Native Americans In Janesville

The Rock River Valley was the home of the Native Americans before the white settlers arrived in Wisconsin. This valley begins in Dodge County near the Horicon Marsh and extends into Illinois, to the point where the Rock River flows into the Mississippi River. Native Americans roamed over this fertile valley. They built their homes in the woods on the rolling hills overlooking the Rock River. Native Americans who lived in the woods were called Woodland because everything they ate, everything they wore, and everything they used came out of the woods or the streams.

Several tribes of Woodland Native Americans lived in the Janesville area of the Rock River Valley. The Winnebago tribe lived on the west side of the river, and the Potawatomi tribe lived on the east side. The Sauk and Fox tribes lived in the southern part of the valley. The land there was like a big garden. The soil was rich and black, and it produced good crops of beans, corn, squash, and pumpkins. Many wild fruits that grew nearby were gathered.

The village was at the foot of some rapids in the river, and this made it easy to catch fine fish. a Native American could catch them in his hands as they tumbled over the rocks in the river.

The children in Blackhawk's tribe never had to go to bed hungry, nor were their old people ever in want. Here the Sauk had been happy for over a hundred years, and here were the graves of their ancestors.

Unlike most Native American tribes, the Sauk did not move from place to place. They were pleased with the spot they had chosen for their home. They did leave the village for short hunting periods, or to gather maple sap. Sometimes they would go to the shores of Lake Michigan to fish for sturgeon. The sturgeon would furnish them with good flue. They fastened the feathers to their arrow shafts with this glue.

The Sauk tribe lived in wigwams that were round and domeshaped. The wigwams were begun with a few poles that were really growing trees. They could withstand windstorms and seldom blew down. Overlapping sheets of bark covered these frames.

The Native American's winter clothing was made out of deerskin. Each tribe of Native Americans had a little different fashion in moccasins. Any Native American meeting another could look at his feet and tell if he belonged to his tribe. Blackhawk's moccasins had side flaps that were so long they nearly reached the ground.

The Sauk thought it best to cut their hair close to their heads, but they always left small pieces of hair on top. This was called a scalp lock. This scalp lock was a place for sticking a few feathers for ornaments.

Native Americans made trails through the Janesville area. They crossed the Rock River at shallow spots. They often crossed near the Monterey Rock. Indian Ford, north of Janesville was also a favorite crossing spot. They especially like to hunt and fish near Lake Koshkonong. Arrowheads, pottery, and other relics have been found in this area.