We lived in our new places here three years without seeing a horse. We finally saw one when a Monsieur Smith (Michael Schmidt) went in company with his wife to start a little store at the bay shore. His wife was on horseback and he went ahead cutting the branches so she would be able to pass. The years we were in the woods we saw savages, but they were honest. They would point to their mouth asking for something to eat. Before entering, they would leave their guns at the door. We had big sturgeon and very good fish to eat. There was also good hunting and plenty of game. However, in 1871 fire destroyed everything. In the parish of Rosiere there were only three houses left, and the next night there was a heavy rain and all the fire was extinguished."

STORY TO BE CONTINUED...

From: "Gail M. Gordon"
Subject: Wisconsin Belgians - Continuation of Delveaux Letter
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 10:49:10 -0500

"In 1857 there were many newcomers to buy land in our neighborhood. Antoine Woineaux, Francois Gilson, Pierre Baye, Francois Springlaire, Joseph Quatremont and some others. The second year we were settled her, we had a visit from a priest, Father Daems, on his way back from Sturgeon Bay to Bay Settlement. In Sturgeon Bay he had baptized 23 children and had said mass three times, and for his services, he told me, he had received one dollar and twenty-five cents to take home with him to Bay Settlement. In 1867 the wife of Antoine Woineaux died and they had to carry her all the way to Bay Settlement to be buried there in the cemetery. In 1866 a young man, the son of Ferdinand Delveaux, died at the age of 18 years of sickness. He is the first one who was buried by Father Crude (Croute) at Union, the first one in our neighborhood.

Referring to our arrival in Green Bay : we had considerable difficulty getting our baggage. We had to retransport them to Bay Settlement and the roads were very bad to the bay. There was but one place where there was a little dock where we could leave our baggage. It was late in the month of November, and before coming to our own lands we had planted some potatoes at Premier Belge (Robinsonville or Champion). It took the boat two days to deliver all our baggage. It was freezing quite hard and arriving at night they left all our stuff on the bay shore about three miles from our places with the result that all our potatoes were frozen. Those on the boat were Constant Delveaux, Alexis Franc and Francois Patris.

This is the way we started our work: First we built our houses. Then we cut down the timber. We rolled the logs together to burn them. We always tried to cut the roots at the bottom of the stump to have it easier to carry the ground in sacks and with our axes to plant potatoes and make our gardens, so we always worked to increase our clearing. Later on, when we had oxen, clearing land went faster. We seeded wheat and by means of drags with iron prongs we covered it with ground, twice or three times. We had then already fairly good land. Of course we had to make roads in the swamp. We placed heavier logs on both sides and we cut smaller ones to lay across. They were then fixed together something like a bridge. When all the money that we had brought along from the old country was spent, we were obliged to make shingles, a very rude labor, but we had to do so in order to obtain flour to make bread. We went into the woods to cut big fir trees, sawed them into suitable lengths, then carried them home on our backs to make shingles, which again we had to carry to the bay. Even the children had to carry them in bags according to their strength. Shingles were the only thing we could sell to make money. We actually had to eat dry bread. Bankbills (greenbacks) had no more full value, and when we came back from Green Bay with our money, we always lost on the bills we had received in payment. Often we had to hear that our note was only good for 80 cents and sometimes 70 cents on the dollar. When we would go to the store, they would tell us our paper was only good for so much. Banks were collapsing everywhere. All during winter we were making shingles and when winter was passed, we worked in the fields. Wheat was 50 or 60 cents a bushel for many a year. I made ten thousand large sized shingles 1/2 inch thick and had to carry them to the bay. All this in order to be able to buy a two-year old heifer which had not yet had her calf. If was hard work to get a cow, but times were hard. Our parents did not see then what we are seeing now — automobiles at all doors, but they have seen misery and want all the time.

Constant Delveaux, son of Ferdinand Delveaux, has written down these informations in order to give knowledge of his voyage to America and his entrance into the woods of Brussels. This I have done at the request of Rev. J.J. Gloudemans and Mr. Toussaint Mathy who came to me because I am the oldest man in this neighborhood having attained the age of 90 years.

Constant Delveaux Born Aug 1, 1829

Mr. Delveaux was born at Grez-Doiceau, Canton de Wavre, Province de Brabant, Belgium.

P.S. I forget to tell how we made our houses. This is the way we made our houses. We cut the logs to a size that four persons could carry. We had men from Premier Belge who came to saw them into boards as was done in the olden times and to make us shingles for roofing. They gave us a start to build our houses and we paid them a dollar a day with which they were well satisfied. Besides they taught us how to make shingles.

We brought along from the old country some stones for grinding flour which were three feet in diameter. We had them fixed up for us by our village miller. By means of them we could easily grind a bushel of wheat in one hour with two men working. Once people heard about it, they kept us grinding grain for grinding, and it went night and day. At night we made big wood fires to light up the mill. We would work at two or at four, so it went faster.

Constant Delveaux"

End of Delveaux Letter ...

Source :
Gail Gordon
gmgordon@execpc.com
http://www.execpc.com/ gmgordon
Milwaukee, WI