The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1905-08-09

" wv =, ,
arlv French indian trader named
p,ribeau, the Indian pronunciation
afvbich gradually led to the pre-
ar+ form. That the spot was
nnch frequented by the red man in
.bocp DAYS is shown by the numer-
ms legends Of that primitive peo-
.ro which cluster about Devils
lake, and even their presence in
I,rop numbers within the memory
ofmpn and women still living. Be
,;dps this. many of the early res
;den+s of the locality had Indian
bIood in their veins, such as Abe
Wood the terrible, whose daring
daods have not yet faded from
memory, In those far away days
= was no uncommon spectacle to
sap scores of these blanket Indians
Irpg scattered along either side of
tberoadway leading from lower, or
Brown town, to the hill or upper
town, dead to the world in helpless
Intoxicaticn. The children of those
times were filed with fear from
such scenes, and yet still more, by
tbe nightly war dances in front of
the taverns and drinking places of
lower town in which the painted
braves in great numbers took part
and made night hideous from their
anearthlY yells and performances.
But these were not the founders
Of Baraboo; they came as the
true.hearted came, mot with the
nlof the stirring drum or the
trumpet that sounds of fame" It
vas the army of the Industrious
that founded and built up Baraboo
lquietness and beauty. tits pleas
ant to remember that they were
led by young man named George
Brown whose gentle disposition and
sterling character stands out in
strong relief against the somber
background of those crude and tur-
bulent times, He came single hand
ed and alone in 1912, swimming the
Wisconsin river before the day of
ferries and bridges At Mineral
Point where the land Office was
then located, he entered the site of
8arabOo and then returned to
Whitewater from whence he soon
made his way back with number
otmen who helped him build the
first house il the city proper. This
was log house, no doubt long since
gone to decay or removed to make
room for later improvements.
twas lower town where Baraboo
started, and Mr.. Browns entry in
CIuded the water site right under
the present steel bridge leading to
'he depot Here he constructed
the first dam, saw and grist mill
about the years 1843 to 1915. He
was killed on Dec. 18th. 1847 by the
falling of the great bent which was
oeInS raised for the addition to the
NIL, 1t is said that in falling he
"aSso struck that the timbers
seemed to crush his head and then
rebound leaving the blood stream
ing from mouth, nose and ears, and
YET ne seemed to recover conscious
aeSS and lived several hours, sitting
III Inc only rocking chair in the
pace, borrowed from a neighbor.
long years afterwards this chair
uad sort of enchanted place in
we memory aud was pointed to as
Snere George Brown breathed his
aIe away. He had spent the even
'Ug oetore in the company of a
young .adY with whom he was
won t to visit often, and was never
u more cheerful spirits than when
ue TOOK his leave thinking of the
S'5at day on the morrow when he
would see his mills enlarged for
S15ater usefulness by the addition
4" ready for the raising What a
SSSo1 on the fatuity of fate. the
9OVVst2in;y Of life, the cutting
"o"n OF the good and useful while
'ue efascals aud the worthless live
VI and on. 1t is needless to say
'u@t the tragic death of the cap,
'~'o OF all this activity so auspici-
'OS1Y begun, was a crushing blow