About Mary Elise Antoine

Mary Elise Antoine was born and raised in Prairie du Chien. She is a graduate of Marquette University, Milwaukee and the State University of New York-Oneonta, with a MA in History Museum Studies.

 

Mary Elise has over 40 years professional experience working for history museums and in historic preservation. She was Curator of Collections and Research at Villa Louis, State Historic Site and National Historic Landmark, conducting the research that directed the restoration of the site. She is Past-President of the Prairie du Chien Historical Society.

 

Mary Elise has researched and written articles and books, which document cultural minorities in late 18th and early 19th century American society. These include The War of 1812 in Wisconsin: The Battle for Prairie du Chien; Frenchtown Chronicles of Prairie du Chien; Enslaved, Indenture, Free: Five Black Women in the Upper Mississippi all published by Wisconsin Historical Society Press. She also authored Frenchtown Cemetery-Old Catholic Burying Ground at Prairie du Chien, 1816-1840. She wrote two books on Prairie du Chien published by Arcadia Publishing.

 

Mary Elise continues her work at Villa Louis and in the museum field, research, and writing. An Elegant Edifice: The Women Who Forged a Legacy at Villa Louis is to be released by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press in May 2026.

 

Presentations

 

Mary Elise offers several presentations based upon her research. They all pertain to the early history of the upper Mississippi River and the present State of Wisconsin.

 

 

The Fur Trade in Wisconsin: French, British, United States

 

The North American fur trade was a partnership between Euro-Americans and Indigenous Nations. The trade began in the early 1600s along the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries and by the late 1600s had spread to the western Great Lakes and the upper Mississippi River.

 

Mary Elise will present a history of this rich period in Wisconsin’s history, using images and objects to illustrate her story. She will explain the relationships and partnership between the French- and British-Canadians and the Indigenous people and then compare the United States’ government perception of the fur trade. She will conclude by discussing the remnants of the fur trade culture that still exists and can be seen in Wisconsin.

 

 

The War of 1812 in Wisconsin

 

On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain. One of the many causes of the conflict was the presence of British fur traders in the western Great Lakes-Upper Mississippi region. The British quickly gained military control of the region, and for the next two and half years, the United States sought to establish a military position. Both William Clark and Zachary Taylor failed in their attempts.

 

Mary Elise brings this part of United States history to life with the story of the people of the western Great Lakes - Upper Mississippi, Euro-American and Native American and how the contest for control of the region affected their lives and livelihoods.

 

 

Slavery in Wisconsin Territory: Enslaved, Indentured, Free

 

Article VI of the Northwest Ordinance stated, “There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” Yet, slavery existed within the Northwest Territory, of which Wisconsin was a part.

 

The most egregious practice of the enslavement of Black men and women occurred at the United States military posts located on the upper Mississippi River in what is now Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Additionally, men, who came to the Mining District of southwest Wisconsin, brought enslaved men and women with them.

 

Using information gathered while conducting research for Enslaved, Indentured, Free: Five Black Women of the Upper Mississippi, 1800-1850, plus research conducted since the publication of the book, Mary Elise will explain how slavery was allowed to exist in the Northwest Territory. Focusing on the western Great Lakes-upper Mississippi region, she will discuss how enslaved men and woman were brought to Wisconsin and present biographical sketches of some of the enslaved men and women.

 

 

The Fur Trade Culture in the Western Great Lakes-Upper Mississippi: French-Canadian, Native American, African American, 1760-1840

 

French-speaking people were the first Euro-Americans to permanently settle in the western Great Lakes-upper Mississippi region. They came from Lower Canada and the Illinois Country. The men and their families selected trading sites to make their homes and engaged in the fur trade: La Baye, Prairie du Chien, Lapointe, or a small outpost along a river. Often, these Canadian men formed a personal marital relationship with a Native American woman. Some of the Canadians had enslaved men within their household, who worked in the trade. When these men gained their freedom, they continued to work in the fur trade. Often they formed a martial relationship with a Native American woman. The resulting sharing of cultures through trade and person union is unique to the fur trade.

 

Mary Elise will explain this culture, which includes sharing of land, log pièce sur pièce homes furnished with objects from both cultures, the blending of three cultures, and where the French-Canadian and Metis culture can be experienced today.

 

 

The Winnebago School in the Neutral Grounds

 

On March 3, 1819, the U.S. Congress enacted the Civilization Fund Act. The stated purpose of the act was to promote “education” for Native Americans and to stimulate the “civilization process.” The goal was to eradicate Native culture and customs, Christianize Indians, and teach English literacy and European/North American methods of farming through mission-run, government-funded schools.

 

Through treaties signed with the United States, the Ho-Chunk lost their traditional lands and were to be “relocated” to the west side of the Mississippi River to the Neutral Grounds. In 1834, a school to educate and “civilize” Ho-Chunk children opened. Located on the Yellow River, the school was moved in 1840 when the US government “removed” the Ho-Chunk to the Turkey River, closing when the nation was relocated to Long Prairie in Minnesota.

 

Mary Elise will discuss the history of the Winnebago school from 1834 – 1848, the students, the superintendent of the school and instructors, and instruction presented. The school will be placed within the scope of methods employed by the United States to “civilize” the Indigenous people of North America.

 

 

Residents of “Wisconsin” in the American Revolution

 

In the 1770s, the majority of the permanent residents of what is now Wisconsin were the Native American nations. But the British had a great influence in the region because of the fur trade. Englishmen and French-speaking men traded at Green Bay and Prairie du Chien. Charles Langlade had permanently settled at Green Bay and been joined by Pierre Grignon. People from the Illinois Country and Montreal had begun to select land at Prairie du Chien.

 

But whether Native American or Euro-American, these residents were well-informed. When the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain, the residents of the western Great Lakes and upper Mississippi were involved in the resulting conflict from the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 to the attack on St. Louis in 1780.

 

Learn who, how, and why these residents were part of the American Revolution and the effects of the American Revolution on the residents of “Wisconsin.”