Identifier: historyofnorther00west (find matches)
Title: History of northern Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development, and resources; an extensive sketch of its counties, cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories; biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; views of county seats, etc. ..
Year: 1881 (1880s)
Authors: Western historical co., Chicago, pub
Subjects: Wisconsin -- History Wisconsin -- Biography
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Contributing Library: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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attach-ing to grounds wholly devoted to religious usage, itwas so far privileged as to be made a ground of neu- trality and a common place of assemblage for the vari- ^ous tribes of a large section of the countrj. Beingeasy of access by reason of its contiguity to Black and ;La Crosse rivers, both of which empty into the Mis-sissippi within the city limits, and the moutli of RootRiver on the west, but four miles below, furnished ad-mittance by canoe for a radius of one hundred miles. After the manner of the Greeks who, in ancienttimes, contended in the Olympic, Isthmean and Nameangames at stated intervals, these red-browed contestantscame from far and near to enter the list against foemenof rival tribes. One who witnessed the game of La HISTORY OF LA CROSSE COUNTY. 483
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484 HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN. Crosse, speaks of seeing not less than three hundred ofthe most superb and renowned warriors of opposingtribes matched against each other. To avoid all in-cumbrances to their movements, they were strippedalmost to nudity, and the efforts made by the contend-ing forces called into exercise every faculty of the sav-age nature. Tiie excitement was shared by friends oftiie respective parties who inspired them to renewedvigor and the exercise of every power of which theywere capable, to the end that they might prevail.These gatherings are said to have occurred both in theSpring and Fatl, and the contests were prolonged andbitterly conducted. As nearly as can be ascertained, the first retjident ofthe city site was the one-eyed Decorra, so named froma French ancestor. He was born about 1772, and set-tled at La Crosse when fifteen years of age. He aidedin the cajiture of Mackinaw, took part in the expedi-tion against Prairie du Chien, participated in tlie ca

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