Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-05-27
YELLOW THUNDER


Interesting glimpses Of Indian history
are given by William Il. Curtis in the
Chicago Record Herald the inspiration
being found in the fact that monuments
have been erected to several Indians
who have had notable place in the
nations life In his introduction he re-
fers to the fact that monument to Vel
low Thunder, the famous chief of the
Wnnebago tribe of Indians, was erected
at crossing of two roads, five miles
north Of the town of Baraboo, Wis, last
fall. This honorable duty was performed
| by the Sank County Historical society,
which has done much valuable work,
since its organization i'll 1908, in col
lecting and preserving historical docu-
ments. books newspapers, pictures, man
uscrpts and other relics of pioneer days
and has acquired creditable collection
of Indian weapons and utensils as Il
nucleus of u museum. These collections
are displayed in the courthouse Of 8ara-
| boo.
Aided by the Wisconsin Archaeological
| association. and the Federation OF " ON
| ems clubs, the society has secured ami
Opelteu 10 the puDHC MAN MOuuu BdIh'
and through the generosity OF one Of
| the members, j. Van Orden, a Large
| bronze memorial tablet with inscription
was erected upon that historic spot and
unveiled August Z. 1905 The monu-
ment to Yellow Thunder is tall, lofty
caifn of powders of various sizes set
| roughly in cement.
During the closing years of the eight
| eenth century Il tall, 1.-THE and active
but thoughtful young Winnebago war
rior roamed with his tribe through the
country surrounding Lake Winnebago
and Green Bay, Wis, and extending
| southwark as far as Rock river in Illi-
| nois. He was called Yellow Thunder,
and married Il daughter of the chief Of
! a neighboring trlDe OF Algonquins, who
lived not far from where the town Of
| Portage is located. The Winncbagos
were peaceful people, although they
| were called "O-ton-kah,' which means
the large strong people out in 1912
| they were induced to join the British in
| an attack upon the Americans in Detroit.
| They were badly punished and returned
to their homes in Wisconsin hungry and
! disheartened 1t was a lesson they never
forgot and they became very submissive
so much so that they allowed them
selves To be imposed upon.
| When the white people settlers decided
| that they wanted the land 0f the Winnie
| hagos they induced Yellow Thunder. who
had been promoted to the chieftains;hip,
with War Eagle and Dandy. minor
chiefs, to go to Washington, where they
We're urged to sign Il treaty reliuquishing
their land in exchange for much larger
area across the Mississippi in Iowa.
Yellow Thunder declared that he had
no authority to sign any such reiiuuuish-
| ment without the instruction of his tribe
but was assured that no action would he
taken for eight years, and that in the
meantime the agents of the government
would make it all right with his tribes
men.
Scarcely had the three young chiefs re-
, turned To Wisconsin when u military
force arrived Mt Portage under orders
= from Washington, and their commander
sent for all the chiefs and head men of
the WinnebagoS to come in for council.
| When they arrived they were informed
that they must move To their new homes
in Iowa at once, and when they refused
- To do so they were arrested ami dis.
armed, When they insisted that the
agreement made at Washington should
be carried ont, Yellow Thunder and his
companions We're thrown into irons and
imprisoned until they promised tc obey.
Then followed forcible migration ia
Iowa under n military escort: hut The
q next year Yellow Thunder and his wife
returned TO Portage, walking nearly S0O
miles, and entered 4 forty acre hama.
stead on the west side of the Wisconsin,
, | river. about sixteen miles from p0rfarp
/ There he lived and cultivated his farm
70 until his death in February. 1874 nm i'm.
| duStriouS, temperate. highly respected
: citizen; a deyout Catholic and huuorable
man.
His remains were buried beside. tho.e
Of his wife in an ordinary coffin. abont
half a mile east of the main road ave
- | miles north of BaraboO, Wis. upon y
$ | farm now owned by q. O. LOWERING. In
| 1898 the graves were violated hy vandols
9 bunting for relics. but the bones were no.
{ | buried by William Calvert. ana last fau
! | they were placed IN an earthen rrcep.
taelc under the monument that was
erected to the memory Of yellow Tlun.
der.
At Auricsvile Montgomery county \
Y, in the Mohawk valley. about hair
way between Albany and Utica, is a me.
mortal cross, and - St JoSeph's ,.eme.
terry nearby is statue erected to Cathe.
rine Te-kak-wi-tha. the first Indian nun.
who has been called la Saincte Sauya.
gesSeN tthe savage saint. the Iilv of
the MohawkS' and by various other en-
dearing names.
Catherine Te-kak-wi-tin was the
DAUGHTER Of Mohawk warrior by a
, Christian woman of the Algonquin tribe.
and VAS born near the site of the village
: of AuCieville, on the Mohawk river in
iG5G. She WAS 10 years old when DE
| Tracy burned the Mohawk villages i'm