The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-04-11
Cerrespondenee of .he Telegraph.
PRAIRIE DU CHEN. April 3. 1861

rise abruptly on both sides Of the Mississippi soy.
eral hundred feet in height-in many places al
most perpendicular The frequent passing of the
beautiful steamers which, during the season of
navigation, ply on the river gives pleasing va
riety.
Prairie du Chen is divided into two divisions
the upper or old town and the lower or new town
the upper and lower towns are one mile apart :;
tho latter having been built up since the construc
ton OF the Milwaukee and Prairie du Chen Rail
road Fort Crawford is situated about midway
between upper and lower Prairie du Chen; the
two divisions Of the town unitedly contain about
5000 inhabitants. Prairie dn Chen does not APP
pear to be place of extensive business like most
OF the towns on the east side Of the Mississippi it
sutf ers from the competition on the other side
There l5 lik ewise an apparent want of taste and
public spirit on the part Of IFS population. There
are quite number of fine dwelling houses, but
very few are surrounded by pleasant gardens
shade trees and shrubbery. Very many Of the
residences have no enclosure about them at all
There are two tolorably good school houses one
IN iAenew and one in the old town, but the cause
Of public school education does not appear to re-
ceiye much attention.
Among the prominent buildings Inside from
Fort Crawford is ap cdifce erected some two years
ago, designed for q first class Hotel The ediAcc
cos- 81, $50, and is finished throughout with the
mcdern improvements; it has never been opened
as public house, and probably never will be- for
| the reason that such an extensive establishment
can never be sustained here 1t stands isolated,
and atsome distance from other buildings, and
heaco The idea mas frequently been suggested that
thai It would be desirable TO purchase it for q
State Normal School, or for some charitable State
Institution. 1t is said the price at which this
splendid edifice might be had for any such purpose
would be merely nominal
There is probably no town in Wisconsin with
which there axe connected so many historical Incl
dents Prairie du CHEN The first white men
and women settled in Prairie du Chen in I,4o;
from Carver's history it appears that there was
large Indian village here many years prior TO that
date. Most, if not all the first white settlers were
Indian traders many of them ntermarried with
the Indians, and hence here, as well as at the 9TH
ernorthwostern trading posts,a race of half breeds
has sprung up. One of the chief objects OF inter
est now at Prairie du CHEN is Fort Crawford
! This government work was commenced in 1899
and completed in 1884. However there were block,
houses and Notifications built here by the carly
traders for the purpose of defence against tito In
dams mere than seventy years prior to the erection
OF Fort Crawford. The buildings comprising Fort
Crawford are Of uniform height Of two stories,
buif OF stone they enclose square inner court Of
ov0- 900 fact each side. Tao magazine ad 9TH
er bull tngs belonging to The Fort are outside and
apart from the main range The walls of all the
buildings are massive, strongly built, and general.
y in good state Of preservation. The floors and
windows have mostly disappeared and much Of
the roofing has fallen into decay. 4 portion Of
the lower stories is now appropriated 10 tie sta.
0!irs Of horses and cattle, and Tie general appear
apoe is that Of extensive ruin Tie cost OF this
government work must have been large; every
thing connected with it seems to have been in
tended for strength and durability. All Of the
buildings Of course were cnce palsaded by heavy
he'yn tiEbers, making an enclosure Of several
acres he title to the lands on which the Fort
stands hay ing been in dispute for some years be-
tween the general government and certain indi-
viduals, the spirit of Vandalism has been at work
in he meantime; the heavy wooden stockades
have all been cut down within the past year and
carried away for fire wood. The heirs Of John
Jacob Astor own largo quantity of land adjoin-
ing the Fort which they refuse to sell at any price
Gen. Zachariah Taylor was the chief officer in
command here in 1886
The village Of McGregor OH the Iowa side Of the
Mississippi and directly opposite the lower town
OF Prairie du Chen, is one of the most singular
locations for town that can be conceived Of 4
deep raYine or gorge in the bluffs opens narrow
passage way at right angles from the river west
ward in this deep chasm between the rocks a
street has been constructed, and on either side
business establishments of various kinds, compact
built, extending more than mile inland The
depth Of building, back from the street general
~ depends upon the amount of rock cxcavated
from the vailed sides Ofthe gorge. The bold idea
Of building town here was conceived only some
two OF three years age, end it is claimed that there
are now nearly three thousand Inhabitants in this
creyice in the Mississippi bluffs. McGregor has
a large trade with the interior country wheat
and other commodities are brought to this point on
the Mississippi by teams, from distance Of over
fifty miles.
Ttso happened that we we've TO spend Sabbath
IN Prairie du CHEM we must needs therefore seek
out some place to attend church Upon inquiry
it was ascertained that there are some five or six
Sunday four visit, there were but two churches
open for service-both Methodist-one in the old
and one in the new town. We chose the old town
church, and wended our way thither. We should
not stop to describe the services here. were it not
/ that they were evidently good specimen Of old
en- time worship. Prof. A, gentleman of obser-
walton and travel, who happened also to be spend,
ing Sabbath here,remarked to US after the close
Of the meeting, that religious exercises such as We
d had witnessed were probably quite common thirty
g years ago. The preacher in charge was q most
extraordinary singer, possessing a remarkable
: power and compass of voice Before giving out
the hymns for the morning service, he volunteered
to sing from the pulpit two spiritual songs on his
= own account, the sound of which on a favorable
] day might have been heard half mile The breth
rem however, were not altogether ignorant Of tho
tunes, and some half dozen with trumpet voices
= joined il the song. One tall brother raised his
f voice to such towering swell, as seemed for the
I moment to droVn the preachers, dut the reverend
e gentleman 18th apparent case, added volume t
: his immense diapason, and his voice still rose
: above that Of the singing brethren, as the
horn of the shepherd rises above the bleating Ct
!. his lambs With each additional stanza, the ring
ling increased in power and intensity; occasional
II the preacher would stop and 1.-THE singing rur
{ alone, while in the interim he exhorted the congre
a CATION 10 pass into the heavenly kingdom; ther
; againhe would strike into the song, and inpart
possible greater intensity the soul exhiiaratn.
music. The brothers and sisters, even those WIN,
could not sing, we're evidently made joyous, anc
: seemed TO inhale celestial element. The ungod
" too, could not help being lifted up from thei
s lower natures and gain some conceptions of tn,
! heavenly kingdom.
Of the preaching have not time TO speak, but
may safely be said that this singing divine Ia
evidently no desire for this world gain if he ha
/ he could make twice as much by giving concert
about the country, as he can by preaching, An