HISTORY OF THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY - CHAPTER 1



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Transcribed and contributed to the USGenWeb Archives by Timm
Severud Ondamitag@aol.com

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Faithful Record of all Important Events, Incidents, and
Circumstances that have Transpired in the Valley of the
Chippewa from its Earliest Settlement by White People,
Indian Treaties, Organization of the Territory and State;
Also of the Counties Embracing the Valley, Senatorial,
Assembly and Congressional Districts, and a Brief
Biographical Sketch of the Most Prominent Persons in the
Settlement of the Valley. BY Thomas E. Randall 1875.  Free
Press Print.  Eau Claire, Wisconsin

CHAPTER 1

In the spring of 1828, James H. Lockwood, afterwards better
known as Judge Lockwood, and Indian trader, and General
Street, of the United States Army, Indian Agent at Fort
Crawford, obtained a permit from the great chief Wabasha, of
Wabasha's band of Sioux Indians, and also from the chiefs of
the Chippewa band that claimed the lands on the Chippewa and
Red Cedar (now Menomonie) rivers to cut pine timber, to
occupy a certain tract of land, and to build a sawmill
thereon, in consideration of certain articles of
merchandise, blankets, beads, whiskey, etc., to be paid
annually in July at Wabasha's Prairie, now Winona, and to
the latter at the mill to be built on the lands leased. The
sanction of Government was also obtained and under this
arrangement the aforesaid parties fitted out and expedition,
and erected a sawmill on Wilson's Creek, a short distance
from its confluence with the Red Cedar River. This was the
first mill built in the Chippewa Valley, and its site is now
west-side center of Menomonie Village.

At this time, and for several years subsequently, the above-
mentioned band of Sioux claimed the delta of the Chippewa
River and the territory lying between the Mississippi and
Red Cedar rivers, but it was really a neutral or dark and
bloody ground between the two great hostile tribes of Sioux
and Chippewas. At this time, too, all the territory
comprised in the States of Iowa, Minnesota, northern half of
Illinois, Wisconsin, nearly all of Michigan, and parts of
Ohio, and Indiana, was held by various tribes of Indians.

Military posts were established at For Madison, in what is
not Lee County, Iowa, at Fort Armstrong, on Rock Island, at
Fort Crawford, at Prairie du Chien, and at Green Bay and
Chicago. Government agencies and Indian trading posts
existed at all these places and many other places in the
Northwest.

The writer was personally acquainted with several of the
agents and fur traders of that early period, including Col.
George Davenport, of Rock Island, who was the victim of a
murderous conspiracy in 1843, H.L. Douseman, of Prairie du
Chien, and one of the Beaubeins, of Chicago.

And here I am tempted to digress a moment, to relate an
episode in the life of those two brothers whose names are
well known as the founders of that famous city, as related
by one of them in my presence in 1837, while he, in company
with one of the Railroad Commissioners for the State of
Illinois, was on a visit to the camp of a surveying party to
which I was attached, and engaged in locating the old
Illinois Central Railroad, H.P. Woodworth, formerly a
professor in the Norwich University, Vermont, being in
charge.  Many anecdotes concerning these brothers have been
told in the early Chicago journals, but I do not think this
was ever made public. Beaubein's English was very imperfect,
but I will give it as near as I can remember in his own
words:

"Out in the direction of widow Barry's Point my brother and
I raised a field of oats to feed our ponies; we had a cabin
near it to sleep in. In the fall before the war broke out,
we went to thrash dem with frails, had cleaned off a bit of
prairie for a floor, and began to pound out the oats. By-
and-by we zee three Injuns coming on dere ponies; we not
know den dey tink to make for war. Dey were Sac, and came
from a big war dance and council for braves. By-and-by dey
want whiskey; we say, 'Have none' - in Indian - 'all gone.'
Den dey speak very bold and saucee, and say, 'We burn your
wigwam, and take your ponies and kill you.' Den, quick as a
flash, my brother look at me and I at him, and (rising to
his feet, and motioning his cane in the attitude of
threshing) me thrash and he thrash, and one Injun he get on
his pony and marched on, but two of dem would never go for
ride any more. Den we were scare, afraid, and get on our
ponies for ride to fort. Den we were afraid and no go for
oats very soon, den some soldiers go, but find all burnt; no
oats, no cabin, no Injuns, but den we knew war would come."

Prairie du Chien - with the exception of Green Bay - the
oldest settlement in the Northwest, was in 1820, selected by
the American Fur Company as its headquarters on the Upper
Mississippi and the Government had established a military
post there, occupying at first the same fort occupied by the
British troops in 1813, 14 and 15, who, having established a
sort of military government at Green Bay, to took formal
possession of the country, one Rolette, a French Canadian
voyageur, of Prairie du Chien, being employed to pilot them
up the Fox and down the Wisconsin river, receiving therefore
$20,000 in British gold - so says reports. One account says
the British held this post until 1816, when it was formally
surrendered to the United States.

The commerce of the Upper Mississippi at this time (1828),
though considerable in furs, skins and goods for the Indian
trade, was unequal to the support of regular steamboat
navigation, and only when Government forwarded military
stores on boats chartered for that purpose, could passage or
freight be secured to those upper regions. The steamboat
Warrior, so famous for the part she took in the Battle of
the Bad Axe in 1832, was thus employed in carrying troops
and military stores, and by the vigilance of her commander
Captain Throckmorton, was at the precise point required when
the fugitive bands of Sac and Fox came to the river - hotly
pursued by our brave Suckers and Regulars - first reaching
the bank where the village of Victory now stands.

The British and American fur companies have always used two
kinds of river crafts for the transportation of freight; on
all the upper branches the inevitable canoe adapted to
rapids and shallow waters. But on the Mississippi and lower
branches of all its tributaries, the 'Keel Boat' had been in
use until the increased volume of business warranted it
supercedure by steamboats. These boats were constructed much
like an ordinary barge, but shallower and provided with
running boards on each side; their carrying capacity varied
from seven to twenty tons, the large class usually manned by
fourteen men, six on each side with poles which constituted
the propelling power, a helmsman and a cook, with sometimes
a sub-agent of the company as supercargo.

A large number of these boats were put in requisition by the
American Fur Company, some of the largest of which descended
to St. Louis and made regular trips between that place and
Prairie du Chien, occupying 40 to 50 days each trip,
cordeling over the Upper and Lower Rapids on their return
against the current. The cargo consisted of goods for the
Indian trade and supplies for the various trading posts
above, to which the goods were re-distributed from the
latter place, the headquarters for the Upper Mississippi.
These boats were usually manned by Canadian French and half-
breeds, called 'voyageurs' under the supervision of some
active, intelligent subagent or interested trader, and at
the time of which we are speaking, 1828, one of the most
trusted and energetic of the company's agents was Jean
Brunet, (John Brunie) a native of France, emigrated to St.
Louis in 1818, was some time in the service of the Chuteau
Brothers, and transferred in 1820 to Prairie du Chien, where
he subsequently married a sister of the Rolette before
named. He and several of his employees will find a prominent
place in the pages as the first settlers at Chippewa Falls.

It was this class of men, together with discharged soldiers,
who were employed to boat the supplies, assist in building
the mills and make the first lumber manufactured in the
valley, at the mill before spoken of. An ex-Lieutenant of
the regular army, named George Wales, was placed in charge,
and continued to conduct the business for the Company,
Street and Lockwood, until 1835, and in the mean time had
erected, for the same parties, another mill on what is now
known as 'Gilbert's Creek,' a mile or so from its mouth and
two miles below the first named. Who the millwrights were
that planned and executed the millwright work in the mill I
have not been able to learn. It was to these mills that
young Lieutenant Jefferson Davis is said to have been
dispatched for lumber to rebuild Fort Crawford.  An amusing
incident is related by several of the old soldiers who were
with Davis and some officers on one of these trips for
lumber. The order had been filled at the mill, the lumber
rafted down the Red Cedar River in strings to the Chippewa
River, all safely coupled up, and an old voyageur shipped as
pilot, the officers and all hands leaped on board, and all
went well until they neared the head of Beef Slough. "To de
right, hard," said the old Frenchman.

"What's that you villain?" said the West Pointer, "you're
going to run this raft right to hell! I tell you put to the
left where the main river is."

It was done, and the lumber lost in Beef Slough, as the
channel was effectually blocked with driftwood. The crew
returned for more lumber, but the officers returned to Fort
Crawford, in a canoe and reported the raft as broken.

In 1835, Mr. Street and Mr. Lockwood sold both these mills
to H.S. Allen, with the permit from the Indians, together
with all the teams, tools and all the appurtenance, who, on
his part, agreed to fulfill all obligations they were under
the Indians. The consideration was made payable in lumber,
at thirty dollars a thousand, in annual installments. This
gentleman was of New England stock; came from Vermont, first
to Galena, thence to Menomonie in 1834, and commenced the
business of getting out logs and square timber, but soon
discovered that without booms in which to secure logs near
the Mississippi, they must be sawed into lumber here, in
order to be a successful business, and therefore accepted
the Company's offer to sell, with alacrity, although his
means were very limited. But to good business qualifications
he added untiring energy, economy and unflinching
perseverance, and nothing short of unparalleled misfortunes
has prevented his acquiring all his ambition aspired to.

Lieutenant, or Captain Wales, as he was called, on retiring
from the management of these mills, passed over to Eau Galle
and built a mill on the site where the present mill, now
owned by Mr. Carson and Mr. Rand, stands. He was educated at
West Point, possessed every business capacity, but had
contracted dissolute and extravagant habits, had picked up a
woman in Baton Rouge, while quartered in that city, who he
brought to the pineries with him, but whether they were
married is not known. Four children, however, were the
result of their connection, and she was probably the first
white woman that ever came into this valley, and will be the
subject of further comment.