Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-20

| UIOOC graves OUOOu lOT luUuIe Uury-
ing ground, which was used for that
purpose for many years; in fact, until
1S49 when ]. j. Cruickshank donated
to the town one acre of land for the
purpose of burial ground. which is
situated north and joining F. J.
Woods residence. The first person
buried in this cemetery was Mr..
Johnson, who fell by the hand of an
enemy on February 20, 1850.
Now, returning to the ravine from
W. ch l have wandered, having
ascended the hill, about five or six
rods east stood large log house built
and occupied by Francis Lemise as
stopping place for the travelling COM
munity on their way up the river to
Stevens Point, Little and Big Bull.
This last described house was the
only one that existed on the hill
at that time and stood where Editor
Fontaine's residence now stands.
Now, have described all that then
constituted the village of Grand
Rapids.
The next will state is the popula-
tion, which was 13O males and II
females.
Next / will mention is, that our
communication with the outside world
was by receiving mail once g month.
A Mr.. Alexander Mcdonald from
Portage had the contract and E. S.
Minor was postmaster
Next, the question how we obtained
our supplies(?). All supplies were
hauled by wagon from Galena, ILL.,, a
distance of 245 miles. 1t took an OK
team three weeks on an average to
make trip, and horse team ten to
twelve days; the heaviest load twenty
| five to thirty hundred. The road trav-
eled from Galena was mostly the mill
tary road from Galena to Fort Winnie
bago. Starting from Galena, the
places to stop were Hazel Green; next,
Benton; next, Mineral Point; next,
Blue Mount, Clark's Corner; next,
Widow Handspringer's; next, Decora
and Portage, 100 miles. Now from
Portage we go north. The next sta
tiOn was Jerry Walworth's, 16 miles.
Jerry would never forget to say before
going to supper, "Come, boys, take an
appetizer, l have some of Goodhue's
d--d;" and on retiring, ''Come,
boys, take night cap and bid Good
hue goodnight;' and in the morning
would say, "Come, boys, take an eye
opener, have some of the DEVILS eye
water mixed with Goodhue's id"
Next was Rocky Erie station, 30 miles,
kept ~by A. Grignon, an affable and
good man, but he did not keep ''Good-
hue's medicine" and if man would
tell Mr.. Grignon 81 have no money"
he would treat him as well as if he
had million, but for fun Mr.. Grignon
would say, ''no money, you Canoche in
the bush, sleep in the brush" Mr..
Grignon was a Frenchman and father
of our citizen j. B. Grignon, who
resides in the First ward of our city.
Next station, Point Basse, at Robert
Wakely's, 80 miles. He also kept the
DEVILS eye water. and a general good
time was had. At last came Grand
Rapids, 10 miles.
There was also new road cut in
1916, east from the old road, which
started f.om Jerry Walworth's. On
this road there was only one station,
30 miles. kept by William Sylvester.
The next was Grand Rapids, 40 miles,
If you could not get to Grand Rapids
in one day you would have to cauche
in the bush. This new road was later
travelled entirely, the old road being
abandoned.
A new way of getting supplies from
Galena: Francis Biron, on the 9th
day of August, 1916, went from Grand
Rapids to Dubuque, Iowa, and there
chartered wood barge owned and
commanded by Capt. f. Sanville. Mr..
BirOn engaged ten men to manage the
craft and floated down the Mississippi
to the mouth of Fever river, ascended
this river to Galena, eight miles, and
at this place, Mr.. Biron loaded the
barge with groceries, provisions and
lumbermen's supplies and started
down Fever river to the Mississippi.
and up this river by means of poles,
oars and cardellS A cardell is 1inch
line, from 100 to POO feet long, one end
of which is made fast to the barge
and men at the other end, on shore,
are hauling up the craft. This was
done when and wherever the banks of
the stream would permit it, and by so
doing, on the eighth day after leaving
Galena, they arrived at Prairie du
Chen at the mouth of the Wisconsin,
a distance of Is miles from Galena:
and now up the Wisconsin river in
the same manner as above described,
passing Sauk Prairie, Portage, and
through the Dells, and finally landing
at Point BaSse on the 9th day of
September, it being the 22nd day on
that eventful enterprise, this cargo
being equal to thirty wagon loads.
| From Point BaSSe, Mr.. Biron hauled
his merchandise to this place with
wagons. Thus ended the venture and
enterprise of one of Grand Rapids