line run- ning from the said Narraganset bay on the east to the South sea on the west.
The whole of the Connecticult grant was south of the south line of the grant to Massachusetts and therefore none of the ter- ritory claimed by Connecticut is embraced in the state of Wis- consin.
The claim of New York to lands in the territory northwest of the Ohio had very little if any foundation. It was in sub- stance that the home of the tribes of Indians known as the Five Nations was in New York; that these tribes had waged a de- structive and exterminating war against the Illinois Indians and driven them out of the their country and taken possession of it; and that, therefore, the territory from which the Illinois Indians had been driven by the Five Nations in these wars belonged to the state of New York. Neither Massachusetts, Connecticut nor New York ever had possession of any portion of the territory northwest of the Ohio.
As soon as the Virginia colony became thoroughly established its population began to increase. It required only a few years to develop a race of hardy and enterprising hunters and frontiers- men, who were not satisfied to permit the vast domain west of the Alleghanies to remain unexplored nor to pass into the pos- session of the French. They found their way across the moun- tains and began to push back the frontier. They soon reached the headwaters of the Ohio, where they found a delightful region in which they began to make their permanent homes. To facili- tate the settlement of the country an association was formed in 1748 by Thomas Lee, president of the Virginia council ; Lawrence and Augustine Washington, half-brothers of George Washington, and Thomas Henbury, a wealthy merchant of London. The name adopted by the association was the Ohio Company.
On May 19, 1749, 200,000 acres south of the Ohio were by a royal order placed at the disposal of the Ohio Company, free of rent for ten years, provided that a hundred families should be settled thereon in seven years and a fort built and maintained.
The French in Detroit were not ignorant of these movements of the Virginia colonists. The Indians, who were friendly to
83
HISTORIC EVOLUTION OF ROCK COUNTY
them and who visited Detroit to barter their furs, kept the French advised of the migration from Virginia. Marquis DuQuesne de Menneville was appointed governor of Canada. He arrived at Quebec in July, 1752. Within a few months after his arrival he sent a force to take possession of the country at the headwaters of the Ohio.
The plan adopted by the French to secure the control of the territory was to establish a line of stockades or forts from the lakes to the headwaters of the Ohio, and thence down that river to their settlements on the Mississippi, and thus connect Canada with Louisiana and prevent the English settlers from occupying the territory west of the Alleghanies. It was a bold and compre- hensive scheme, but it was not to be successful. It failed to take into account the energy, activity and courage of the Virginians. As soon as Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia was advised that the French were proceeding to carry out their plan and had con- structed a stockade on the line fixed by them he promptly, on October 30, 1753, dispatched George Washington, who was not then twenty-two years of age, but was an experienced woodsman, with a formal demand to withdraw from the territory claimed by Virginia.
Washington, after a hazardous journey, presented the demand to M. de St. Pierre, the French commander at Fort Le Bœuf, who at once declined to comply with it.
Governor Dinwiddie proceeded to take such steps as were deemed necessary to prevent further encroachments by the French. In February, 1754, he commenced the construction of a stockade at the junction of the Alleghany and Monongahela rivers where they form the Ohio, and which was then called The Forks, but now Pittsburg.
Within a few weeks, and as soon as a force could be raised, Colonel Joshua Fry, with Washington second in command, was sent forward to occupy the fort. Colonel Fry became ill and the command devolved upon Washington.
In the meantime a French force had captured the incomplete fort constructed by Governor Dinwiddie and retained possession of it. Thus began that serious struggle known in history as the French and Indian War, to determine whether the great terri- tory northwest of the Ohio should remain English or French ter-
84
HISTORY OF ROCK COUNTY
ritory, and whether those who should settle in our own state and county should be under English or French domination.
It is not the intention at the present time to inquire into the causes of the antagonisms between England and France, or the result of such antagonisms. except in so far as they have affected our state and county.
When Washington was advised that the incomplete fort at The Forks had been assailed by a French force and captured he continued his march toward the fort and took up a position at what was called Great Meadows. He was here advised that a French force was in the vicinity waiting to surprise and defeat him. He at once decided to treat the French to a surprise and promptly did so, killing ten of the French force, including its commander, and taking twenty-two prisoners.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.