| Notes |
- PIONEER SETTLER GONE.
Funeral of Norbierre Biers Des Marteau at Kaukauna.
(Special to the Northwestern.)
Kaukauna. Wis., Dec. 24.--Norbierre Biers Des Marteau, a pioneer settler of Kaukauna aged ninety-one years, was buried yesterday from Holy Cross church. Mr. Des Marteau was born at Dongville, near Montreal, Canada, his father being an early French revolutionist. In 1838 Mr. Des Marteau started by team for the west with a large crew of Canadians engaged to work on the Illinois and Mississippi canal at Chicago. They migrated by team to Detroit and thence by ship to their destination. After one year spent at this work he began life as a trader on the Mississippi river, going south to St. Louis and thence to New Orleans. At this time, 1840, Mr. Des Marteau came north and settled in the wild territory of Wisconsin at Mineral Point, where he became engaged in lead mining, then in a very primitive stage. In 1846 he came to Little Chute and entered the employ of Father Van Den Broek, who, as a pioneer priest and parish doctor, also had quite extensive mercantile dealings. Here he met for the first time his wife, Mrs. Agatha Porlier, the widow of Colonel James Porlier, who was at that time acting as interpreter among the Indians for Father Van Den Broek. The Porliers, as well as Mr. Des Marteau, were well education and from good families. After their marriage they became residents of Kaukauna in 1849, where until the day of his death Mr. Dex Marteau has constantly resided. Mrs. Des Marteau died about twenty years ago. Their homestead and farm were situated at the south end of the government dam, and were purchased in 1880 by the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railway company. The present shops and roundhouse of the Northwestern company occupy a part of the old farm. They were also owners of a farm just above the Combined locks on the Fox River."
[Oshkosh Daily Northwestern (Oshkosh, Wisc.), Monday, December 24, 1900, p.7]
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1810 - 1900 (90 years)