Juliette Kinzie's book, first published in 1856, presents keenly observed and engagingly written autobiographical accounts of important events and experiences in the early 1830's when she and her husband lived in the Indian Agency House in the 1830's, in the Northwest Territory, before Wisconsin's statehood (1848). This printing is a facsimile of the 1873 edition.
Author
Juliette Kinzie, born Juliette August Magill, was a keen observer of everything around her. She wrote Wau-bun as a narrative of the significant events and experiences between 1830 and 1833, during which time her husband, John Kinzie, the Indian agent for the Winnebago people, disbursed the annuity payments for the land's relinquished in treaties. Her descriptions of daily incidents and major events include first-hand experiences with the Winnebago people in Wisconsin. The Kinzies shared a true affection for the native people and their culture, and this book preserves important autobiographical history.
The Kinzie's lived in what is now known as the "Old Indian Agency House" in Portage Wisconsin. It is listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places (NR2338). The image below is in the WHS historic image collection (WHI 42803)
