AN OUTLINE HISTORY OF WISCONSIN. The state of Wisconsin is situated between latitude 42 degrees 27 minutes and 47 degrees 08 minutes north, and between longitude 86 degrees 53 minutes and 92 degrees 53 minutes west of Greenwich, near London, England. It is bounded on the north by Lake Superior, on the east by Michigan and Lake Michigan, on the south by Illinois, and on the west by Iowa and Minnesota. It has an average length of about 260 miles, breadth 215 miles, and an area of 56,000 square miles, or 35,840,000 acres. Deducting from this the surface occupied by lakes and rivers, there remain 53,924 square miles, or 34,511,360 acres of land. The tract of country from which Wisconsin was taken, was first claimed by the French, who exercised protectorate power over it until the close of the French and Indian war, after which, by the treaty of Paris, in 1763, it went formally and absolutely to Great Britain. It became part of the United States territory at the close of the revolutionary war, by the treaty of 1783, confirmed by the treaty of 1795. In the meantime Virginia and other states ceded to the government their claims to the territory northwest of the Ohio river; and congress, by the "ordinance of 1787," provided for its government. It was enacted that "there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory," and that there should be formed from such territory, as the population should justify, "not less than three nor more than five states." Nearly all of what is now Wisconsin, was afterwards included in Indiana territory, which was organized in 1800; then the Illinois territory, organized in 1809; and in 1818, when Illinois was admitted into the Union as a state, it was attached to the territory of Michigan. In 1823, Wisconsin was made part of a separate judicial circuit, and in 1836 was organized as a territory, with Henry Dodge as governor. The first legislature met at Belmont, now in La Fayette county, October 25, 1836, and the next session was convened at Burlington, now in the state of Iowa, November 6, 1837. In 1836, the seat of government was permanently located at Madison, where the legislature met for the first time November 26, 1838. In April, 1846, the people voted in favor of a state government. On the 16th of December, a constitution was adopted in convention, which was rejected by a vote of the people. February 4, 1848, a second constitution was adopted in convention, which was ratified by the people on the 13th of March, in that year, and on the 29th day of May Wisconsin became a state in the Union, being the seventeenth admitted, and the thirtieth in the list of states. Following are salient features of Wisconsin history briefly stated in chronological order: 1634. The country was explored by Jean Nicolet, from Lake Michigan for a considerable distance up the Fox river. 1658. Sieur Radisson and Sieur des Groseilliers, two French fur-traders, visited the Green Bay region and wintered among the Pottawattomies. 1659. Radisson and Groseilliers went up Fox river, in the spring, and spent four months in explorations along Wisconsin streams. It is thought that they descended the Wisconsin river and saw the Mississippi. 1661. Radisson and Groseilliers arrived at Chequamegon bay in the early winter and built a stockade near where Ashland now is. They spent the winter in wandering through northwest Wisconsin and northeastern Minnesota. In the spring of 1662, they built another fort on Oak Point, on Chequamegon bay. 1665. Claude Allouez, an eminent pioneer missionary, established a mission at La Pointe, on Lake Superior. 1669. Father Allouez established a mission on the shores of Green Bay, locating at De Pere, in 1671. 1670. Father Allouez made a voyage up the Fox river to the present limits of Green Lake county. 1071. In this year, the French took formal possession of the whole Northwest, confirmed in 1689. 1673. Louis Joliet, accompanied by Father James Marquette, discovered the upper Mississippi, at Prairie du Chien. 1673. Sieur Raudin, representing La Salle, visited the western extremity of Lake Superior, to open the fur trade. 1674. Father Marquette coasted Lake Michigan, from Green Bay, by Milwaukee, to the site of the present city of Chicago. 1679. "The Griffin," a schooner built by La Salle, and the first to make a voyage of the lakes above Niagara, arrived at the mouth of Green Bay. La Salle made a canoe voyage along the Wisconsin shore of Lake Michigan, from Green Bay to Chicago, via the Sturgeon Bay portage. 1679. Daniel Grayson du Lhut (Duluth) ascended St. Louis river, held a council, and concluded a peace with the natives west of Lake Superior. 1680. Du Lhut voyaged from Lake Superior, to the Mississippi river, by ascending the Bois Brulé and descending the St. Croix. 1680. Father Louis Hennepin ascended the Mississippi to the Falls of St. Anthony, returning, in company with Du Lhut, over the Fox and Wisconsin rivers, to Green Bay. 1681. Marquette's journal and map of his travels and explorations in the Northwest were published in France. 1683. Le Sueur made a voyage of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers to the Mississippi. 1685. Nicholas Perrot, who had been at Green Bay as early as 1669, was appointed 66 com mandant of the West." He proceeded over the Fox-Wisconsin-rivers route to the Upper Mississippi, spending the winter at a point near the present village of Trempealeau. In 1686 and in later years he established posts on Lake Pepin and at the mouth of the Wisconsin. 1689. Baron la Hontan claimed to have penetrated the Wisconsin wilds, this year, by the Fox-Wisconsin route, and to have made extensive discoveries on the upper Mississippi. 1692. A military post was established at La Pointe by Le Sueur. 1695. Le Sueur built a fort on an island in the Mississippi, below the St. Croix. 1699. Father St. Cosme voyaged along the Wisconsin shore of Lake Michigan. He visited the site of Milwaukee, Oct. 7. 1716. Le Louvigny's battle with the Fox Indians at Butte des Morts. 1719. Francis Renalt explored the upper Mississippi with two hundred miners. 1721. Previous to this date a French fort had been established at Green Bay, on the present site of Fort Howard. 1727. A trading post, called Fort Beauharnois, was established on the north side of Lake Pepin. 1727. The French established a fort on Lake Pepin, with Sieur de Laperriere commandant. 1728. There was a great flood in the Mississippi, and Fort Beauharnois was submerged. 1728. A French expedition under De Lignery, from Michilimackinac, punished the Sacs and Foxes. 1734. A battle took place between the French, and the Sacs and Foxes. 1754. Sieur Marin, in command at Green Bay, made a peace with the Indians. 1761. Capt. Belfour and Lieut. Gorrell, with English troops, took possession of Green Bay. 1763. The English, under Lieut Gorrell, abandoned Green Bay in consequence of the Indian war under Pontiac. 1763. Treaty of Paris, by which all the territory of New France, including Wisconsin, was surrendered to the English. 1766. By this year white traders and others settled permanently at Green Bay-first permanent settlement in Wisconsin. 1774. A civil government was established over Canada and the Northwest by the celebrated "Quebec Act." 1777. Indians from Wisconsin, under Langlade and Gautier, join the British against the Americans. 1779. Capt. Robertson, of the British sloop, Felicity, made a voyage of reconnoissance around Lake Michigan, inducing traders and Indians to support the English. 1781. Lieut.-Gov. Patrick Sinclair, of Canada, purchased Green Bay, Prairie du Chien etc., from the Indians, which purchase was not confirmed.· 1781. The settlement of Prairie du Chien was commenced by Bazil Giard, Augustin Ange, and Pierre Antaya. 1786. Julian Dubuque explored the lead region of the Upper Mississippi. 1788. There was an Indian council at Green Bay. Permission to work the lead mines was given to Dubuque. 1789. Jean Baptiste Mirandeau is alleged to have settled at Milwaukee. 1793. Lawrence Barth built a cabin at the portage of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers, and engaged in the carrying trade. 1795. Jacques Vieau established trading posts at Kewaunee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Milwaukee. 1796. The western posts were surrendered by the English to the United States, and the ordinance of 1787 extended over the whole Northwest. 1800. Indiana territory organized, including Wisconsin. 1804. Indian treaty at St. Louis; a portion of southern Wisconsin purchased. 1805. Michigan territory organized. 1809. Thomas Nuttall, the botanist, explored Wisconsin. 1809. Illinois territory was organized, including nearly all the present state of Wisconsin. 1812. Indians assembled at Green Bay to join the English. 1814. Gov. Clark took possession of Prairie du Chien. 1814. Fort Shelby, at Prairie du Chien, surrendered to the British. 1815. United States trading post established at Green Bay. 1816. Indian treaty confirming that of 1804. 1816. United States troops took possession of Prairie du Chien, and commenced the erection of Fort Crawford. 1816. Col. Miller commenced the erection of Fort Howard, at Green Bay. 1818. Illinois was admitted into the Union; Wisconsin attached to Michigan territory. 1818. Brown, Crawford and Michillimackinac counties were organized in the territory of Michigan, which embraced in their boundaries besides other territory, the whole of the present state of Wisconsin 1818. Solomon Juneau arrived at Milwaukee. 1820. United States Commissioners adjusted land claims at Green Bay. 1822. The New York Indians purchase lands east of Lake Winnebago. 1822. James Johnson obtained from the Indians the right to dig for lead with negro slaves from Kentucky. 1823. January. Counties of Brown, Crawford and Michillimackinac made a separate judicial district by Congress. 1823. First steamboat on the upper Mississippi with Major Taliafero and Count Beltrami. 1823. Lieut. Bayfield, of the British navy, made a survey of Lake Superior. 1823. An Episcopal mission established near Green Bay. 1824. October 4. First term of United States circuit court held at Green Bay; Jas. D. Doty, judge. 1826. First steamboat on Lake Michigan. 1827. A rush of speculators to the lead mines, and leases by government to miners. 1827. Difficulty with Winnebago Indians. Troops sent to settle it. 1827. August 11. Treaty with the Menomonee Indians at Butte des Morts. 1828. Fort Winnebago built at "the portage." 1828. Indian treaty at Green Bay; the lead regions purchased. 1828. Lead ore discovered at Mineral Point and Dodgeville. 1829. A Methodist mission established at Green Bay. 1830. May. The Sioux killed seventeen Sacs and Foxes near Prairie du Chien. 1832. Public lands in the lead region surveyed by Lucius Lyons and others. 1832. Black Hawk War. June 16, battle with the Sac Indians on the Pecatonica. July 21, battle of Wisconsin Heights on the Wisconsin River. August, battle at mouth of Bad Axe; Black Hawk defeated. 1833. September 26. Indian treaty at Chicago; lands south and west of Milwaukee ceded to the government. 1833. American settlement began at Milwaukee in the fall of this year. 1833. December 11. First newspaper, "Green Bay Intelligencer," published. 1834. Land offices established at Mineral Point and Green Bay. 1834. Census taken, population 4,795. 1835. June 17. First steamboat landed at Milwaukee. 1835. Public lands at Milwaukee surveyed by William A. Burt. 1836. Meeting in Milwaukee to ask legislature to grant a charter for a railway from Lake Michigan to Mississippi River. 1836. January 9. The legislative council of so much of Michigan Territory as was not to be included in the new state of Michigan, met at Green Bay. 1836. April 30. Henry Dodge appointed Governor by President Andrew Jackson. 1836. July 4. Territory of Wisconsin organized. 1836. July 14. "Milwaukee Advertiser" published at No. 371 Third street. |