The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-06-08
JAMBO'S SON
(BY EMIL BAENSCH)
First Chairman Of our County Board

In connection with the dedication Of
the marker at the Jambo Trading Post
in Gibson, it is interesting to recall the
fact that Andrew j. NieaU, the first
chairman of our county board, was Il
son of Jacques Nieau, alias Jambo He
was born at Green Bay in 1918, and
passed his boyhood there, He first at
tended a French school, then an Eng
fish one presided over by A. c. Ellis,
and finished at the school established
by Rev. r. F. Cadle, an Episcopal mis-
Sionary. This school was housed in
large and pretentious buildings, erect
ed in 1880, pictures whereof can he
found in Vol IA of the Wisconsin His
torical Collections. By the way, Rdy.
Cadle has the distinction of holding the
first divine services in this county
while on a visit at the Rapids.
At the age of Is, Andrew left school
and started life as clerk in Twins store
in his home town, later was employed
by his brother-in-law, Solomon Juneau
at Milwaukee, and for while in Chi
Cago by NJ. Beaubien, one of his faith
er'S friends. However, he soon return
ed to Milwaukee and started a store of
his own. This store had two sections,
one for the general public, and one for
the Indians.
Being thus established in business he
considered it time to get married, and
on Feb. 7, 1887, in his 10th year, he
married Rebecca Lave, daughter of
John Lave, a prominent resident of
Green Bay. The young people in those
days had their enioyments and activ-
ties as they have in modern times. Here
is a description of Nieau's bridal trip:
"Our bridal trip was made across the
country to Milwaukee, on what was
called a French train" The sleigh
was deep box, six feet long by thirty
five inches broad, which slipped easily
on the snow, when drawn by two horses
tandem. There were, of course, no
wagon roads in those days, but there
were two regularly travelled trails to
Milwaukee. The one we took, led first
on a shortcut southeast from Green
Bay to Manitowoc, At Mantowoc
Rapids, two and a half miles from the
lake shore, the path turned almost due
south, striking the mouth of the She
boygan river. Thence we would pro-
coed up the lake, sometimes on the
beach and again on high land, for fif-
teen or sixteen miles; thence west
southwest to Saukville, a small Chip
pewa village, whose chief at that time
was Wahmetoodoosh; thence directly
southeast to Milwaukee, striking the
kilbourn-now the Waukesha road.
The time occupied in travelling from
Green Bay to Milwaukee was four
days, either by foot or by French train
the distance being estimated at 1875
miles"
The summer following their marriage
the young couple spent at Green Bay
and Mackinaw, returning to Milwaukee
in the fall They retained their resi-
dence there for several years, inter
rupted only by a short stay at Port
Washington, where Andrew managed
store and acted as postmaster. At Mil
waukee he became quite prominent, be-
ing appointed tax collector for the
county, and commissioned first lieuten-
ant in the enrolled militia 1t was about
this time that his oil portrait was paint
ed, which now graces the walls of our
State Historical Society. His store was
on the west side of East Water street,
between Huron and Michigan. He be-
gan to do quite a business with the
cities along the lake shore, buying lum-
her as fdr north a. Two Rivers, or
Twin Rivers, as it was then called.
In l8i3, he removed to Two Rivers
to take charge of the sawmill of his
father-in-law, John Lave, who owned
considerable land In that vicinity. This
sawmill marks the starting point of the
change which converted a fishing vii