HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! As you can see, we are getting back into the swing of things here on the list. We had been reading about the Indian trails around the Eau Claire Co. area when we broke for vacation. Today, we will begin another story about the Indians in the area in the very early days of the county. A reminder that these articles are from the book "Sawdust City" by Lois Barland. This book is under copyright, but I have received permission from the family to use them in this way, so please do not take this material for other uses without getting permission to do so. Thank you! Indians There have been very few incidents of Indians visiting Eau Claire since there has been anyone to record the visits. This was due in a large part to the fact that the town lay in the Indian no-man's-land. A party of Sioux were encountered on the Red Cedar River in 1840 and the entire party cut to pieces, not one brave left to tell the tale. The next year a party of six Chippewas faced the same fate. In 1841 a large number of the Sioux Nation came up to the mouth of the Eau Claire River upon the invitation of the Chippewas, where a friendly meeting was held and the pipe of peace smoked. The "History of Northern Wisconsin -- 1881", says "The las war party in the vicinity was called 'Anamoose's band' and camped up the river at the north fork. This was in 1851-2. The last battle between the Sioux and the Chippewa in this vicinity was fought in 1854." Anamoose's band were at the north fork in 1854 as shown by the story John Barland told of his winter in the woods as a boy. The battle referred to as taking place in 1854 was probably the one Marshal Cousins says was in 1855 and describes as follows: It was one of the fiercest battles ever fought between the Chippewa and Sioux. Chippewa Falls was then a tiny hamlet, supported only by a sawmill, employing thirty or forty men, a few of whom had their families here. Settlers were almost an unknown thing, the only trail leading to the north into the Lake Superior region was made and traversed by Indians. No white man had business over the trail further than the logging camp, which was then in close proximity to the town, and while the Indians had shown no acts of hostility toward the whites, arrivals from the peaceful eastern settlements felt that a jaunt over the trail was an infringement. One day the citizens were started by the frantic shouts of a man who arrived over the eastern hill as fast as he could run, spreading the alarm that the Indians were coming. No other warning had been given and the situation was grasped in a second. The sawmill was closed and every man in the place seized his musket or shotgun and sought refuge for a siege. Several barricaded themselves in the only store, where the few women and children had assembled, and a badly frightened bunch it was, huddled together, expecting any minute to be swooped down upon by the Indians and scalped or burned at the stake without mercy. They had not very long to wait before the object of their fear arrived in hundred lots, dressed in war paint and presenting a frightful sight. But to the surprise of those under cover, the Indians did not begin the attack. They single filed to the square in front of the store and immediately began a war dance lasting several hours. Then as neatly as they had filed in, they filed out of town over the west hill. Toward evening incessant shooting told that they had engaged in battle and the inhabitants were relieved of their fear. Shooting continued until the third day had passed and then the Indians returned to town where they filled up on scoo-ta-wa-boo (a fermented drink) they found in the rear of the store, and after a thorough inspection of the town the last staggering Indian disappeared into the north trail at dusk, to the great relief of the handful of frightened citizens. A visit to the battle field showed what the commotion had been about and furnished gossip for the whites for many moons. A ridge of timber showed where many Indians had met their death and many were still unburied. The timber had been the dividing line of the two tribes and when the Chippewas learned that the Sioux had crossed the line they hurried to the scene and gave battle. That the Chippewas had been the victors was proven by the fact that they remained long enough to bury their dead warriors while the Sioux beat a hasty retreat without paying the last respects to their dead, who were left on the ground to decay or be devoured by wild animals. In discussing the incident the relaters state there was a feeling of thanks for the timely arrival of the Chippewas for had the Sioux been permitted to swoop down upon the hamlet it is certain nothing would have been left of it. The Sioux at that time were hostile to the whites and had raised havoc in several settlements on their way eastward. Later the battle ground became the property of a lumber company which erected a mill on it. It was purchased by Mrs. James Hart, wife of the former league baseball player, and later sold to Iowa farmers who paid $35,000 for it. The Free Press said in August 1857, "We learn that a band of Sioux Indians, numbering nearly 100 has been encamped in Pleasant Valley some 12 miles south of this place within the past two weeks. Beyond taking a few provisions, we do not learn that they have committed any depredations of the settlers." By the close of the Civil War four Indians come into town for the purpose of trading proved to be quite a curiosity. Men and boys crowded around them. "These were the first Indians who ever came to our village for the purpose of trading." By 1872, the editor could state, "It has been a long time since an Indian has been in town but a Chippewa came into the north side dressed in buckskins, about 85 years of age, long silvery hair, tomahawk, scalping knife, and bow and arrows." By 1878 there were reports of an alliance between the Sioux and the Chippewa. There were fewer Indians between Eau Claire and Lake Superior than there were whites in West Eau Claire. Several red-blanketed Chippewas were in town in 1883 buying trinkets and three years later a feature of the Chippewa County fair was a daily game of La Crosse between Chippewa and Winnebago Indians. ++++++++++++++ There's more to the story and we will read it tomorrow. Have a great day everyone! -- Nance mailto:nsampson@spacestar.net