Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-09-04

early French and Indians are still in
the town and may be seen about the
streets. These descendants are not
DESTROYS of having the history Of
some of their ancestors brought to
light and for that reason there are
no real historians in Prairie du Chen,
many interesting incidents of ne
cessity being omitted from the local
newspapers. The descendants prob
ably feel much as Sheridan did when
he wrote: Our ancestors are very
good kind of folks; but they are the
last people should choose to have
visiting acquaintance with"
* X *
Prairie du CHEN has had three
forts. Fort ST. Nicholas was estab-
lished by the French fur traders in
1856. A few weeds and tufts of grass
mark the spot at the southern end of
the city, just where the street turns
in front of a farm. No great events
transpired around this rude stock
ade.
was established near where the
Dousman home was afterward locat-
ed. Robert Clark a younger brother
of General Rogers Clark, was COVER
nor of Missouri and dispatched an ex-
petition of 100 men under Lieuten-
ant Joseph Perkins to build the stock
ade. He also had supposedly
bulletproof gunboat. The total num-
Der of cannon was six pieces in the
fort and fourteen on the boat in the
middle of the stream. The British
forces were collected along the Fox
river, made the portage at Portage,
passed along the Wisconsin and land
ed at Prairie du Chen on July IL,
1914. The motley crew was composed
of Indians, soldiers and hangers-on,
all seeking excitement.
4 4 4
The English were commanded by
Major William Mckay, who summon
ed Perkins to surrender uncondition-
ally, otherwise defend himself to the
last man. Perkins promptly replied
that he would accept the alternative.
Mckay had but one three FOUNDER
and after firing Sc shots at the
boat, the craft dropped down the
river, pursued by the British and In
dians; the commander of the fort
hauled down the flag and the forth
ication took the name of Fort Nc
Kay. This is one of the few instan-
ces in history where the stars and
stripes have yielded TO another
power.
1t was not long however, until the
war was decided in favor of the
United States and the British beat
hasty retreat, fearing the wrath of
the Indians when the situation be-
came known, thus bringing to an
ignominious end the English reign
at Prairie du Chien.
x 4 x
Later the fertilization was called
Fort Crawford in honor of William
Harris Crawford, then secretary of
the treasury. Still later it was moved
to new site and all that remains Of
the last is the fragment of a stone
wall and foundations, once a part of
the hospital. The wall stands a
picturesque, white ruin of the mill
tary times that are NO doubt largely
over in Wisconsin
x x \
Many soldiers died in these forts
but Their graves are lost. The mill
tary cemeteries have been abandoned
to a great degree there being no way
in those early days of bringing mar
BILE or granite to mark their last rest
ing places.
Prairie du Chen has many GENE
teries, abandoned and in use. Sew
eral have been given by various per-
sons and in them sleep characters
whose names appear on many pages
of western Wisconsin history. Days
could be spent in winding about the
tombs, reading the Inscriptions, and
recalling past events.
* * *
AU4 d1dm ElilCOlLt JcuCtCOu DdVIS
and Zachary Taylor were all at
Prairie du Chen during or about the
time OF the Black Hawk war in 1892
At the close of the war Davis es-
corted Black Hawk from Prairie du
Chen to Jefferson barracks at st. |
Louis. Davis also courted the daugh-
ter of Taylor and the house is still
standing.
* * s.
In the town. are many houses of
historic interest, one Of which was
built near Pittsburg, fioated down the
Ohio, up the Mississippi and again !
erected at Prairie du Chen 1t has |,
survived the attacks of time all these
years.
* * x
Another place of keen interest is !
the old Dousman home, built by the
descendants of the fur trader. The
deserted mansion stands on a knoll /
a gushing artesian we'll in front and
a swimming DooI in tha rear The