The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-04-21
LETTER FROM WISCONSIN.
BrLuIr, March. lSJJ

BFLuIr. March, lSJJ.
NrSSrS En,rnr-.- In lnnk inv over the
"Heloit College Monthly" for January I>.r
,,uarto sheet. got up ana sustained 10y the
STUDENTS of this promising Institution, and
"dc>irncd as an exponent of Western Collie
cat, Eluca,on." find the following rrmin-
i~cn,.,. of this beautiful place, prepared hy
son of one of the oldest settlers, who tmyra
ted from Colchrook. " IL, Which may inter
est some Of Your readers
The nucleus of the town ot icloIt was IN
the must of a luxurlant Grow'h oi forest that
filc,, the anrle between Il .k River and Tur
tie. TIN" first settler WIS known through all
the rccion around hv Ill" name oi Ihc!,olt or.
a. every body uronnr,nrr! it. Tcho. \
Frcnchman. he had. long before, when scarce
" clinmcr of civilization had As vet reach
ed Wisconsin. left his home for the great will
drrncsS in the West Living with the lndI
ans, tra'.in. with them aud hunting with them
gradually becoming i>>imlatcd to them. and
at length marrying one OF their women. he
finally came to settle down upon the banks OF
Rock Iii Yer. Here with the aid of his coi'-
per colorc,i kinsmcn. he rolr'! up the logs
and fashioned himself house. Bat there
came TO the place. men who had not learned
to lie down in il!cnc>s as d Il the Ercnchman.
They wanted his claim. his house. and his
land and old Thcbot was pcr>uadrd to leave.
But his house remained and the town Of Be
lott owes much to the tenement built hv The
bolt and the Indians Under its root of bark
have been sheltered most of those on whom
its early growth depended. Crowded at night
a score or more together, into its little garrct
by day they lahorcd to build better houses.
and to lay the foundation of town. There,
too, died ono who came among the first. and
laborcd for the pm !Ic good anon" the most
earnest. Bu; the prIvatonS of those days
have had a result aud those who have gone,
have lc:t behind much to pcrpctuate their
memory
"As the new and more commolIons houses
were finished the settlers deserted the odd
but Of Thebolt For while it served the
purpose of stable. and was then removed to
make wav for some more pretending e'i'ilce'
The progress of civilization had made it use
less: but it had well served its time and had
deserved! better fate In like manner have
been DESTROYED all the original tencmcnts OF
the first settlers of l}cloit-thoSc houses built
of logs and plastered with clay. The last one
around which clustered many interesting as
sociations both of the living and the dead was
taken down but a few years ago. 1t seemed
, then, as if one at least should be allowed to
stand to call ba..k our thoughts to the tolls
and prvations of the past. But it were bet
ter to make the sacrifice than have it prosti-
tuted to mean uses
after Thcbolt had been induced to relin-
qush his claim here, still clin2ing to Rock
River. on whose banks he had lived for n ar
lv twenty ycars, he removed to the borders
Of that tcauttu: expansion OF it, ca'ledkosh-
kononr. There lie reared another hut, and
settled down to his usual manner CT lie-hnn-
ting a little, frequently travelling around the
country, but never working. During this
time, be often iourneyed to Beloit-man!y
times. no doubt, for the purpose OF rcpien'sh-
Ing his rum-iug, which, away from settlements
very frequently became empty, Tor, like most
uli,e men WHO live anons the indians. Ae