Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-03-04

In the year 1881 or 1882 party of
voyageurs or rather fur traders in the
employ of the American Fur company
were on an exploring trip TO the north
ward. They started from Dubayis
Iradiag post due north through the
dense forest and when about opposite
the place now called Mosinee they heard
a loud, roaring sound 10 the west of
them which, en- investigation, proved
to be heavy fa,l of water. From the
roaring SOUND they named it Toro, the
French name of bull They continued
on north and found a bigger or larger
fall OF water which they designated
Big Bull Falls and changed the name
of the first falls to Little Bull, thence
onward to the north they came 10 the
famous falls which they named Grand
Pere or Grandfather, which in high
water are territically grand. The
rapids or rifles at other points on the
river were TOO insignificant to be
named by them. These vevageurs
established trading posts al different
points on the river on their trip, one
at Big Bull and one at SciOto-Is- Sibi,
the Chippewa name for Prairie river.
The ruins of this post were on the west
bank of the " isconsin river, where
now is the Illinois & " isconsin Lum-
Der Co.'S mill, which place in my day
was great resort for the Indians. In
the early fOrties there was engaged on
the river, numbering, one Hiram Pear
son and his brother, John, who had a
son, Alex Pearson. This Alex Pearson
was cruising about the river aud went
up as far as Grandfather Bull, and Ire
thought that, as the Bull family had
occupied the prominent falls they
ought, as a large family, to have some
progeny, so he named the rapids here
the dam is in your city Jenny Bull.
On the early day maps the falls at this
point were called and known as
Boileaux Rapids, named after the
French trader, who was stationed
there.
Now we must go back to the early
numbering days to get an understands
ing of tile situation The head men
who logged and run logging camps,
each for himself, made logging claiIu,
covering many miles of land with
the streams thereon. The country
was all heavily timbered, with very
few if any bare spots north of Stevens
Point. The first claim at and about
Big Bull was made by the mill men.
From Bates Island to where Brokaw
now is, was claimed by Cole, from there
to Trap Rapids by Burt Hayes, subse-
quently he claimed the Pine River
country until Grundy and COurthorst
built the mill and put in the dam thete.
b. F. and K. Ferry claimed from Trap
to the mouth of Pine, Bethuel Draper
and Campbell claimed from there to
Jenny, or mouth of Prairie river,
Henry Goodrich and Levi Fleming
laimed Prairie river from its mouth
to its source, Patrick Feheley claimed
from Prairie To mouth ofCopper and
opened up the Newcomb farm, and
Lenauel Larkin claimed the balance
to Grandfather. These men opened
up clearings, cut out roads and raised
crops for their business. Of course
when these men quit others have taken
their places on small scale, but these
conditions existed from l843 to about
1856, In lS47 Andrew Warren, Jr.,
came tn this country from Mineral
Point, he was there known as the
''rusherp and the name came here
with him. He came with n stock of
goods and opened his store at the
Point, while there he made the ac-
quaintance of Alex Pearson and with
him came to Jenny and was far sighted
enough to see the chances and oppor-
tunites there. He made his claim
there and soon entered the lands and
commenced to clear land and to build
the mill, which in the year lS49 com
menced to saw lumber 1t was at
that time and for many years after the
best equipped saw mill on the river.
He brought millwrght, Putnam,
and blacksmith ana machinist, Me-
Coy, from Sank county to erect the
mill and put it to running and they