Solomon Laurent Juneau, or Laurent-Salomon Juneau (August 9, 1793 – November 14, 1856) was a French Canadian fur trader, land speculator, and politician who helped found the city of
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
. He was born in
Repentigny, Quebec, Canada to François and (Marie-)Thérèse Galarneau Juneau. His cousin was
Joseph Juneau
Joseph Juneau (; 1836–1899) was a French Canadian miner and prospector who was born in the Lower Canada town of Saint-Paul-l'Ermite (later renamed Le Gardeur and now incorporated into the city of Repentigny) to François Xavier Juneau dit ...
, who founded the city of
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau, more commonly known simply as Juneau ( ; tli, Dzánti K'ihéeni ), is the capital city of the state of Alaska. Located in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle, it is a unified municipality and the ...
.
Biography
After landing at
Fort Michilimackinac in 1816, Juneau worked as a clerk in the fur trade before becoming an agent for the
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company (AFC) was founded in 1808, by John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant to the United States. During the 18th century, furs had become a major commodity in Europe, and North America became a major supplier. Several British ...
in Milwaukee. He had been summoned to the Milwaukee area by
Jacques Vieau, a French-Canadian fur trader and the first permanent white settler in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
. In 1818 Jacques Vieau hired Solomon Juneau, based on the accounting prowess Juneau had become known for, and Juneau's reputation for being able to deal well with the local native Americans. Juneau later married one of Vieau's daughters, Josette, and went on to found what was to become the City of Milwaukee.
Juneau settled an area east of the
Milwaukee River called Juneautown (present-day
East Town) in 1818, which later joined with
George H. Walker
George H. Walker (October 22, 1811September 20, 1866) was an American trader and politician, and was one of three key founders of the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served as the 5th and 7th Mayor of Milwaukee, and represented Milwaukee in the ...
's
Walker's Point Walker's Point or Walkers Point may refer to:
Australia
* Walkers Point, Queensland, a locality in the Fraser Coast Region
* Walkers Point, Queensland (Bundaberg Region), a town in Woodgate in the Bundaberg Region
United States
*Walker's Point, ...
and
Byron Kilbourn's Kilbourntown (present-day
Westown
Westown is a suburb of New Plymouth, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the southwest of the city centre and west of Frankleigh Park.
According to the 2013 New Zealand census, Westown has a population of 3,414, an incr ...
) to incorporate the City of Milwaukee. With Juneau came his personal cook
Joe Oliver, a
Black Catholic believed to have been the first
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
in Milwaukee history.
In 1831, Juneau began learning English and set in motion the naturalization and citizenship process. By 1835, he was selling plots of land in Juneautown. He built Milwaukee's first store and first inn, and was recognized for his leadership among newcomers to Milwaukee. In 1837 he started the ''
Milwaukee Sentinel'', which would become the oldest continuously operating business in
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. He was the first
mayor of Milwaukee from 1846 until 1847, and was appointed its first
Postmaster. Solomon Juneau High School, built in 1932, is named after him. The school is located at 6415 West Mount Vernon Avenue in Milwaukee. The hour bell in the clock tower of the
Milwaukee City Hall, installed in 1896, is also named after him.
Personal
In 1820, Juneau married Josette, the
Métis
The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United State ...
daughter of
Jacques Vieau, a fur trader who had built a trading post overlooking the
Menomonee Valley years before, and his Menominee wife. Josette was the oldest of 12 children, and was
Menominee and French by ancestry. Through her alliances to the tribe, and the relationships fostered through Juneau's business in fur trading, it is reported that he was popular with the Menominee. After the treaty of 1848 between the United States and the Menominee, Juneau registered his wife and children as
half-breeds of the
Menominee Nation.
In 1854, Juneau and family relocated to
Dodge County, Wisconsin
Dodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 89,396. Its county seat is Juneau. The county was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and organized in 1844.
Dodge County co ...
, where they founded the village of
Theresa
Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name.
It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or rea ...
, named after Juneau's French-Canadian mother. Josette died there in 1855; Solomon died one year later in
Keshena, Wisconsin, on a visit to the Menominee tribe. He died in the arms of
Benjamin Hunkins, his "faithful friend and constant nurse."
Six Menominee chiefs served as pallbearers at his funeral. He is buried at
Calvary Cemetery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Calvary Cemetery is the oldest existing Catholic cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Owned by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, it is the final resting place for many of the city's early influential figures. The cemetery was designated a Milwaukee Landm ...
.
Juneau's grandson
Paul O. Husting would be elected as a member of the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
.
The property that is believed to have once been the site of Juneau's residence is now the site of the
Mitchell Building, listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
See also
*
SS ''Solomon Juneau''
*
Juneau Monument
The ''Juneau Monument'' is a public artwork by American artist Richard Henry Park located on the grounds of Juneau Park, which is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The base of the statue is made of limestone. On top of the base is a bronze statue of So ...
*
Solomon Juneau Business High School
References
Further reading
*
*
Obituary. Milwaukee Sentinel. 28 January 1858.
External links
*
Wisconsin Historical Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Juneau, Solomon Laurent
1793 births
1856 deaths
Pre-Confederation Canadian emigrants to the United States
American real estate businesspeople
American people of Québécois descent
Mayors of Milwaukee
Wisconsin postmasters
People from Repentigny, Quebec
American city founders
Articles containing video clips
19th-century American newspaper founders
19th-century American politicians
Solomon
Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...