The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-06-06

on the east bank Their unique character makes
them exceedingly interesting from the scientific
viewpoint. The park Is botanieally and geo
logically interesting
Great Historical Interest.
Historically the region is genuinely interesting.
The first white man known TO have journeyed by
way of Green bay, Fox river and Wisconsin river
was Jean Nicollett; he may may not have kept
on to the Mississippi Pierre Radissons suppressed
Journal brought light in Paris in 1885. shows
that he and Jean Groseiller in 1855 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 10 the Arkan-
sas returning 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 a French commander, built fort near
Pixies Peak In 1894 Basil Girard, Frenchman.
held a conference In mdstream with the Spanish
governor of Louisiana and secured a grant of 1900
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 177S 1t was
Sac and Fox village at which annual mart
fair was attended by fur traders from the st. Law
renee and the Lower Mississippi. In 1905 it was
a trading post of the Northwest company, the
rival of the Hudson's Bay company. Lieut.. Zebu-
lon NJ pike U. S. A, there IL that year.
ploring the headwaters of the Mississippi. He
crossed over to Pixies Peak and raised the flag for
the first time in what is now Iowa.
Though the United States secured the territory
to the Mississippi by the Treaty of Paris 17S3)
tbe british hung on to the Northwest and we did
not get full possession until a 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
sat nm n trading post Prairie du Chen that
played an important part in the American fur
trade. In 1914, during the War of 1872 the United
States built Fort Shelby at Prairie du Chen. 1t
was captured the same year by the British and In
dions and was called Fort McKaye until its evaeu-
alton in 1915. 1t burned and the Americans
built Fort Crawford its site. This was aban-
doned in 1926 and larger Fort Crawford was
built farther down the river; the ruins of this
stiu stand The arsenal of Fort Shelby is still in
existence.
In 1871 the Black Hawk war broke out Abra-
ham LINCOLN was a captain of Illinois volunteers.
70, Zachary Taylor and Lieut.. jefferson Davis
also fought When Black Hawk was overpowered
ha was taken to Fort Crawford. Colonel Taylor
commanded Fort Crawford for a time and Lieu
+anant Davis under him. Local tradition tells
~ the elopement of Davis and Taylors daughter.
Natives will show you the very window through
which the young woman climbed The last garri-
son marched out under Gen. Albert Sidney John
son bound for the Mormon campaign in Utah.
When Zachary Taylor "Od Rough and Ready :"
hero of the Mexican war, became twelfth presi-
dent of the United States in 1S4y, Jefferson Davis
was the pro-siiNery leauef IN the United states
senate.
When Abraham Lincoln was president of the
United States during the Civil war and comman-
der in chief of the Federal army Jefferson Davis
was president of the Confederacy and commander
in chief of its armies.