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Subljmeco.nonoofoesean,Giihmg'®laiO'siabS-bDeath of «: Pioneer of Wisconsin.■ Messrs. Editors : I observed.inof last Thursday, an account of the death of j wii -Old JacqueB Vteaa, extracted from a Green :p«: Bay paperlt; A« there wore sevoral errors in or that account, and as the public arc interested in knowing Accurate particulars concerning those whose names will paefl into history a* the pioneers of our yomig and rapidly grow-ing state, I feel at liberty, from my long acquaintance with the deceased, to give you a correct statement. _Jacques Vieau,. was of French extraction, and was barn in Lower Canada. He came lu Wisconsin in 173$, am! has resided nearly the whole of the time at Green Bay, where ho owned a friini, and was an Indian trader*1 have known him for thirty-four years, lie waB fifty-six' when I became acquainted with him, and consequently was ninety when he died. Mr. Vieau married at thirty-six,’ and j w lived with his wife to the dny of his death, pHis amiable wife still survives him at tho good old age'of seventy-two, in the enjoyment of health and all her faculties,Mr. Vieau was an industrious, upright and honorable man; and highly respected for hia many virtues by all who knew him. At one time he had accumulated, by his industry, prudence and economy, a- handsome proper- . ty, but reverses came and swept il away, g and at the time of his death ho was pour.The changes that have occurred in this state sinco I first became acquainted with j Mr, Vieau, seem more like a dream than reality. At that lime Green Buy and Prairie dufciiien were the only places in the state that bore any trace of civilized life. Ail the rest was an unbroken wilderness. Here and there, at great, distances, was a sulilary but, in which lived some restless pioneer, ever retreating as civilization advanced, nntl foi lowing the sports or Nimrod and the disciples of Walton-, with a success that amateurs of the present clay do not dream of.In 185G Wisconsin was organized as a territory, having beforo that lime been known as a purl of that tract known as the north (_ tester)} territory. The only habitation , [ where Milwaukee m\v stands, wan a log house, on the present site of Lmhnaton’s store. St was built by a man named Le Qtajr—I remember not how long ago.Indians belonging to the Chippewa, Pot-tawotamie, Ottawa and Menomonee tribes raltered through the vast forests, and over the wide prairies. Now all is changed. The old , settler is Inst in the progress of improve-| incuts. Cities, teeming with a busy population, row stand where 1 have stood in what : Was then a solitary wilderness. The lake, that now bears so many vessels upon ita bosom. was llvm nnrntflod fine by storms— the r'vera that, were then undisturbed save hv the IMit uuime uni now beaten into loam by the factory wheels. A younger generation occupy the Indians hunting grounds and cover them with yellow gram. The old j settlers, like Vieau, have passed, most of j them long since, to their last homes. Theirwere ;l brave, hardy and indufitnniis race, ami those who occupy the if place should nut foi-trot, them. SOMOJON JuSlsAtT,[New*.e.
Newspaper Details
Watertown Chronicle
Watertown, Wisconsin, US
Wed, Jul 28, 1852
Page 2
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Anonymous
WI, USA 03 May 2022
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