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Prairie du Chien

Prairie du Chien was established as a European settlement by French voyageurs in thelate seventeenth century The name comes from the French phrase meaning "prairie of the

dog." Named for a Sauk Indian chief. The chiefs name was Alim in Indian, Chien in

French, and dog in English. Jonathan Carver visited the village in 1766 and called itDog Plain but the residents preferred the French Prairie du Chien. Another traveler,

who could trade and fight better than he could spell, was Peter Pond. In 1773 Pond

visited Prairie du Chien and wrote: "This Plane is a Very Handsum one. The Plane isverey Smooth hear. All the traders and all the Indians of Several tribes Meat fall and

Spring." The United States Government negotiated three important treaties with the

Indians here in 1825, 1829 and 1830. Most important was the council that opened August

5,-1825. In a conference that lasted fourteen days, leaders of most of the Indian tribes ofthe Old Northwest met with William Clark and Lewis Cass to establish territorial

boundaries for each tribe.

Prairie du Chien is situated upon an elevated prairie, averaging one mile in width, and isabout 8 miles in length, extending from the mouth of the Wisconsin River, northward,

along the bank of the Mississippi. It has one of the best landings on the river, is veryhealthy; and its location gives it a commanding commercial importance."

Early nineteenth century life in Prairie du Chien was dominated by the fur trade. Prairiedu Chien's most well-known traders during this time were Michel Brisbois, Joseph

Rolette, Nathan Myrick, and Hercules.

Late in the War of 1812 the US government realized the importance of holding Prairie duChien to prevent British attacks from Canada and it began construction of Fort Shelby in

1814. In July, British soldiers and their Metis and Indian soldiers captured the fort duringthe Seige of Prairie du Chien. Lieutenant Colonel McKay passed through Green Bay enroute and by the time he left had a fighting body of 200 Sioux, 100 Winnebagoes, 75

Menominees, 25 Chippewas, and 150 whites. They arrived at Prairie du Chien on July 17,

1814. The American fort was garrisoned by only sixty-five soldiers. There was no grandassault on the American fort, only a sporadic exchange of rifle fire and a swapping of

cannon balls between British and American gunners. The Indians helped by chasing and

retrieving the spent American cannon balls bumping across the prairie. They provided

them to the British, who then sped them on their way back to the Americans. The littleexpedition did not have much in the way of ordnance because when they left Mackinac

the British were expecting an attack from the Americans and had little to spare. Augustin

Grignon tells us that on the fourth day Col. McKay resolved to accomplish somethingmore decisive. About three o'clock in the afternoon, with his troops properly stationed,

and cannon balls heated red hot in a black-smith's forge, I was sent to go around and

specially direct the interpreters to order the Indians not to fire on the fort till the cannonshould commence playing the hot shot, and the fort should be set on fire; then to use their

muskets as briskly as possible. Scarcely had these directions been given, when the

Americans, probably seeing from indications that a severe assault of some kind was about

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to be made, raised the white flag. (Robert L. Hall. Roses by another Name: A French

Family in Old Green Bay. Wisconsin French Library.)

The British maintained control over the city until the war's end in 1815. Not wanting

another invasion through Prairie du Chien, the Americans constructed fort Crawford in

1816.

The fort was the site of the negotiations and signing of the Treaty of Prairie du Chien

(1825 and 1829), by which the fox and Sauk ceded much of their land to the US.Representing them and the United Nations of the Chippewa, Ottawa and Pottawatomie in

the 1829 negotiations was Billy Caldwell, a Metis of Scots-Irish and Mohawk descent.

He became involved with the Pottawatomie after moving to the US as a young man from

Canada and had fought on the British side during the War of 1812.

Compiled by Lawrence BarkwellCoordinator of Metis Heritage and History Research

Louis Riel Institute

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