Այս գրքի մասին
Իմ գրադարանը
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CONTENTS.
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CHAPTER I.
Early emigration to the West - Motives of the emigrants-Their in-
dependence and perils - The "western fever"-The substantial
settler Conveniences for traveling fifty years ago-The open-
hearted frontiersman The solitudes of the forest- -Modes of
conveyance The old-fashioned Jersey-wagon-The season for
emigration The preparation - The good-by start - Progress —
The wayside meal-Incidents by the way- The buried treasure. 18
CHAPTER II.
EARLY HISTORY OF THE WEST.
--
Territory included in the Great West-Water-shed, or divide - The
rivers and their tributaries— The fur hunter's canoe-passage to the
Gulf of Mexico River system-Progress of the French mission-
aries, as early as 1632- Nicolet- His influence over the Indians -
The journey of his life - His reception at Green Bay - Council
with the chiefs-Iroquois war-Its effects on the missions- The
great river west of the lakes - Claude Allouez, the first explorer of
Lake Michigan - Frozen in on Lake Michigan-Sailing on the ice
in a canoe - Pitch Rock - Visit to the villages of the Illinois-
M. Joliet and James Marquette explorers of the Mississippi - Their
birth, education, and character - Marquette among the missions —
Visited by the Illinois Indians - Contemplates exploring the Missis-
sippi alone Is stationed at Michilimackinac Arrival of Joliet
with orders to explore the Mississippi - Prayers and thanksgiving
for the favors conferred on them-Preparation and outfit--The
Canadian canoe.
CHAPTER III.
28
EXPLORATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
Departure from Michilimackinac - Wild oats-The tide at Green
Bay Ascending the Fox River-Indian village on the shore of
Lake Winnebago Wisconsin River-Its peculiarities - Joy at
reaching the Mississippi-Strange fish-The abundance of
game - Foot-prints on the shore- Discover an Indian village-
Council-Feast of corn meal, fish, and boiled dog - Presented
with a calumet - A strange plant- Monsters painted on a rock-
Frightful appearance of the water, at the junction of the Mis-
souri-Clay paint — Indian method of dealing with musquitoes-
"Snags" and "Sawyers" Arkansas Indians
Mississippi and Illinois-Portage to Chicago -
- Return up the
Arrival at Green
Bay James Marquette sets out on a return to Chicago, to instruct
the Illinois Indians - Is detained all winter at the portage by sick-
ness- Reaches the Illinois country in April, and founds a mis-
sion - His maladay increasing, he sets out on his return to Michili-
mackinac - Driven by westerly winds to the mouth of the St.
Joseph's Becomes too weak to proceed― Expires on a bed of
boughs, on the shore of Lake Michigan.
CHAPTER IV.
THE GREAT LAKES.
50
Ottawa and French rivers- Robert Cavalier de La Salle, first navigator
upon the lakes
His patent for the monopoly of the trade of the
West"The Griffin," the first sail vessel built on the Lakes-
Her first and only trip- La Salle's misfortune- Descends the Mis-
sissippi - Loses one of his hunters in the woods - Takes formal
possession of the country at the mouth of the Mississippi - Plate
engraved, and deposited in the earth - La Salle goes to France-
Returns with three ships- - The store-ship dashed in pieces on the
coast of Texas One hundred men lost by sickness La Salle and
sixteen men set out overland for the Illinois La Salle murdered by
two of his companions,
CHAPTER V.
FRENCH SETTLEMENTS.
Destruction of Montreal by the Iroquois - Iroquois conquered
Treaty of peace - French emigration · Fort Chartres · Manufac-
ture of flour in the Wabash country - The adaptation of the Indian
manners, etc., by the French-Its effects Description of the
French settlements - Dress of the settlers Inroads upon the
French Attempts of the Spaniards to dispossess the French
Their defcat, and overthrow of the Santa Fé expedition - Progress
of English settlements toward the West- -An English trader
among the French His fate - The Ohio Company's grant- Gov.
Dinwiddie dispatches Geo. Washington with a message to the
French-Beginning of the French war- - The West open to
English emigration Taking possession of the military posts
Robert Rogers - Rogers' Rangers - Character of the Rangers
The Rangers at Cleveland- Visit from Pontiac-The forts
delivered to the English,
Manner of trading with the Indians Early routes to the West-The
Albany route-The Philadelphia route-The Indian trader - His
dress-Trading stations-The Indian's notion of the surveyor's
compass and chain - The Acadians-Destruction of their prop-
erty - Transported to the sea-coast-
in a body to the French settlements
tality
Pontiac
The Indian character, .
ix
They gather, and cmigrate
Received with great hospi-
CHAPTER VII.
PONTIAC'S WAR.
99
Indian method of drilling their warriors- Pontiac assem-
bles a council- Pontiac's speech His dream-The fort at De-
troit Pontiac inspects the fort during a calumet danco-Pontiac's
conspiracy on the fort at Detroit defeated -- A general destruc-
tion of the forts and settlements by the Indians - Stratagems of
the game of ball between the Ojibways aud Sacs, and destruction of
Michiliackinac - Fall of Venango - Condition of the frontier set-
tlements — Colonel Henry Bouquet-His victory near Fort Pitt—
A council with the chiefs - Their apology for the war- - Bouquet's
reply Orders the Indians to bring in all their prisoners before
giving them the hand of friendship - Meeting of long-lost friends —
Conclusion of the Indian war- - Assassination of Pontiac...
CHAPTER VIII.
---
110
CONQUEST OF THE WEST BY THE UNITED STATES.
English and French settlements contrasted - Want of elbow-room
The Yankee pioneers - Their character- Recklessness - Peculiar
dress Their houses, etc. "Hog and hominy' "Old Ned".
Tomahawk rights Colonel Clark at the West - His character
Descends the Ohio- Sinks his boats Surprises Kaskaskia -
Inhabitants declare for the United States British Lieutenant-
governor Rocheblane, captured — Vincennes taken-Militia organ-
ized Clark among the Indians — "Courts of Illinois"- British
Governor, Hamilton, descends the Wabash with one thousand men —
Ruse of Captain Helm - Clark's winter march — Hamilton surren-
ders - Territory held by Colonel Clark until the close of the
war.
CHAPTER IX.
THE NORTHWESTERN TERRITORY.
139
Political organization - Permanent territorial laws - First and second
grade First church and schools Cincinnati and North Bend
First civil court in the territory - Lawyers of the Northwestern Ter-
ritory - Their manner of traveling from one court to another-- The
British posts in the territory surrendered to the United States, 155
CHAPTER X.
OHIO.
Division of the Northwestern Territory-State government - Early
politics of the state-Rapid growth of the state-Its climate
French agriculture — Population —- Geography — Geology -The lower
peninsula - White-oak openings Burr-oak openings- "Cat-
holes"-Pine woods of the north-Windfalls-Soil and fruits of
the lower peninsula - Pasturage-Settlements of Michigan- Com-
mercial advantages-Detroit and other ports Site for a great
central city-The rivers - The lakes around Michigan - Improved
lands - Annual products-Schools, churches, and other institu-
tions-Attractions to the settler-Exemption laws.
CHAPTER XII.
INDIANA.
173
Yankee emigrants - Emigration checked by the war of 1812 -
Admission as a state- - Rapid settlement of the state- Where the
settlers came from-Soil of the state- The Ohio and Whitewater
valleys The White River Valley - The Wabash Valley - River
navigation Canals Railroads Agricultural products - Chari-
table institutions, churches, colleges, and schools.
CHAPTER XIII.
ILLINOIS.
Extinguishment of the Indian titles -
191
Admission as a state- - Great
earthquake of 1811-Effect on the Mississippi-Effect on the In-
dians First steamboat on the Mississippi - Keel-boat naviga-
tion - Keel-boatmen - Nature of the population- - Length and
breadth of the state- Number of counties- Lands improved and
unimproved - Number of farms - Value of farming implements
Annual products - The soil-The "American Bottom"- Prairie -
lands- - Grand Prairie― Coal regions-Yankee fences in Illinois -
Mode of forming settlements on the prairie-Plowing the prai-
rie- The timber region- Minerals -
-Lead region - Chicago
Rivers, canals, and railroads -Varieties of climate-The winter of
1855-56 - Seasons of the greatest cold- Schools, colleges, and
libraries - Exemption laws,
CHAPTER XIV.
WISCONSIN.
199
Organized as a territory - First settlements Rapid emigration -
Source of emigration - Admission as a state- - Number of coun-
ties, dwellings, and families-Nature of the population - State
laws, with regard to voters- Courts - Interesting provisions of
ΧΙ
the constitution-Length, breadth, and general surface of the
state Southern Wisconsin - Superior natural advantages - Prai-
ries - Oak openings - Abundant pasturages—Inducements to set-
tlers Southern Wisconsin compared with other states Increase
of agricultural wealth - Lead mines - Iron region - Lime-
stone-White marble - Northern Wisconsin - Extensive pine
regions Water-power-The Wisconsin pine - Annual amount
sawed-Climate of Wisconsin
Opinion of physi-
cians Commerce - Harbors - Milwaukie brick - Railroads -
Educational institutions and laws - Exemption laws,
Health
CHAPTER XV.
IOWA.
. 217
The Black Hawk Purchase - First settlements-Second Indian pur-
chase Reports of the surveyors
Erected into a territory
Garden of the West-Constitution formed - Provisions of the
constitution-Refuses the terms of admission as a state-
A new
constitution Admission as a state -Length and breadth of the
state-Population-Number of dwellings and families - Number
Amount of unimproved lands Excess of male pop-
Most populous counties
of counties
ulation Source of emigration -
speculations Advantageous geographical position
Land
General ap-
Agricultural condition and resources
Cedar Valley Soil - Minerals —Com-
Capital of Iowa -
Iowa City-Rail-
Explorations of the Upper Mississippi — Location of the territory -
"The New England of the West "- Territorial boundary - Laws
Counties Population - Nature of the population - Crops -Gen.
eral surface of the territory Geology - Above Crowing River -
Chalk formation James River - Buffalo pasture-ground - Big
Sioux River-Red pipestone quarry-St. Peter's River - Bottom-
lands Blue Earth River-St. Peter's Valley-The paradise of
farmers Lake Pepin - Terror of the lumbermen of the north-
Timber Wild rice-Soil and its products - The Red River of
the North-Springs and lakes - Minesota the Artesian fountain
of the continent - Underground hydraulic power - Boiling
springs Magnificent forest - Destiny of Minesota - Indian sum-
mers- Manner of perfecting a squatter's title - St. Paul — Table
of distances from Galena to St. Paul-Rates of fare,