| Notes |
- Indians were friends of This hardy Brussels Pioneer
By Dorothy Fleming
Joseph Rouer, who owns a 40 acre farm at Misere, near Brussels, does not know the meaning of the word "retire." He was 90 years old last April. Ramrod straight and still vigorous, he could easily pass for a man 75 and could outwork most men of that age. He not only operates his farm and keeps house since his wife passed away two years ago, but takes care of his 88 year old brother, Henry,
who has been retarded since birth.
"When I quit working, then I die," he replied to the retirement question as he scrambled up on his tractor to start off to one of his fields. "I bought this little place to have for what you call retirement. I ran the old homestead of 240 acres," and he pointed to land down the road. "I sold it to my son when I was 70 years old. The kids were gone by then, and it was more than I needed or could take care of by myself," he grinned. "There is plenty here to keep me out of mischief. I have hay and some grains, but no stock or chickens now. I was born on this dirt and I'll stay here until I go back to dirt."
Joe and Henry Rouer and their sister, who is Mrs. Lucy Vandertie of Green Bay, are all that are left of the large family of the Joe Rouers who migrated from Belgium in 1856 and settled in what was then a forest wilderness.
"My father," said this young Joe Rouer, was a Joe Rouer, too, and he was only a lad when he left the old country. Thousands of Belgians came here to Wisconsin at that time. Ma was about 10 when her folks came from the homeland. She used to tell us how they were three months getting here in an old sailing ship.
Pa was in the Civil War, so they didn't get married until he came home again." His sister Lucy, who was there at the time added, "They worked hard and such long hours cutting down the forests to make that farm. In the winter when there was no money, Pa and some of the other men walked to Chicago to work. It took them a week. Then the women and children were left alone in their little log houses. Many times we were frightened with noises outside at night, Indians and wild animals roaming around. The Indians were friendly and they thought the land was still theirs."
There were no roads then, only trails through the wilderness so the women had to walk often 15 to 20 miles to the grist mill to have the grain made into flour, carrying a fifty pound sack of wheat on their heads. It was a heavy load, but those pioneer women had strong backs and were used to heavy work. The bag was tied at one corner and then the other corner was pushed back into it to form a hood that fit on the head. This was tied to the back by a rope that came under the arms leaving the hands free. They carried sticks to beat off the snakes or animals. It was a dangerous trip, though the wilderness so they went in groups of five or six, as they often met Indians, bears, deer or wolves along the way."
Joe pointed with pride to the rolling green fields that had been cleared by his father. "They cut down enough trees for space to plant, but they had no tools then. So they softened the ground around the stumps and roots with a harrow made of wooden pins sloping backward. The women and children dragged these back and forth until the soil was right for planting."
"They had no horse or oxen at that time to haul out their timber. Shingles were selling for $1.50 a thousand in Green Bay. So the men were busy cutting the trees into shingles to make a bit of money. Then they had to carry these bundles on their backs to the bay where a boat took them to Green Bay."
Rouer mused, "I often walked to Green Bay before Pa was able to buy a horse. A fellow by the name of Herlache carried a calf
on his back, kicking and struggling for 25 miles. That calf was the ancestor of most of the cattle in these fields today."
After the Civil War there was a great lumber boom and a number of mills were erected in the Belgian communities. Lands had
been cleared, homes and barns built and these settlers who had wrest a comfortable living from the forests were becoming prosperous.
A terrific catastrophe, the horrible fire of 1871, engulfed the entire area. Sunday, October 8, 1871 1871 was an indescribable night-
mare as fire overwhelmed the entire region. More than 200 persons were burned to death and 5,000 were homeless and destitute. In the darkness of the night a torrent of fire descended, burning their farms and destroying their homes, barns and cattle.
There was a ploughed field on the Rouer farm where the family and many of the neighbors fled. The fierce flames lapped around
them as they buried their heads in the freshly turned soil. They saved nothing but their lives. The lists published stated the Joseph Rouer family lost house and contents, barn, farm tools, cattle and crops.
These sturdy pioneers who had toiled, beset by poverty and loneliness away from their native land, began another struggle.Only the staunch characteristics of these people and their hope of ultimate prosperity, together with their firm religious beliefs, carried them onward. They accepted their loss as ordained by God and bowed to His Will. Today this Belgian section has some of the finest farms in Wisconsin.
Door County Advocate
Volume: 108 Issue: 61 Edition: 1 Date published: 1969-10-21
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Jindra and Chaloupka Families
1879 - 1969 (90 years)
