Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-08-08

dIOuuu on Iu0 luSlu0 10 OUtdlu SOOu
view The roads need improving and
paths through the woods for pedes-
TRANS need to be provided. There is
little Of that bold and rugged scenery
which makes for the fame of Devils
lake. The bluffs in Door county are
of limestone, the woods are dense and
the place can be reached only by boat
or automobile.
+ I : +
Much of the real pioneer history of
Wisconsin is found along the Fox
River. 1t was near Green Bay where
the first white man landed in the
state, the first settlement was there,
the first mills along the river and the
first improvements in other lines
were made along the same stream.
Here are found the oldest mill dams,
the oldest cemeteries, and the oldest
houses in the state. Much has been
written about this region but a few
lines may be of interest to those who
have once read the history and it will
be a matter of instruction to those
who are not familiar with the centur-
les past.
+ + + +
At Red Banks, about ten miles from
Green Bay, Jean Nicolet and his COM
pany, the first white men to see Wis
consin, landed. At that time the Win
nebago had a fort or enclosure on the
top of the bank, with path or steps
leading down to the water. The Win
nebago were being harrassed by the
surrounding tribes and had built the
enclosure as means OF protection.
Traces of the embankment remain and
the place where they descended to the
water is still visible. 1t is by means
of this path that Nicolet must have
reached the top of the eminence and
for that reason it is rather certain
where he came upon the shore. There
must have been great excitement
amongst the Indians, for these were
the first white men they had ever
seen. The natives welcomed Nicolet as
the god of lightning. All this happen
ed in 1884, only fourteen years after
the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in
Massachusetts. The reader realizes
that the pendulum Of Wisconsin his
tory swings back almost to the time
when Massachusetts had it's real be-
crio toll rly tho
where Nicolet landed.
+ + / i
Three forts were built on the from
tier of Wisconsin. These were Fort
Howard at Green Bay, Fort Winnie
bago at Portage, and Fort Crawford
at Prairie du Chen. At Green Bay
the fort was moved to a new location
on account of the low land on which
it was located but the war department
ordered it moved back. The place
occupied by the fort during the two
years was called Fort Smith and but
a few stones remain to mark the spot.
Old residents state a number Of grog
shops in the vicinity gave the soldiers
much trouble Two of the Fort How
ard buildings remain, being devoted
to others uses at present. Near the
site of Fort Smith the foundation
stones of the first courthouse remain.
Possibly Abe Wood, who shot an In
dian at Portage, was tried in this
building The jury acquitted Wood
and he afterward moved to Baraboo.
i + i i
Green Bay was called by the early
French La Baye Verte and Nicolas
Perrot traded with the Indians there
in the winter of 1866. Then follow
a number of interesting dates, early
events in Wisconsin history:
Father Allouez labored with the In
lians, 1669-1676.
LaSalle and Tonty bought furs, 1879.
French fort LaBaye built, 1717.
French fort evacuated, 1928.
French fort re-established, 1882.
French fort finally evacuated, 1850.
English took possession, 1861, nam
ing it Fort Edward Augustus.
This fort evacuated, 1853, due to
Indian troubles.
End of the British claim to the ter
ritory came in 1915.
Fort Howard, probably on the site
of the old forts, was built by the
Americans, 1916. Tablet near the Chi
cago & Northwestern station marks
the spot.
First school in Wisconsin opened,
1917.
First court, 1924.
First newspaper, 1888.
First bank, 1885.
+ / I !
At Green Bay we were greatly aided