Can you give me any information concerning the origin and
historical significance of the name “Winnequah,” applied to
the point projecting into Lake Monona?
FREDERICK BRANDENBURG,
_Madison, Wisconsin_.
The site of Winnequah was originally known as Strawberry Point, Squaw
Point, Old Indian Garden, and Wood’s Point. It was the village home
for the Lake Monona Winnebago, and when Madison was first built it was
occupied by Abraham Wood, who had a Winnebago chief’s daughter for his
squaw. She was one of the illustrious family of Decorah, and her
father was chief of the band in the vicinity of Portage. In 1835
William B. Long and Abraham Wood entered the fifty-two acres of the
point in the Mineral Point land office, and three years later, March
24, 1838, transferred their interest to Col. William B. Slaughter.
After this transaction Wood moved to Poynette. Slaughter kept the land
as an investment. Thomas B. Sutherland, one of the founders of the
State Historical Society, was wont to relate his experiences as
surveyor in 1835 when he spent some time at the Indian village at
Strawberry Point. The name “Winnequah” was bestowed upon the point
some time in the late sixties by Capt. Francis (Frank) Barnes who ran
a steamboat line on Lake Monona. Barnes had a fancy for odd names; one
of his boats was named the “Scutanaubequon.” He built a dancing hall
on the point and fitted it up for picnic parties and seems to have
invented the word “Winnequah.” At least, its meaning is not to be
found among the Winnebago vocabularies, nor is it susceptible of any
interpretation except that it is made up of Winnebago Squaw Point.
Barnes carried on his steamboat line from 1866 to 1873 or 1874,
perhaps later. The Madison directory for 1877-78 lists him as “captain
of tug.” The owner of Strawberry Point--to revert to its first
name--from 1868 or earlier was N. W. Dean. He seems to have rented or
leased the land to Barnes for his picnic grounds.