The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 64

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Wisconsin > Columbia County > The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement > Part 64

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lashing the rocks on both sides, the abrasions of centuries having worked out the rocks into cor- niees, pilasters, etc., very much resembling the work of art.

At another time, when I was coming down from the Upper Wisconsin alone on horseback, I was belated until it was so dark I could not see the trail, but had to let my faithful horse take his way, and he brought me safely into Yellow Thunder's village. Yellow Thunder was the war chief of the Winnebagoes, and had his summer village about sixteen miles from the portage. I dismounted and went into a large lodge, twenty or twenty-five feet long, built of poles and covered with bark. Here I found Dandy and others, on a visit. Little Duck said to me " Go to

my lodge; " so I followed him and soon reached it, a little distance off. I tied my horse near the entrance of his lodge, and he gave me some corn with which to feed him, and some boiled corn for my supper, of which I had no need, as I had some provisions along. After this, he spread a clean mat on a sort of bunk made of poles, raised two feet from the ground, reaching along the side of the lodge, for me to sleep on. On this I spread one of my blankets, and with the other one over me lay down and had almost got to sleep when, from the noise in the camp, I discovered there were drunken Indians about. I felt something touch me, and looking up saw it was the old man, who told me to take my horse into the bushes and tie him, giving me a long cord. I jumped up and led the horse off some distance into the bushes and tied him, know- ing the old Indian was afraid the drunken ones would meddle with him if they saw him. Then I returned and lay down again ; but gradually a drunken Indian approached the wigwam, as we could hear him, singing, crying and shouting all the time, as they generally do when they are drunk. Finally he came rushing into the lodge, and flung himself down by a few brands of fire in the center of the lodge, singing and grieving about something, I suppose because he could get no more whisky. In a short time the old man got up, called upon another Indian, and helped up the drunken fellow and marched him off, and, hearing no more of him, I slept finely.

The next morning, I went out and found my horse had broken loose, and while I was look- ing for him, Dandy caine up and wanted to know what was the matter. After telling him, he wanted to know how much cord was attached to him. Telling him as near as I could, he com- meneed looking for his track and soon got on it. Following a short distance, he called to me and pointed out the horse, quietly standing by a large tree. I walked up to him and led him back to the lodge, and, after saddling him, mounted and bade good-bye to the hospitable Indians.

Judge David Irvin was to hold court at the portage in, I think, 1841 or 1842. He sent me an appointment as Clerk of the Court, and as there was no time to lose, requested me to go to Columbus and have a jury list made out and put into the hands of the Sheriff. I did so, and the Judge held the first court in this county [then Portage] at the Franklin House, kept by Capt. Low-after which I resigned.

In 1848, I was elected State Senator in the Second District, which embraced all that part of the State north of Dane County to Lake Superior, and including Sauk, Marquette, Green Lake and Portage Counties, since divided into eight or ten distriets. I was elected as the Whig candidate, over the Hon. James T. Lewis, the Democratic nominee. In the Senate, there were but three Whigs. I served during this, the first session under the Constitution, which met at Madison on the 5th day of June, 1848, and during the next session, which met on the 10th day of January, 1849. During these two sessions, there was an immense deal of work done, in organizing the State, revising the statutes, etc., etc.

My first visit to La Crosse was in 1853, when I arrived in company with Benjamin L. Webb, of Detroit. La Crosse was then but a small village. The United States Land Office had been removed there from Mineral Point. We met Judge Lord, Col. Rodolph, Hon. S. D. Hastings, Lieut. Gov. Timothy Burns, Ebenezer Childs (with whom I had long been acquainted) and many others. We stopped at the Tallmadge House over Sunday : in the afternoon, I took a ramble nearly to the bluffs. La Crosse now, I believe, contains about twelve thousand inhab- itants ; then there could not, I should think, have been as many hundreds.

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY.

We then took steamer for St. Paul, and a carriage thence a hundred miles above, crossing the Mississippi thirty miles west of Long Prairie, where the Winnebagoes were focated, culti- vating the lands assigned them by the Government; but they were uneasy, as I learned, for they were afraid of the Chippewa and Sioux Indians, which, I suppose, was the reason of their subsequent removal to a less exposed region. We returned, by way of Galena, to Fort Win- nebago.

VII .- BY J. T. KINGSTON.

In the fall of 1836, Samuel B. Pilkington and the writer, the former a native of Ireland, while at Helena, on the Wisconsin River, heard of a very extensive forest of pine timber, and a spendid water-power on the Lemonweir River, about twelve miles from the mouth. As the Winnebago Indians had just sold their lands on the south side of that river to the Govern- ment, we conceived the idea of making an exploration in that direction, to ascertain the truth of those reports, intending, if matters were found as represented, to engage in the lumber business ; but not then being just ready to make the trip, we concluded to wait until the next year.

Accordingly, in the month of December, in the following year, 1837, we packed our Indian pony and started from Racine, to explore the valley in question. Our outfit consisted of a Mackinaw blanket and butcher-knife, an ax, a box of matches, and provisions for a week, besides the necessary camp fixtures, including a small fly tent. Firearms and ammunition we considered of no particular use, and carried none.

We found but few settlers after crossing Fox River, thirty miles west of Racine, two or three at Spring Prairie, Luke Taylor and one or two others on Turtle Creek, near the present location of Delavan, a Mr. Johnson on the cast edge of Rock Prairie, and Mr. Henry F. Janes living in a log house on the east bank of Rock River, near the present site of the city of Janes- ville. From Rock River to the four lakes, now Madison, no signs of the white man, but only a blazed line of trees, indicating the road to the future capital of the State.

There being six or eight inches of snow on the ground, we did not reach Madison until about 9 o'clock on the second morning after leaving Rock River. Here we found a Mr. Peck and family, Col. A. A. Bird, and several other men, putting up the frame of a house for a hotel, and also some materials on the ground for the capitol building then in course of erection. From Col. Bird we obtained the proper directions, by landmarks, to reach Mr. Rowan's trading- post, on the military road, twelve miles from Fort Winnebago, and near the present village of Poynette. On the route from Madison, and ten or twelve miles out, we passed the body of a log house, afterward completed and occupied by a Mr. Lawrence, but no other marks of im- provement were noticed. We reached Rowan's late in the evening, tired, and glad to find a comfortable place for the night for ourselves and the pony.

Following the military road, we reached Fort Winnebago abont noon the next day, and found a stopping-place at the Indian agency house, owned by the Government, but then kept as a tavern by an Italian named Ubeldine, who had an Irish woman for a wife, and during our stay there of a week or more, we found the wife "the better man; " at least Ubeldine was willing to acknowledge such to be the fact whenever any little family difficulty occurred, which was not unfrequent.

Visited the fort next day, met Capt. Low, then in command, and also Mr. Henry Merrell, since of La Crosse, who kept a sutler's store near the fort. Procured a supply of provisions to last for six or eight days, and leaving the pony with Mr. Ubeldine, we proceeded. Passed the trading-post of Silas Walsworth, situated at the high point of land near the present railroad bridge over the canal ; followed the Point Basse trail about fifteen miles, to a cluster of bark wigwams, then deserted, situated on the land afterward owned and occupied for several years by Jared Walsworth. Camped here over night. Snow about a foot deep, and weather extremely cold. Tried the experiment of camping in a wigwam, but found it a bad one on account of not being able to keep up a sufficient fire.

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The next morning, continued on the trail three or four miles, and then struck west across the head of Dell Prairie, and reached the Wisconsin River at the foot of the Big Dell the even- ing of the second day after leaving the fort ; but finding the ice running in the river, and the crossing impracticable, we continued along the east bank of the stream until we found wood convenient and a good shelter from the wind, and camped for the night. In the morning, we started on our return to the fort, and reached there next day.

We remained with Mr. Ubeldine about a week, and until the river closed sufficiently to cross on the ice, and again started on our explorations. Reaching the wigwams before men- tioned, we struck across the south end of Dell Prairie, arriving at the Wisconsin River opposite McEwen Rock.

During our week's stay at the fort, there was quite a heavy fall of snow, and, after leaving the Point Basse trail, we found the traveling both slow and difficult. Before leaving on this second trip, Mother Ubeldine handed us a bottle of medicine, with the remark : " If you get frost-bited, try this ; it came from Auld Ireland." Feeling grateful for the kindly feelings which we knew accompanied the gift, we received it with thankfulness.

The first night after leaving the fort, we camped about a mile from the east side of Dell Prairie. In the morning, we again started, but now without a trail, snow two feet deep, and weather extremely cold. Proceeding a few rods, we noticed a singular mound of snow, a short distance out of our direct course. Examined it, and found a one-horse sleigh, left a few days before by Robert Bloomer, on his way to the Grand Rapids. In the sleigh, we found a couple of smoked hams, some bread, crackers and cheese. Made a note of it as a good place to obtain a supply of provisions on our return, if needed.

Arriving at the edge of the prairie, and facing a cold west wind, we soon felt unmis- takable evidence of the frosty atmosphere, so much so that we concluded to halt and try the remedy in the bottle; but here we found a difficulty-how to apply it. After mature consultation and reflection, we concluded to try an inward application, and I must say the result was equal to our highest expectations. And here I will digress so far from the narrative as to say that, although we found repeated occasion to try the " medicine," and always with the most satisfactory results, yet I would not recommend it as a remedy for constant use ; but only on occasions when you are making your way on foot through snow two feet deep, with a week's provisions in your pack.

The second day we made across the prairie, and camped only two or three miles from the camping-place the night before. The third day, we crossed the Wisconsin, and camped that night on the higher part of the land at the foot of the Big Dell. Made three or four miles in distance this day. Weather continued extremely cold. Made our first and only experiment with dry pine-wood to keep up our fire for the night. Midnight, wood all gone; almost perished before morning.

Fourth morning, up very early. Made the Lemonweir about noon, but were in consider- able doubt, owing to the crooked nature of the channel and the numerous sloughs, whether we had found the river we were looking for or not. Finally, to settle the matter beyond doubt, we concluded to follow the stream down to the mouth, and finding the country to answer the description given us before, we retraced our steps on the ice, and camped that night at Proon- sal's Trading Post, about two or three miles above the mouth of the river, which we found unoccupied.

The Lemonweir had frozen over after the late heavy fall of snow, and this made the tray- eling comparatively easy.

The fifth and sixth days, we followed up the river, on the ice, broke through two or three times, went ashore, built fires and dried our clothes, and then continued on. On the morning of the seventh day, we ate our breakfast, consisting of two crackers each, on the present site of the village of New Lisbon ; and then-December 29, 1837-started on our return down the river, for Fort Winnebago. Following the other trails, or slides, cutting the bends of the river, we found the distance greatly shortened ; tightened our belts two or three times a day,

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dreamed at night of the good times coming ; examined our depot of supplies, in the sleigh, but found that some " good Indians " had been there before us.

Continuing on our journey, we arrived at the fort on the afternoon of December 31, the third day after turning back, weaker but not much wiser men-only learning that our exten- sive pine forest was a myth, and that our anticipated lumber speculation was a failure.

VIII .- BY ROBERT L. REAM.

Having business at Fort Winnebago, and there being no travel in that direction, I was compelled to make the journey [from Madison, in the latter part of April, 1838] alone, so I negotiated with Mr. Ubeldine for a roan-colored, bob-tailed Canadian pony, with cropped mane, large ears and white belly. Mr. Ubeldine kept the only livery stable, and this was the only horse to be hired in Madison. On this imposing steed I seated myself next day and started for the fort, forty miles distant by the trail. There was no wagon road from Madison in that direction, and the only two houses between there and the fort were those of William Lawrence, near Token Creek, and Wallace Rowan's hotel, on the military road, some thirty miles distant from Madison. At this hotel I put up for the night, and, being not much used to that particu- lar mode of locomotion, was very tired. Rowan's wife served me bountifully with hoe-cake and bacon. I then went to sleep and slept soundly until toward morning, when I was aroused by several cocks crowing simultaneously, in close proximity to my bed. I did not discover until daylight that the foot-rail of my bedstead was the roost of Mr. Rowan's chickens.

I remained the next night at Fort Winnebago, and picketed my pony on a grass-plat near the hotel, giving him about thirty feet of rope. The hotel was the only house where travelers could be entertained, outside the garrison. Mr. Henry Merrell and his family lived in it. I found the accommodations excellent. An amusing incident occurred there that night, which I cannot help mentioning. In the room in which I slept were four beds, one in each corner, and all curtained. I occupied one of these beds, and it appears that the other three were occupied by gentlemen and their wives. In the night, we were all aroused by a cry of " Robbers ! thieves ! Indians !" etc. All started up at the alarm, the ladies shrieking with fright. The room was dark, and, in the confusion, we ran against each other very amusingly. When a light was struck, the scene was extremely ludicrous-ladies in their night-clothes, looking like affrighted ghosts, some of them clinging to the wrong man ; men without any night-clothes, and very little of any other kind, making frantic exertions to find out the cause of the disturb- ance. The supposition was that some soldiers had been on a carousal, and had mistaken the hotel for the garrison ; but, under the charge of Capt. Low, such a breach of the regulations would never have been allowed, and the cause of the alarm was. not satisfactorily explained.

I found my pony safe in the morning. The " gallinippers " had worried him badly, and kept him in motion most of the night. The blood was still oozing through his perforated skin. Then, and not until then, did I realize the true force of the expression, " thicker than mosqui - toes." The atmosphere was literally filled with them. In those days, persons in the habit of traveling much were obliged to protect their faces and heads with gauze or mosquito-bar veils, so very great was the annoyance of these insects.

I will here digress, and relate some of the incidents told me at that time about the frontier soldier's life :

It often happens that the Government troops in these Western outposts become badly demoralized and mutinous. When watched so closely that they cannot safely carry bottles or jugs of liquor into quarters, they resort to every imaginable means of smuggling it in. They have been known to saturate their blankets, overcoats and other garments with whisky obtained of the sutler ; then pass the guards unsuspected, and, after reaching quarters, wring out the whisky and drink it.

Shortly previous to my visit to the fort, a mutiny was threatened there. Capt. Low was in command. The sentinels at the gate refused to obey orders, which was reported to the

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Captain. He made his appearance in due time, and demanded an explanation. As the sentinel whom he suspected for disloyalty was performing some extra evolutions, which the Captain did not eare to exactly understand, he suddenly raised his right foot and dexterously brought it with full force against the head of the sentinel, and brought him sprawling at his feet. This impro- vised tactic, not in the manual, was so demonstrative that the mutineers quailed before him, and at once subsided into submission, and no further attempt at mutiny was made during his com- mand at the fort.

Returning to Madison, I spent the next night at Mr. Rowan's, slept in the same bed, and, as before, was awakened at cock-crowing. At the dawn of day, I discovered what I thought was a small floek of sheep, scattered around on the floor, but, on eloser observation, I found they were Indians. They had come in during the night from some trading-post, where they had obtained new white blankets, and had taken possession of the floor, without ever disturbing my slumber.

From Madison baek to Monroe, there was no mode of conveyance, and I made this journey on foot in one day. It was then fully forty miles by the meanderings of the road. There were no bridges, and I was obliged to wade Sugar River and its tributaries, as well as several large marshes, in some of which the traek lay knee-deep under water, and I suffered severely with the rheumatism in consequence thereof.

IX .- BY HUGH M'FARLANE.

Andrew Dunn, A. Barker, Jonathan Cole, J. Garrison and I made claims in December, 1837, west of the Wisconsin River. My claim and Dunn's were located on Section 8, Town- ship 12 north, of Range 9 east, in what is now the city of Portage, and extending back into Seetion 17. The other three-Cole, Barker and Garrison-made their claims adjoining ours on Sections 17 and 18. There were several other claims made at the same time by people who lived at Portage prior to our coming there. One Ubeldine, who kept hotel in the Indian agent's house, also made a claim joining us. He was an Italian and had a wife, the only white woman around Portage, outside the fort. Perrin and Buckley also made claims further down the river. I built a house on my claim in December, 1837; the others improved their claims by feneing. Dunn, Barker, Cole and Garrison made my house their headquarters until spring, when they intended to build houses on their claims.

The only white settlers at this time, besides those who made claims, were Jared Walsworth and his father, Silas Walsworth, afterward known as Judge Walsworth. There was a trader's shanty on the river, below Bronson avenue, and four houses on the Menomonee land. Two stood immediately south of where Wood's store and the bank block now stand, near the canal. Two stood near where Mac street strikes the Wisconsin River. There was no person living in them in 1836-37. Before building our own house across the river, we camped in one of the houses immediately back of the bank building in 1838. There was a house built at the point where the St. Paul & Milwaukee Railroad crosses the canal. It was built for a boarding-house for the hands employed in building the canal across the portage. It had a large bell on top for call - ing the canal men from labor to meals. In the spring of 1838. Capt. Gideon Low, having resigned his office* and been relieved from command at Fort Winnebago, built a hotel on the flats, near what is now Bronson avenue, and commenced keeping hotel. He also, in the spring of that year, made a claim in the town of Caledonia, where Mr. MeKinzie now lives, called at that time the Indian farm. Leon Braun, a Frenchman, with his half-breed wife, made a claim in 1837, where Moses Pauquette now lives, in the town of Caledonia.

In 1838, there was at the east end of the portage, on the Fox River, some houses ; among these were the American Fur Company's trading-house and Daniel Whitney's storehouse. In 1838, Henry Merrell, after he quit being sutler at the fort, and being appointed Postmaster, commenced trading on his own account. He first opened his goods in one part of the sutler's

* Captain Low did not re-ign his office until February, 1840 .- En.

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store, on the south side of the military road, about one hundred yards from the bridge across the Fox River. He boarded with the officers at the fort. In 1838, he built a store on the portage side of Fox River, and moved his goods and post office into the building. In 1838-39, he built a dwelling near his store and moved out of the fort. He then became a resident of what is now the city of Portage. In 1838-39, Mrs. Capt. Low and her two daughters, with Mrs. Henry Carpenter, and the one already mentioned, made, in all, five white women residing in Portage. There were considerable many French and half-breeds whom I do not recollect. John D. La Ronde was there in 1837.

In 1838, there were no other white settlers in Columbia County, to my recollection, except Wallace Rowan and his wife. She was a white woman, but highly tinged with yellow, so much so that, at one time, I stopped at the hotel kept by her and her husband, at the place where Poynette is, when Gov. Horner was also a guest. He was a very social man, and, in conversa- tion with Mrs. Rowan, the landlady, he asked her to what nation or tribe she belonged. She answered, " Goll darn it, I don't belong to any tribe ! I came from Indianer."

Maj. Dickason and wife were afterward on the Crawfish River, where Columbus now is, with his family. Clark Young came in 1838, also Alexander McDonald. There were two other white traders at Portage-one by the name of Wood, a Scotchman, and one by the name of Taffey Jones, a Welshman. There was also a man known as " Bill Tibbets," who was clerk for Henry Merrell.

The reason for my making a claim at Portage was, the Fox River had just been meandered by Maj. Stevens, of Galena, Ill., and a report made by him to Congress for the improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, and to unite the same by canal. Among other things, the report set forth that the land was flat and low between the Fox and Wisconsin, where the canal began and terminated ; that there was no place for a town to be built, except on the hill where the fort stood, or on the west side of the Wisconsin River. Seeing this in the Congressional Globe. of which I was a subscriber, my mind was made up to get that point at all hazards.

In 1837, when I made my claim and built my house, and we were living in it, it was all chinked with dry grass that we cut with our knives. We could not get mud, as it was all sand around us ; we also cut hay for our beds.

We were living quite comfortable, when, one night, while all were in bed and asleep, the Indians set fire to the tall grass on the windward side of our house, and, it being chinked with hay, it caught fire. We were soon awakened with smoke and flame. We had to run for our lives and get under the bank of the Wisconsin River, for protection against our own firearms. There were four loaded ·rifles and two brace of double-barreled rifle-pistols, also loaded, in the house. and we were afraid of them, not knowing in what direction they might shoot. Well, by this fire, we were cast out of house and home, half naked, our provisions and clothing being all destroyed.

This was the 28th of December, 1837. The Wisconsin River closed that evening, the anchor ice gorging on the island below and filling up the channel; so we had but this choice left : to cross on the ice five hours after it froze over, or freeze to death. There was some lumber on the river, above the Pauquette place, now the Barden place. We went to the pile, and, without any noise, took from it each two boards*, sixteen feet long and one inch thick, and placed them on the ice. Then, in a low whisper, we consulted how to proceed. Andrew Dunn, who was my brother-in-law and my partner, volunteered to go first and try to get across, and, if successful, to give one whistle, which was the signal for the rest to proceed ; two whistles were to be the sign for great caution. Dunn and I both started, however, and I must say that it was the only time in my life that I thought of dying. Home, sweet home, with its many endearments, went through my mind like lightning. We started on the two boards, on our knees, pushing one board forward, then leaning on that board, we would push the other ahead, and so on till we got across. As soon as we got across, we gave the two

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The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 64

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1104