This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Pioneer days in Baraboo recall twenty dollar gold pieces
George B. Gibbons recalls Baraboo’s pioneer era around 1850 with barter economy and rare twenty dollar gold pieces. He helped build a giant plow paid in four francs plus a silver quarter, shared wedding celebrations, and later faced change shortages with a stranger who supplied small bills. The piece traces Gibbons’ voyage from New York to Wisconsin via Erie canal and lakes, ending as the family reached Milwaukee.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
George B. Gibbons
Baraboo
James Maxwell
First National Bank
Timothy and
Noble Kirk
Bank of Baraboo
Mr. Chapman
Kasiska
Gibbons
Mr. Truax
Dellona
Mr. Gibbons
Wisconsin
C.K. Ryan
Madison
Sauk
Bluffs
Kent
England
America
New York
Ourney
Log City
East Haton
Erie Canal
Rochester
Lockport
Lake Erie
Cleveland
Joseph Ward
Detroit River
Detroit
Lake Huron
Beaver Island
Milwaukee