Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-09-11
Southeastern
Wisconsin


and last territorial governor of wis
consin. This miner, soldier, and poll
tician was born at the oldest town in
Indiana, yincennes, in 1882 In ear
~ years Missouri became his home
and at st. Louis when but IS, he
married Christina Mcdonald, aged
Is. He was sheriff in Missouri
county for sixteen years, a United
States marshal, lieutenant-colonei
in the war of ~, and in 1918 dele
gate to the Missouri constitutional
convention. He linked himself with
the history of Wisconsin when he
came to the state, by the way of Gal
ena, as lead miner in 1927. Dodge
settled near Dodgeville and it was the
site of the pioneer home that was the
quest Of our search.
* y *
w. H. Thomas of DodgeVille was
able to guide us to the old farm. AT
ter motoring out on the Dodgeville-
Mineral Point road about three miles,
a turn was made to the left and af-
ter going about a mile a stop was
made at the bottom of hill where a
spring gushed through pipe into a
receptacle in the highway. Over the
fence and but few rods back from
the road Mr.. Thomas led the way,
and there in a thicket were a few
stones and the source of the stream,
r1> !, 10
Of the pioneer cabin. The place now
is tangle of golden rod, nettles,,
vines and small trees. Long ago, Mr..
Thomas could not tell when, the rude
house burned and since then the
place has been sadly neglected
s. * s.
! 1t was here that Dodge came with
his large family-Mrs. Dodge and
nine children. He was also accom-
panied by two families Of slaves, the
Wesleys and Tobeys and to each
! family he gave 40 acres of land. The
Dodge place contained about a. thous.
and acres. Since the days of the
first occupants several other families
have owned the land.
Sc s. s.
| The evening the ten visitors in our
party took the little journey to the
| farm, the descendants of the two
ored families were leaving for Min
eral Point having come to the place to
hold family gathering. The colored
people sold their land long ago and
are now residing in the neighboring
county seat.
Bordering the highway on the side
Of the hill and but few rods from
the site Of the Dodge home, are about
a dozen graves. One would not know
it now for over the little plot, phlox
corn, carrots and other plants are
growing. "You are standing on a
!. grave now observed an on1ooker
!, as he pointed to where one of our
company was tarrying There was
nothing to indicate it was a sepul
cher, but it was no doubt the grave
of a colored pioneer.
/ * * *
/ When the Black Hawk war cloud
arose, Colonel Dodge erected a stock
ade near his home and called it Fort
Union Mr. Thomas was not able tic
point out the location but Rev NJ. e
Fraser of Prairie du Chen later
asserted the< site was on the high
ground across the highway from
where the spring flowed from the
ground. Not being able to visit the
place again the exact location of the
fort was not seen.
After Quenching our thirst at the
spring, the cars slowly moved up the
hill. There were occasional stars in
the sky, night was creeping over the
landscape, and whip-poor- on q
wooded slope, with strong, bold
voice. was announcing his presence
in emphatic earnestness. AS we
gained the crest Of the hill, a rabbit
paused in its wild dash, glanced al
the glazing lights and disappeared in
the dense vegetation which bordered
the highway.
l. y =. 81
Dodge was one of the leading
characters in the Black Hawk war
He joined the forces at Fort Hamilton
Just before they pursued I'll, Indi'lns
who killed Apple. The enemy was
followed to the Old channel Of :be
Pecatinisa, where all wee Killed
The I;lf,:,ns / umbering seventeen
-Four Of Dodgt's men ;x,r, fatally
wounded
In company with O. j. LoveIace OF
Wiota, address South Wayne, Wis
consin, and his son, The battlefield
was visited. There is a beautiful
grove there now and on the fiftieth
anniversary of the battle, "a picnic
was held beneath the spreading trees
Mr.. Lovelace was there and heard
one of the soldiers tell what took
place on June is, 1882. There is
some uncertainty as to the exact To-