McCann brothers
Encyclopedia
Between 1846 and 1850, more than 1.5 million Irish people
immigrated to America
. By 1860 more than 60,000 Wisconsin
residents were of Irish descent, many working on construction projects, serving as mill-hands, or working as policemen. Three Irishmen who had a profound impact on the organization of Chippewa County, Wisconsin
in the mid-nineteenth century were the McCann brothers, who had migrated to the Chippewa Valley
from Marietta, Ohio
in the spring of 1839. Stephen Smith, Arthur, and Daniel McCann were notorious in the Chippewa Valley for their extremely separate, yet distinct undertakings. In the Chippewa Herald Telegram article, McCann Brothers Were Symbolic of Valley (1959), the author states that:
. He and Thomas started a sawmill and were the first to make a permanent home in the Chippewa Valley
. Stephen S. McCann also built a cabin near the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers. Stephen McCann then constructed two more buildings within the area. These buildings would come to be known as the Badger Mills. The main objective of McCann and Thomas was to create an enterprise that would manufacture lumber from logs obtained from the pine
forests along the Eau Claire River, floating them down the Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
to markets along the Mississippi River
.
A terrible flood struck the mill in the summer of 1847, causing the Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
to rise twelve feet. By noon on the 5th day of June, 1847,
After the destruction of the saw mill, Stephen McCann retired from the mill industry to pursue a life of farming. In 1861, he left to fight for the North in the American Civil War
along with three of his sons. He died of dropsy in 1880 and was buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Eau Claire.
A document from Past and Present of Chippewa Co., Vol. 1, pg. 238, states that Dan McCann:
Although Dan McCann could not read music, he could play countless marches and cotillions, and his services were desired at numerous balls and parties throughout the valley, which were the principal sources of entertainment in mid-nineteenth century Chippewa Valley.
Another historic figure entertained by Dan McCann's fiddle playing was the infamous Civil War eagle, Old Abe
. A Chippewa Indian named Chief Sky found Old Abe when he was just an eaglet and traded him to Daniel for a sack of corn. Dan adopted the bird as a family pet, and at night,
In 1861, many of Dan McCann's neighbors, including his brother, Stephen S. McCann, left to fight for the North in the Civil War. Because of a childhood leg injury, Dan McCann was not allowed to fight, but sent Old Abe in his place. When he took the bird to Company C to offer him as a mascot, the soldiers laughed, thinking Old Abe incapable of providing protection, but when Dan asked for a fiddle, the soldiers complied and as he
On December 21, 1838, Dan married Margaret LaPointe, who stated that he had never left their home for more than a week's time during their marriage. He died from stomach cancer at the age of 74 and is buried in O'Neill Creek Cemetery in Eagleton, Wisconsin.
. He also partnered with Jeremiah Thomas to form the Blue Mills on the Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
. He married Rosalie Demarie, daughter of well-known fur trader Louis Demarie, at the Falls in Chippewa Falls, WI in 1840. That same year he purchased a tavern from his brother-in-law, Samuel Lamb, located on the bank of the Red Cedar River (Wisconsin)
, 12 miles from Menomonie. In 1843, Arthur, Jeremiah Thomas, along with Stephen and Dan McCann, began operating the Blue Mills, named after "Blue Tom" Thomas. This first saw mill in the Eau Claire
area changed hands and was later operated by the Badger State Lumber Company. Operation was discontinued in the 1890s due to a shortage of logs.
Arthur McCann's time in the valley was shortened by an argument with an employee named Sawyer who had been hired by Arthur to work at Blue Mills.
One evening, Sawyer came to Dan McCann's home asking for his pay. It is said that:
Thus, Arthur McCann came to be known as the first white man to die at the hands of another white man in the Chippewa Valley. Sawyer made his way up the river to Eau Claire, then to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
where his pursuers lost him. He was never apprehended.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
immigrated to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. By 1860 more than 60,000 Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
residents were of Irish descent, many working on construction projects, serving as mill-hands, or working as policemen. Three Irishmen who had a profound impact on the organization of Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Chippewa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,195. Its county seat is Chippewa Falls. The United States Census Bureau's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Chippewa County...
in the mid-nineteenth century were the McCann brothers, who had migrated to the Chippewa Valley
Chippewa Valley
The Chippewa Valley was first inhabited by the Ojibwe Indians and settled by German and Scandinavian immigrants. The region also has a large Hmong community...
from Marietta, Ohio
Marietta, Ohio
Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Ohio, United States. During 1788, pioneers to the Ohio Country established Marietta as the first permanent American settlement of the new United States in the Northwest Territory. Marietta is located in southeastern Ohio at the mouth...
in the spring of 1839. Stephen Smith, Arthur, and Daniel McCann were notorious in the Chippewa Valley for their extremely separate, yet distinct undertakings. In the Chippewa Herald Telegram article, McCann Brothers Were Symbolic of Valley (1959), the author states that:
"there were no better men on the Chippewa river than the McCanns.
No man along the entire front of this rampaging giant could ride logs better;
no man could handle a pike pole, or his fists, with as much finesse.
And their hearts were as large as the Chippewa Valley."
Stephen Smith McCann
(October 4, 1811 - November 1, 1880). The eldest McCann brother developed a partnership with Jeremiah C. Thomas in the summer of 1845, erecting a plain shanty on the Eau Claire River (Chippewa River)Eau Claire River (Chippewa River)
The Eau Claire River is a tributary of the Chippewa River in west-central Wisconsin in the United States. It is one of three rivers by this name in Wisconsin. Via the Chippewa River, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed...
. He and Thomas started a sawmill and were the first to make a permanent home in the Chippewa Valley
Chippewa Valley
The Chippewa Valley was first inhabited by the Ojibwe Indians and settled by German and Scandinavian immigrants. The region also has a large Hmong community...
. Stephen S. McCann also built a cabin near the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers. Stephen McCann then constructed two more buildings within the area. These buildings would come to be known as the Badger Mills. The main objective of McCann and Thomas was to create an enterprise that would manufacture lumber from logs obtained from the pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
forests along the Eau Claire River, floating them down the Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
The Chippewa River in Wisconsin flows approximately 183 miles through west-central and northwestern Wisconsin. It was once navigable for approximately 50 miles of its length, from the Mississippi River, by Durand, northeast to Eau Claire. Its catchment defines a portion of the northern boundary...
to markets along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
A terrible flood struck the mill in the summer of 1847, causing the Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
The Chippewa River in Wisconsin flows approximately 183 miles through west-central and northwestern Wisconsin. It was once navigable for approximately 50 miles of its length, from the Mississippi River, by Durand, northeast to Eau Claire. Its catchment defines a portion of the northern boundary...
to rise twelve feet. By noon on the 5th day of June, 1847,
"every log, pier and boom on the Eau Claire was swept away by the fast swelling flood. In another hour the new double sawmill that had just been erected and was ready to be operated was borne almost bodily away by the resistless current."
After the destruction of the saw mill, Stephen McCann retired from the mill industry to pursue a life of farming. In 1861, he left to fight for the North in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
along with three of his sons. He died of dropsy in 1880 and was buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Eau Claire.
Daniel McCann, Sr.
"was the only hope of any terpsichorean assembly in this valley and it was to the touch of his fiddle bow that every light fantastic toe must yield active or passive obedience."
Although Dan McCann could not read music, he could play countless marches and cotillions, and his services were desired at numerous balls and parties throughout the valley, which were the principal sources of entertainment in mid-nineteenth century Chippewa Valley.
Another historic figure entertained by Dan McCann's fiddle playing was the infamous Civil War eagle, Old Abe
Old Abe
Old Abe , a bald eagle, was the mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War. It later was depicted as the screaming eagle mascot on the insignia of the U.S...
. A Chippewa Indian named Chief Sky found Old Abe when he was just an eaglet and traded him to Daniel for a sack of corn. Dan adopted the bird as a family pet, and at night,
"Farmer McCann played the fiddle, and the eagle would hop up and down in time to the music. Soon neighbors came from all around to see the 'dancing' eagle jig while Farmer McCann fiddled."
In 1861, many of Dan McCann's neighbors, including his brother, Stephen S. McCann, left to fight for the North in the Civil War. Because of a childhood leg injury, Dan McCann was not allowed to fight, but sent Old Abe in his place. When he took the bird to Company C to offer him as a mascot, the soldiers laughed, thinking Old Abe incapable of providing protection, but when Dan asked for a fiddle, the soldiers complied and as he
the soldiers were amazed to see the eagle dance back and forth to the music. The young eagle passed to the ownership of the local company who changed their name from 'The Badgers' to the 'Eau Claire Eagles,' a
"cuddled the fiddle under his chin, closed his eyes for a moment and began to play Bonaparte's Retreat from Moscow,"
"regiment of which this company was then an isolated unit was destined later to become famous as the 'Wisconsin Eagles.' "
On December 21, 1838, Dan married Margaret LaPointe, who stated that he had never left their home for more than a week's time during their marriage. He died from stomach cancer at the age of 74 and is buried in O'Neill Creek Cemetery in Eagleton, Wisconsin.
Arthur McCann
The youngest McCann brother, Arthur, joined his brother Stephen in the saw mill industry, erecting a shanty to establish claim along the Eau Claire River (Chippewa River)Eau Claire River (Chippewa River)
The Eau Claire River is a tributary of the Chippewa River in west-central Wisconsin in the United States. It is one of three rivers by this name in Wisconsin. Via the Chippewa River, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed...
. He also partnered with Jeremiah Thomas to form the Blue Mills on the Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
The Chippewa River in Wisconsin flows approximately 183 miles through west-central and northwestern Wisconsin. It was once navigable for approximately 50 miles of its length, from the Mississippi River, by Durand, northeast to Eau Claire. Its catchment defines a portion of the northern boundary...
. He married Rosalie Demarie, daughter of well-known fur trader Louis Demarie, at the Falls in Chippewa Falls, WI in 1840. That same year he purchased a tavern from his brother-in-law, Samuel Lamb, located on the bank of the Red Cedar River (Wisconsin)
Red Cedar River (Wisconsin)
The Red Cedar River in northwestern Wisconsin, is a tributary of the Chippewa River, flowing approximately 85 miles from Lake Chetek, a reservoir in southwestern Sawyer County, through a small chain of lakes, including Birch Lake at Birchwood, Balsam Lake in Washburn County and Red Cedar Lake in...
, 12 miles from Menomonie. In 1843, Arthur, Jeremiah Thomas, along with Stephen and Dan McCann, began operating the Blue Mills, named after "Blue Tom" Thomas. This first saw mill in the Eau Claire
Eau Claire
Eau Claire is the name of a number of locations and features in North America. The name is pronounced as if it were spelled "O'Clare".-Communities:*Eau Claire, Calgary, a neighborhood in Calgary, Alberta...
area changed hands and was later operated by the Badger State Lumber Company. Operation was discontinued in the 1890s due to a shortage of logs.
Arthur McCann's time in the valley was shortened by an argument with an employee named Sawyer who had been hired by Arthur to work at Blue Mills.
One evening, Sawyer came to Dan McCann's home asking for his pay. It is said that:
"McCann offered him a drink. The first drink led to another and another. The two men sat down and began to play cards. "Art figured he'd get those wages back," brother Daniel McCann said, shaking his head. The cards led to an argument. McCann stood up and dropped Sawyer with his fists. Sawyer pulled himself to the door, swearing to get revenge. He went to the cabin of Philo Stone nearby, pulling a loaded rifle off the pegs above the door, and returned to McCann's place. Knocking on the door, Sawyer waited until McCann stood in the opening and he pressed the trigger. McCann fell, mortally wounded, on his own doorstep. The waters of Spring Creek (now located in what is Eau Claire County) ran red for days, but the murderer of Arthur McCann was never apprehended."
Thus, Arthur McCann came to be known as the first white man to die at the hands of another white man in the Chippewa Valley. Sawyer made his way up the river to Eau Claire, then to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 13,661 at the 2010 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County....
where his pursuers lost him. He was never apprehended.