Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-06-18

! tribes of Indians in this section OF
Wisconsin, the MenomoneeS. Chippe-
ways and WinnebagoS. The Chippe-
ways had no stationary Indian
grounds but was wandering tribe
and the other two tribes were located
in the vicinity of Point Basse now
known as NekooSa and divided by the
| MOccasin Creek.
In 1886 strip of land two miles on
each side of the Wisconsin river
beginning this side of Port Edwards
and extending forty miles up stream
was obtained from the Indians chiefly
to open up the country to lumbermen.
Soon the country north of here was
explored beginning at Point Basse
and extending to Big Bull Falls.
Other trails were made by the
lumbermen through the thickly
wooded territory and their mode OF
travelling was known as ''gigging."
The trail started fifteen miles this
side of Portage and ran north along
the river through Point Basse. Grand
Rapids past Snibbleys into Portage
county. The lumbermen came down
the river on their RATS and when they
arrived at a point fifteen miles this
side of Portage they jOurneyed back
on the lumbermen trails as it was a
much shorter distance than by the
stage road.
In 1S41-42 steamboats, piled up and
down the Wisconsin and Mississippi
rivers from Galena, Illinois, to Point
BaSSe. The reason that steamboats,
piled between these two places lies in
the fact that parties were located in
both places who were interested in
the development of the lumber trade
for which Galena furnished good
market. There were three boats
plying between these places the
Science, Enterprise, and OnyOthO.
These boats carried passengers and
freight only during the summer
seasons of 1S41-42. There was a
steamboat known as the NOrtherner
which carried passengers and freight
between Stevens Point and Little
Bull during the summer seasons of
1S53-1S54. In 1856 it was transferred
across the high waters of the Wiscon-
sin by means of oars attached to the
sides, to Portage and from there
across the canal to the Fox River.
Our next mode of transportation
was by stage coach although in those
early days stage coach consisted of
nothing more than Il rude lumber
wagon used to carry the mail on the
stage roads once every two weeks
until a few years later when the
Lisbon Stage came up daily. Stage
roads were now built by the govern
ment through different parts of this
territory. In 1914 a road was built
from GAINESVILLE northwest to Madison,
Portage. Grand Marsh. Friendship.
terminating at Grand Rapids. This
was known as the "Old Military
Road" just wide enough for one team
and High Street is where it entered
| Grand Rapids. The next road was
built in 1917 by Messrs. Sampson,
Strong and Merrill starting at Roche
a-cris this side of Friendship and
came to Grand Rapids. Milwaukee
street which passes the east side of
the Howe High School is the original
Sampson, Strong and Merrill Stage
Road. Another road started at
| Galena came northeast through Blue
Mound Mineral Point to Madison and
joined the main road. The last road
was built early in the tiftieS and
started at Kilbourne City through
New Lisbon along the west bank of
| the Wisconsin river to Centralia
across the river into Grand Rapids by
means of a ferry which was located
| about where the Enterprise building
stands in Centralia and the Kroner
| building in Grand Rapids. The
| government issued leases to stage
| companies and these companies were
| obliged to give bonds. Any person or
persons desiring to carry the mail bid
| in for certain sum and the contract
was given to the lowest bidder. The
| mail was carried by these companies
every two weeks until a few years
later when the Lisbon stage came up
daily.
| The earliest mails consisted of not
| more than thirty letters and twelve
newspapers. The letters were not
| placed in envelopes bnt were merely
folded and sealed with sealing wax,
and as there were no stamps then the
| price of postage, ten cents, was writ
ten on the outside.
The first mail on the Military Road
was carried by Myres for number of
years until the contract was given to
| Mcfarland, although the mail was
carried by ScOtchman, McDOnnelS,
| during the years 1S4S-'49. J. X.
SearleS next carried the mail in 1868
| between here and Friendship, making
three trips week and taking one day
| for a trip: in 1862 his route was eX-
| tended to kilbOurne City. The Wis
| cOnSin Stage Co. had the contract for
carrying the mail from GAINESVILLE,
| Lisbon and on up to Centralia. Mr..
Henry Edwards, our present venerable
mail carrier, rarried the mail four
| teen years for this company. A daily
| line was run between Lisbon and
Grand Rapids, the fare being s., and
a tri-weekly line from kilbourne City
to Stevens Point.
AS soon as the Lisbon road was built
the travel from the other road was
transferred to this road. Provisions
were brought up by team from BelOit
and other southern cities. and it was
not an unusual sight to see from sixty
to one hundred wagons coming VI
together from these places.
| There were three tayernS located on
the old military road, the first stu.
ated about fifteen miles from Portage
This tavern was log house built and
kept by WalswOrth in 1910. The mid.
die ROche-a-cris, a creek, ran through
near here and the surrounding country
was known as a great camping ground
on account of its being the central
point of WinnebagO Indians and the
heavy timber and huge rocks.
| The second tavern thirty-fye miles
this side of Portage was built of lum
Der and kept by Sylvester who was
formerly blacksmith for the Indians
This tavern was known as the Marsh
House.
l.,