Hide Article Text (OCR)
BlMHome Account ot‘ the First Settlementof Kenosha.BY WALLACJS MYOATTj ESQ.[From tbcTluul Aiioual Import anil Collodions ortho State ifi.storical Socioty of Wisconsin.]In treating of tho first settlement of a placo that has nftenvards gro'vrn to be one of some importance, many little incidents acquire in-torcst, if not significance, from their connection 'with the incipont period of the cxialenco of that place.Upon tho same principle, vc sometimes listen with interest to an account offc the youthful performances of a man of prominence, not that these performances are anywise xerairk-ahle, except as being connected with one whose after life has given interest to all suchparticulars.So, also, where two armies hate engaged in hostilities, incidents Attd facts, that would not undo* ordinary circumstances demand a moment's consideration, become of sufficient importance to bo adverted to with mamiosfc in-toroat in connection with tho main event.Ho, indeed, do all human events that are at-*tended with tiny considerable results, interest our mincla in looking aftev[the minor, us well 1 ss the more marked, particulars.Assuming that. Kenoslia has obtained sufficient present and prospective importance to give interest to some of the minor details of tier infancy, it may not be considered innppro-piiato to^spenk of sonio incidents in the early history of the place, which, under other circumstances, might he I bought too trivial to oall for even n passing notice.John Bullen, Esq., as Hie representative of a number of individuals of Oswego county, N. If,, who desired to c-nigrato to the West, arrived at Kenosha, ou Sunday, the 14th day of June, IHJio. With Mr. Bullen came also Messrs. J-!dwin C. Hart, William Bullen, and C. W. Turner; on tho following day, Messrs. Hudson Bacon, Gardner Wilson, and Cephas Weed, part of whom were associated with Mr. Billion in looking up a location, and a part,perhaps, of the number taking advantage of tho opportunity to look up a new home for thcmsolvoB on their own indivduul account. Those wore the first white men known to have visited the place. Sir. Bullon, and his associates, soon determined to make Kenosha the point of location. They had with them, however, no tools with which to construct even a tomporary .shelter, and, consequently, they encanipod for several days on tho north side of the harbor, and what is now the second ward of the city. They wore also destitute of cooking implements, and Mr. Bacon, who did tho duties of steward on that occasion, dug a trench with his knifo in tho body of n fallen tree, into which he placed the meat and other articles of food as they were taken out of the ftro, and from that trench the party severally helped themselves to food.At this time there were throe or four Indian villages within a range of three miles of tho plncc, but the principal one of which was situated oh the cast bank of Bike creek, opposite the present Lnkc Shore Railroad bridge. This village was mainly built on tho crook bottom, and extended for some distance on that stream. The land now embraced in fractional block sixty-nino, was the focus and centro of this Indian Metropolis. Thero were also upon tho Island, fourteen or fifteen graves of Indians, on two of which tho Indians had erected poles, that were painted, and from the top of ono of these poles was still to bo soon a white flag, tho ample folds of which wore waved by tho browse. In oloso proximity to these graves, wore tho bodies of two Indians that wore set in tho ground, in a standing or upright posture, and all of their bodios abovo their waists, protruded above the surface of the giound. The progress of decay had already deprived one of the bodies of its head. Iu the same vicinity also, it was found that tho Indians had split open a part of a body of a tree of suitable Ion gilt, dug out tho insido of the same, and placed in it tho remains ofnn Indian, and then Withcd tho parts carefully together, and elevated the wholo into tho top of a tree, hoping thereby, no doubt, to shorten the journey of their brother to tho “better world,”Thero arc ciroumslanccs which would seem to warrant tho conclusion, that Kenosha was at ono time the resort of one or more tribes of Indians, 1'ov the purpose of manufacturing arrow hoads. Block number eighty, and Us vicinity, in tho second ward, appears to have boon tho place selected for tins Indian Armory fur upon these grounds large deposits of finished and unfinished arrow heads, havo been found. Excavations have boon made in the ground, which, after being filled with these implements of warfare and the chase, were covered first with hark, and then with the original sward, or by rolling on to them large boulders. As many as six quarts of arrow hoads have been taken out of these places of deposit. Tn the same vicinity, Messrs. Hannahs Brothers, in making some excavations in thg engine room of their flowing mill, foundloll;t»n-*to*miu*t-;»k5
Newspaper Details
Kenosha Times
Kenosha, Wisconsin, US
Thu, Mar 18, 1858
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Badgerlink
WI, USA 06 Oct 2017
Other Publications Near Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha Independent
Kenosha Tri Weekly Experiment
Kenosha Chronicle
Kenosha Aigredoux and Illustrated Dime
Kenosha Democrat
