Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-06-22

people from Switzerland and other
European countries sailed from their
native lands with the Lord Selkirk
Colony, and after three months voy-
age on the sea they landed on North
American soil in British America.
and settled in the Red River Valley
of the North. With this group of
colonists was Mrs. Mary Auberle,
widow with five young daughters.
She was possessed of some means
and so many of her friends and ac-
quaintances were leaving their mo-
Their country that she cast her lot
with them. After arriving at their
destination, the colonists engaged in
tilling land and were in a fair way
of improving good farms, and were
owners of many head of cattle In
the years of 1924 and 1926 the valley
became OVERLOADED with water and
the hardworking people lost their
crops and many cattle. Becoming
discouraged with the prospects of the
country pulled out and headed south
ward They loaded their belongings
on carts drawn by cattle and in the
course of time arrived at Fort SMELL
ing Est. Paul. Leather thongs were
used for tires on the carts Dis
posing of their cattle, carts and other
things they purchased fiat boats cal
led Macinnas and flOated down the
Mississippi river to the mouth of
Fever River where the party broke
up. Some going up Fever river to
Galena, while others went on down
the river to st. Louis. This was in
1926. While located in the Red
River Valley, many young people of
the colony were married by Catholic
Missionaries, though many were not
Catholics, but were converted to the
faith. Among the converts were the
widow Auberle and her five daugh-
ters. Four of the daughters were
married in the north and the young
est one, Elizabeth, became the wife
of Peter Coyle after arriving at Ga
lena, She died in early womanhood.
Mary Anna Auberle with whom | will
conclude this narrative, was married
in the Red River Valley in 1920 to
Francois Nicholas, better known as
Nicholas Francois, young man who
had fought under Napoleon in the
war of 1914. When the Swiss-French
cOlonists separated at the mouth of
Fever River in 1926 many of them,
including Nicholas Francois, John
Polander the Rindesbachers, Chef
lains and others, proceeded up Fever
river to the Galena lead mines.
After residing in Galena for q few
years, Francois and his family re-
moved to Gratiot's Grove, and were
living there when the Blackhawk
war broke out. No one knowing the
magnitude of the danger that sur
rounded them at this critical period
A.
and every precaution for safety and
defense was taken. Block houses
were constructed, forts built and the
women and children hustled into
them, and the men organized and
armed, were ready for the defense of
the little city. In all these maneu-
vers Nicholas Francois took an active
part. After peace was restored and
in 1886 the family removed to M.
De Tantabaratz's thriving little city
of Paris, down on the Platte river.
Mr.. Francois engaged in the hotel
business in this little city He died
Feb 18th, 1841. His burial was the
second one made from St. Thomas
church in Potosi. The first burial
was son of Nicholas Francois who
died April 10Th, 1841. After the
death of her husband, Mrs. Francois
continued to conduct the hotel and
enjoyed a good patronage. Lieut..
Jefferson Davis, U. S. A. when sta
toned at Fort Crawford, frequently
made trips on horseback from the
Fort to Galena and on every Occas-
ion stopped over night at this hotel,
both going and returning from mis-
trip. This was narrated to the writer
by. his mother in the early history OF
the Civil war, when the name of Jeff
Davis was known in every household
Of the land. Mrs. Francois, or Nicko-
las, had two sons in the army Of the
North, fighting against the same jeff
Davis. In 1914 she married Isaac
Wilmott a Canadian Frenchman OF
English descent, who came to these
regions in 1888 and worked for M.
De Tantabartz to the time of that
.gentleman's death in 1872. AT the
time of De Tan's death he was owing
Isaac Wilmott better than two nun
dred dollars for labor performed.
The creditors of De Tan endeavored
to swindle the F'renchman out OF ms
hard earnings and would no DOUBT
have done so, had not David L. An
derson a lawyer then in Potosl trus-
trated their plans and compelled
them to pay W1lmott every uolldI
that was due him with costs on the
side. In 1S45 Mr.. Wilmott and family
removed to Potosi and he engaged
in mining and performed other man
ual labors. He died an honorable
and respectable man of the communl-
ty on March 9th 1871, aged 90 years.
Mrs. Wilmott was the mother Oh
twelve children and E. M. Wilmott
yet living in Potosi is the only sur
yiyor of the once large family. She
died at the home of her daughter,
Mrs. Adele Millett in Potosi March
18th. 1881, aged rs years and after
So wears a resident of the lead mines.
n M WiImott has an heirloom in the
shape of an old fashioned four drawer
bureau with glass knobs that was
bought in St. Louis for his mother
by M. De Tantabar in 1886.
George Kinney, for about sixty.
five years prominent man OF Fotosi
- 49, ,,,ipoc in 1871 He was