Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-12-28
THE EARLY
History Of WauwatOSa.

traditions of America--the folk lore of
the Indians and the white pioneers
and tell the tale again for the glory of
the land and it's romance.
In these glimpses of the old days it
may be necessary to repeat some of the
facts so lately rehearsed in our local
press, but whoever has an Eden where
the memories of the earlier times yet
linger-memories of the twilight hour,
when clambering upon fathers or
mothers knee. she listens to the tales
of pioneer days from those voices of
the past, which will never fade, for her,
perhaps-these events, if repeated, may
still have charm--a certain quaint
old flavor, al of caraway and dill.
The aborigines OF this country who,
as well as the white race, have an eye
for the beautiful in Nature. seem to
have had great love for Milwaukee,
or The Beautiful Land, as its Indian
name implies, and as IA consequence,
it was the site of an Indian village far
back in the past as the earliest explor-
ers found them here.
While it is claimed that Milwaukee
meant in lad ian dialect, good land, or
beautiful land, "A good place for game,
fish, aud to harvest wild rice-the orig
in of the name is entirely uncertain,
probably for the reason that it may
have been given by some ancient tribe,
whose language had become extinct in
the Northwest before the exploration
of this part of the continent. This is
supposed to be the case With She name
of our state --''Wisconsin.
The first white man who is supposed
to have seen this beautiful spot was
Father Pierre Marquette, who stopped
here while ON his way from Green Bay
to Chicago, Oct. 90, 1874.
A white man. Frenchman, came
from Mackinaw in 1855 for the purpose
of trading with the Indians, and re-
manned six years. In 1895 two trad RS
came from Green Bay. one of whom re-
manned permanently.
Trappers for turs spent the winter
here occasionally. Much of the land
bordering the Menomonee was Il wild
rice swamp, covered with water FROM
two to six feet in depth Uona
marsh grew tamarack black asa.
alder and cedar, in abundance la the
spring the marsh would he literally
alive with fish, that came in from the
lake, and the number of ducl<s that
covered the marsh were beyond all
computation,
The marsh extended west to point
between Fourth and Fifth streets,
where the hills commenced, These
bluffs were said to be exceedingly beau
tifdl in state of Nature. Their fronts
were bold and round, and they were
covered with "a young and thrifty
/ growth of oak, mostly being what are
termed Openings" Some of these
trees are yet standing on the Rogers
and Kneeland property, These bluffs
have been cut from ten to sixty feet to
make the streets running noroh and
south practicable, and the m1rsh COW
cred nm average of twenty feet
The Menomonee tribe of Indians
claimed the land lying east and south
of Milwaukee river, the Pottawatomies
that on the west
Milwaukee was the favorte summer
resort of the other tribes of Indians,
among whom were the Winnebagoes,
iChippewas and some Sacs and Foxes
They lived in bark houses which
they built along the bluffs, and Sub
sisted mainly on fish--sturgeon, trout
and white fish being the principal va
rieties caught. have been told that
more than 200 of these bark houses were
built for the accommodation of these
Indian lakeside loiterers, who mum
bered at least 1000. nqd returned wear
after year. till driven the
white people From this point Indian
tA'''iH wig NttFINiiuR Adb til every Dl-
rection. Many OF these trails became
the high roads OF travel
Neither was the beauty confined to
Milwaukee alone. As one has written.
ut was not until after passing the
belt of timber extending along the
grand old lake, which concealed the
beautiful prairie beyond, that the fun
glories Of the land burst upon the
sight. Upon this territory the East
ern emigrant looked with covetous eve.
The government planned to remove
the Indians by peaceful negotiations,
rather than by warlille measures. for a
consideration in money, and means OF
subsistence.
by the treaties made with the Me
nomonees at Washington, Feb. s. 1881,
the government obtained all the land
north and east of the Milwaukee river.