HISTORY: Down the Great River Submitted 09/2002 by Nettie Mae ************************************************* Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************* DOWN THE GREAT RIVER; Embracing an Account of the Discovery of the True Source of the Mississippi, Together With Views, Descriptive and Pictorial of the Cities, Towns, Villages and Scenery on the Banks of the River, As Seen During a Canoe Voyage of Over Three Thousand Miles from Its Head Waters to the Gulf of Mexico. By Captain Willard Glazier. © 1887, 1888 Published by Hubbard Brothers, Philadelphia. 496 pages. DOWN THE GREAT RIVER is a very significant and important volume in the history of the Mississippi River: On July 4, 1881, Captain Willard Glazier and two companions set out in a canoe from St. Paul, Minnesota, on a quest to find the true source of the Mississippi, after which they traveled the entire length of the river, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. The traditional source of the Mississippi was considered to be Lake Itasca, but based on the results of his expedition Glazier concluded that the true source of the Mississippi was actually another lake south of Itasca (a lake which came to be known as Lake Glazier). The discovery was apparently pooh-poohed by Minnesota newspapers of the day, which preferred to cling to tradition. But as the Publishers of DOWN THE GREAT RIVER note: The declarations of the Indians and pioneers in the vicinity of the source of this river are altogether corroborative of Captain Glazier and his companions; the press of Minnesota speaks with but one voice, while geographers and educational publishers are almost unanimous in their recognition of the facts developed by his expedition.. Following his discovery of the Mississippi's true source, Glazier and his party continued downriver by canoe throughout the rest of the summer. This book records all the sights, scenery and experiences with people they met along the way -- including detailed chronicles of their visits to Chippewa Indian villages along the river and their dealings with Chippewa leaders, guides, etc. It is written as a day-by-day, town-by-town account, and includes many attractive illustrations depicting scenes from the journey. There is also a fold-out map showing the entire Mississippi River tipped in at page 439 and entitled "The Father of Waters". Contents Are: (1) The Old Explorers: De Soto, Marquette, La Salle and Hennepin * Pike, Beltrami, Schoolcraft and Nicollet * Lake Itasca * Other Lakes * A Field for Exploration * The Author Proceeds to St. Paul * Prepares for an Expedition to the Head Waters of the Mississippi * Journey to Brainerd * Topography of the Country * Extra Supplies * Leech Lake * Kabekanka River (2) Through the Chippewa Country: En Route to the Head Waters of the Great River * Impenetrable Underbrush * A Rough Road * Half-way Houses * Gull Lake * Wandering Indians * Hole-in-the-day * Little Crow * John Monahan * Aboriginal Conflicts * Reuben Gray * Dinner at Gull Lake * Ride to Pine River * Huge Logs and Boulders * George Barclay * Characteristics of Indians * Fourteen Mile Lake * First Meal in Open Air * Exuberant Spirits * Gauging the Rations * Duck-shooting * Birch-bark Canoes Capsized * Resolved on More Caution * Journey Continued (3) Home of the Chippewas: Arrival at Leech Lake * Log-cabin Hotel * Fresh Fish and Flapjacks * Canadian Fur-traders * Indian Agency * Major Ruffe * Paul Beaulieu * White Cloud * Pioneer History * Sioux and Chippewas * Domestic Habits of Indians * Secure an Interpreter and Guides * Birch Bark Canoes * Flat- mouth * Chenowagesic * Dinner with Flat-Mouth * Rev. Edwin Benedict * Theory of Paul Beaulieu as to the Source of the Misssissippi * Diversity of Opinion (4) Exploration and Discovery: A Council * Chenowagesic Draws a Map * Canoes * Distribution of Luggage * Embarkment on Leech Lake * Making a Portage * Kabekanka River * Trolling for Fish * Encampment * Clouds of Mosquitoes * Strike Tents * Launch Canoes * Lake Garfield * Packing Traps * Indians Carry Canoes * More Mosquitoes * Gabekanazeba River * Astir at Dawn * Naming Lakes * Blue Berries * Wolf and Deer * Shooting Ducks * DeSoto River * Short Rations * Ammunition Lost * Rigid Economy * Portage * Height of Land * Flocks of Pigeons * Wild Strawberries * Lake Itasca * Schoolcraft Island (5) True Source of the Mississippi: Exhausting Portages * Empty Haversacks * Coasting Itasca for the Feeders * A Talk with Chenowagesic * Infant Mississippi * A Beautiful Lake * Source of the Great River * Description of Primal Reservoir * Three Feeders * Lake Alice * A Geographical Error Corrected * A Surprise * Pokegama * Chenowagesic Speaks * Latitude and Altitude of Source * Length of the Mississippi * Mean Descent (6) Down the Great River: 1st Day: "Now For the Gulf of Mexico!" * Return to Itasca * A Bald Eagle * Short Rations * Outlet of Itasca * Obstructions * Narrow Gorges * Savannas * Wild Rice * Camp Discovery * Marquette River * Gnawings of Hunger * Mosquitoes 2nd Day: Exploring For Breakfast * Descending the Stream * The Discovery * The Alice * The Itasca * Shoot An Otter * The Neetmok Land * Two Ducks Shot and Two Captured * A Light Breakfast * Drift and Boulders * All Hands Clear the Way * Hunger and Fatigue * The Otter Roasted For Supper * Small and Poor * Advanced Only 15 Miles * Camp Otter (7) Perils and Privations: 3rd Day: Blue Berries * Chain of Rapids * Kakabikons Falls * A Capsize and a Loss * Joliet River * Hunger, Gaunt and Stern * Four Ducks Shot * Disembark and Pitch Tents * Ducks Reserved for Breakfast 4th Day: Paddles Resumed * An Old Duck * La Salle River * A Deer * A Wasted Shot * Exhausted * Halt For Rest * Two Ducks and a Mud Turtle * Wild Rice * Savannas * Pindiwin River * Wild Geese out of Range * Camp Starvation (8) Bemidji to Winnibegoshish: 5th Day: Struck Tents At Sunrise * Two Ducks and a Muskrat * All Hands Very Weak * Meet a Canoe * Fish and Sugar * Lake Marquette * Lake Bemidji * Camp Relief * Trading Post Abandoned * Empty Larder Again 6th Day: Re-embark * Two Small Ducks * Cass Lake * A Few Dried Fish * Camp Chippewa * Foraging * Corn and Potatoes * Aboriginal Generosity * We Help Ourselves * Description of Cass Lake * Lieutenant Pike * Governor Cass. 7th Day: Cabin of Missionary * Up At Daybreak * Roasting Potatoes * Meet Some Indians * Dried Venison * Lake Winnibegoshish * Strong Wind * Nearly Swamped * Strike the Beach * Kitchinodin * Cordial Reception * Windbound * Indian Character * A Good Dinner for All Hands * Kitchinodin Asks a Blessing * A Walk Through the Village * Description of Lake Winnibegoshish (9) Habits and Traditions of the Chippewa: 8th Day: Home of Kitchinodin * Religion of the Chippewas * The Great Spirit * The Evil Spirit * Invoking the Deity * Polygamy * Education * Luck * Fasting * Females Degraded * Origin of the Chippewas * A Future State * False Traditions * Inter-Marriages * Courtship * Power of Husband Over Wife * Funerals * Invocations to the Deceased * Grief * Parting with Chenowagesic * Happy Hunting Grounds (10) Lake Winnibegoshish to Grand Rapids: 9th Day: Re-embark * Driven Ashore by High Wind * Camp Chenowagesic * Tents Pitched * Retire for the Night * Disturbed At Midnight * Villainous looking Indians 11th Day: Slow Progess * Leech Lake River * White Oak Point * Camp Kitchinodin * Chippewa Village * Curiosity of Indians * Chief Dull-Knife * Ugly Women * Nude Men * Description of a Wigwam * Indians Friendly 12th Day: Meet Three Canoes * Halt For Dinner * Mosquitoes * Pokegama Falls * A Portage * Arrive at Grand Rapids * The Potter House (11) Grand Rapids to Aitkin -- 13th Day: Supply of Food * Leave Grand Rapids * Farewells * Make Good Progress * Camp Portage. 14th Day: Camp Thunder * Change of Scenery * Halt For Dinner * Swan River * Steamer City of Aitkin * A Salute * Land for the Night * Heavy Thunder-storm. 15th Day: Camp Mosquito * Re-embark * Meet Indians * White Man With Indian Wife * Fine Country * Former Battle-grounds. 16th Day: Douglass House, Aitkin * Return to Civilization * Mud River * A Capsize * "The Commodore" * Interpreter Leaves for Leech Lake * Aitkin * Population and Industry (12) Ten Days At Aitkin: Profitable Employment * Carlos Douglass * Rambles Around Aitkin * Productive Soil * Numerous Lakes * Modern Canoes * Rushton Canoe * A.H. Siegfried * A Veteran Canoeist * Rushton's "No. 93" * "American Travelling Canoe" * Letter from A.H. Siegfried * H.L. Hinckley * Valuable Suggestions * Racine St. Paul Canoe * Rob Roy Canoe * Description of Racine St. Paul * Advice and Instructions Relating to Canoes * Good Wishes (13) Aitkin to Brainerd: 26th Day: Pine Knoll * Below Aitkin * Weighed Anchor * "Snags and Sawyers" * Broad Savannas * Pine Timber * A Pleasing Landscape * Abundance of Waterfowl * A Wilderness 27th Day: Camp Discomfort * Launched Canoes * All Hands In Good Spirits * The Sioux Portage * Another Capsize * Approaching Storm * Stores Damaged * Lightning and Thunder * Tents No Protection * Story-telling to Pass the Night. 28th Day: Start for Brainerd * Arrive at Brainerd * Greetings * The Stolen Trunk * Thieves Arrested * Held for Trial * Description of Brainerd (14) Brainerd to Monticello: 29th Day: Re-embark * Land at Crow Wing * Charles Bailey * Hunting Exploits * Description of Crow Wing 30th Day: Little Falls * A Surprise * Judge Story * A.J. Pierson * Vassaly House * Lecture. 31st Day: Saint Cloud * River Widening * Sauk Rapids * Nearly Swamped * Captain Jopado West * Lecture * Judge L.A. Evans * Description of St. Cloud * Jane Gray Swisshelm. 33rd Day: Monticello * Reach Monticello * Cordial Welcome * Lecture * Henry Kreis * Samuel E. Adams * Henry Glazier (15) Monticello to Minneapolis: 34th Day: Leave Monticello * Interest Manifested * River-drivers * Wongans * Booms and Jams * Village of Elk River 35th Day: Friedley * Strong Wind * Blown Ashore at Anoka * Dinner * Reach Friedley. 36th Day: Jams and Log Booms * Reach Minneapolis * "The Nicollet" * Saint Anthony Falls * Grand Spectacle * "Sound of Many Waters" * Father Hennepin * Height of Falls * Breadth of Falls * Legend of the Falls * Ampato's Fate * Saint Anthony * Suspension Bridge * University * Water-power * Huge Rafts * Lumber business * Flour Mills * Summer Resorts * Falls of Minnehaha * Boating, Bathing and Fishing * Germans and Scandinavians * Metropolis of North-west (16) Ten Days at Saint Paul: Fort Snelling * Lieutenant Pike * Major Long * Colonel Leavenworth * Colonel Snelling * Minnesota River * Jonathan Carver * Geology and Mineralogy * Minnesota Boat Club * "The Island" * Deliver a Lecture * Father Hennepin * Treaty With Sioux * Pierre Perent * First Building in St. Paul * Catholic Mission * Bridges * Capitol * Opera House * Academy of Sciences * Historical Society * Schools * Asylums * Stores and Warehouses * Retail Trade * Wharfage * Railroads * Points of Interest * Carver's Cave * Fountain Cave * White Bear Lake * Bald Eagle lake * City Park * Progress of Civilization (17) Saint Paul to La Crosse: 46th Day: Leave St. Paul * Drenching Rain * The Gem City * Hastings * Lecture Postponed * Foster House. 47th Day: Leave Hastings * Saint Croix River * Red Wing * Swiss Missionaries * Dakota Indians * William Freeborn * Manufactures and Resources 48th day: "Beware of Lake Pepin" * Frontenac * General Garrard * Legends of Lake Peplin * Maiden Rock * Lake City 49th Day: Minneiska * Violent Wind-storm * Chippewa River Fiftieth Day: Reach Winona * Courtesies * Business Activity * Railways * Churches * Schools * Public Library * Newspapers * Manufactures * Lumber Trade 51st Day: Leave Winona * Ugly Clouds * Violent Wind * Canoes filled with Water * Sudden Calm * Disembark at Trempealeau * Melchior House (18) Three Days at La Crosse: Trip from Trempealeau * La Crosse and Surroundings * Delightful Day * Beautiful Scenery * Arrive at La Crosse * Pearce Giles * Name of City * Distance from St. Paul * Black and La Crosse Rivers * Growth of La Crosse * Myricks Indian Trading Post * Present Population * Products & Resources * Potatoes and abcxs Flax * Port of Entry * Lumber * Base of Supply * Electric Lights * Churches * Schools * Newspapers * Public Library * Rapid Improvement (19) La Crosse to Dubuque: 55th Day: Victory, Wisconsin * Heavy Thunder- storm * Driven ashore 56th Day: Prairie du Chien * Difficult Landing * Marquette and Joliet * Jesuit Mission * Kickapoo Indians * The Mound-Builders * Gautier de Vorville * Brisbois * Captain Fisher * Saint John's College * Saint Mary's Institute * Fort Crawford 57th Day: Guttenberg Iowa * Thoroughly Soaked * The City and Its Surroundings 58th Day: Dubuque Iowa * September Rains * Land for Dinner * Refused Accommodations * Beautiful Scenery * Excellent Pasturage * Winnebago Indians * March of Civilization * A "Pocket" * Reach Dubuque * Julian Dubuque * Lead Mines * Treaty With Indians * Immigrants * The Civil War * Volunteers * Trade and Manufactures * Lumber * First School * The Lead District * Geographical Position of Dubuque (20) Dubuque to Davenport: 59th Day: Start for Davenport * Change of Scenery * Excellent Progress * Reach Bellevue * Bower House * Bellevue and the Bandits * Delightful Summer Resort 60th Day: Clinton Iowa * Wapsipinicon Boat Club * Revere House * Description of Clinton * Death of Garfield 61st Day: Comanche * Meeting an Army Comrade * Cordova * Le Claire Rapids * Moline * Lowell of the West * Manufacturing Centre * Water-power * "City of Mills" * Rock River * Deere & Co. * Sylvan Water (21) Four Days At Davenport: Rock Island Arsenal - City of Rock Island: Site of Davenport * The Illini * The Ferry * Court House * Academy of Sciences * Mercy Hospital * Home for the Friendless * Growth of Davenport * Rock Island Arsenal * Early Settlers * Cause of the Black Hawk War * The "Prophet" * Hard Fighting * End of War * Sacs and Fox Indians * Military Prison * Description of the Island * Capacity of Arsenal * Rock River * Hennepin Canal * Rock Island City * Black Hawk's Watch-tower (22) Davenport to Burlington: 66th Day: Reach Muscatine * Description * Railways * Lumber * Agricultural Produce * Churches, schools, etc 67th Day: Stop at a Farm House * Funeral of President Garfield * Iowa Grangers * Iowa River * Home of Black Hawk * Indian Relics 68th Day: Keithsburg * Reach Burlington * Barrett House * Flint-mills * Description of Burlington * First Settler * The Levee * Manufactures and Commerce * Iron Bridge * Steam Ferry * Burlington College * Burlington "Hawkeye" (23) Burlington to Quincy: 69th Day: Leave Burlington * Adventure On a Sandbar * Rich Farms * Nauvoo * Collisions with Gentiles * Polygamy * Book of Mormon * Compelled to Flee * Description of Temple * Military Corps * Spiritual Wives * Arrest of Joseph and Hiram Smith * Hiram Shot Dead * Joseph Wounded and Killed * Brigham Young * Rigdon * Armed Mobs * A "Special Revelation" 70th Day: Reach Keokuk * A Tradition * American Fur Company * Indian Wives * "Medicine Ground " * Government Canal * Water-power * Manufacturing Centre * National Cemetery * Government Hospital * Steamboats, railroads, etc 71st Day: Gregory Missouri * Leave Keokuk * Des Moines River * Gregory 72nd Day: Quincy Illinois * Meet Several Steamers * The "Gem City" * Description of Quincy * Railroad Bridge * Elegant residences, churches, manufactures, etc (24) Quincy to St. Louis: Leave Quincy * Reach Hannibal * Description of Hannibal * Lumber * Manufactures * Coal and Limestone * Schools, Hannibal College, etc 76th Day: Cincinnatti Illinois * Naming Villages * Narrow Limits * Unattractive Surroundings 77th Day: Cap Au Gris Missouri * Leave Cincinnati * Clarksville * Hamburg * Falmouth * Midnight Apparition * Landed * Suspicion Aroused * "River Tramps" * Re-embark * Reach Cap Au Gris * "Leading Hotel" * River Invading the Town 78th Day: Alton Illinois * Leave Cap abcxs Au Gris * Illinois River * La Salle * Derivation of "Illinois" * Revolutionary War * Kaskaskia * Description of Alton * Piasa Creek * Bluffs * Caves * Railroads, manufactures, etc (25) Three Days at Saint Louis: Missouri River * The Yellowstone * The Great Falls * Tributaries * Civil War * Governor Jackson * General Fremont * Martial Law * Confederates * A Trading Post * Old Market Square * Name of St. Louis * Under Spanish Rule * Attack of Indians * Inhabitants Chiefly French * Old St. Louis * First Ferry * First Baptist Church * First Methodist * First Episcopal * Pilot Knob * Great Bridge * Carondelet * "Missouri Gazette" * "Missouri Republican" * "Post-Dispatch" * "Globe-Democrate" * "The Times" * German, French and Spanish papers * Local scenes, etc (26) Saint Louis to Cairo: 81st Day: Once More Afloat * Crystal City 82nd Day: River Obstructions * Varieties of River Craft 83rd Day: Grand Tower * An ex- Union Soldier 84th Day: Cape Girardeau * A Circus and a County Fair * Blown Ashore 85th Day: Junction of the Ohio and Mississippi * Cairo * Cairo in War Times * Cairo Today (27) Cairo to Memphis: 86th Day: Belmont * "Shanty Boats" * Hypocritical Boatmen 87th Day: Point Pleasant * Chickasaw Bluffs * Mound Builders * Fort Donelson * "Island No. 10" * Reelfoot Bayou 88th Day: "Tow Heads" * Numbering the Islands * Annual Overflows * A Settler's Life 89th Day: Arkansas * Fort Pillow * Negro Cabins * Crops of Cotton 90th Day: A Sixty-three Miles Run * Harrison's Landing * Royal Courtesies 91st Day: Arrival At Memphis * History of the City * Institutions * Ravages of Yellow Fever (28) Memphis to Vicksburg: 92nd Day: Lodging with Negroes 93rd Day: Helena 94th Day: Rough Experiences * Friar's Point * A Floating Photograph Gallery * At Modoc 95th Day: The "Vicksburg" 96th Day: Levees * The White and Arkansas Rivers 97th Day: Fortunate Escape * A Quick Run 98th Day: Greenville 99th Day: Lively Greeting at Ashton 100th Day: Ashore at Ingomar * Negroes' Saturday Night 101st Day: Nearing Vicksburg * Its War Experiences * The Great Canal * Terrific Fighting * The Surrender (29) Vicksburg to Natchez: 102nd Day: Meet a Steamner * The "Natchez" * Warrenton 103rd Day: The Cotton Gin * The Bondurant Plantation 104th Day: Zachary Taylor's Plantation 105th Day: Arrival at Natchez * Early History * The Natchez Indians (30) Natchez to Baton Rouge: 106th Day: Delay at Natchez 107th Day: Red River * The "Raft" * Numerous Bayous * Tunica Landing 108th Day: On Board the Steamer "Robert E. Lee" 109th Day: Bayou Sara * Port Hudson * The "Morning Star" 110th Day: The Eliza Plantation * Making Sugar * Baton Rouge * War History (31) Baton Rouge to New Orleans: 111th Day: Donaldsonville * Its War History 112th Day: Rain * Rice-fields * Hospitality of the Negroes 113th Day: Orange Groves * A Low Country * Carrollton * New Orleans, the Crescent City * Its Peculiar Features * In the Civil War * Its Defences Captured * The City Surrendered * Dark Days * Ancient Landmarks * The Levee * The Shell Road * Lake Pontchartrain * Cemeteries * Mardi Gras * Present Condition of the City (32) New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico - End of Voyage: 114th Day: Meeting Ocean Steamers * Rich Plantations 115th Day: Adieu to the English Turn * Salutes from Steamers * A Crowded Lodging Place 116th Day: Luxuriant Fields and Groves * The Jump 117th Day: The Last Launch * Pilot Station * Hospitality of Pilots * Port Eads * His Various Achievements * Robert La Salle * The Voyage Ended (33) The Father of the Waters: Review of the Mississippi and Its Tributaries * Return To Its Source * Bayous of Louisiana * The Red River * The Yazoo and the Tombigbee * Bays of Mobile * The Arkansas and Colorado Rivers * White and Saint Francis * The Ohio * Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean * Kaskaskia * Missouri * Illinois * Des Moines, Rock and Turkey Rivers * The Wisconsin and the Chippewa * Saint Croix and Minnesota * The Gulf Lakes * The Red River of the North * Gulf of Mexico * Arctic Ocean * What Is the Conclusion? * The Amazon, the Nile and the Mississippi * The King of Rivers. PUBLISHER'S APPENDIX. Illustrations Include: Portrait of the Author * Members of the Expedition * Map of the Head Waters of the Mississippi * Dinner With Flatmouth * Embarking for the Source of the Great River * Camp Among the Pines * Making A Portage * Source of the "Father of Waters" * Running Rapids on the Upper Mississippi * Sioux and Chippewa Dance Music * Parting with Chenowagesic * Falls of St. Anthony in 1842 * Falls of St. Anthony in 1881 * A View of Minneapolis * Fort Snelling * City of St. paul * Falls of Minne-ha-ha * View of Lake Pepin * Raft on the Upper Mississippi * Log Boom and Saw Mills * An Iowa Tributary of the Mississippi * Bridge Between Davenport and Rock Island * Saint Louis Exposition Building * The Shanty-Boat * City of Vicksburg * Negroes Picking Cotton * Cutting Sugar Cane * Sport Among the Bayous * Scene in the Levee District * A Rice Field * The Crescent City * Scene In an Orange Grove * Map of the Father of Waters (folding map) * The Lake Beyond Itasca