Fifty Years In The Northwest: With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And NotesFolsom, William H. C. (William Henry Carman)
History
Fifty Years In The Northwest: With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And Notes
Folsom, William H. C. (William Henry Carman)
Minnesota -- History; Wisconsin -- History
SAMUEL GILBERT settled at Prairie du Chien in 1830. He was of Kentucky
birth, a blacksmith by trade, and a model man in habits. Mr. Gilbert,
in 1842, became one of the proprietors of the Chippewa Falls mill. He
afterward lived at Albany. He followed Mississippi river piloting,
removed to Burlington, Iowa, and died in 1878. Mr. Gilbert left four
sons, Oliver, lumberman in Dunn county, Wisconsin, John and I. Dallam,
lumber merchants at Burlington, Iowa, and Samuel.
MICHAEL BRISBOIS.--We find the names of Brisbois and some others
mentioned in the proceedings of the commission held by Col. Isaac Lee
in 1820, to adjust claims to land in Prairie du Chien and vicinity.
Michael Brisbois testified that he had been a resident of the Prairie
thirty-nine years, which would date his settlement as far back as
1781. Mr. Brisbois lived a stirring and eventful life. He died in
1837, leaving several children. Joseph, the oldest, became a man of
prominence and held many offices in state and church. Charles, the
second son, while yet a boy went to McKenzie river, British
possessions, in the employ of the Northwestern Fur Company, where he
lived thirty years beyond the Arctic circle, and raised a large
family. In 1842 he returned to Prairie du Chien, but his children,
reared in the cold climate of the frozen zone, soon after his return
sickened, and most of them died, unable to endure the change to a
climate so much milder. Bernard W., a third son, was born at Prairie
du Chien, Oct. 4, 1808. He was well educated and grew up a leading and
influential citizen. As a child he had witnessed the taking of Fort
Shelby by the British in 1814, and its recapture as Fort McKay by the
United States troops in 1815. During the Red Bird Indian war he served
as second lieutenant, and for several years was stationed at Fort
Crawford. He was also a prominent agent or confidential adviser in the
fur company which had its headquarters at Prairie du Chien. He was
sheriff of Crawford county and held the office of county treasurer and
other positions of trust. In 1872 President Grant appointed him consul
to Vernier, Belgium, but ill health compelled an early return. Mr.
Brisbois married into the La Chapelle family. He died in 1885, leaving
an interesting family.
PIERRE LAPOINT was also before the commission of Col. Lee as an early
resident, having lived at the Prairie since 1782. The testimony of
these early citizens served to establish the ancient tenure of the
lands by French settlers, a tenure so ancient that no one could
definitely give a date for its commencement. Mr. Lapoint was a farmer.
He reared a large family of children, and died about 1845.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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