Part 3 (1/2)

THOMAS PENDLETON BURNETT was born in Virginia in 1800 He studied law and was admitted to the bar in Paris, Kentucky He was appointed sub-Indian agent under J M Street, in 1829 He came to Prairie du Chien in 1830 and entered upon the duties of the agency He also practiced law In 1835 he was a an territorial council and its president In 1836, after his terhter of Alfred Brunson and, continuing the practice of law, became quite eminent for his skill, and acquired an extensive practice He was a fluent speaker, well skilled in the ement of the cases intrusted to his care In 1840 he removed to a farm at Patch Grove, Grant county He was a member of the Wisconsin constitutional convention which met in 1846 He served but a feeeks when he was called home by the death of his ue of a twenty-four hours' ride of eighty-five ged constitution, and four days after his mother's death he followed her to the world of spirits His devoted wife survived him but three hours Under circumstances of such unusual sadness did this brilliant and pro lawyer and citizen take his departure frohout the entire Northwest, where he was so well and favorably known

HENRY DODGE, the first governor of Wisconsin Territory, was born in Vincennes, Indiana, Oct 12, 1782 He came to the lead mines of Wisconsin in 1828 In 1832 he took part in the Black Hawk War, an uprising of the Sac and Fox Indians against the United States governeneral at the battle of Bad Axe, his regi the front rank in that battle April 30, 1836, he was appointed governor of Wisconsin by President Andrew Jackson, reappointed in 1839 by President Van Buren, and by President Polk in 1845, serving three ter the presidency of Harrison and his successor (Tyler), he served as territorial delegate to Congress In 1848 he was elected United States senator for the short terue On the occasion of the motion to admit California, the Wisconsin senators were instructed by the legislature to vote against the arded the instruction and voted for the h extremely ill at the tiht record his vote adversely to the bill Gov Dodge rose to the highest position in his State, and chiefly by his own unaided efforts As a soldier he was brave and efficient, as a governor, congressional delegate and senator he was clear headed, cautious and wise, and altogether a citizen of whoton, Iowa, June 19, 1867

GEORGE W JONES was born in Vincennes, Indiana He graduated at Transylvania University, Kentucky, in 1825 He was educated for the law, but ill health prevented hi He, however, served as clerk of the United States district court in Missouri in 1826, and during the Black Hawk War served as aid-de-cae In 1832 he was appointed colonel of eneralshi+p After the war he served as judge of a county court In 1835 he was elected delegate to Congress fro west of Lake Michigan, and reate until the formation of Wisconsin Territory, in 1836, when he was elected delegate froeneral for Wisconsin He was removed in 1841, but reappointed by President Polk, and continued in office until elected senator from the state of Iohich position he held for six years, and was then appointed by President Buchananthe Civil War his sympathies ith the South and he was ie of disloyalty He has resided in Dubuque, Iowa, since the formation of Iowa Territory He still lives, a hale and hearty old gentleate to the ays convention held in St Paul, September, 1880

S G AND S L TAINTER AND JOHN THOMAS (father of Hon Orress of 1887-88) with their families came to Prairie du Chien in 1837 The Messrs Tainter and Thoo

CHAPTER II

STILLWATER AND ST CROIX COUNTY

In September, 1844, reluctantly I bade adieu to Prairie du Chien with its picturesque bluffs and historic associations, and ehland Mary, Capt Atchison, to seek a hoe ithout incident worthy of note, till we reached St Croix lake, in the e of rain, which did not prevent us fro the scenery of the lake The shores were as yet almost without inhabitants The home of Paul Carli, a two story house at theabove Prescott, on the west side of the lake A few French residences were to be seen above on the west side On the east bank, below the mouth of Willow river, where Hudson is now situated, were three log houses owned by Peter Bouchea, Joseph Manesse, and Louis Massey On the high hill west, nearly opposite Willow river, stood the farm house of Elam Greely, and on the same side, on the point, in full view of Stillwater, stood the farm house of John Allen With the exception of these feellings, the shores of the lake were untouched by the hand of man, and spread before us in all their pri to the water's edge, and croith groves of shrubby oak, amidst which, especially at the outlet of streaainst the sky We passed on over the clear, blue expanse of water on which was no floating thing save our boat and the wild fohich were scared and fleay at our approach, till we reached the head of the lake at Stillwater, the end of our journey November 30th my family arrived on the steamer Cecilia, Capt Throckmorton

STILLWATER IN 1845

We landed just in front of the store of nelson & co just below the landing was a clear, cold spring, bubbling out of the earth, or the rock rather It alled in and pretty well filled with speckled trout On the opposite side of the street Walter R Vail had a house and store; north of Vail's store the house and store of Socrates Nelson Up Main street, west side, stood Anson Northrup's hotel and Greely & Blake's post office and store One street back was the residence of John E Mower, and north of this thehouse, and in the rear the shanty store of the mill company, where the Sawyer House now stands Up a ravine stood the shanty residence of John Smith In a ravine next to Nelson & Co's store was the residence of Wm Cove On Main street, opposite Greely & Blake's store, was the residence of Albert Harris On the shore of the lake, north of Chestnut street, was John McKusick's saw mill Sylvester Stateler's blacksmith shop stood just south of the 's addition, near the old log court house, was a log hotel, kept by Robert Kennedy This was Stillwater in 1845

ST CROIX COUNTY

From 1819 to 1836 this valley was under the jurisdiction of Crawford county, Michigan, there being no white inhabitants save Indian traders There was no law dispensed in this region, excepting the law that ht In 1836 the territory of Wisconsin, coreat lakes; also all that portion of Missouri Territory out of which was foranized as a territory in 1838, and admitted as a state in 1846; also that portion of Minnesota which lies west of the present state--yet unorganized--known as Dakota, was organized

The year 1837 fore, of Wisconsin, on the part of the national governotiate with the Ojibways Theyto the United States all their lands east of the Mississippi, to near the headwaters of the St Croix and Chippewa rivers

A deputation of Dakotas at Washi+ngton, the same year, ceded all their lands east of the Mississippi to the parent govern to settlement all this portion of Minnesota and Wisconsin But few adventurers ion, however, for many years A stea by birch canoe

In October, 1837, at Prairie du Chien, I met a party who had ascended the Mississippi and the St Croix as far as St Croix Falls According to their account they had found the place where creation ended, where a large river, capable of bearing a steamer, burst out of a rock like that which Moses smote They had seen ”the elephant with his quills erect,” and were returning satisfied to their New England home They had entered the since faation on that river

In the year 1838, being the year succeeding the purchase of the lands bordering on the St Croix river and a portion of her tributaries, may be dated the commencement of the settlement of the St Croix valley; but with the exception of the Hon Joseph R Brown, the parties that I shall enu business, ca, and in no instance as permanent settlers The valley was considered too far north and the soil too sterile for cultivation, but many of those who came here in 1838 found out their mistake and made choice of the valley for their permanent homes They were afterward abundantly satisfied with the healthfulness of the climate and the fertility of the soil Several companies were for, many members of which became permanent settlers

The first dismemberment of the St Croix valley froanization of the county of St Croix Joseph R Broas elected representative to the legislature, from the north part of Crawford county His residence at that titon county Mr Brown introduced the bill for the organization of St Croix county, which passed and was approved by the governor of Wisconsin, Jan 9, 1840 The writer of these sketches was employed by Messrs Brown and Brunson (the representatives from this district), in December, 1839, to take them with a team from Prairie du Chien to Madison One of the indispensable requiree ”Black Betty,” which was the butt of much wit and humor Mr Brown said the contents of Old Betty must establish a new county away up in the Northwest The deed was done--the act did pass

I don't knohether Old Betty ca the county or not It is well to say Mr Brown acquitted himself with honor to his constituents, and was successful in the one great object for which he sought the election This was the precursor to coanization that Northwest Wisconsin and Minnesota first obeyed the mandates of law and order

Under the provision of the act of organization, Hazen Mooers, of Gray Cloud, Samuel Burkelo, of Marine, and Joseph R Brown, of Dakotah, were constituted a board of county commissioners with county seat located at Dakotah

This toas located at the head of Lake St Croix, on the west side, on unsurveyed government lands, known as ”Joe Brown's Claiislature of 1840 made this the county seat of St Croix county it was named Dakotah

JUDGE IRWIN'S COURT IN 1840

The first district court north of Prairie du Chien was called at Dakotah, St Croix county This county had been assigned to Judge Irwin's district (Green Bay) The tie Irended his way up Fox river to the portage, down the Wisconsin to Prairie du Chien, up the Mississippi to St

Paul, and across froular officers were all absent, but he found at the court house two young men named Brown and six Frenchmen from St Paul and Little Canada, sue Irwin re, subsisting meanwhile on venison and bear steak No calendar was to be found and the judge and jurors left for ho was held Oct 5, 1840 At this round at the county seat was selected for county buildings A contract to erect a court house according to specifications was let to J R Brown, he to receive for the sareed upon a deed or conveyance of ground, a synopsis of which we append The conveyance cites and reiterates a Wisconsin legislative law establishi+ng St Croix county, giving to the people the right to locate the county seat by vote and to the county cos, the selected location to be the permanent seat of justice of said county It further provides that the county coress of the United States, entitled ”An act granting to counties or parishes, in which public lands are situate, the right of pre-emption to one-fourth section of land, for seats of justice within the sa 5, 1840, locating the county seat at ”Broarehouse, at the head of Lake St Croix”

Further conditions are set forth in co the location on Joseph R Brown's land claim This is the first recorded deed in St Croix county