pioneer trader, b. Gascogne, France. About 1820 he moved from St. Louis to Prairie du Chien where he operated a tavern. During the Winnebago outbreak (1827) he was in charge of a militia company. He was associate justice of the Crawford county court (1828), and rep-resented that county in the lower house of the territorial legislature (1837-1838). In 1837, acting as agent for a group of investors which included Hercules L. Dousman (q.v.) and others, Brunet was in charge of an organization that established the first sawmill on the Falls of the Chippewa River (Chippewa Falls). Al-though the venture proved financially unsuccessful, Brunet remained in the area. About 1843 at Brunet Falls (now Cornell) he established an inn and trading post, which for many years was one of the principal stopping places north of Chippewa Falls. His friendly treatment of the Indians helped to promote peaceful relations in the area. Wis. Mag. Hist., 5; W. W. Bartlett, Hist. ... in the Chippewa Valley (Chippewa Falls, 1929); Eau Claire Leader, Feb. 16, 1919; WPA MS.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Jean Brunet Collected Papers for details.

View a related article at Wisconsin Magazine of History Archives.

View newspaper clippings at Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]