Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-03-17
LAND GRANT FROM INDIANS.
A Representative of King George III
of England Once Owned all of
Marathon County.

1t may be interesting to some people
to know that 240 years ago all of the
territory embraced in what is now the
county of Marathon was secured by
treaty from tribe of Indians by one.
Jonathan Carver, representative of
the king of England; that later $4,000
acres of one of the richest portions of
the county was sold for a considera-
ton of 800 and services rendered. ,"
Yet the records in the court house of
Marathon county show such to be a
| fact.
Jonathan Carver was a captain in
the English army. He was great
traveller and man of education, as is
witnessed by his writings. He did
more than any other man to gain for
England the territory of the Middle
West. He entertained projects and
views, which if they had been carried
into effect, wopld have resulted in much
good to the early colonists, as well as
the mother country. His ambition was
to acquire by close observation and ex-
ploration an accurate knowledge of
the vast territory in the Northwest.
To accomplish this highly commend
able result, he proposed to assume the
character of trader as well as traveller
He arrived at Prairie du Chen in
October, 1866. He was treated by the
Indians with the greatest hospitality
and was at once their friend. The fol-
lowing year he secured from tribe,-
presumably the Sioux, title to over 100
square miles of territory, embracing all
of the territory of what is now Mara
thon county, as we see from the follow
ing deed:
ITO Jonathan Carver, chief under
the most mighty and potent George the
Third, king of the English and other
nations, the fame of whose courageous
warriors have reached our ears, and
has been more fully told US by our
good brother, jonathan aforesaid,
whom we rejoice to see amongst US,
and bring US good news from his coun-
try, the chiefs of the Naudowissies, who
have hereunto set our hands and seals.
do by these presents for ourselves and
heirs forever, in return for the many
presents and other good services done
by the said Jonathan to ourselves and
others, give, grant and convey to him,
the said Jonathan, and his heirs and as
signs forever, the whole of a certain
tract or territory of land, bounded as
follows, viz: From the falls of St.
Anthony, running on the east bank of
the Mississippi nearly southeast, as far
as the south end of lake Pepin, where
the Chippewa river joins the Mississippi
and from thence eastward five days
travel, accounting twenty English miles
per day, and from thence north six
days travel at twenty English miles
per day, and from thence again to the
falls of st. Anthony in direct straight
line. We do for ourselves, our heirs
and assigns forever give unto the said
Jonathan, his heirs and assigns forever,
all the said lands, with all the trees,
rocks and rivers therein, <reserving for
ourselves and heirs the sole liberty of
hunting and fishing on lands not
planted or improved by the SAID Jona-
than, his heirs or assigns. To which
we have affixed our respective seals at
the Great Cave, May the first, One
Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty
Seven.
Otchtongoomlishean,
(Serpent) his mark.
Hawnopajatan,
(Turtle) his mark.
Which said deed is in the record of the
Plantation Office, White Hall, London"
Carver, though he secured large
territory for his king and performed
many good offices, died in great pov
erty in the city of London Jan. 80, $780,
leaving two sons and five daughters,
joint heirs and sole 4inheritors of the
aforesaid tract. They decided the prop
erty to one, Samuel Peters, in 1906, who
in turn QS1S) decided it to Benjamin
Connor in consideration of the payment
of S24, 100. In 1857 one, Stephen
Schooley, resident of the city of Gin
cinnati, o., secured title to $4,000 acres
of the tract, embracing part of what
is now the town of Holton in the west
ern part of this county from Sauveur
d. Connor, son of Benjamin, for 800.
The territory embraced all of Sec
tions 1-19 inclusive besides other por-
| tions of the town. Some of this same
land could not be purchased today for
less than $50 per acre.
The original deed from the Indians is
peculiar in its wording, as compared
with similar documents of the present
time. 1t will be noted that it included
all the rocks" in the territory. From
this it is thought that Carver believed
that the country might some day prove
rich in mineral resources. The 'most
mighty and potent George the Third"
was the same gentleman who heaped
abuse on the colonies until they revolted
and brought to birth this great repub
lie. Carver traversed the Wisconsin
river, but how far northward he came
is not certain. 1t is supposed that he
traded with the Indians up in this
section, but that is mere conjecture, for
it was before Bill Cross's time and
therefore cannot be authenticated. He
died leaving very little record of his
own life, but gave to the world more
accurate description of the Indians in
this section, of the mounds and pali-
saded forts found along its rivers, than
did any other early explorer. Nearly
24l years ago, Marathon county and the
balance of the territory embraced in
the land grant came into his title. How
many times that territory has been
sliced up since and what wondrous
changes have been wrought in the
topography of the country, is clear to