Poquette, Louis Henry
Death
1880-11-18
(aged 64 years)
Birth
1816-12-26
Gravestone
Location
SC.01.7
Biography
Louis Poquette was born in 1816 in the province of 'Upper Canada' now called Ontario province. At the age of 16, he signed on with John Jacob Astor's American Fur Co. as a 'voyageur' [a rookie canoe-man/porter of furs]. He worked for the Green Bay unit for the years 1833 and 1834.
In 1834, the Green Bay unit of the company to which he belonged declared bankruptcy and Louis parted ways with the fur trade. In 1870, Louis gave testimony in an Iowa County court that he first became acquainted with a certain tract of land in Mineral Point, WI, in 1834. He may have still been working as a voyageur when he traveled into Mineral Point, but he certainly became aware of the ease with which the miners were locating the mineral ore, lead, simply by picking it up off the surface of the land, and by digging [at that time] shallow mines.
Between 1837 and 1841, Louis Poquette focused his digging at a mine designated the 'Duke Smith diggings. 'At that time [1841], he was arrested for 'claim-jumping,' although through the eventual testimony presented at the long series of trials, it was proven that he had permission from the [then] owner of the land to mine there.
Louis Poquette married Jane Selena Holmes in 1844, daughter of Thomas and Sarah [Cotton] Holmes, British immigrants and the first naturalized citizens of Iowa County, WI [page 1, Naturalizations]. Jane was only the age of 14, and her father signed permission for her to marry. In 1846, Louis mortgaged a house in Dodgeville for his growing family. This mortgage was not recorded in county records until 1850.
Louis received a land patent in 1849 for a farm in the bounds of Linden township, and continued to add to his land over the next five years. He mined for lead during the winter season, and appeared to be doing moderately well.
There may have been some chronic illness in the family, such as tuberculosis. 5 male babies died in infancy, and one daughter, Mary C, aged about 26 years, died of diphtheria, as had one of her infant brothers, during the same epidemic. In 1859, Jane's father, Thomas Holmes died, and following this event, her mother was taken into custody by the sheriff as an insane person, and released into Louis Poquette's custody for a brief period, until she was committed to the care of the county, where she died in 1860.
In the 1870's, the claim-jumping trial had grown to include other defendants, and had transformed into a case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Louis and his son, John were merely 'pawns' in the case, and my records include their personal testimony from the transcripts. They appear to have been innocent of wrong-doing,as many prominent citizens stood up on their behalf, although they themselves appeared to be of lower income and education.
Jane Selena 'Jennie' was in such good community standing, that the minister of the Trinity Episcopal Church, March Chase, and his wife, stood up as godparents for a few of her grandchildren. She also testified in the pension application of her son-in-law, Thomas Ward Mitchell, that she was a midwife, and had been present at the births of her daughter's [Louisa's] children.
In 1879, the 26-year old daughter, Mary C, died of the diphtheria epidemic, and Louis himself died in Nov. of 1880.
Iowa County Democrat, Nov. 26, 1880:
"Died at his home in the town of Linden, on Thursday, Nov. 18th, Mr. 'Lewis' Poquette, after a severe illness of nine weeks. The deceased was 63 years of age. He came to this country in 1832. He leaves a wife and family of grown up sons and daughters who have the sympathy of many friends in their bereavement. The funeral took place on Sunday last from the late residence of the deceased, to the old cemetery in this city."
By Nancy Poquette
Obituary
Iowa County Democrat, Nov. 26, 1880:
"Died at his home in the town of Linden, on Thursday, Nov. 18th, Mr. 'Lewis' Poquette, after a severe illness of nine weeks. The deceased was 63 years of age. He came to this country in 1832. He leaves a wife and family of grown up sons and daughters who have the sympathy of many friends in their bereavement. The funeral took place on Sunday last from the late residence of the deceased, to the old cemetery in this city."