Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-12-16
Green Bay TWO Hundred Years
Ago.


was a commemorative day in the
history Of the Ancient City, and of
lie whole North-W est. In these
lay5 little do we think of the chang
Is IN the world during the eventful
aerion of the last two hundred years.
London was then just recovering
from the great fire that nearly de
5-roved all its streets. bridges and
gublic buildings-in 1865; tive Tow
e~, that historical landmark, had
! ST begun to assume its present gil
Z3ntic proportions by the rebuild
iag Of its ancient and decayed walls;
md in other countries. too, the old
E.ngs and qneens-the old blue
cards and wives held sway a
z,-incident with our own time must
1t be forgotten it is the eruption
It Mt. Atna. In March, 1866,
I1tna burst forth in its great erup-
ion, sending out streams of lava for
miles; it reaches Cantania, but the
city walls block its approach; this
it finally surmounts, sweeps through
the streets, overwhelming the CON
vents. and on again carrying de
struction in its course for fifty-four
days, destroying fourteen cities and
towns, during which time neither
sun nor stars appeared
We are reminded that these same
causes are showing their effects IN
many parts of the world to-day, and
Old 1Ena, SO long a slumberer, has
again belched forth. We might 90
on recording the events OF ty . hun
dred years ago, but must contine
ourselves to our own North-W est
From this point the Catholic mis-
sionaries first penetrated the luXur-
liant woodlands and prairies of the
Wisconsin, where for ages the red
man had romned; raised the cross
81 Christ in the wilderness to the
astonished natives ; planting mis-
SONS near Depere and at Che-goi-
me-gon, or La Pointe, Lake Su-
psrior From this point Marquette
nd his band Of explorers assembled
re Fox river and descended the
Wisconsin, crowning their discover
Is by taking the first peep at Ike
.Ther Of Waters marking at that
early day the course of the great
t'ghway that IS now in prospect OF
5eing opened to the commerce OF
tie world
The following extract of the ear
n times is taken from the newly
Published works of the State IIisto
zeal Society, but differs some from
he records in the Church here:
: Before the Pilgrim Fathers had
1 college in New England the Jes
ITS had formed one at Quebec and
endowed it with an ample fortune
/ hile Massachusetts, was laying
ne basis of the Harvard University
md before she had adopted any svs
en- Of public schools, Father Nico
It visited Green Bay, observed
loosely the character OF the inhabit
ats; and bore back to Canada and
rance an account of hik treaty with
M or five thousand Indians assem-
ia on the Fox River. lie wa,
flowed by heroic and sci denying
sciples OF Loyola, such : Mes
ard, AlIouez, Marquette, who eX
i9red, two hundred years ago, the
,dthern and western shores o.
Ike Superior and Lake Michigan
.Iscoyered our rivers and Gale,
IN by their euphonious Indian
H.rnes. Next came adventurer:
i traders, with no religious zeal
il quest Of fame and riches
1 they by scores and hundred,
eled over the State and the sec
rs adjoining.
vt LaPointe, Lake Superior, the
IS was erected by Mesnard, il
so but permanent missionary
ton was never formed. Allouel
bred there atter1v;nt four wear:
l1ng the Chippewas. 1t became
.hsequently a French trading post
AT Green Bay AIiOuez opened il
Iai69 his Chapel and mission house
- the natives for instruction. Thi:
became the most important station
vest Of Lake Matchmaking tn,
nrer af all operations in this Stat,
and further south. While on thei
zoyage discovering the Upper Mis-
~5--ippi the missionaries stopped a
Toilet and Marquette La Sail,
Na~ here in 1851 to traffic for mate
-ial~ to and him in descending tn,
Mississippi river, when he connect
cd its northern discovery with it
southern by De Soto, and planted
the arms Of France nj lis mouth an,
named the whole valley Of the Mis-
sIssippi louisiana"
The services IN this city, in com
memoration Of the arrival OF thei
first missionary December 81. 1868
WIS an imposing and interesting
CEREMONY, uniting the French. Ger
nan. Holland and Irish Catholi
aarches, and churches representa-
The priests Of the Bay Settlement
Maple Grove. Holland, LittleChute
appleton. Oconto and New Frank
s. churches; and also the Chap
ali of the church OF No;re Dame,