Beloit in Rock County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Black Hawk at Turtle Village / The U.S. Military at Turtle Village
Photographed By Paul F, July 21, 2010
1. Black Hawk at Turtle Village Marker
North side of two sided marker.
Black Hawk at Turtle Village
Turtle Village, a large and important Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) Indian village, once stood on the east side of the Rock River near its confluence with Turtle Creek. During the Black Hawk War of 1832, the Ho-Chunk sheltered Sac Indian leader Black Hawk and his followers during their northern escape from the military in Illinois. After Black Hawk left Turtle Village, Chief Whirling Thunder ordered the village abandoned, fearing military retaliation. The Ho-Chunk never returned.
The U.S. Military at Turtle Village
In this vicinity, during the Black Hawk War of 1832, Sac Indian leader Black Hawk and his followers left Illinois and entered the Michigan Territory (now Wisconsin), seeking refuge with the Ho-Chunk Indians at Turtle Village. On July 1, 1832, more than five weeks after Black Hawk left Turtle Village and continued his northern retreat up the Rock River, General Henry Atkinson and his troops arrived here, only to find an abandoned Indian settlement with extensive gardens and fields of grain.
Erected 1998 by State Historical Society of Wisconsin. (Marker Number 406.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Native Americans • Notable Places
this page online
Location. 42° 30.058′ N, 89° 2.081′ W. Marker is in Beloit, Wisconsin, in Rock County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Public Avenue and State Street. Marker is located on the Rock River Heritage Walkway, just north of the intersection. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Beloit WI 53511, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Abraham Lincoln (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rasey House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Beloit College (approx. ¼ mile away); Roy Chapman Andrews (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Medal of Honor (approx. 2.6 miles away); Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Highway (approx. 2.6 miles away); Black Hawk War (approx. 2.6 miles away); Wisconsin's First Aviator (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Beloit.
Photographed By Paul F, July 21, 2010
2. The U.S. Military at Turtle Village Marker
South side of two sided marker.
Photographed By Paul F, July 21, 2010
3. The U.S. Military at Turtle Village Marker
Looking north along river walk.
Photographed By Paul F, July 21, 2010
4. Black Hawk at Turtle Village Marker
Looking south along river walk.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, November 29, 2015
5. Black Hawk
This c. 1835 portrait of Black Hawk by George Catlin hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.
"The push westward, led by scouts like Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett and followed by settlers moving across the Appalachians, ran up against organized Indian resistance. By 1804, the Sac people had ceded their land to the government, but Black Hawk stirred his tribe to reclaim its territory. He led a long resistance to the United States, from fighting in the War of 1812, when he sided with the British, to his instigation of what is known as the Black Hawk War in 1832. Black Hawk brought on the conflict as a last-ditch effort to resist President Jackson's aggressive policy of Indian removal. He said, 'the cause of our making war ... is known to all white men. They ought to be ashamed of it.' After a campaign of five months, Black Hawk was defeated at the Battle of Bad Axe." -- National Portrait Gallery
"The push westward, led by scouts like Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett and followed by settlers moving across the Appalachians, ran up against organized Indian resistance. By 1804, the Sac people had ceded their land to the government, but Black Hawk stirred his tribe to reclaim its territory. He led a long resistance to the United States, from fighting in the War of 1812, when he sided with the British, to his instigation of what is known as the Black Hawk War in 1832. Black Hawk brought on the conflict as a last-ditch effort to resist President Jackson's aggressive policy of Indian removal. He said, 'the cause of our making war ... is known to all white men. They ought to be ashamed of it.' After a campaign of five months, Black Hawk was defeated at the Battle of Bad Axe." -- National Portrait Gallery
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2019. It was originally submitted on September 10, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,626 times since then and 57 times this year. Last updated on January 29, 2019, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 10, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. 5. submitted on January 29, 2019, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
