Only surviving BHW Fort?

[Larry Koschkee]

As a sidebar to researching the fort, I was interested in the mound itself and the origin of its name.

The mound is one of several eminences located in the mining district that by geological terms are called "outliers." Other examples are Blue Mounds, Platte Mounds, White Oak Mound in Wisconsin and Scales Mound and Charles Mound in Illinois. Each of these mounds is capped by Niagara limestone and have been left behind from the surrounding landscape by the erosion of water, wind and freezing and thawing. At first glance the mounds look as if they were pushed up or erupted from the surrounding landscape, rather the surrounding landscape was the same height or higher at one time.

Sinsinawa is beautiful, fluid name believed to be of Indian origin. Variations of the name are Sinsinahwah Sinsinewa, Sinsiniwa, Susseneway and Sinssinaway.

There are two camps of contention regarding the meaning. One writer propsed the word jinawe, which he did not identify the language inteprets as "home of the young eagle," and History of Jo Daviess County, pg 226, claims "home of the eagle."

Another camp contends the name is a corruption of Sauk-Fox word aseniki for "stony." or assini, "stone."

In my personal research, I tend to lean towards the second camp indicating "rattlesnake" as the Indian name.

Potawatomie - Shen-weh-ah-gat

Sauk-Fox - Na-to-we-wuh

Kickapoo - Na-to-we-a

Winnebago - hip-min-ka or hip-min-an-ka

And finally, Menominee - sin-a-wa-ta

I think you can make a strong case for a corruption of the Menominee name.

I tried one additional process of putting the Sauk-Fox names for stone assini and hill or mound o-te-no together. as-si-ni-o-te-no... well maybe not.

How about putting the Sauk-Fox word for "middle" with assini The word is na-wi

as-si-ni-na-wi Very close... but do not know what middle would have to do with the mound.

Larry Koschkee

[Robert Braun]

After serious consideration, and review of the photographs I have of the stone "blockhouse" both interior and exterior, I now have begun to agree with Larry's position regarding this stone structure.

Larry's investigation, coupled with the chronology, seems to be the key.

The building in question, accompanied by the 1963 images, do not appear to be consistant with the construction techniques that would have to have been employed if the fort was hastily constructed. A wood blockhouse and palisade could have been constructed in a week or two... a stone structure such as this would have been a major undertaking and required both a large work crew and significant masonry expertise. Clearly, time was of the essence.

I now concur with Larry. The stone building was most likely constructed circa 1845, probably on or very near the original site of Jones' Fort.

Regards, Bob.

[Larry Koschkee]

It is always welcome to find agreement or common ground with Robert Braun, but rest assured the man will be unrelenting in additional research.

Now if I can just persuade him to relent with some issues surrounding "The Old Roman."