Today's segment is about the 1825 Sioux-Chippewa Treaty. This comes from the Lois Barland book "Sawdust City" and is used by permission for the purpose of using it on this mail list. A very important Indian Council was held in Prairie du Chien at which time the boundary lines between various tribes were fixed especially those between the constantly warring Sioux and Chippewa. As the line between these two tribes as adopted by this council ran directly through what is now the city of Eau Claire, the subject becomes one of real local interest. At an early period the Sioux tribe not only occupied this immediate vicinity, but also a considerable portion of what is now Wisconsin, and beyond its borders. Gradually the more powerful Chippewas, working their way down from the north dispossessed the former. At the beginning of the last century (1800) we find both tribes in this valley, with no definite and accepted boundaries between them and continually at war with each other. The strip of land, averaging some twenty miles wide, between the Chippewa River and the Red Cedar, which flows through Menomonie, was claimed by both tribes and was designated the "Road of War." With the hope of putting an end to this unfortunate condition of affairs, the United States government, in 1825, called a council, not only at the representatives of the Sioux and Chippewa tribes, but also of the lesser tribes in this section of the United States. It was an important gathering and it was hoped to make a very general settlement of boundary lines. The full official report of this council is included in the records of the U. S. government, in volume 2 of Indian Affairs, Laws and Treaties, and may be found in the Eau Claire public library. The U. S. government was represented by Wm. Clark, and Lewis Cass; the Sioux tribe by some thirty-seven of its chiefs and head men; the Chippewas by some forty-eight and other tribes interested by lesser numbers. We are interested on in that boundary line between the Sioux and Chippewa tribes, and only in so much as lies in our immediate vicinity. We quote a part; "It is agreed between the Sioux and the Chippewas that the line dividing their respective countries shall commence at the Chippewa River, a half day's march below the falls; and from thence to the St. Croix River." etc. In another paragraph the boundary line is followed in the other direction from this point. "A half day's march below the falls". Thos. Randall in his 'History of the Chippewa Valley' places it at the mouth of Mud Creek, some twelve or fifteen miles below the Eau Claire River. This is doubtless a mistake. Mr. R. K. Boyd of this city, makes Little Niagara as the point, basing his selection of this location principally on t he claim that a day's march of the Indians was reckoned at about twenty miles, and that Little Niagara is approximately half of that distance below the "Falls." Mr. Boyd also states that when going down the Chippewa River on a lumber raft, many years ago, as Little Niagara was reached the French raft pilot exclaimed, "Look out for the Sioux". It appears to have been a tradition among the French river men that at this particular point the raft was entering Sioux territory. We agree with Mr. Boyd that Little Niagara is the point mentioned in the treaty, but there is more direct and positive evidence on the subject than he has given. Several years ago the writer (W. W. Bartlett) came across the record of an official survey of this line between the Chippewa River and Cedar Falls in the Historical Society archives at Madison. This survey was made not long after the date of the Prairie du Chien treaty. On this survey we find the surveyors taking Cedar Falls as the starting point instead of the point on the Chippewa River. Starting from a point immediately below Cedar Falls the line ran "south fifty nine degrees east, twenty miles to the Chippewa River." Several years ago, taking a good map and with the assistance of a practical land man, we laid out this line on the map, and as near as we could judge, it struck the Chippewa just at Little Niagara. Accepting Little Niagara as the proper point, we find all of north and west sides of the city of Eau Claire, except lower seventh ward and Shawtown, in Chippewa territory, and the remainder of the city in Sioux territory. The Shawtown bridge is entirely in Sioux territory and the Madison Street bridge in Chippewa territory. -- by W. W. Bartlett +++++++++++++++++++++ After my dad passed away, we found arrowheads that he had kept. My mother told us that my grandfather (dad's dad), when a young boy, found these arrowheads in the fields of his father's farm by Fairchild. And there were alot of them! Anyway, next time we'll be reading about the first 'part white' family in Eau Claire. -- Nance mailto:nsampson@spacestar.net