In October 1845, Green Bay fur trader John Lawe (1780-1846) went to Lake Poygan to attend the annual government payment to the Menominee Indians. The U.S. had purchased much of eastern Wisconsin from the tribe, and every fall paid them thousands of dollars. Traders such as Lawe advanced Indian hunters ammunition and other goods throughout the year, and collected their debts at the annual payment.
In October 1845, Green Bay fur trader John Lawe (1780-1846) went to Lake Poygan to attend the annual government payment to the Menominee Indians. The U.S. had purchased much of eastern Wisconsin from the tribe, and every fall paid them thousands of dollars. Traders such as Lawe advanced Indian hunters ammunition and other goods throughout the year, and collected their debts at the annual payment.
In 48 hours that October, $26,000 passed from the U.S. treasury to the Menominee, who immediately paid nearly all of it to their creditors.
Lawe departed Lake Poygan with a trunk containing $9,000 in silver coins (worth more than $1 million today). Voyageurs propelled his small boat fore and aft, while the 65-year-old merchant sat astride his treasure chest amidship.
They sailed down the Wolf River past Oshkosh and into Lake Winnebago, and as darkness fell, they entered the Fox River at Neenah. From there the Fox plunges 160 feet down to Green Bay, and all night long, they shot the rapids past Appleton, Little Chute and Kaukauna, where they plummeted 44 feet over the rocks.
For nearly 100 miles Lawe steered his chest of silver down the wild river in the dark.
"It must have been a fearful ride," a friend commented 20 years later, "and for one of his years and fatigue - he had not slept for two days and nights - must have been one of great peril. I found him the next day at his house, calm as a summer cloud, not dreaming that he had done anything unusual or worthy of remark."
-- Wisconsin Historical Society
www.wisconsinhistory.org
Odd Wisconsin Look for Odd Wisconsin on Wednesdays in the Local section. Let us know what you think: justaskus@madison.com; 608-252-6192; Just Ask Us, P.O. Box 8058, Madison, WI 53708.
