Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-07-24

legislature that the project was formed
to divide this territory, then state and
to that end Mr. McIndoe introduced
a bill defining the boundaries of this
county, and locating the city of Wau-
sau, giving it its present name. In
the early days the Chippewa Indians
were very numerous, especially in the
fall and spring of the year. In the
fall they would move south in their
hunting deer expeditions, and would
return in the spring on their way to
their sugar camps in the north. At
such times they would remain in this
vicinity several days, hold their pow
vows, medicine dances, etc. When
they were asked where they were go
ing and how far, their reply was al
ways with uplifted hands, "Witte Wau-
sau," meaning long distance, long
way off When it came to naming the
city, the fact that Big Bull was a long
way of from civilization, was con-
sidered a good reason for adopting the
name, which at the same time had a
musical sound, and enjoyed the uni
que distinction of being the only city
in the United States of that name.
when it came to christening the
county, Mr. McIndoe being classi-
cal scholar and an admirer of the
Greek and Athenian, gave it the name
of Marathon in remembrance of the
plains of Marathon and the Olym-
piads. The bill was passed, and the
names were incorporated in the same.
After the bill became a law, Mr.. Nc
Indoe decided to the county our public
square without fee or reward.
Confering of Names.
'The name of Bull Falls which is
attached to nearly all the rapids in
the Wisconsin river, of which there
are many, was given by the voyagers
of the American Fur company, who in
going north from the Indian station,
knownias Dubay, heard a terrible roar
ing sound, which upon investigation
proved to come from the falls at (now
Mosinee) and they named them
"Toro,' moving north they found a
larger rapids, and to them they gave
the name of "Gros Toro." Still furth-
er along they encountered the great
falls, and these they named "Gram
Pere Toro." From these names all
the other falls have received the
names they are known by.
"The struggles of the early pioneers
to get into the Wisconsin valley were
great.
Country A Dense Forest.
"This country was dense and un-
subduel forest from the place where
Stevens Point is located to the shores
Of Lake Superior on the north. To
open Lfa the country for the business
of numbering was no child's play, but
was work for men of stalwart bodies
and determination of mind. Such
were the men who opened this vast
of territory.
when Geo. Stevens, with three OK
teams, started from Belvidere, ILL.,,
to come here in 1910 it was mostly
prairie land to near Fort Winnebago;
from there on to Stevens Point were
)ak openings or sandy plains, with a
trail made by the Indians to Point
Baussee, where Whitney built the first
lumber institution in the valley. There
by Point Baussee became the basis
Of all migration to the north. 1t was
at the head of navigation, being at
he foot of the long series of rapids on
he river
"There the Menominee Indians
would gather at times for their hunt
ng and fishing expeditions. In 1S4S
there were over 500 Indians with
Chief Oshkosh at their head, holding
4 pow vow, or council, over the sale
Of their reservation to the govern
ment. Their lands extended from
about Fort Winnebago to Big Bull
Falls on the north, and from the Black
river on the west to the Fox river on
the east This region was covered
with heavy forests. The wealth in
the magnificent pine was as alluring
to the pioneer as ever the gold fields
Of California were in 1S49. The ques-
ton of how to get at it to make it
marketable was the abcorbing thought
Of all minds. Migratory pioneers are
not generally the possessors of much,
if any, ready money; all the wealth
they possessed was stout hearts,
strong muscles and common sense,
with physique enough to knock bull
down. Such were the men that first
tackled this great forest.
with other means it was out of
the question to open roads to the
several water powers where saw mills
were to be erected, as there was no
to build them with, so long
canoes were hewn out of the woods
and supplies of every name and nature
that were necessary for their susie
nance were boated by canoes in sum-
mer season. and the ice on the river
furnished the road in winter, upon
which supplies were fetched into the
country. At this time there was but
one house between Madison and Fort
Winnebago, and but two houses from
the Fort to Point Baussee, which were
kept by men who had Indian women
for wives. The population in 1S45 of
the Valley from Point Baussee in the
whole pinery was only 800, almost
all men, only about II or Is being
women.
"The reputation given the country
by the traders of the American Fur
Co. was that the land was stony, san
dy and barren, mountainous and
marshy. cold and unhealthy and not