Box 23, Folder 4: Wisconsin: Geographical & Topographical 1844

14 ANTIQUITIES.

great Niagara, in picturesque beauty and grandeur; and are now becoming a place of fashionable resort for summer tourists.

The rivers running into the Mississippi take their rise in the vicinity of the sources of those running into the lakes, and they often originate in the same lake or swamp, so that the communication from the Mississippi to the lakes is rendered comparatively easy at various points. The greatest depression in the dividing ridge in the Territory is supposed to be at Fort Winnebago, where the Wisconsin river approaches within half a mile of the Neenah, and where, at times of high water, canoes have actually passed across from one stream to the other. Some of the rivers are supplied from the tamarack swamps, from which the water takes a dark color.

Wisconsin does not fall behind the other portions of the western country in the monuments it affords of the existence of an ancient people who once inhabited North America, but of whom nothing is known except what can be gathered from sone of the results of their labors. The works at Aztalan, in Jefferson county, are most known and visited, but there are many other localities which are said to equal them in interest and importance. The substance called brick at this place, is evidently burned clay, showing marks of having been mixed with straw, but they were not moulded into regular forms. There is a class of ancient earthworks in Wisconsin, not before found in any other country, being made to represent quadrupeds, birds,

ANTIQUITIES. 15

reptiles, and even the human form. These representations are rather rude, and it is often difficult to decide for what species of animal they are intended; but the effects of time may have modified their appearance very much since they were originally formed. Some have a resemblance to the buffalo, the eagle, or crane, or to the turtle or lizard. One representing the human form, near the Blue Mounds, is, according to R. C. Taylor, Esq., one hundred and twenty feet in length: it lies in an east and west direction, the head toward the west, with the arms and legs extended. The body or trunk is thirty feet in breadth, the head twenty-five, and its elevation above the general surface of the prairie is about six feet. Its conformation is so distinct that there can be no possibility of mistake in assigning it to the human figure.* A mound at Prairieville, representing a turtle, is about five feet high; the body is fifty-six feet in length; it represents the animal with its legs extended, and its feet turned backwards. It is to be regretted that this interesting mound is now nearly destroyed. The ancient works are found all over the ^whole^ Territory, but are most abundant at Aztalan, on Rock river, near the Blue Mounds, along the Wisconsin, the Neenah and the Pishtaka rivers, and near Lake Winnebago.

The mounds are generally scattered about without any apparent order or arrangement, but are occasion-

* The reader is referred to the "Notice of Indian Mounds, &c. in Wisconsin," in Silliman's Journal, vol. 34, p. 88, by R. C. Taylor; and to the "Description of Ancient Remains in Wisconsin," by S. Taylor, vol. 44, p. 21, of the same work, for more detailed descriptions and drawings of these interesting "animal mounds."

16 EARLY HISTORY.

ally arranged in irregular rows, the animals appearing as if drawn up in a line of march. An instance of this kind is seen near the road seven miles east from the Blue Mounds, in Iowa county. At one place near the Four Lakes, it is said that one hundred tumuli, of various shapes and dimensions, may be counted — those representing animals being amoung others that are round or oblong.

Fragments of ancient pottery of a very rude kind, are often found in various localities. They were formed by hand, or moulded, as their appearance show evidently that these vessels were not turned on a "potter's wheel" Parts of the rim of vessels usually ornamented with small notches or figures, are most abundant.

A mound is said to have been discovered near Cassville, on the Mississippi, which is supposed to represent an animal having a trunk like the elephant, or the now extinct Mastodon. Should this prove true, it will show that the people who made these animal earthworks, were cotemporaries with that huge monster whose bones are still occasionally found; or that they had then but recently emigrated from Asia, and had not lost their knowledge of the elephant.

The first settlement of Wisconsin may be dated as far back as 1670 ^1669^, when Green Bay was firt occupied by French fur traders, ^and missionaries^ thirteen ^14^ years before Philadelphia was founded by William Penn, and two ^3^ years before the first settlement of Charleston, South Carolina. Three ^4^ years after these enterprising and enthusiastic Frenchmen had established themselves at

EARLY HISTORY. 17

the Bay of Puans, now Green Bay, (1673^/^) Father ^?/^ Joseph Marquette, accompanied by Joliet, went up the Neenah (Fox) river, crossed the portage, and descending the Wisconsin, discovered the Mississippi on the 17th of June.* The Legislature has very properly named a county on the Neenah in memory of the first white man who ever saw the "Father of Waters" in this part of its course. It was six years after this discovery was made before La Salle made his voyage up the lakes in the first vessel (the Griffin) built above the Falls of Niagara, and who claimed the honor of having first discovered the Mississippi. An interesting account of this voyage was published by Louis Hennepin, in Paris, and is preserved in the Transactions of the American Antiquarian Society. The Griffin was of about sixty tons burden, and carried five small guns. She sailed on the 7th of August, 1679, with thirty four men, and on the 2d of September, they left Mackina, for the Bay of Puans. "Mr La Salle," says Hennepin, "without taking any body's advice, resolved to send back the ship to Niagara, laden with furs and skins, to discharge his debts. Our pilot, and five men with him, were therefore sent back. They sailed on the 18th, with a westerly wind. It was never known what course they steered, nor how they perished, but it is supposed the ship struck upon the sand, and was there buried. This was a great loss to Mr La Salle, and other adventurers, for that ship, with its cargo, cost about sixty thousand livres." Thus

*Marquette was not the first discoverer of the Mississippi — that honor belongs to Hernando de Soto, who crossed it in 1541, See Bancroft's Hist. U. S., i. p. 51. 2

18 EARLY HISTORY.

the want of harbors on Lake Michigan, began to be felt more than a century and a half ago, and the fate of the Griffin was only a precursor of a thousand similar disasters.

The adventurers continued their voyage in four canoes, along the coast of the lake by Milwaukee, to "the mouth of the river of the Miamis," (Chicago?) where a fort was erected. During this voyage, they experienced one of those severe storms which are still so much dreaded on this lake. "The violence of the wind obliged us to drag our canoes sometimes to the top of the rocks, to prevent their being dashed to pieces. The stormy weather lasted four days, during which we suffered very much, and our provisions failed us; we had no other subsistence but a handful of Indian corn, once in twenty-four hours, which we roasted or else boiled in water; and yet rowed almost every day from morning till night. Being in this dismal stress, we saw upon the coast a great many ravens and eagles, from whence we conjectured there was some prey, and having landed upon that place, we found above the half of a fat wild goat which the wolves had strangled. This provision was very acceptable to us, and the rudest of our men could not but praise the Divine Providence who took so particular care of us."

From this place La Salle returned, and Hennepin with two men (Picard and Ako) crossed over to the Illinois, and descended that stream and the Mississippi, to the Gulf of Mexico, being thus the first to discover the mouth of that mighty river. While returning, they were taken by a party of Indians, and travelled