Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1912-03-28
Article V.
BARABOO CONTINUED.

History of Sank County from Hon. j.
Allen Barrier that in 1649 and 1850
the Hurons and their allies, who had
been converted to Christianity by
Father Brebeuf, were overthrown by
the Iroquois, and part of them fed to
Wisconsin on their way to the Miss
issippi. They were met and driven
back by the Sioux. In 1659-6C the
French traders found them stationed
about six days journey southwest OF
Lake Superior, or not far from what is
now called Baraboo. Very sOon after
that period they had returned TO
Green Bay. AS they were Christians,
may they not have given the name of
their religious teacher, whose memory
they would honor, to their tempo rary
residence near the portage? The word
'Brebeuf' might possibly leave its
shadow behind in the form Of Brabo
or Bearaboo.
John T. de la ROnds was a ready
writer and gives the following as the
origin of the name Baraboo according
to his narrative in the Wisconsin His
torical Collections, Vol. VII, page 35l.
In speaking of his journey through
this region he says: 81 may mention
what [ learned from the Perish Orig
non, older than his half-brother,
Augustine Grignon, derived from his
grandfather, Charles Langlade: That
when Captain Moran defeated the
Sauks and Foxes at the Butte DIES
Morris, in the last century, they fled to
what is now known as Sank Prairie;
and when Moran heard of their new
location, he drove them down the
river, leaving a force there under an
officer named Rabault, and from him,
Rabault or BarabuO River received its
name.
w. FL. Stennet in ga History Of the
Origin of the Place Names on the
Chicago & Northwestern" says that
Baraboo was named for Jean Bari
bsult, an early French trapper and
settler. A river of this name was by
Miss Julia A. Lapham asserted TO
have been named for Capt. Barabeary,
who was alleged to have been an officer
in Morgan's expedition against the
Indians but there does not seem to be
any real evidence to sustain the story,
as it is very certain the river was
named after Jean BarlbauIt, who lived
on this stream before Morgan's expadi-
ton was ever thought OF.
Mrs. Kinzie in Waubum spells the
word BarribauIt but does not say why
the river is so named. The same re-
ference is made in the Wisconsin His
toricaI Col 4ctions, Vol. XIV, page 81.
Henry Gannett in his volume on
''The Origin of Certain Place Names
SAYS that BarabOO was named for
Jean Barlbault, a French settler.
In the Wisconsin Historical Collec-
tions, Vol. TX, page 30 B. w. Bris'
bois SAYS that Bsribeau or Baribaull
was the name of an old Canadian
French trader, who had his trading
post on what is now known as Bara,
boo river, and which stream took It's
name from him. AS M. Brisbois
Sen'r, knew him we'll, aud often spoke
of him. he must have traded there the
latter part of the last century or early
in this. Mr.. Rrisbois does not know
what became of him or any furthur oil
his history.
E. Estabrook of Omaha wrote on
March Is, 1872: "Governor Doty told
me as many as twenty-five years age
that when he was one of the judges OF
the territory of Michigan embracing
Wisconsin, he used to travel from
Green Bay to Prairie du Chen by
canoe up the Fox river, across the
portage and down the Wisconsin; thai
one of his stopping places was the
trading post of Frenchman named
Barabeau at the mouth of the river
now known as the Baraboo, that tbs
river took it's name from this trader
His brother, Capt. M. II. Estabrook
commanded the steamboat, Sam
Ward, on Lake Superior. In walking
through the old French village now
Sault Ste. Marie he saw sign to
trading mouse on the main street,
P Barbeau.
On May 12,11S72,seB. w. Brisbos
wrote fromss Prairle, ..du CHEN that
Baribaut had permanent trading
station where the county seat is now
located, about II miles west of the
Wisconsin portage. When the place
was settled the American. people could
not we'll pronounce the name Bari
baut and to come IS near as they
could to the name,. it was CHANGED
to RarabOO.