Frenchtown Chronicles of Prairie du Chien

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History and Folklore from Wisconsin’s Frontier

Edited by Mary Elise Antoine and Lucy Eldersveld Murphy

Discover life on the Midwestern frontier through the illuminating and colorful stories of chronicler Albert Coryer, brought together in this unique collection.

192 pages, 6 x 9, 24 b&w photos
Hardcover: $26.95 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-759-4
Ebook: $15.99 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-760-0
Publication Date: 9/23/2016

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Front cover of Frenchtown Chronicles of Prairie du Chien

Description

Albert Coryer’s talent for oral storytelling was well-known to his relatives, neighbors, and friends in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. With an unusually retentive memory, a flare for embellishment, and a gift for drama, Coryer spun tales of the adventures of his fur-trader ancestors, the lives of early Frenchtown residents, and the origins of local landmarks and customs. Peppered with amusing anecdotes and pieces of folklore, the stories were both entertaining and enlightening. With sharp historical context provided by editors Mary Elise Antoine and Lucy Eldersveld Murphy, Frenchtown Chronicles of Prairie du Chien brings together Coryer’s stories and insights to provide a lively account of nineteenth-century life on the Midwestern frontier.

Coryer soaked up tales of bygone times from his parents, grandparents, and neighbors—old fur trade families, Native Americans, French Canadian farmers, and descendants—who lived in the Frenchtown area of Prairie du Chien. Late in life, Coryer took pen to paper to record many of these colorful tales for posterity, supplementing them with a detailed hand-drawn map of the city and surrounding area. More of his unique oral history was preserved when he gave an interview to local historian and folklore scholar Florence Bittner. Together, the stories, interview, and map provide a rare glimpse into a time when Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest were undergoing significant demographic, social, and economic change.

Author Bios

Mary Elise Antoine

Mary Elise Antoine is past president of the Prairie du Chien Historical Society and former curator of collections and research at the Villa Louis State Historic Site in Prairie du Chien. She is a graduate of Marquette University and State University of New York–Oneonta, where she earned her graduate degree in history museum studies. She has written numerous articles and books, including An Elegant Edifice, The War of 1812 in Wisconsin, and Enslaved, Indentured, Free: Five Black Women on the Upper Mississippi, 1800–1850, all published by the Wisconsin Historical Society. She lives in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

Lucy Eldersveld Murphy

Lucy Eldersveld Murphy, PhD, is a professor of history at Ohio State University. Her research focuses on intercultural, interracial, and gender relations on Midwestern American frontiers. She has written and edited four books and numerous articles and papers on Midwestern history. She lives in Ohio.