The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-06-06

on the east bank. Their unique character makes
them exceedingly interesting from the scientific
viewpoint The park area is botancaIly and geo
logically interesting.
Great Historical Interest
Historically the region Is genuinely interesting.
The first white known to have journeyed by
way of Green bay, Fox river and Wisconsin river
Jean Nicollett; he may or may have kept
the Mississippi Pierre RadiSson's suppressed
Journal brought TO light in Paris in 1885 shows
that he and Jean Groseiller in 1859 went down the
Wisconsin and the Mississippi and up the Missouri
TO the Mandan villages (Bismarck. n D.. In 1873
Joliet and Pere Marquette, usually credited with
the discovery of the Upper Mississippi, went down
the Wisconsin and the Mississippi TO the Arkan-
sas returning to Quebec by way of the Illinois and
Lake Michigan. La Sale explored the region be-
fore going down the Mississippi to- the Gulf in
1852 and taking possession of Louisiana in the
name OF Louis XIV.
Local history begins before 1900 In 1877 Sieur
Marin. French commander, built fort near
Pixies Peak. In 1874 Basil Girard, n prenchman
held conference in midstream with the Spanish
governor of Louisiana and secured grant of 1000
acres on the present site of McGregOr. The United
States confirmed the grant after the Louisiana Pur
chase.
Prairie du CHEN is very old. In 1873 a
Sac and Fox village at which an annual mart
fair attended by fur traders from the st. Law
and TIE Lower Mississippi. In 1903 it was
a trading post of the Northwest company, the
rival OF the Hudsons Bay company. Lieut.. Zebu-
lon NJ. Pike, Z. S. A. there il that Year,
ploring the headwaters of the Mississippi. He
crossed to Pixies Peak and raised the eAS fOI
the first time in what rs Iowa.
Though the United States secured the Il Eritory
to the Mississippi by the Treaty of Paris t17S3)
the British hung TO the Northwest and we did
not get full possession until generation later
When John Jacob Astor established the American
Fur company as a competitor of the Missouri Fur
company and the Northwest company in 1908 he
set up a trading post at Prairie du Chen that
played important part in the American fur
trade 1914, during the War of 1872, the United
States built Fort Shelby at Prairie du CHIN. Ii
was captured the year by the British and In
dams and was called Fort McKaye until its nvacu
alton in 1915. 1t was burned and the Americans
built Fort Crawford on its site. This sban
doned In 1926 and q larger Fort Crawford was |
built farther down the river; the ruins OIL this |
still stand The arsenal of Fort Shelby IS s1A in |
existence.
In 1881 the Black Hawk broke out. hbra |
ham Lincoln captain OF Illinois yolunt GERS
Col. Zachary Taylor and Lieut.. Jefferson IAvis |
also fought. When Black Hawk was overpOveret
he was taken to Fort Crawford. Colonel Taylor
commanded Fort Crawford for a time and hIeu
tenant Davis under him. Local tradition tell:
of the eopement of Davis and Taylor's daughter
Natives will show you the very window through
which the young woman climbed The last gnrri
son marched out under Gen. Albert Sidney John
son. bound for the Mormon campaign in Utah.
When Zachary Taylor. "Old Rough and Ready
hero of the Mexican war, became twelfth presi
dent of the United States in 1S49. Jefferson Davi
was the pro-siavery leader in the United State.
senate.
When Abraham Lincoln was president of thu
United States during the Civil war and comman
der in chief of the Federal army. Jefferson Davi.
was president of the Confederacy and commander
In chief of it's armies.