1804

Tomau was in early life regarded as a chief but became head chief, of the Menominees, after his older brother Glode died during a winter hunt. Glode had succeeded their father as head chief.

1812

Oshkosh is placed under Tomau’s special care.

1814

The Treaty of Ghent signed ending the War of 1812 giving total control to the Americans.

1815

The United States government established a trading post and Indian agency at La Baye, and changed the name to Green Bay. With the advent of the Americans and United States authority great changes were brought about.

The pressure of white influence was being brought against the Menominees as never before. Where the French had left the Indian much as they had found him and stabilized his economy with the fur trade, the Americans resolutely set about to change the fundamentals of Indian life.

1816

The US Government establishes a fort, Indian agency and fur factory at Green Bay. At a council the Menominee promise their allegiance to the United States.

1817

The first peace treaty was made between the US Government and the Menominee Tribe, which occupied about eleven (11) million acres in what is now Wisconsin and upper Michigan.

1818

Tomau died and is buried on Mackinaw Island.

The Menominee territory was included in what was called the "Michigan Territory ".

1821

Government interest in fur trading was terminated.

1827

Shu'nien was born and was chief of his band.

1827-1830

The Treaties of Butte des Morts between the US Government and the Menominee Tribe arranged for the sale of the half million acres of Menominee lands to eastern tribes of New York at 4-1/2 cents per acre. Another equal extent of lands was sold by the Tribe to the Government at 5 cents per acre. Payment was to be in annuities.

1830

Kishi’ene was born and succeeded his father, Josette, as chief. Shu’nien was his brother.

June

Widely publicized court case in Green Bay was the trial of Oshkosh and two fellow tribesmen, Amable and Shaupectuc. They were accused of killing a Pawnee Indian in revenge for the shooting of a Menominee hunter. The jury brought a verdict of guilty, however, Judge Doty freed Oshkosh and his 2 accomplices. The Judge stated that the "Whiteman’s law did not govern the relations of Indian with Indian" at this period of time. The Judge felt it would be a travesty of justice because the Menominees did not know the law and the accused retaliated according to their own system of justice.

1834

Another smallpox epidemic destroyed about one fourth of the Menominee Tribe.

1836

The "Wisconsin Territory" was created.

The Treaty of Cedars arranged for a sale to the US Government of four million acres of Menominee lands at 17 cents per acre. The Menominees gave up lands north of the Fox River and east of the Wolf River.

1848

A Treaty at Lake Poygan arranged for the sale of 4.5 million acres of Menominee lands to the Government for $350,000 plus 6 million acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, to which the Menominees were asked to move. The 2,500 Menominees refused to go to Minnesota.

Wisconsin became the 30th state to enter the Union.

1849

300 descendants of mixed marriages between Menominees and Europeans accepted payments from the Government and in return gave up tribal affiliation. This was a confusing time for these people. Many were led to believe this was the only way they could stay in their homeland. That is, not be shipped off to Crow Wing country. Also, many of these were children whose non-Indian father took advantage of their children’s Indian affiliation to obtain money.

1850

1852

September 24

Captain Murray received authorization from Washington, D.C. to move the Menominee Bands, in the Lake Poygan area, to the present Reservation.

November 1

The actual move to the reservation did not begin until November, when the ice had begun to form on the river. This was the only mode of transportation and it was difficult for the Menominee families having to use the birchbark canoes that were easily damaged in the icy water.

1854

The Treaty of Keshena Falls (10 Stat. 1064-1068) established the Menominee Indian Reservation. The Reservation then consisted of 12 townships of 276,480 acres. It was not binding until Chiefs Keshi’niu and Oshkosh signed the Treaty.

The Menominee River band arrived on the Reservation, most of them making their homes at the "Payground" as it was then called. However, the important young chief of this band, Keshi’niu’ gave his name to this place.

1855

A federal Indian Agency was established on the Reservation with the appointment of Benjamin Hunkins.

1856

The Tribe sold to the US Government two western townships to be assigned to the Stockbridge/Munsee.

1858

Oshkosh died. His son Akwine’me was made head chief.

1862

When the Civil War broke out the Menominee Council pledged its allegiance to the north. One hundred and twenty Menominee warriors enlisted in various Wisconsin regiments and about one- third were killed.

1863

A Catholic school was established in Keshena.

President Lincoln signed an Act of Congress enabling construction in Wisconsin and Michigan of a road between old Ft. Howard (now Green Bay) through the Reservation to Ft. Wilkins (near Marquette, Mi.).

In this year about 400 acres of land were under cultivation on the Reservation.

1868

A "Pine Ring" of outsiders was accused by the Tribe of seeking to exploit Menominee timber and even of setting fires on the Reservation to destroy pine stands.

December

Eight Menominee chiefs protested the activities of the Pine Ring, who were interested in clear cutting the forest.

1871

A Congressional Act (16 Stat. 410-411) provided for the sale of tribal lands with the consent of the Tribal Council. The Council refused to give consent to the sale of any more land. The Secretary of Interior agreed that the Menominees be allowed to cut and sell saw logs to mills outside the Reservation. Subsequent acts provided for improvement of the Wolf and Oconto Rivers to accommodate the "log drives" down the rivers.

October 8

The Peshtigo Fire brought about by a severe dry spell devastated in four hours an area 10 miles wide and 40 miles long. Approximately 1200 people perished in the fire. This was the result of an extremely dry summer, when even the swamps dried up. From July to October no rain had fallen in the northern part of Wisconsin and forest fires spread across Marinette, Oconto, Brown, Door, Kewaunee and Shawano Counties.

There is no record that the fire reached the Reservation but the area burned during the Peshtigo Fire was the location of ancient Menominee village sites. The Peshtigo River Band led by Shaw-won-na-pen-acce called this area home.

1872

A tribal lumber camp was organized, operating under the supervision of the Indian agent and using Menominee labor exclusively.

The government school in Keshena was closed for lack of students. Small schools were then started in West Branch, known as Kenepowa Settlement, and South Branch, known as Little Oconto. The teachers were Menominees who taught lessons in both Menominee and English.

1875

Neopit was elected Head Chief after the conviction and imprisonment of his brother A’kwine’ni who had succeeded Oshkosh as chief.

By 1875, the Menominee Council was persuaded to establish a central boarding school in Keshena, making attendance compulsory. The schools in West and South Branch were closed.

1878

Pressure from the Pine Ring, the Indian Department issued orders that put a stop to the Menominee logging operation. Again the economy of the Tribe was at a low ebb but still they refused to sell anymore land. Head Chief Neopit expressed the opinion of the Menominee people:



Finally, in 1882 a special Act of Congress allowed the Tribe to annually cut "dead and down" timber.

1880

A Franciscan mission was established in Keshena.

Francis Otter and John Corn operated lodging houses along the "military road" now designated as "55".

The Keshena Day School was converted to a government boarding school; in 1883 a new schoolhouse was authorized.

1881

Federal Agent, of the Green Bay area, calls in the US Army to stop Menominees from traditional religious dancing. Army leaders respond with disgust toward the Agent because the Menominees were acting peaceably.

1882

A Congressional Act (22 Stat. 30) permitted the Tribe to cut "dead and down" timber and sell logs.

1883

Trouble developed when the Catholic priests were not allowed to give religious instruction at the government school. The Green Bay diocese gave approval for a Catholic boarding school. By December 5th Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet took charge of the educational system.

The government used Menominee funds to finance the St. Joseph Industrial School, as it was called, as well as the Government boarding school. However, the financial support was not received until sufficient signatures of tribal members were obtained each year.

The Indian Department organized a special Indian police service on the Reservation, employing Indians chosen for their special fitness. Shortly after this a "Court of Indian Offenses" was established at Keshena, with 3 Chiefs as judges, Neopit, Ni-aqtawa-pomi and "Chickeny" (Ma’tshiKine’u).

1885

The schools in West Branch and South Branch were closed. All children had to attend the boarding schools in Keshena.

1887

The General Allotment Act provided for allotment of Indian Reservation lands of the country to tribal members with their consent. The Menominee Tribe chose to hold the lands of their reservation in common as tribal lands.

1888

The US Attorney General ordered the Menominees to cease cutting timber on the reservation, for the reason that the timber was government property.

1890

A Congressional Act (26 Stat. 146) authorized cutting and sale by the Menominees, under supervision of Government superintendents, of as much as 20 million board feet on the reservation annually. The Government asked Chief Neopit to relinquish all titles as "there were to be Chiefs no more" and the Indians were to "be subject only to the USA.

1892

Construction of a railroad through the reservation was authorized by a special act of Congress. It crossed the Wolf River where the new town of Neopit was soon to be built.

Paper Mill Dam built on the Wolf River near Shawano. The sturgeon could not reach their spawning grounds at Keshena Falls. The Menominees were not able to obtain one of their hereditary sources of food.