Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-12-04

lived among the Indians largely anu
secured many OF their Legendary stories,
handed down for generations. He is
remembered by number OF Wausau's
early residents.
During the past summer FL. c. Fish
and &. II. Reynolds, of Marshfield,
have been engaged in gathering data OF
the early Indians in the northern part
of Wood and southern part of Mara
thon counties, for the benefit OF the
Wisconsin Archaeological society. Mr.
Fish wrote story on battle fought on
Smoky hill near Rice lake in the town
of Bergen, between the Chippewas and
another tribe, and which we published
last August. That story was preserved
by so many of our old settlers and
proved so interesting that we wrote
Mr. Fish for more data, and he has
very kindly furnished us with the follow
ing results of the work of himself and
Mr.. Reynolds, in their Investigations:
"They located thirteen village sites
with burial gounds, six separate burial
places, six trails, number of import
ant springs and found the existance of
caches on two of the village sites. The
most important village and burial
ground is at Rice lake, Marathon coun-
ty. Its Importance as village dates
back to the French domination of this
section and many tragedies have been
enacted along this rice-grown lake to
secure and keep the advantageous posi-
ton of the hill. The story published in
the PILOT last summer was probably
only one of the many small battles
fought to acquire this region, rich in
beauty and Astounding in game and
fish, On Smoky hill, lying near the
lake and rich in Legendary lore, are a
dozen mounds which mark the resting
place of the red man. These mounds
vary in size and are from three feet
they are exposed only when the field
has been plowed and the color of the soil
shows what was once a mound. There
is also large spring on this hill which
supplied the village with water. Today
may be found pieces of pottery, arrows,
arrow chips and other relics of the poor
Indian. These articles are numerous
and indicate that the place was long
the habitat of the aborigine.
"Three miles down the Little Eau
Pleine river was the location of a con-
siderable village. This site probably
guarded the portage between the Little
Eau Pleine and the Big Eau Pleine
rivers which is less than two miles in
length at this point. This was van
tage ground because of the nearness to
the abundant food supply the two rivers
must afford. At this place are three
large mounds, some five feet above the
surrounding land. From the village
extended a we'll defined trail which ran
northeast across the Big Eau Pleine
and then direct into where the village
of Mosinee now stands.
Zone mile west of Rice lake, Jas.
Kiner, of Rockville, found evidence of
life which dated back 200 or $50 years.
Twenty-four years ago he was in hay
ing camp on the north side of the river.
There was an enormous pine rampike
lust outside the door of the camp and it
was so bent that it might, in a storm,
break off and fall on the building. He
noticed it had been dead for years and
determined to get rid of it before any
accident should happen. Early one
morning he went out and sawed it off
and found, embedded in the tree, %
inches from the bark and one inch from
the heart, a big chip that had been cut
with some sharp instrument. A couple
of centuries ago some Frenchmar or
Indian had left his mark and time had
preserved the incident for us to wonder
over.
"a mile farther west in range 4 is
the burial place of the Walker boys,
Mr.. Kiner was out in the woods one
day, and, looking around for some
wood to start fire, he came upon what
he thought was pile of cord wood. TAX
ing up a couple of pieces he was aston
ished to find that the wood was the
covering to an Indian grave. Here in
all their ghastliness sat the mute semb
lances of two Indian boys; one strap
ping big fellow with the smaller brother
sitting between his legs. They had
straw hats on; a bright blue ribbon was
fastened from the brim of the straw hat
to the button hole of the coat. Sitting
near at hand in this crude sepulchrt
were two tin cups, two knives and forks
and two spoons. After MIR. Kiner had
viewed this strange sight he lay the
wood back into place.
I'm the recollection of our first citi
zens the Indian farm was an import
ant rendezvous for the Indian. The
Pottowattami village was four mile:
northeast of Rockville, near the Dis
Eau Pleine river, at point not fal
from where the towns of Day, Bergen
Cleveland and Emmett corner, and tbs
Chippewa site one mile farther east
| On the Pottowattami site is large
burying grounds. A few years age
when the farmers were doing spring
blowing around this place the horses
would once in great while stel
through into y cave. In the lndiaE
clearing on the p &. Hanson farm il
the town of Day can be seen the outline
where the different buildings stood, anC
also stones fixed outside of these line
where their meals had been cooked
On this farm Mr.. Hanson found a dozer
cache or store houses where the Indians
kept their food. This fall he came
across wooden tub under hemloci