Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-10-21
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(By Judge Wilmott)

was appointed to locate the wished Ior
road.
With the opening of the country as
the wears wore on, new thoroughfares
were opened until now every dlstrlct
and farm house has its connection
with the main arteries and the dill
culties. not to say dangers, surmount-
ing travel in the early days OF settIe-
ment are only remembered as QUIET
tales of pioneer experiences IN IRA
ditional and fragmentary way.
Ferries
While the early Indians from the
very necessity of the case were oDllgeo
to establish trails as means OF COM
munication with his neighbor, he was
far from perceiving the necessity OF
providing permanent means OF eros
sing the streams, numerous or other-
wise, that might intersect these torest
pathways. He considered himself tor-
tunate if stray canoe should nap
pen to furnish the means of dry
and convenient passage across the
brawling Instructor, but II TINS was
absent the copper-colored 1nhabltant'
not being troubled with that super
abundance of clothing rendered ne
cessary by modern civilization, plung-
ed in and stoutly breasted the mini
ature waves or swift sweeping cur
rents and with few muscular strokes
landed on the opposite shore and pur-
sued his way without giving a second
thought to his intercepter.
Ferries Slow in Coming
In this the first explorers of the
country and those who visited it later
on were fain to follow the example of
their dusky companions and it was
number of years before ferries with
their rude but safe appliances for con-
veying the travellers dry-shod over
the larger streams, were established.
Gradually, however, as settlers be-
gan to come in and the inconvenience
of a cold bath, not to mention the
great disadvantage of swimming cattle
and himself, soon brought about
new order of things in the shape OF
fixed ferries at certain accessible
points The construction of the Mill
tary road in 1885 brought in its train
the establishment of the first legally
authorized ferry at the point where
the military road crossed the WiScon-
sin river q few miles below Prairie du
Chen. This ferry was run by Cana
dian Frenchman/by the name of Jean
Brunei, a shrewd, hardworking, en-
terprising representative of that class
without whose aid the great North
west country might have lain many
years longer covered with darkness
of uncertain tradition. By means of
fiat boat propelled by poles, oars or
transferred from point to point by
means of ropes as occasion served,
Brunei was wont to convey the early
settlers, the wandering hunter or de-
tachment of troops across the broad
bosom of the Wisconsin river.
On the north shore of the river the
ferryman had erected comfortable
stone house, one of the first erected
in this western country, and combined
the avocation of tiller of the soil with
that of ferryman. Brunei was sue
ceeded by Jean Barrette, who bought
out the original owner and so salts
factorily had the ferry been conducted
that upon the second session of the
territorial legislature in the latter part
of 1887, the legislators granted to
Barrette, his heirs and assigns, per-
mission to establish and keep a ferry
across the Wisconsin river at that
place heretofore mentioned, for the
term of ten years from and after pas
sage of the act. Section 2 of the same
act provided that no district, county
or board of county commissioners
shall have power to grant license to
any person to establish ferry across
said river within one mile Immediately
above or below the place aforesaid.
The ferry landing upon the Grant
county side of the river was between
a quarter and a half mile below the
present bridge.
Crossing to Iowa
At the same session an act was
passed authorizing William Walker
and Joseph H. D. Street to establish
and keep ferry across the Mississippi
river at Cassville in Grant county and
for one fourth of a mile below and
one fourth of a mile above said town
OF the west bank of said river, and for
one mile below the mouth of Turkey
river for the term of ten years from
and after the passage of this act, pro-
vided said Walker and Street shall
keep or cause to be kept a good and
sufficient horse or steam ferry boat
at the place aforesaid for the safe
conveyance of passengers, horses and
cattle across said stream. Still another
act granted the required authority to
James p Cox and Justus Parsons to
establish ferry across the Grant and
Mississippi rivers at Parsons Landing
in the county of Dubuque, Iowa, to
Oceola in Grant county, Wis. This act
was confirmed at meeting of the
board of county commissioners held
April 2, 1888, when it was ordered that
license to keep a ferry across the riy-
ers of. Grant and Mississippi issue to
James P. Cox and Justus Parsons
from the James P. Cox Landing at