The Brothertown Indians travel to Wisconsin

Immediately after the conclusion of the treaty of 1821, the Stockbridge tribe made preparations to leave their New York homes and those in Ohio and Indiana began their wearisome trek to Green Bay. They had only Indian trails to follow, large streams to cross, and scarcely enough food to last them on their way. In 1822 they arrived at Kaukauna. Albert G. Ellis wrote, “the small immigrant party of some 50 Stockbridges which came on this year, located late in the fall at Grand Kakalin.” Thus after 4 years of disappointments and hardship they had at last arrived at a place they could call home.

The Brothertown Indians at a town meeting held on April 6, 1824 voted “that a purchase shall be made of land at Green Bay.” The Indians appointed to act for them were their Indian agent Thomas Dean, William Dick, Rhodolphus Fowler, Paul Dick, Benjamin G. Fowler, Thomas Dick, Randall Abner, John Johnson, Daniel Dick, David Toucee, George Scippio, George Samson, and Samuel Scippio. Some of these went to Green Bay with Thomas Dean where they bought a tract of land from the Menomonee tribe. It was on the east bank of the Fox River at Little Kaukaulin, or Little Rapids, for which they paid $950 from their annuity. It was bounded on the north by DePere, on the east by Lake Michigan, on the south by Wrightstown and on the west by the Fox River. This was a tract of land 8 miles wide and 30 miles long containing 153,600 acres.

They began their migration in the summer of 1831. A few had previously settled with the Stockbridge tribe at Grand Kakalin or Kaukauna. These had been living at White River. The first company from New York consisted of the large families of William and Elkanah Dick and Randall Abner. Thomas Commuck, Isaac Scippio, and David Johnson also went. They began building their homes at Little Kaukaulin or Little Rapids. Before they were completed they were visited by Samuel Stambaugh, Indian Agent of Green Bay, who ordered them to leave

After the ratification of the treaty the people at Little Rapids immediately began moving to their new home on the east shore of Lake Winnebago. They were followed that same year by members of their tribe from New York which included the families of Alexander, David and Thomas Dick, William Johnson, Simeon and John Adams, Ezekiel Wiggins, Abraham Skeesuck, Nathan Paul, Newton Mossuck and John Seketer besides several men, Jeremiah W. Johnson, George Skeesuck, Charles Seketer and James Wauby. There were 44 people in this company. The vessel in which they made the trip to Green Bay was called The President.

In 1834 Elder Thomas Dick, who was then 80 years old, came with his flock consisting of his wife Deborah, Patience Fowler the widow of James and her 11 children, widow Hannah Dick, James Niles, Jesse Corcomb, Isaac Wauby, Emanuel Johnson, Joseph Palmer and such families as they had. They came to Green Bay in a schooner named The Navigator. James Simons, Samuel Skeesuck, Alonzo D. Dick and Solomon Paul came on the steamship United States in 1835. More followed as the years went by. When Benjamin G. Fowler, the Free Will Baptist preacher arrived in 1846, there were few of his people left at the old home in New York. Shortly after the Civil War when Lyman P. Fowler visited his old home at Oneida, he found only one of his people still there, Billy Paul, a descendant of Occom and Fowler, spending his last days in a white man’s poorhouse.moving to their new home on the east shore of Lake Winnebago. They were followed that same year by members of their tribe from New York which included the families of Alexander, David and Thomas Dick, William Johnson, Simeon and John Adams, Ezekiel Wiggins, Abraham Skeesuck, Nathan Paul, Newton Mossuck and John Seketer besides several men, Jeremiah W. Johnson, George Skeesuck, Charles Seketer and James Wauby. There were 44 people in this company. The vessel in which they made the trip to Green Bay was called The President.