Ogle County, Illinois - Chapter 6, 1859

In the possession of this grant, which, however, was to revert to the Indians at his death, he married an Indian woman, adapted himself to their style of life, and amassed immense wealth by mining and trading with them. Dubuque's first visit to the Upper Mississippi country was made as early as 1786. He died in 1810, and was buried about a mile below the present city of Dubuque, where his grave iimy still be seen.

In 1804, General Harrison purchased from the Sac and Fox Indian tribes, treating with Quash-que-ma, or Pumpkin Chief, a tract of land fifteen miles square, on the east side of the Mississippi, where the city of Galena is now situated. For this the Indians did not receive all their pay until 1820, and in this negligence may lie one of the causes which led to the War of 1812. As this action of Quashque-ma was done without consulting Black Hawk, the great chief felt himself insulted; for he, as he had been aid-decamp to the brave Tecumseh, was certainly a man of dignity, and was uot thus to be passed over as a cypher in the prominent transactions of his nation. Dissensions therefore arose, and a temporary division was made. Keokuk, a cotemporary of Black Hawk, became chief of the southern portion of the nation. Black Hawk retaining supervision of the northern. They made yearly visits to the diggings, and thus having a good opportunity, they could watch the movements of the whites with all the carefulness that jealousy might dictate.

About the month of April, 1819, Jesse YV. Shull established a trading post on an island a few miles above the mouth of the Mecapiasipo, the Indian name for Fever River. He was soon after informed that the Indians had discovered a lead near where Galena now stands, and as this promised to be something of importance - which proved true, as it turned out to be the noted "buck lead" - at the request of the Indians he moved down to the point. Here he was joined in the following summer, by Mr. A. P. Van Metre, and a little later by Dr. Samuel Mure, who has the honor of giving Galena its name.'''

Previous, however, to either of these, a gentleman named Boutillier built and occupied a shanty ou the east side of Fever River during the summer of 1819, and to him must be given the honor of being the first white inhabitant of Galena. In regard to the first settlements of the city and its vicinity, we quote from the matter-of-fact Red Clay correspondent of the Galena Sentinel, to whom we are indebted for much valuable information :

"In the fall of the year 1810, our old friend Captain D. G. B. started fr«m St. Louis, with a French crew, for Fever River, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines. His vessel was a keel boat, the only way of conveyance, then, for heavy burthens on the Upper Mississippi, and boatmen in those days were some of them

*Doubtless from the Greek, Galanas, a nstme applied to a "particular species of lead-ore." 'Whether the mineral in the vicinity of Galena is the same as the "particular specie" to which the ancients applied tliis name, we are unable to say.

'half horse, half alligator;' but the merry Frencli, after arriving off Pilot Knob, comimenced their march for Fever River. iSftcr a search of three days, they found tKe> mouth; and on the 17th of November, after pushing through the high grass and rice lakes, they arrived safe at where Galena now standb, where they were greeted by some of the natives, from the tall grass, as well as by our oM acquaintances, J. B. Shull and A, P. Van Metre, who had taken to themselves wives of th© daughters of the land, and were traders for their brethren. They were received in the' true spirit of the age. As the French haTC more tact with the Indian character than others, they caused feasting rather than envy. Dr. Mure, likewise, was just establishing a trading house ; he had been induced, while iiB the army, to take a wife of the aborigines; associated with an Indian trader at Rock Island, Davenport, they made upthepriiicipal headmen and chiefs now in the diggins with uncle Davy's crew. Captain B., after disposing of or leaving his cargo in exchange for lead, furs, &c., returned to St. Louis for another cargo.

-'The next year he had awakened a spirit af enterprise. Col. J. Johnson, with no »mall pomp, for those days, had procured permission, either directly from the President or Secretary of War - as the war department sometimes assumes the prerogative here - (Mr. Calhoun, I think,) Col. J. claimed almost the exclusive privilege of mining. 'The Col. started with two large barges and some seventy men. Our friend Meeker had procured permission from headquarters to mine and smelt about this time. He was accompanied by Mr. Harris and family. B. Hunt, J. S. Miller and family, J. Smith, now at Dubuque. By this time our Capt B. has made a second trip, concludes to settle, turn into mining, merchandising and smelting, lie formed an addition - Toulison, a Frenchman, A. Farran, and perhaps Harvey. They were closely allied te the Indians.and looked quite savage at Johnson's crew, Lieutenant Burdwinc, having the appointment of Superintendent of Lead Mines, or acting -as Superintondent. On iiis arrival here, Col. Johnson sent word to his camp, for him to rej)air to head-quarters. Uncle D. sent feack word to Johnson, if he wanted to see hira more than he did, to call ; he declined the summons, ;and soon a file of men came to command iis presence. But as Uncle Davy was one of tthose who had long been a boatman, he concluded to take his time. After dropping his iDoat below the point, he deliberately, after ithey had set up a shout that they had left, in the midst of their rejoicings, made his appearance, and informed Lieut. Burdwine, if he had any commands for him, he was at his 'sarvice.'

"I have been thus particular in the outset, :at the commencement as well as the present, that my readers, if any, may see that at all times there has been a little extra swdl-u'ork of this pretended sovereignty. After a while^ ithings settled down. Uncle Davy unpacked and commenced sales; tea, $5 a pound, coffee, $1, sugar, 75 cts. ; all other articles in proportion.

"Now, I have got the eai-ly particulars of ithis year. In '23 and '24, a few more came - 'Captain Low, with a company of soldiers, stationed at Low's Point, from which it took its name. Addition 1st. John Connelly, the Indian Agent, established his office here. Some mining had been done. Col. Johnson worked the old 'Buck Lead,' and sowed a great deal float, or gravel mineral, as I am told by his aiephew, Matthew, to get the miners further out >to mine and prospect. Johnson sold out some prospects - by it some leads were found. This i. name, just as I had it from him."

There are a kind of fish which, in the spring of the year, run up the rivers and streams of our State, and often going as far north as the very source of the streams in which they may happen to be. These are called "suckers." So the people from the southern T>ortion of the State used to come up to the Upper Mississippi with provisions for the miners, remaining through the summer, and returning in the fall; therefore, they were called "suckers," which, growing in the extent of its application, became the general name of the natives of the State.

Mr. Shull, in die fall of 1825, was informed by an Indian that he had found traces of lead beyond the limits of ti,e tract sold to the whites, aad that he would disclose it to him, providing that he should receive compensation for his services, and the privilege of working. His proposition was accepted, but after visiting the spot designated by the red skin, and finding nothing particularly attractive, Mr. Shull r-eturned to Galtna, where he remain until the following spring without taking any further notice of the Indian's discovery. Then he returned and found, after a little digging, an immense bed of lead. One day, while intently at work in his new-found mine, be happened to raise his eyes from his work, when he discovered a troop of Winnebagoes, headed by Wabokieshiek, the prophet, coming toward him at full speed. They immediately commanded him to desist, asking him how he had dared to leave the proper boundaries of the whites, and trespass on their grounds. They told him that no one of their tribe had any right to sell the property of the nation, but as he was a friend, they would permit him to dig with them if he chose. With this, they all set to work, and soon rolled out several large blocks of the shining ore. After some bartering, Shull succeeded in purchasing the land in that

Ii the summer of 1826, George Ferguson and Robert Clayton discovered the "New Diggings," and in the fall of the same year, "East Fork Diggings" were found. Captain Thomas, in 1827, surveyed the village, and the government permitted individuals to occupy and improve lots, provided they would surrender their claims on thirty days' notice from the proper authorities. This was the only title the citizens had for their land up to the year 1838.