The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, containing an account of settlement, growth, development and resources biographical sketches the whole preceded by a history of Wisconsin, Part 78

Author: Western historical company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 840

USA > Wisconsin > Sauk County > The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, containing an account of settlement, growth, development and resources biographical sketches the whole preceded by a history of Wisconsin > Part 78

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ORIGIN OF THE NAME " BARABOO." *

In introducing the following letter from Prof. Henry, it is due also to other gentlemen who have sought to assist me in ascertaining the origin of the name " Baraboo," that I should express to them my thanks. In answer to my own letters of inquiry upon this question, I have received letters from Mr. Draper, of the State Historical Society ; Mr. Tapley, of the Green Bay

* By William Hill.

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Gazette; the Rev. Father in charge of St. Mary's Church at Green Bay at the time of its bi-centennial celebration some years ago; and Gen. Cobb and Hon. J. Allen Barber, Repre- sentatives in Congress from this district. I have also conferred with and am indebted to several gentlemen connected with the press of the State and of Chicago, familiar with the early history of Wisconsin, certain of them translators from the French. That these latter gentlemen failed to hit upon the natural solution presented by Prof. Henry, is perhaps due, in part, to the fact that, with the main question, I submitted to them also all the theories which had been advanced in respect to the name, and that these theories had a tendency to mislead them.

Generally it was assumed by those whom I consulted, as it had been assumed in all instances to which their attention was called, that Baraboo was derived from a French surname. Other theories were advanced, but only to be finally rejected by those who made them. Aside from the name of the mythical old Frenchman, " Barabeau," to whom legend assigned a shanty at the mouth of the river in days prior to the settlement of the valley, a number of names of real per- sonages give hints of the name Baraboo. The Barbou family were, perhaps, the most celebrated printers of France from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. Jean Louis de la Bruyere Barbeau in 1759 published, under the title of Mappemonde Historique, an ingenious map, then entirely new, in which geography, chronology and history were simultaneously presented. Royer P. F. Barbault (pronounced Barbo), a native of St. Domingo, of African descent, took part with his countrymen in the insurrection of 1792, and was honored with a mission to France, where he afterward continued to reside. He was an author, an editor and lawyer of some repute, and held a place of importance in the French Bureau of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Tapley suggested the name of " Gen. de la Barre, Governor, resident at Montreal, of the French Possessions of the Northwest." There is no mention of a Governor de la Barre in the outline histories of Canada contained in Appleton's Encyclopedia or the Conversations Lexi- con, though I find a reference to a Lieutenant General of that name who was in the French serv- ice in the latter part of the seventeenth and the commencement of the eighteenth century. There was also a Col. Isaac Barre (descendant of a French refugee) in the English service, a friend of Wolfe, and wounded at 'the siege of Quebec by the side of his chief, whose death he wit- nessed. He was one of the many to whom were attributed the letters of Junius, and of him it was said : "His name will always be connected with the history of America." I took no especial pains to assure myself as to the correctness of Mr. Tapley's citation, because, while the idea was in itself plausible enough that some one of the personages thus named-high in the French and English service in the early history of the Northwest, or in the French Bureau of Foreign Affairs, or in the invention of charts of the world, or in printing-should have held such rela- tion to some one of the early explorers as that the name of the former should be bestowed by the latter upon one of his discoveries, still there is an inherent probability that a name thus con- ferred would have been recorded and perpetuated.

For this reason I was led to favor the theory that the name might have been derived from the name of some American officer of French descent and name, connected with some of the early army expeditions, or with the first garrisons at Fort Winnebago. This suggestion, together with others made in the premises, I made in my letter to Mr. Barber, referred to Prof. Henry. I record them here, realizing how far "out of the way " they are, especially when contrasted with Prof. Henry's solution of the question, as a matter that may be of curiosity to some, and as show- ing that I have neither overlooked nor ignored any suggestion made to myself.

Recently, in a letter upon this subject, Hon. J. Allen Barber wrote to me : "Mr. Hoar, a gentleman versed in the ' curious in literature,' has expressed the opinion that Prof Henry, of the Smithsonian Institution, if any one, can find out the facts in the case." Accordingly, my previous letter to Mr. Barber was referred to Prof. Henry, and the following is his reply, received through Mr. Barber. The letter (copied) is without date or signature, as below ap- pended :

" I have received a communication from Mr. Hill, inquiring as to the origin of the term ' Baraboo ' given to the river, town and village in Sauk County, Wis. Of the history of the name

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I know nothing. It is not impossible it is, as your correspondent suggests, a corruption of some French or English officer's surname ; but it seems to me much more probable that it came either from the French Barbue-cat-fish-a not uncommon designation of rivers and creeks by the early voyageurs; or from Barbeau-carp, or sucker. What is now 'Putnam's Creek ' in Essex County, N. Y., running into Lake Champlain from the west, south of Crown Point, was Riviere a la Barbue of the French, and is so set down on M. de Levy's map of 1748, and in Pouchet's Me- moir of the war of 1755-60. On Russell's map, 1783, Barbe R. (Riviere a la Barbue of Morse's Gazetteer, 1797), enters the lake from the northeast, 'forty miles W. N. W. from the extremity of Long Point in that lake.' A third R. a la Barbue is mentioned in the same gazetteer, and by Alcedo, and is laid down on the maps of the last century, flowing westerly into Lake Michigan-now known, I believe, as the (South) Black River, between Ottawa and Allegan Counties, Mich. 'Catfish River,' the outlet of Four Lakes in Dane Co., Wis., still retains that name. I might add other examples of streams bearing the French or English name of this fish. The transition from Barbue to Baraboo is easy, and Riviere a la Barbue comes to be Baraboo River, as naturally as Point aux Baies to point Abbaye, or Baie de la Bete grise to ' Bay Degrees,' or Baie des Noquets to ' Bay de Nock.'

" Though the French in America uniformly gave the name of barbue to the cat-fish (Pime- lodus), all the French-English dictionaries into which I have looked, restrict it to a marine fish of the turbot and flounder family-the ' brill,' 'dab' or 'sandling.' This has occasioned some curious mistakes : For example, in the English translation of Labouton (London, 1703, Vol. I, p. 246), where the great cat-fish of the western rivers are described as 'lake dabs or sandlings.' Occasionally, too, translators confound barbue into barbeau (carp or sucker). The latter was described by Sagard, in 1631, under its Huron name, Einchataon, as somewhat resembling the Barbeau of Europe. There are two or three of these ' Carp Rivers' entering Lake Superior from Northern Michigan, and ' Point Barbeau' is named in Foster and Whitney's Report (Part 2, p. 395) as an important fishing station on Lake Michigan. It would be nearly as easy to make Baraboo from Barbeau as from Barbue-if the river, on examination, proves to be richer in suckers than in catfish."

Referring to French and English dictionaries for the term Barbeau, in like manner as Prof. Henry has referred for the term Barbue, I find that it is synonymous with Barbel, which applies, not only to a particular kind of fish, but (vide Webster), to " the small vermiform proc- ess appended to the mouths of certain fishes." The barbel proper (or barbeau) is described as " a large, coarse, fresh-water fish found in European waters, having several barbs or beard-like feelers pendant from its leathery, sucker-like mouth, which give it its name. It grows to the

Old Izaak length of three feet, and attains to a weight of from eighteen to twenty pounds." Walton speaks of "the barbel, so called by reason of his barbs or wattles." Barbue has a like

signification. Fish of the turbot family are unlike the cat-fish, in that the former are round, flat, with small heads, while the cat-fish is large-headed, long and tapering. I infer that the terms barbue and barbeau or barbel were applied by the French voyageurs to the fishes of American waters, not from any resemblance in their form to the European barbue or barbeau, but from their having the same head-like feelers pendant from their mouths. It would follow that within this category should be included the sturgeon, our native variety of which, as well in respect to its barbs, its sucker-like mouth, its general form and coarse flesh, bears a resemblance to the bar- beau or barbel proper. The sucker has no wattles. I place the more stress upon this distinc- tion that, while the Baraboo is rich in suckers and cat-fish (the former being the most numerous), we have in a reminiscence of Baraboo's earliest settler, Mr. Archibald Barker, a very remarkable account of a shoal of sturgeons encountered by him in running, in the spring of 1841, the first raft which left the Baraboo. Mr. Barker says :

" In Company with Ed Kingsley, going down [the Lower Baraboo Rapids], each on a crib, I halloaed to him to look-that somebody seemed to have made a dam of stones across the river. 'As we approached we saw it was the backs and tails of fishes. We were soon among them, and found they were sturgeons. I killed three with my handspike. In jumping into the

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water to get them I was knocked down by others running against my legs. For a short distance, the river seemed to be jammed full of them."

I incline to the opinion that " Riviere a la Barbeau " should in the case of the Baraboo be interpreted "Sturgeon River." But, whether we apply the term Barbeau to sturgeons or suck- ers, it gives us a solution which we believe will be accepted as conclusive and satisfactory of the origin of the name Baraboo. It strengthens this conclusion that the Winnebago name of the river, Ocoochery, signifies " plenty of fish." It is further in favor of the French derivation of the name Baraboo that the French gave to the river the first name under which it appears in any record-that of the Belle *Chasse, and names bestowed by the French upon bay, river, hill and prairie, abound, from Depere, by the " Portage" and Prairie du Sac, to Prairie du Chien. In speaking of the transition of the term Barbeau to Baraboo, we have also to take in account the familiar roll of the French "r"-thus : Bar-r-r-beau-and we have, with scarcely a transition even, the name of our river, town, village and valley.

Believing, as I have already in other words said, that we have here the derivation of a name. for which until this time no derivation has been found, I have but to add that whatever thanks the discovery is entitled to are due mainly to Prof. Henry, while it is not less due to Mr. Barber that I should reiterate my thanks to him.

Following is an extract from a letter addressed to Mr. Hill, by Louis Claude, dated March 12, 1872 : " The name ' Baraboo ' is now up for final judgment, and although the abundance of ' suckers,' both aquatic and terrestrial, which it appears has always distinguished this valley, lends so great a weight to the 'Barbeau ' theory that I will not 'carp ' at it, still I beg to offer the following mite of suggestion-it can hardly be called information-viz. : Fifteen years ago I brought here a map, of the date of about 1837, which a small but dishonest boy sold me (emphat- ically) on the cars for one of 1857. On this map the Baraboo River was marked as 'Barivaut's ' or 'Baribaut's ' Creek. I had always believed the above to be the correct derivation."

Concerning the name Baraboo, the Hon. J. Allen Barber writes : " It seems probable that the name is a corruption of some French word or phrase, as it does not appear like an Indian term. The place is at or near the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, on the route from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi, and in the ordinary line of communication between the two by means of canoes. In 1649 and 1650, the Hurons and their allies, who had been converted to Christianity by Father Brebeuf, were overthrown by the Iroquois, and part of them fled to Wisconsin on their way to the Mississippi. They were met and driven back by the Sioux. They were found by some French traders, in 1659-60, stationed about six days' journey south- west of Lake Superior, or not far from what is now called Baraboo. Very soon after that period, they had returned to Green Bay. As they were all Christians, may they not have given the name of their religious teacher, whose memory they would honor, to their temporary residence near the portage ? The word 'Brebeuf' might possibly leave its shadow behind it in the form of

Brabo or Baraboo. The phrase ' bois brule' was not infrequently applied to localities by the ' voyageurs.' It is the name of a river farther north. It may also have been applied casually to the small stream near the portage, and have been converted into Baraboo by some rude pioneer or hunter, who had no knowledge of French. These conjectures, of course, have very little value, but such possibilities sometimes serve a purpose when positive information is wanting. The fact that the intelligent people who now live in Wisconsin, and very near to the locality in ques- tion, have no record or tradition respecting the name, gives force to the supposition that it was casually applied, and has been corrupted into its present form. Barbaroux is a not uncommon French name, and if left behind by some trader with the Indians would very easily become 'Baraboo.'"

The suggestion that the last syllable of the name of Brebeuf might have been corrupted into a guttural with the f silent (perhaps favored by the fact that in certain French words ending in f-clef, for instance-the f is silent) was submitted to the Rev. Father of St. Mary's Church of

* Under this name the Baraboo is laid down on a map published (as appears from its geography) in 1817, now in the possession of Mr. John Dickie, Jr., of Freedom.

Rzu, Strong

BARABOO: '

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Green Bay, himself a French scholar, and acquainted with the patois of the voyageurs and their descendants. He thought such a corruption improbable. Here, however, the theory is that the name was transmitted through Indians to those who succeeded them, and in this light the supposition has more weight; while the objection that there should be some record of the fact in the event of a river being named after a discoverer of the prominence of Brebeuf, is at the same time removed.

AN "IMMORTAL" BROTHERHOOD.

It would be an injustice to the memory of the " old boys " of Baraboo not to say some- thing in these pages concerning their pioneer amusements. The early settlers of the West were a hardy set, thoroughly honest, but not always amiable. They enjoyed a good joke, and the rougher the joke the more enjoyable it became to them. They would go further to witness the perpetration of a practical joke upon some unsophisticated individual tlian to attend an election, or take part in devotional exercises ; and this is saying a great deal within the bounds of truth; for the old settler, or, rather, the new settler then, besides understanding and always exercising the duties of a freeman at the ballot-box, was exceedingly devout. He has been known to drive a yoke of wicked oxen fifteen miles to church, and then lead in prayer; and it is proverbial that none but those who can successfully resist the temptation to swear at an ox, can pray with any degree of Christian fervor. All the " old boys " of Baraboo could pray, but some of them didn't make a regular business of it. In the perpetration of jokes, however, they all took a hand: There was a surprising unanimity of feeling in this regard ; there was always a quorum present.

A branch organization of the then extremely popular "brotherhood " known as "the 1001 " was effected in Baraboo at an early day, over a quarter of a century ago, probably. Neither the origin nor meaning of the title of this "fraternity " are known. Elder Cochran once threw some light upon the subject when he said he supposed it meant " one thousand rascals and one good man ;" but it has been vaguely hinted that the Elder was not entirely free from a peculiar prejudice against secret organizations. The obligations of this mysterious "order " were so strict that its members never revealed the particulars of the Elder's initiation ; in fact, it is not positively known that he ever was initiated.

Could the walls of the old Sanford store, under the hill, unbosom themselves concerning the scenes witnessed within thiem, it would be "fun for the millions" to listen. It was here that the members of the order gathered in the early history of their " missionary work." It was here that the new-comer, anxious to win immediate business and social prestige in the com- munity, was accommodated. It was here that the patent-right fiend found the true source of influence, and the young limb of the law, fresh from an Eastern college, and full of " technical inspiration," learned points in backwoods jurisprudence. The manual of the order being an unwritten one, there is no record showing the modus operandi of the initiation, or giving the names and purposes of the utensils employed in the "work." It is said by those who have seen initiates soon after their escape, that the " form " must have been in the nature of some- thing long to be remembered by the candidate.

Taylor's Hall became the headquarters of this "illustrious brotherhood " in after years, and here more than one initiate swore "by the great toe of Confucius " to practice the teach- ings and keep secret the obligations of the order ; more than one initiate experienced the exhila- rating effects of a stuffed club, and, at the close of the ceremonies, was cooled off on a cake of ice.

Finally, the Baraboo branch of the order developed into an "Ecclesiastical Court " for the trial of cases which the short-sighted framers of the statutes had not contemplated. A Cincin- nati safe agent came hither some years since, and it was plain, from his general demeanor and mode of doing business, that the " Ecclesiastical Court" had not been created in vain. Fear- ing that the Cincinnati man might inflict himself upon the good people of Reedsburg (ungrate- ful Reedsburgers), charges of an awful nature were preferred against him, and he was brought into the presence of the just judge of this august body. He pleaded not guilty, and requested that the court appoint counsel to defend him, he being a stranger in a strange land. Judge

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Bilhox said he heartily sympathized with the prisoner, and would endeavor to secure for him a fair and impartial trial by appointing the most learned and dignified Ecclesiast in the room to plead his case. . The kind heartedness of the court had a softening effect upon the burglar-proof safe man from Cincinnati, and he was deeply moved. His contrite manner won for him many friends. The most touching scene that occurred during the entire proceeding took place when Mr. Colslye adjusting his glasses, arose and informed the court in a few choice words that, recognizing the compliment paid him in having been mentioned by His Honor in connection with counsel for defense, he would accept the responsibility and take charge of the case ; though, when he took into consideration the giant intellect of the gentleman who appeared for the people, he could not help feeling apprehensive as to the result. When Mr. Colslye sat down, ex-Judge Johnbark arose and bowed his recognition of the tribute paid his genius, and the Court with the sleeve of his judicial ermine, wiped away a tear. There wasn't a moist eye in the house.

Through the superior legal skill of prisoner's counsel, the jury returned a verdict of guilty, but he was allowed to go on his own recognizance, Lucholmes being instructed to keep his official eye upon him. The dignity maintained by Judge Bilhox during the trial furnished a theme for general comment. His decisions on points of evidence were of the profoundest character, and left a lasting impression upon the minds of those of the legal fraternity who were fortunate enough to be present. Ex-Judge Johnbark and Mr. Colslye also acquitted themselves with great credit.

"I'm Judge now," said His Honor, greeting his wife upon his return home that night ; " and you must hereafter address me as such."

" Indeed," replied his wife, " and who am I, pray ? Mrs. Judge-

" No, you're the same blamed old goose you always were."

But, alas for the Ecclesiastical Court! The next day warrants were out for the arrest of His Honor, the jury, counsel and spectators, and about forty of Baraboo's citizens had urgent business in Reedsburg. It was a splendid opportunity for the citizens of the "burg " to show their love of justice, and eleven of the jury held out for heavy fines, but Capchase was there, and the culprits were let off with the nominal fine of $5 each. It was a clear case of the biters bitten, though, and the calendar of the Ecclesiastical Court has not since been overcrowded with cases. Since the Reedsburg affair, His Honor has treated his wife's allusions to his being an " old goose " with silent and dignified contempt. .

The prevailing spirit for eccentric amusement took new form a few years ago, in an organ- ization known as the " Grand Quorum of Sages and Knights of Spirit Lake." Three annual feasts are held-the " Feast of Open," the "Feast of Yonder" and the " Feast of Shut," usu- ally in Kirk's Pavilion, Devil's Lake. The sages prefer this place on account of the close proximity of a large body of pure and wholesome drinking water. The form of invitation issued to visiting statesmen is as follows :

DEAR SIR: On the twenty-seventh rising of the 8th Moon, at hour of 62 P. M., you will be expected to meet the Grand Quorum of Sages and Knights of Spirit Lake, at the Passenger Depot of the Chicago & North-Western Railway, there to take passage to the classic shores of Minnewaukan, and, with the Sages assembled, partake of the Joys and Festivities of their annual Feast of Yonder. An early reply to the committee of your acceptance or non- acceptance of their Ukase, is respectfully requested and desired.

COMMITTEE OF SAGES.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRES IN BARABOO.

The first conflagration of note in Baraboo occurred at an early hour on the morning of the 5th of July, 1859. The fire originated in Wood's store, and, there being no means at hand for checking it, the most that could be done was to save the goods in the adjoining building. The flames made a clean sweep from the small brick structure formerly owned by the county, to Oak street, consuming in all, seven buildings, as follows : Van Wendall's building, occupied by Peter Van Wendall, as a saloon and residence. The contents were mostly saved, but the loss was „about $1,500, of which $1,000 was insured in the Franklin Company of Fond du Lac, which had recently failed in making good its losses in the Oshkosh fire. Then came a one-story

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building formerly occupied by D. J. Baldwin, and owned by Mrs. Bow. It was unoccupied at the time ; loss, $500. Wood's store, owned by L. C. Stanley, and occupied on the first floor by Van Patten & Swetland, painters, who lost a greater part of their stock, valued at $125. The upper story was occupied by W. Powers as a tailor-shop, none of the contents of which were saved. Stanley's building, owned by L. C. Stanley, the first floor of which was used by him as a store, and the second story by Dr. Miles, dentist, whose loss was $60. The remaining three buildings on the " Garrison Corner," owned by C. A. Sumner, were of little value. One of them was occupied by Dr. Slye as an office, the other being empty ; loss estimated at $300. By tearing down the corner building, the store known as the "Bee-Hive" was saved. The cause of the conflagration was attributed to the careless use of the frisky fire-cracker.

On the 3d of December, 1871, another serious conflagration visited Baraboo. The flames started in the store of Bower, Obert & Co., on the south side of the public square. Within three hours the following places of business were totally destroyed : "Lang, Camp & Co.'s drug store, Avery & Green's boot and shoe store, Draper Bros.' meat-market; Bower, Obert & Co's store, Mrs. Sharpe's millinery store, William Scharnke's jewelry store, and Lang, Camp & Co's dry-goods store. The total loss was estimated at $30,000.

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The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, containing an account of settlement, growth, development and resources biographical sketches the whole preceded by a history of Wisconsin, Part 78

Author: Western historical company, Chicago, pub Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 840

Author: Western historical company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 840