Ebenezer Brigham
| Ebenezer Brigham | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 28, 1789 Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | September 14, 1861 (aged 72) Blue Mounds, Wisconsin |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Businessman, militia officer and politician |
| Known for | Early Wisconsin pioneer and miner; first American permanent settler to live in present-day Dane County, Wisconsin. |
| Relatives | David Brigham, brother Prescott Brigham, brother Jerome R. Brigham, nephew |
Ebenezer Brigham (April 28, 1789 – September 14, 1861) was a 19th-century American pioneer, businessman and politician. He was one of the first Americans to explore southwestern Wisconsin and the first permanent settler in present-day Dane County, Wisconsin. A militia officer during the Black Hawk War, he served as commander of Fort Blue Mounds (or Mound Fort) and was active in both the Wisconsin territorial council, and the Wisconsin State Assembly during the 1840s and 1850s.
Born in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, he left his home state for the Northwest Territory, traveling by canoe along the Allegheny River from Olean Point to Pittsburgh, then taking a flatboat down the Ohio River until stopping at Shawneetown. He walked the rest of the way, arriving in St. Louis in 1818. Working as a prospector, he followed the Mississippi River by horseback and stayed at Galena in 1822. One of the earliest visitors to the area, he helped miner James Johnson build one of two log cabins at the camp. Returning to Springfield, Illinois, he left there with a team of oxen heading for the lead mines region of southwest Wisconsin to build his own mining camp. He was originally part of a mining party which lived along the Platte River, only four miles from present-day Platteville, Wisconsin. However, the party soon left the area under threat from the local Winnebagos during the Winnebago War.
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