Box 16, Folder 9: American Indians, 1870

A PAPER

ON THE

NUMBER, LOCATITY AND TIMES OF REMOVAL

OF THE

INDIANS OF WISCONSIN;

WITH

AN APPENDIX

CONTAINING A COMPLETE

CHRONOLOGY OF WISCONSIN

FROM THE

Earliest Times down to the Adoption of the State Constitution, in 1848.

BY

I. A. LAPHAM, LEVI BLOSSON AND GEO. G. DOUSMAN

A COMMITTE OF THE OLD SETTLERS' CLUB OF MILWAUKEE COUNTY.

MILWAUKEE:

BOOK AND JOB PRINTING HOUSE, 412 EAST WATER STREET.

1870

A PAPER

ON THE

NUMBER, LOCALITY AND TIMES OF REMOVAL

OF THE

INDIANS OF WISCONSIN;

WITH

AN APPENDIX

CONTAINING A COMPLETE

CHRONOLOGY OF WISCONSIN,

FROM THE

Earliest Times down to the Adoption of the State Constitution, in 1848.

BY

I. A. LAPHAM, LEVI BLOSSON AND GEO. G. DOUSMAN,

A COMMITTEE OF THE OLD SETTLERS' CLUB OF MILWAUKEE COUNTY.

MILWAUKEE:

STARR'S BOOK AND JOB PRINTING HOUSE, 412 EAST WATER STREET.

1870.

THE INDIANS OF WISCONSIN.

The earliest explorers of the region of country between Lake Superior on the north, Lake Michigan on the east, and the Mississippi river on the west, now constituting the State of Wisconsin, found the Chippawas on the borders of Lake Superior, and the Sioux at the west, at war with each other. The Menomonees, Winnebagos, (then called Puans,) the Mascoutins, and Kickapoos occupied the country about Green Bay and Lake Superior. At a subsequent date the Potawatomies, the Ottawas, and the Sauk and Fox tribes are also mentioned, and the Mascoutins disappear, being probably only a small band, belonging to some of the other tribes. At a still later period the Oneidas, Stockbridges, and Brothertowns, were removed to Green Bay and the east shore of Lake Winnebago, from the State of New York.

Some confusion and uncertainty occur in the early accounts of these several tribes, from the different names by which they were known, and the doubt in some cases, whether references made to a whole tribe, or to a local band. For future reference, a full list of these names, whether of Indian, French or English origin, will be found at the end of this paper.

According to Mr. J. G. Shea, whose opportunities for examining the records of the early French explorers are greater than ours, several other tribes are mentioned as having, at least temporarily, occupied the soil of Wisconsin.

These are the

IOWAS ; under the name of Ainoves and Ayauwas, on the western side of Lake Michigan.

ATCHATCHAKANGOUEN ; near the Mascoutins in 1672.

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HURONS ; a small band of this tribe wandered into northern Wisconsin in 1650, and remained about twenty years, being at Noquet island in 1660.

ILLINOIS ; this tribe is mentioned as extending by some bands, and small villages, into Wisconsin.

KEINOUCHES ; for a short time at Chegoimegon ; subsequently united with the Ottawas.

KITCHIGAMICK ; west of the Foxes (1669 - 1672) and near the Mascoutins.

MAKOUA and MAKOUEOUE ; also near the Foxes, 1672.

MARAMEG ; near the Mascoutins in 1672.

MIAMIS ; some of this tribe were found living with the Mascoutins in 1669.

MIKISSIOUA and NANTOUE ; near the Foxes, 1672 and 1670/

NOQUETS ; on Lake Superior in 1639 ; afterwards at the northern extremity of Green Bay ; probably a band of Chippewas.

SINAGOUX, or CYNAGOS ; at Chegoimegon in 1666 ; a band of Ottawas.

OUAGOUSSAC ; near the Foxes, in 1672.

In the early part of the last century the Chippewas numbered about one hundred and fifty warriors at Chegoimegon Point, Lake Superior ; the Menomonees, at the north of Lake Michigan, one hundred and sixty ; the Sioux, at the head of Lake Superior, three hundred ; the Potawatomies, at the outlet of Green Bay, twenty ; the Sauks at the head of Green Bay, one hundred and fifty ; the Foxes on the river that still bears their name, one hundred ; Kickapoos, about eighty ; and the Mascoutins about sixty men capable of bearing arms. The whole Indian population within the district under consideration, was then estimated at about fifteen thousand souls.

Even before these times, those true pioneers of Wisconsin, the French, had already established missions at numerous

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points, for the conversion of these savages to the Christian religion, a work of which they made but little progress. They also established and maintained military forts, at points equally numerous ; the first at Green Bay by Tonti in 1681 ; others were at Checaqua (Chicago) the mouth of Checaqua creek ; Fort St. Nicholas, at the mouth of the Ouisconsing ; St. Antoine, at the mouth of the Chippewa river ; Beauharnois, on the north side of Lake Pepin ; and, doubtless others, at other prominent points of which we have no record. These military stations were deemed necessary for the protection of the missionaries and traders from the savage and lawless Indians.

It was on the 10th day of November, 1699, that one John Buisson de St. Comes, having coasted along the west shore of Lake Michigan in a small boat (no Goodrich line of steamers yet !) landed at what was then, doubtless, a prominent Indian settlement called Melwarck, one of the ancient forms of the name of our goodly city of Milwaukee. To what Indian tribe these settlers of Milwaukee belonged, does not appear.

Only three tribes are known to have been established at Milwaukee, the Menonomees, the Potawatomies, and the Ottawas -- the possessions of the first named extending northward ; those of the others towards the south. The Ottawas were here as early as 1762. That the Sauks and the Foxes were ever here seems quite doubtful.

Trade with the Indians had already assumed so much importance, that it became a matter of controversy between the people of Green Bay and Mackina, as to which should be allowed the privilege of its monopoly. That Indian complaints of a want of honesty and fair dealing on the part of the traders, are not entirely of modern date, is shown in the fact that a delegation was sent to Green Bay to seek relief at the hands of the British commander, from the impositions of the trader at Milwacky.

When Jonathan Carver, and J. Long travelled in Wisconsin