Trempealeau Co. WIGenWeb Project

Histories: Trempealeau Co. Historical Accounts:

"History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin, 1917":

Chapter 7:

James A. Reed and Reed's Followers

-As transcribed from page 67

James A. Reed, in his journeys up and down the Mississippi in the interest of the fur trade, had noticed the Trempealeau Bluffs and resolved to stop and look the country over with a view of settling later if the place came up to his expectation. He climbed Liberty Peak and looked down on the new land and was charmed with its wild grandeur, its lavish wealth still undeveloped, its inviting valleys and wooded slopes. It was a delectable land, steeped in an alluring solitude-untouched as yet by the white settler. Reed decided to locate in the new country. Circumstances delayed him and gave to his son-in-law, Doville, the credit of being the first settler. In 1840, however, his plans were perfected and, bringing his family by boat from Prairie du Chien, he built a log cabin on the banks of the Mississippi River on the site of modern Trempealeau. Not long afterward his wife died, and he later married the widow of Amable Grignon, of Prairie du Chien, who was a sister of Francois La Bathe and a relative of Wabasha.

The locality soon became known as Reed's Town. Outside of the time that he devoted to his duties as government farmer to Wabasha's band of Indians at Winona (from 1842 to 1848) Reed occupied his energies in tending his stock and in hunting and trapping. The Trempealeau bluffs and adjoining prairie offered an excellent stock range for Reed's horses, swine and cattle, which he brought from Prairie du Chien; and the swine proved to be good rattlesnake hunters, killing and eating many of the Winnebagoes' sacred serpents. Reed used his large log home, for a while, as a tavern, and many a weary traveler and homeseeker found a hospitable welcome at his fireside. For a while it was known as Reed's Place; afterward he sold out and it became the Washington Hotel.

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DISCLAIMER: No claim is made to the copyrights of the individual submitters. The contents of this website may be used for personal use only by individuals researching their own ancestry. Commercial use of this information for profit is strictly prohibited without prior permission of the owners. Other genealogical websites may link to this website; however, permission is not granted to duplicate any of the contents. Anyone contributing material for posting does so in recognition of its free, non-commercial distribution, as well as the responsibility to assure that no copyright is violated by the submission. This website and its coordinator are not responsible for donations of copyrighted material where explicit written permission has not been granted for use.


	Histories: Trempealeau Co. Historical Accounts: "History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin, 1917": Chapter 7: James A. Reed and Reed's Followers -As transcribed from page 67 James A. Reed, in his journeys up and down the Mississippi in the interest of the fur trade, had noticed the Trempealeau Bluffs and resolved to stop and look the country over with a view of settling later if the place came up to his expectation. He climbed Liberty Peak and looked down on the new land and was charmed with its wild grandeur, its lavish wealth still undeveloped, its inviting valleys and wooded slopes. It was a delectable land, steeped in an alluring solitude-untouched as yet by the white settler. Reed decided to locate in the new country. Circumstances delayed him and gave to his son-in-law, Doville, the credit of being the first settler. In 1840, however, his plans were perfected and, bringing his family by boat from Prairie du Chien, he built a log cabin on the banks of the Mississippi River on the site of modern Trempealeau. Not long afterward his wife died, and he later married the widow of Amable Grignon, of Prairie du Chien, who was a sister of Francois La Bathe and a relative of Wabasha. The locality soon became known as Reed's Town. Outside of the time that he devoted to his duties as government farmer to Wabasha's band of Indians at Winona (from 1842 to 1848) Reed occupied his energies in tending his stock and in hunting and trapping. The Trempealeau bluffs and adjoining prairie offered an excellent stock range for Reed's horses, swine and cattle, which he brought from Prairie du Chien; and the swine proved to be good rattlesnake hunters, killing and eating many of the Winnebagoes' sacred serpents. Reed used his large log home, for a while, as a tavern, and many a weary traveler and homeseeker found a hospitable welcome at his fireside. For a while it was known as Reed's Place; afterward he sold out and it became the Washington Hotel.

f-trempealeau The WIGenWeb Project logo was designed and provided by Debbie Barrett. DISCLAIMER: No claim is made to the copyrights of the individual submitters. The contents of this website may be used for personal use only by individuals researching their own ancestry. Commercial use of this information for profit is strictly prohibited without prior permission of the owners. Other genealogical websites may link to this website; however, permission is not granted to duplicate any of the contents. Anyone contributing material for posting does so in recognition of its free, non-commercial distribution, as well as the responsibility to assure that no copyright is violated by the submission. This website and its coordinator are not responsible for donations of copyrighted material where explicit written permission has not been granted for use. ____________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2000 - 2012 All Rights Reserved wigenwebcc This website was established on 31 Oct 2000