In the spring of 1828, James H. Lockwood, afterwards better known as Judge Lockwood, and Indian trader, and General Street, of the United States Army, Indian Agent at Fort Crawford, obtained a permit from the great chief Wabasha, of Wabasha's band of Sioux Indians, and also from the chiefs of the Chippewa band that claimed the lands on the Chippewa and Red Cedar (now Menomonie) rivers to cut pine timber, to occupy a certain tract of land, and to build a sawmill thereon, in consideration of certain articles of merchandise, blankets, beads, whiskey, etc., to be paid annually in July at Wabasha's Prairie, now Winona, and to the latter at the mill to be built on the lands leased. The sanction of Government was also obtained and under this arrangement the aforesaid parties fitted out and expedition, and erected a sawmill on Wilson's Creek, a short distance from its confluence with the Red Cedar River. This was the first mill built in the Chippewa Valley, and its site is now west-side center of Menomonie Village. At this time, and for several years subsequently, the above-mentioned band of Sioux claimed the delta of the Chippewa River and the territory lying between the Mississippi and Red Cedar rivers, but it was really a neutral or dark and bloody ground between the two great hostile tribes of Sioux and Chippewas. At this time, too, all the territory comprised in the States of Iowa, Minnesota, northern half of Illinois, Wisconsin, nearly all of Michigan, and parts of Ohio, and Indiana, was held by various tribes of Indians. Military posts were established at For Madison, in what is not Lee County, Iowa, at Fort Armstrong, on Rock Island, at Fort Crawford, at Prairie du Chien, and at Green Bay and Chicago. Government agencies and Indian trading posts existed at all these places and many other places in the Northwest. The writer was personally acquainted with several of the agents and fur traders of that early period, including Col. George Davenport, of Rock Island, who was the victim of a murderous conspiracy in 1843, H.L. Douseman, of Prairie du Chien, and one of the Beaubeins, of Chicago. And here I am tempted to digress a moment, to relate an episode in the life of those two brothers whose names are well known as the founders of that famous city, as related by one of them in my presence in 1837, while he, in company with one of the Railroad Commissioners for the State of Illinois, was on a visit to the camp of a surveying party to which I was attached, and engaged in locating the old Illinois Central Railroad, H.P. Woodworth, formerly a professor in the Norwich University, Vermont, being in charge. Many anecdotes concerning these brothers have been told in the early Chicago journals, but I do not think this was ever made public. Beaubein's English was very imperfect, but I will give it as near as I can remember in his own words: "Out in the direction of widow Barry's Point my brother and I raised a field of oats to feed our ponies; we had a cabin near it to sleep in. In the fall before the war broke out, we went to thrash dem with frails, had cleaned off a bit of prairie for a floor, and began to pound out the oats. By-and-by we zee three Injuns coming on dere ponies; we not know den dey tink to make for war. Dey were Sac, and came from a big war dance and council for braves. By-and-by dey want whiskey; we say, 'Have none' - in Indian - 'all gone.' Den dey speak very bold and saucee, and say, 'We burn your wigwam, and take your ponies and kill you.' Den, quick as a flash, my brother look at me and I at him, and (rising to his feet, and motioning his cane in the attitude of threshing) me thrash and he thrash, and one Injun he get on his pony and marched on, but two of dem would never go for ride any more. Den we were scare, afraid, and get on our ponies for ride to fort. Den we were afraid and no go for oats very soon, den some soldiers go, but find all burnt; no oats, no cabin, no Injuns, but den we knew war would come." Prairie du Chien - with the exception of Green Bay - the oldest settlement in the Northwest, was in 1820, selected by the American Fur Company as its headquarters on the Upper Mississippi and the Government had established a military post there, occupying at first the same fort occupied by the British troops in 1813, 14 and 15, who, having established a sort of military government at Green Bay, to took formal possession of the country, one Rolette, a French Canadian voyageur, of Prairie du Chien, being employed to pilot them up the Fox and down the Wisconsin river, receiving therefore $20,000 in British gold - so says reports. One account says the British held this post until 1816, when it was formally surrendered to the United States. The commerce of the Upper Mississippi at this time (1828), though considerable in furs, skins and goods for the Indian trade, was unequal to the support of regular steamboat navigation, and only when Government forwarded military stores on boats chartered for that purpose, could passage or freight be secured to those upper regions. The steamboat Warrior, so famous for the part she took in the Battle of the Bad Axe in 1832, was thus employed in carrying troops and military stores, and by the vigilance of her commander Captain Throckmorton, was at the precise point required when the fugitive bands of Sac and Fox came to the river - hotly pursued by our brave Suckers and Regulars - first reaching the bank where the village of Victory now stands. The British and American fur companies have always used two kinds of river crafts for the transportation of freight; on all the upper branches the inevitable canoe adapted to rapids and shallow waters. But on the Mississippi and lower branches of all its tributaries, the 'Keel Boat' had been in use until the increased volume of business warranted it supercedure by steamboats. These boats were constructed much like an ordinary barge, but shallower and provided with running boards on each side; their carrying capacity varied from seven to twenty tons, the large class usually manned by fourteen men, six on each side with poles which constituted the propelling power, a helmsman and a cook, with sometimes a sub-agent of the company as supercargo. A large number of these boats were put in requisition by the American Fur Company, some of the largest of which descended to St. Louis and made regular trips between that place and Prairie du Chien, occupying 40 to 50 days each trip, cordeling over the Upper and Lower Rapids on their return against the current. The cargo consisted of goods for the Indian trade and supplies for the various trading posts above, to which the goods were re-distributed from the latter place, the headquarters for the Upper Mississippi. These boats were usually manned by Canadian French and half-breeds, called 'voyageurs' under the supervision of some active, intelligent subagent or interested trader, and at the time of which we are speaking, 1828, one of the most trusted and energetic of the company's agents was Jean Brunet, (John Brunie) a native of France, emigrated to St. Louis in 1818, was some time in the service of the Chuteau Brothers, and transferred in 1820 to Prairie du Chien, where he subsequently married a sister of the Rolette before named. He and several of his employees will find a prominent place in the pages as the first settlers at Chippewa Falls. It was this class of men, together with discharged soldiers, who were employed to boat the supplies, assist in building the mills and make the first lumber manufactured in the valley, at the mill before spoken of. An ex-Lieutenant of the regular army, named George Wales, was placed in charge, and continued to conduct the business for the Company, Street and Lockwood, until 1835, and in the mean time had erected, for the same parties, another mill on what is now known as 'Gilbert's Creek,' a mile or so from its mouth and two miles below the first named. Who the millwrights were that planned and executed the millwright work in the mill I have not been able to learn. It was to these mills that young Lieutenant Jefferson Davis is said to have been dispatched for lumber to rebuild Fort Crawford. An amusing incident is related by several of the old soldiers who were with Davis and some officers on one of these trips for lumber. The order had been filled at the mill, the lumber rafted down the Red Cedar River in strings to the Chippewa River, all safely coupled up, and an old voyageur shipped as pilot, the officers and all hands leaped on board, and all went well until they neared the head of Beef Slough. "To de right, hard," said the old Frenchman. "What's that you villain?" said the West Pointer, "you're going to run this raft right to hell! I tell you put to the left where the main river is." It was done, and the lumber lost in Beef Slough, as the channel was effectually blocked with driftwood. The crew returned for more lumber, but the officers returned to Fort Crawford, in a canoe and reported the raft as broken. In 1835, Mr. Street and Mr. Lockwood sold both these mills to H.S. Allen, with the permit from the Indians, together with all the teams, tools and all the appurtenance, who, on his part, agreed to fulfill all obligations they were under the Indians. The consideration was made payable in lumber, at thirty dollars a thousand, in annual installments. This gentleman was of New England stock; came from Vermont, first to Galena, thence to Menomonie in 1834, and commenced the business of getting out logs and square timber, but soon discovered that without booms in which to secure logs near the Mississippi, they must be sawed into lumber here, in order to be a successful business, and therefore accepted the Company's offer to sell, with alacrity, although his means were very limited. But to good business qualifications he added untiring energy, economy and unflinching perseverance, and nothing short of unparalleled misfortunes has prevented his acquiring all his ambition aspired to. Lieutenant, or Captain Wales, as he was called, on retiring from the management of these mills, passed over to Eau Galle and built a mill on the site where the present mill, now owned by Mr. Carson and Mr. Rand, stands. He was educated at West Point, possessed every business capacity, but had contracted dissolute and extravagant habits, had picked up a woman in Baton Rouge, while quartered in that city, who he brought to the pineries with him, but whether they were married is not known. Four children, however, were the result of their connection, and she was probably the first white woman that ever came into this valley, and will be the subject of further comment.

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