If you want to get a feel for what 18th century fur trading life might have been like, you can join about 90,000 other people at the 28th annual Prairie Villa Rendezvous in Prairie du Chien on the Mississippi River this Thursday through Sunday.
No, not that many fur traders gathered at St. Feriole Island back in the old days, but the four-day 21st century event has grown into the largest reenactment of its kind in the country. Sponsored by the Big River Long Rifles and the Prairie du Chien Jaycees, the event includes demonstrations of blacksmithing, pottery, weaving, fiddle playing, longbow making, axe throwing and other activities long forgotten in modern life.
You can even see demonstrations of 1700s medical practices, although I would not suggest holding off on long-needed surgery to get it done this weekend.
One of the most popular features annually is the black powder shooting competition, which will be held Saturday. A pie auction is another favorite on Saturday. It's sponsored by the Fort Crawford Medical Museum, with all proceeds going to the maintenance of that facility. The Rendezvous also features a monstrous flea market, with offerings from all different periods of history.
Those who participate in the Rendezvous take their history very seriously and go out of their way to be accurate in their dress, encampments and demonstrations. But, they also have one big party for four days and include any visitors.
The Rendezvous does harken back to a rich time in Midwest history, and is held in a place that was at the center of it. The first French fur traders found a Fox Indian village near where Prairie du Chien now stands. The chief was named Alim, meaning Big Dog (as in prairie dog, not canine or NBA varieties. This was also before monkey pox scares in prairie dogs).
In the French language, his village became known as Las Prairie des Chiens, often called LaPrairie. Among Native Americans, the prairie was known as neutral grounds. Tribes, who were at war elsewhere, could meet there in safety. All were honor bound to refrain from acts of hostility. So, Prairie du Chien became a gathering place for Native Americans and French traders.
{INSERT_RELATED}Many of the Native Americans in the area were mound builders. The largest mound in Wisconsin is located in Prairie.
Prairie generally is recognized as Wisconsin's second oldest community and has drawn many notables throughout its history. From 1785-88, Julien Dubuque made Prairie his headquarters. He traded with the Native Americans from there. His treaty with the Fox tribe, signed at Prairie, led to a title to the lead mines near Dubuque, Iowa, and Galena, Illinois.
The consummation of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 made both shores of the Mississippi River American territory. Over the next few years, Joseph Rolette, who later became a noted figure in the Northwest Territory, and Lt. Zebulon Pike visited Prairie. John Jacob Astor also established a trading post in Prairie.
Fort Shelby was built at Prairie during the War of 1812, on a mound where the current Villa Louis now stands. It was the first U.S. army post in Wisconsin. The British, under Col. William McKay, conquered the American forces and took over the fort, renaming it Fort McKay in 1814.
After a treaty was reached between Britain and the U.S., the British abandoned the fort, which was burned to the ground. In 1816, the U.S. Army again established a fort on the site. This one was named Fort Crawford, after William H. Crawford, secretary of the Treasury. A great deal about Fort Crawford history can still be found in the Prairie area.
Perhaps the jewel of Prairie is Villa Louis. Hercules Dousman, who built a fortune in fur trading, land, timber, steamboats and the railroads, constructed a Georgian-style residence on the present Villa site in the 1840s. He also purchased adjacent property in subsequent years, establishing a country estate right on the Mississippi.
Dousman's son, Louis, razed the house and in 1870 built a fashionable Italianate mansion of Cream City brick. E. Townsend Mix, a well-known Milwaukee architect, designed the home. Many changes and additions were added over the years. Dousman's wife, Nina Sturgis Dousman, named the house Villa Louis after her husband's death.
The Villa is located right across the street from the encampment grounds for the Rendezvous and is open for tours. The Wisconsin State Historical Society now runs the facility.
If you want to imbibe a little in between axe throwing and the black powder shooting, this writer has two favorites in Prairie -- The Depot on St. Feriole Island and The Sawmill Saloon on Blackhawk Avenue in "beautiful downtown." Karl Steiner, proprietor of The Depot has live music coming in on Friday night. The Sawmill always has the Brewers and other sports on its TVs, has a real friendly atmosphere and is currently running an ad welcoming "Mule Skinners, Buckskinners and Lynyrd Skynyrd" to town.
If you want a burger, you can go to Pete's, which claims to have served famous hamburgers since 1909. If you want some fare from the Mississippi itself, go to The Valley Fish Shop at the corner of Prairie and Iowa streets.
Mike Valley will cook you up some catfish, eel, sturgeon, salmon, turtle and other fish from the river. You can even bring your own catch to him. Valley was recently featured in the Lee Newspapers in the state.
If you want to venture a little farther Beyond Milwaukee, head west over the bridge to Iowa. You'll first come to Marquette, where the Isle of Capri Casino can be found on a docked riverboat.
This writer suggests you continue to head a few miles south to McGregor, a classic river town with quaint shops and friendly people. McGregor's Main Street was recently designated a historic district by the Iowa State Historical Society. You can learn more about Mississippi port towns at portsofdiscovery.com. When in the area, also check out a copy of The Tapestry, a fine monthly publication that features the Upper Mississippi area and culture.
If you want to get away from the "madding crowd," rent a canoe, paddleboat, pontoon or a boat and motor at Willie & Nellie's Place on St. Feriole Island or one of the many other boat rentals places in the general area, and explore the Mississippi. Several state parks are accessible on either side of the river. You'll find some of the best fishing in the country. Bird watchers and photographers also can have a field day.
As big as the Rendezvous has become, the Grand Excursion next year should draw even more attention. The event will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the original Grand Excursion of 1854, which brought worldwide attention to what was then America's wild frontier.
The Grand Flotilla, the largest steamboat flotilla in 100 years, will journey through four states from the Quad Cities to the Twin Cities from June 25 to July 5, 2004. The flotilla will stop in Prairie on June 29 next year. You can find out more at 222.grandexcursion.com.
Gregg Hoffmann will write monthly Beyond Milwaukee columns about interesting events, out-of-the-way places, historic sites and quirky characters in "out-state" Wisconsin and elsewhere in the Midwest.
