"On October 1, 1897, the first white settler of the Totogatic area and one of the pioneers of northwest Wisconsin, was foully struck down on his doorstep. This was Joseph R. "Joe" Blackburn, who had established a stopping place, farm, and trading post near the junction of the Totogatic and Ounce rivers before the Civil War. The murderer was never brought to justice for his crime, but the attendant publicity attracted the attention of many people to Blackburn's unusual way of life and perpetuated tales of buried treasure and of his personal eccentricities.
When Joe Blackburn settled on his place on the Ounce River, he was already well-known in northwestern Wisconsin. He had carried the mail for the government on the old St. Croix Trail from Fort Snellin to Bayfield in the late forties. W.H.C. Folsum, the historian and biographer of the St. Croix area, says of him in 1888: "In 1847 (Blackburn) came to Stillwater. He has followed lumbering and Indian trading. He has made his home at Stillwater, at Taylor's Falls, and since 1860, on Totogatic River. Mr. Blackburn enjoys wilderness life, is eccentric in manner, and attends strictly to his own business.
Whatever reason Blackburn may have had for secluding himself in the back-country, it must have been profitable for him, because newspapers at the time of his death reported that he was worth $75,000 or more..."
"The Totogatic-Ounce country was not so isolated as one might imagine when Joe Blackburn settled there, but he certainly became a middleman in the development whether they had been his intent or not. His homestead was located by the confluence of these two rivers near the line between Douglas and Washburn counties. His buildings and farmlands were on a knoll between the Ounce and Snake Creek, a sixty acre island almost surrounded by swamp and running streams: a place which would have been chosen as a site for a fortress to fend off invaders in old times. The view from his house of the panorama of marshmeadows, forest and cropland is as beautiful as only this north-country can provide--no wonder he stayed there..."
"There were still many free-living Indians in the area and he had a good trade with them. They brought in skins, furs, rice, and maple sugar to barter for staples. Blackburn had them raise potatoes for resale to his logging customers, a providence that does not surprise me since the tale is also told that when he was carrying the mail, he planted potatoes at each of his overnight campsights on his route for later convenience..."
"The Journal of Albert C. Stuntz, surveyor and landlooker, leaves us with much definite information on logging here in the period 1864-1868. He had also done much of the government survey in the fifties. He tells often of Blackburn's and seems to have made it his headquarters when checking for trespass among the many loggers who were cutting here then. He did not often mention trails but he moved with such ease along certain routes that he must have been following marked and cleared paths...'
"At some time before 1880, Joe Blackburn married Mary Lightbody, a part-Chippewa woman, who died in 1893 at the age of 54 years. He dug her grave in front of his house at the brow of the hill and buried her there, a few feet from his front door. Later he built a small cabin over it which, it is told to this day, he often sat and grieved. The power of legend is so strong that the tale can still say that he installed a shaft in the grave so that he could continue to see her face! He dug his own grave beside hers and left word he was to be buried in it when he died.
After Blackburn's untimely death at the age of 68, his body was interred beside that of his wife as he had wished. According to Ben Keiner, whose family bought the place in 1904 and who had grown up there, the bodies were removed by a previous owner who could get no one to stay on the farm with them there. They were exhumed and buried in the Gordon cemetery and a monument marks their location. The depression left from digging out the coffins is still there on the edge of the hill overlooking the meadowland and forests which Blackburn loved so well. The kiosk which was once over the graves is now a part of a neat house in Wascott. All of the old buildings are gone but some of the foundations are still in place."
"If Blackburn had 'chests of gold coin' or other treasure buried around his place, it was never found, at least officially. The killer apparently got what money he had in his possession at the time--he had been seen with a large roll of bill a few days before--but the sheriff found only a few hundred dollars after a thorough search of the premises. The probate of his estate listed little more, about enough to pay the lawyer. What remained of his estate, his homestead and other land, went to his legal heirs--he had no children. Fifty-eight dollars was later found in a feed-bod, which should have ended the tales of riches. The mania to find buried treasure has caused many people to want to dig around the old Blackburn place. Burton Fetting, who moved on the place in 1940, said that he had wasted little time even thinking about it. The greatest treasure he found, he said, besides the pleasure of living in this still wilderness spot was a cache of old bottles at the base of the hill.
Who murdered Joe Blackburn? There have been as many suspects as there were neighbors. The only evidence was a set of moccasin tracks crossing the creek, so rumor, of course, fastened on an Indian--any Indian--as the culprit; but then it was found that some of the white neighbors habitually wore moccasins! Charles Beauregard was arrested and charged with the crime, mainly because he was part-time and happened to be nearby at the time of the murder, but after spending the winter in the county jail, he was declared not guilty by a jury after only 15 minutes of deliberation.
Another odd circumstance was that two pages of Blackburn's account book had been torn out and were not found. Since they listed what two of the neighbors owed him, suspicion pointed to these men, but the conclusion was that the criminal had done this to turn attention from himself by implicating someone else. Several men left the community shortly after the murder, and others appeared to have more money that they should have been able to earn in their occupation, but no other than poor Charlie was ever officially charged with the killing of Joe Blackburn" (pages 66-68).
Marple, Eldon M. "The Hayward Lake Region." Hayward, WI: The Book Store, 1979.
Aged 68 years
Eau Claire Leader Oct. 6, 1897
Joseph Blackburn, an aged Indian trader and wealthy, was murdered near Gordon, WI.
Eau Claire Weekly Telegram Oct. 7, 1897
Oct. 4, 1897
Joseph Blackburn, a farmer living 10 miles from Spooner, was found dead this morning, having been shot in the head while walking from the house to the barn. He lived alone and is supposed possessed some money. The coroner has been summoned and an investigation will be made. He leaves one son who resides at Bayfield.
Daily Telegram (Eau Claire) Oct. 8, 1897
Judge LH Mond of Shell Lake was appointed by County Judge Roberts special administrator of Joseph Blackburn, the murdered trader. The action was taken upon application of John T. Blackburn of Shell Lake, half brother of the dead man. No will has been found.
Eau Claire Leader, Feb. 9, 1898
Indians Greatly Excited
Size of Sheriff's Posse Prevents an Attack, However
Gordon, WI Feb. 8--Charles Beauregard, a quarter breed Indian, who murdered Joseph Blackburn last September, was captured at Eau Claire Lakes, about 10 miles from Gordon, and taken to Spooner. Blackburn was an old trader who had lived near Gordon for many years. The murder was committed because Blackburn refused Beauregard whisky. The Indians are greatly excited and a large crowd of them followed the officers to Gordon, but the sheriff's force was too large for them to attempt the release of the prisoner.
The Hayward Republican June 16, 1898
Charles Beauregard, the Indian half-breed charged with the murder of Joseph Blackburn, was acquitted to day of the crime upon which he was arranged. The case has been on trial in the circuit court since last Saturday and today at the noon the case of the state was rested.
On motion of the defendant's attorneys, the cause was then given to the jury and in 5 minutes they returned a verdict of not guilty. (The Superior Telegram)
Centralia Enterprise and Tribune June 18, 1898
Indian Goes Free
West Superior, WI June 15--Charles Buregard (sic), the Indian charged with the murder of Joseph Blackburn near Gordon last fall, was acquitted. Blackburn was an old Indian trader who carried on business in a lonely place and who had accumulated considerable money. He was found dead and his house had been ransacked. Suspicion fell on Buregard.
When Joe Blackburn settled on his place on the Ounce River, he was already well-known in northwestern Wisconsin. He had carried the mail for the government on the old St. Croix Trail from Fort Snellin to Bayfield in the late forties. W.H.C. Folsum, the historian and biographer of the St. Croix area, says of him in 1888: "In 1847 (Blackburn) came to Stillwater. He has followed lumbering and Indian trading. He has made his home at Stillwater, at Taylor's Falls, and since 1860, on Totogatic River. Mr. Blackburn enjoys wilderness life, is eccentric in manner, and attends strictly to his own business.
Whatever reason Blackburn may have had for secluding himself in the back-country, it must have been profitable for him, because newspapers at the time of his death reported that he was worth $75,000 or more..."
"The Totogatic-Ounce country was not so isolated as one might imagine when Joe Blackburn settled there, but he certainly became a middleman in the development whether they had been his intent or not. His homestead was located by the confluence of these two rivers near the line between Douglas and Washburn counties. His buildings and farmlands were on a knoll between the Ounce and Snake Creek, a sixty acre island almost surrounded by swamp and running streams: a place which would have been chosen as a site for a fortress to fend off invaders in old times. The view from his house of the panorama of marshmeadows, forest and cropland is as beautiful as only this north-country can provide--no wonder he stayed there..."
"There were still many free-living Indians in the area and he had a good trade with them. They brought in skins, furs, rice, and maple sugar to barter for staples. Blackburn had them raise potatoes for resale to his logging customers, a providence that does not surprise me since the tale is also told that when he was carrying the mail, he planted potatoes at each of his overnight campsights on his route for later convenience..."
"The Journal of Albert C. Stuntz, surveyor and landlooker, leaves us with much definite information on logging here in the period 1864-1868. He had also done much of the government survey in the fifties. He tells often of Blackburn's and seems to have made it his headquarters when checking for trespass among the many loggers who were cutting here then. He did not often mention trails but he moved with such ease along certain routes that he must have been following marked and cleared paths...'
"At some time before 1880, Joe Blackburn married Mary Lightbody, a part-Chippewa woman, who died in 1893 at the age of 54 years. He dug her grave in front of his house at the brow of the hill and buried her there, a few feet from his front door. Later he built a small cabin over it which, it is told to this day, he often sat and grieved. The power of legend is so strong that the tale can still say that he installed a shaft in the grave so that he could continue to see her face! He dug his own grave beside hers and left word he was to be buried in it when he died.
After Blackburn's untimely death at the age of 68, his body was interred beside that of his wife as he had wished. According to Ben Keiner, whose family bought the place in 1904 and who had grown up there, the bodies were removed by a previous owner who could get no one to stay on the farm with them there. They were exhumed and buried in the Gordon cemetery and a monument marks their location. The depression left from digging out the coffins is still there on the edge of the hill overlooking the meadowland and forests which Blackburn loved so well. The kiosk which was once over the graves is now a part of a neat house in Wascott. All of the old buildings are gone but some of the foundations are still in place."
"If Blackburn had 'chests of gold coin' or other treasure buried around his place, it was never found, at least officially. The killer apparently got what money he had in his possession at the time--he had been seen with a large roll of bill a few days before--but the sheriff found only a few hundred dollars after a thorough search of the premises. The probate of his estate listed little more, about enough to pay the lawyer. What remained of his estate, his homestead and other land, went to his legal heirs--he had no children. Fifty-eight dollars was later found in a feed-bod, which should have ended the tales of riches. The mania to find buried treasure has caused many people to want to dig around the old Blackburn place. Burton Fetting, who moved on the place in 1940, said that he had wasted little time even thinking about it. The greatest treasure he found, he said, besides the pleasure of living in this still wilderness spot was a cache of old bottles at the base of the hill.
Who murdered Joe Blackburn? There have been as many suspects as there were neighbors. The only evidence was a set of moccasin tracks crossing the creek, so rumor, of course, fastened on an Indian--any Indian--as the culprit; but then it was found that some of the white neighbors habitually wore moccasins! Charles Beauregard was arrested and charged with the crime, mainly because he was part-time and happened to be nearby at the time of the murder, but after spending the winter in the county jail, he was declared not guilty by a jury after only 15 minutes of deliberation.
Another odd circumstance was that two pages of Blackburn's account book had been torn out and were not found. Since they listed what two of the neighbors owed him, suspicion pointed to these men, but the conclusion was that the criminal had done this to turn attention from himself by implicating someone else. Several men left the community shortly after the murder, and others appeared to have more money that they should have been able to earn in their occupation, but no other than poor Charlie was ever officially charged with the killing of Joe Blackburn" (pages 66-68).
Marple, Eldon M. "The Hayward Lake Region." Hayward, WI: The Book Store, 1979.
Aged 68 years
Eau Claire Leader Oct. 6, 1897
Joseph Blackburn, an aged Indian trader and wealthy, was murdered near Gordon, WI.
Eau Claire Weekly Telegram Oct. 7, 1897
Oct. 4, 1897
Joseph Blackburn, a farmer living 10 miles from Spooner, was found dead this morning, having been shot in the head while walking from the house to the barn. He lived alone and is supposed possessed some money. The coroner has been summoned and an investigation will be made. He leaves one son who resides at Bayfield.
Daily Telegram (Eau Claire) Oct. 8, 1897
Judge LH Mond of Shell Lake was appointed by County Judge Roberts special administrator of Joseph Blackburn, the murdered trader. The action was taken upon application of John T. Blackburn of Shell Lake, half brother of the dead man. No will has been found.
Eau Claire Leader, Feb. 9, 1898
Indians Greatly Excited
Size of Sheriff's Posse Prevents an Attack, However
Gordon, WI Feb. 8--Charles Beauregard, a quarter breed Indian, who murdered Joseph Blackburn last September, was captured at Eau Claire Lakes, about 10 miles from Gordon, and taken to Spooner. Blackburn was an old trader who had lived near Gordon for many years. The murder was committed because Blackburn refused Beauregard whisky. The Indians are greatly excited and a large crowd of them followed the officers to Gordon, but the sheriff's force was too large for them to attempt the release of the prisoner.
The Hayward Republican June 16, 1898
Charles Beauregard, the Indian half-breed charged with the murder of Joseph Blackburn, was acquitted to day of the crime upon which he was arranged. The case has been on trial in the circuit court since last Saturday and today at the noon the case of the state was rested.
On motion of the defendant's attorneys, the cause was then given to the jury and in 5 minutes they returned a verdict of not guilty. (The Superior Telegram)
Centralia Enterprise and Tribune June 18, 1898
Indian Goes Free
West Superior, WI June 15--Charles Buregard (sic), the Indian charged with the murder of Joseph Blackburn near Gordon last fall, was acquitted. Blackburn was an old Indian trader who carried on business in a lonely place and who had accumulated considerable money. He was found dead and his house had been ransacked. Suspicion fell on Buregard.
"On October 1, 1897, the first white settler of the Totogatic area and one of the pioneers of northwest Wisconsin, was foully struck down on his doorstep. This was Joseph R. "Joe" Blackburn, who had established a stopping place, farm, and trading post near the junction of the Totogatic and Ounce rivers before the Civil War. The murderer was never brought to justice for his crime, but the attendant publicity attracted the attention of many people to Blackburn's unusual way of life and perpetuated tales of buried treasure and of his personal eccentricities.
When Joe Blackburn settled on his place on the Ounce River, he was already well-known in northwestern Wisconsin. He had carried the mail for the government on the old St. Croix Trail from Fort Snellin to Bayfield in the late forties. W.H.C. Folsum, the historian and biographer of the St. Croix area, says of him in 1888: "In 1847 (Blackburn) came to Stillwater. He has followed lumbering and Indian trading. He has made his home at Stillwater, at Taylor's Falls, and since 1860, on Totogatic River. Mr. Blackburn enjoys wilderness life, is eccentric in manner, and attends strictly to his own business.
Whatever reason Blackburn may have had for secluding himself in the back-country, it must have been profitable for him, because newspapers at the time of his death reported that he was worth $75,000 or more..."
"The Totogatic-Ounce country was not so isolated as one might imagine when Joe Blackburn settled there, but he certainly became a middleman in the development whether they had been his intent or not. His homestead was located by the confluence of these two rivers near the line between Douglas and Washburn counties. His buildings and farmlands were on a knoll between the Ounce and Snake Creek, a sixty acre island almost surrounded by swamp and running streams: a place which would have been chosen as a site for a fortress to fend off invaders in old times. The view from his house of the panorama of marshmeadows, forest and cropland is as beautiful as only this north-country can provide--no wonder he stayed there..."
"There were still many free-living Indians in the area and he had a good trade with them. They brought in skins, furs, rice, and maple sugar to barter for staples. Blackburn had them raise potatoes for resale to his logging customers, a providence that does not surprise me since the tale is also told that when he was carrying the mail, he planted potatoes at each of his overnight campsights on his route for later convenience..."
"The Journal of Albert C. Stuntz, surveyor and landlooker, leaves us with much definite information on logging here in the period 1864-1868. He had also done much of the government survey in the fifties. He tells often of Blackburn's and seems to have made it his headquarters when checking for trespass among the many loggers who were cutting here then. He did not often mention trails but he moved with such ease along certain routes that he must have been following marked and cleared paths...'
"At some time before 1880, Joe Blackburn married Mary Lightbody, a part-Chippewa woman, who died in 1893 at the age of 54 years. He dug her grave in front of his house at the brow of the hill and buried her there, a few feet from his front door. Later he built a small cabin over it which, it is told to this day, he often sat and grieved. The power of legend is so strong that the tale can still say that he installed a shaft in the grave so that he could continue to see her face! He dug his own grave beside hers and left word he was to be buried in it when he died.
After Blackburn's untimely death at the age of 68, his body was interred beside that of his wife as he had wished. According to Ben Keiner, whose family bought the place in 1904 and who had grown up there, the bodies were removed by a previous owner who could get no one to stay on the farm with them there. They were exhumed and buried in the Gordon cemetery and a monument marks their location. The depression left from digging out the coffins is still there on the edge of the hill overlooking the meadowland and forests which Blackburn loved so well. The kiosk which was once over the graves is now a part of a neat house in Wascott. All of the old buildings are gone but some of the foundations are still in place."
"If Blackburn had 'chests of gold coin' or other treasure buried around his place, it was never found, at least officially. The killer apparently got what money he had in his possession at the time--he had been seen with a large roll of bill a few days before--but the sheriff found only a few hundred dollars after a thorough search of the premises. The probate of his estate listed little more, about enough to pay the lawyer. What remained of his estate, his homestead and other land, went to his legal heirs--he had no children. Fifty-eight dollars was later found in a feed-bod, which should have ended the tales of riches. The mania to find buried treasure has caused many people to want to dig around the old Blackburn place. Burton Fetting, who moved on the place in 1940, said that he had wasted little time even thinking about it. The greatest treasure he found, he said, besides the pleasure of living in this still wilderness spot was a cache of old bottles at the base of the hill.
Who murdered Joe Blackburn? There have been as many suspects as there were neighbors. The only evidence was a set of moccasin tracks crossing the creek, so rumor, of course, fastened on an Indian--any Indian--as the culprit; but then it was found that some of the white neighbors habitually wore moccasins! Charles Beauregard was arrested and charged with the crime, mainly because he was part-time and happened to be nearby at the time of the murder, but after spending the winter in the county jail, he was declared not guilty by a jury after only 15 minutes of deliberation.
Another odd circumstance was that two pages of Blackburn's account book had been torn out and were not found. Since they listed what two of the neighbors owed him, suspicion pointed to these men, but the conclusion was that the criminal had done this to turn attention from himself by implicating someone else. Several men left the community shortly after the murder, and others appeared to have more money that they should have been able to earn in their occupation, but no other than poor Charlie was ever officially charged with the killing of Joe Blackburn" (pages 66-68).
Marple, Eldon M. "The Hayward Lake Region." Hayward, WI: The Book Store, 1979.
Aged 68 years
Eau Claire Leader Oct. 6, 1897
Joseph Blackburn, an aged Indian trader and wealthy, was murdered near Gordon, WI.
Eau Claire Weekly Telegram Oct. 7, 1897
Oct. 4, 1897
Joseph Blackburn, a farmer living 10 miles from Spooner, was found dead this morning, having been shot in the head while walking from the house to the barn. He lived alone and is supposed possessed some money. The coroner has been summoned and an investigation will be made. He leaves one son who resides at Bayfield.
Daily Telegram (Eau Claire) Oct. 8, 1897
Judge LH Mond of Shell Lake was appointed by County Judge Roberts special administrator of Joseph Blackburn, the murdered trader. The action was taken upon application of John T. Blackburn of Shell Lake, half brother of the dead man. No will has been found.
Eau Claire Leader, Feb. 9, 1898
Indians Greatly Excited
Size of Sheriff's Posse Prevents an Attack, However
Gordon, WI Feb. 8--Charles Beauregard, a quarter breed Indian, who murdered Joseph Blackburn last September, was captured at Eau Claire Lakes, about 10 miles from Gordon, and taken to Spooner. Blackburn was an old trader who had lived near Gordon for many years. The murder was committed because Blackburn refused Beauregard whisky. The Indians are greatly excited and a large crowd of them followed the officers to Gordon, but the sheriff's force was too large for them to attempt the release of the prisoner.
The Hayward Republican June 16, 1898
Charles Beauregard, the Indian half-breed charged with the murder of Joseph Blackburn, was acquitted to day of the crime upon which he was arranged. The case has been on trial in the circuit court since last Saturday and today at the noon the case of the state was rested.
On motion of the defendant's attorneys, the cause was then given to the jury and in 5 minutes they returned a verdict of not guilty. (The Superior Telegram)
Centralia Enterprise and Tribune June 18, 1898
Indian Goes Free
West Superior, WI June 15--Charles Buregard (sic), the Indian charged with the murder of Joseph Blackburn near Gordon last fall, was acquitted. Blackburn was an old Indian trader who carried on business in a lonely place and who had accumulated considerable money. He was found dead and his house had been ransacked. Suspicion fell on Buregard.
When Joe Blackburn settled on his place on the Ounce River, he was already well-known in northwestern Wisconsin. He had carried the mail for the government on the old St. Croix Trail from Fort Snellin to Bayfield in the late forties. W.H.C. Folsum, the historian and biographer of the St. Croix area, says of him in 1888: "In 1847 (Blackburn) came to Stillwater. He has followed lumbering and Indian trading. He has made his home at Stillwater, at Taylor's Falls, and since 1860, on Totogatic River. Mr. Blackburn enjoys wilderness life, is eccentric in manner, and attends strictly to his own business.
Whatever reason Blackburn may have had for secluding himself in the back-country, it must have been profitable for him, because newspapers at the time of his death reported that he was worth $75,000 or more..."
"The Totogatic-Ounce country was not so isolated as one might imagine when Joe Blackburn settled there, but he certainly became a middleman in the development whether they had been his intent or not. His homestead was located by the confluence of these two rivers near the line between Douglas and Washburn counties. His buildings and farmlands were on a knoll between the Ounce and Snake Creek, a sixty acre island almost surrounded by swamp and running streams: a place which would have been chosen as a site for a fortress to fend off invaders in old times. The view from his house of the panorama of marshmeadows, forest and cropland is as beautiful as only this north-country can provide--no wonder he stayed there..."
"There were still many free-living Indians in the area and he had a good trade with them. They brought in skins, furs, rice, and maple sugar to barter for staples. Blackburn had them raise potatoes for resale to his logging customers, a providence that does not surprise me since the tale is also told that when he was carrying the mail, he planted potatoes at each of his overnight campsights on his route for later convenience..."
"The Journal of Albert C. Stuntz, surveyor and landlooker, leaves us with much definite information on logging here in the period 1864-1868. He had also done much of the government survey in the fifties. He tells often of Blackburn's and seems to have made it his headquarters when checking for trespass among the many loggers who were cutting here then. He did not often mention trails but he moved with such ease along certain routes that he must have been following marked and cleared paths...'
"At some time before 1880, Joe Blackburn married Mary Lightbody, a part-Chippewa woman, who died in 1893 at the age of 54 years. He dug her grave in front of his house at the brow of the hill and buried her there, a few feet from his front door. Later he built a small cabin over it which, it is told to this day, he often sat and grieved. The power of legend is so strong that the tale can still say that he installed a shaft in the grave so that he could continue to see her face! He dug his own grave beside hers and left word he was to be buried in it when he died.
After Blackburn's untimely death at the age of 68, his body was interred beside that of his wife as he had wished. According to Ben Keiner, whose family bought the place in 1904 and who had grown up there, the bodies were removed by a previous owner who could get no one to stay on the farm with them there. They were exhumed and buried in the Gordon cemetery and a monument marks their location. The depression left from digging out the coffins is still there on the edge of the hill overlooking the meadowland and forests which Blackburn loved so well. The kiosk which was once over the graves is now a part of a neat house in Wascott. All of the old buildings are gone but some of the foundations are still in place."
"If Blackburn had 'chests of gold coin' or other treasure buried around his place, it was never found, at least officially. The killer apparently got what money he had in his possession at the time--he had been seen with a large roll of bill a few days before--but the sheriff found only a few hundred dollars after a thorough search of the premises. The probate of his estate listed little more, about enough to pay the lawyer. What remained of his estate, his homestead and other land, went to his legal heirs--he had no children. Fifty-eight dollars was later found in a feed-bod, which should have ended the tales of riches. The mania to find buried treasure has caused many people to want to dig around the old Blackburn place. Burton Fetting, who moved on the place in 1940, said that he had wasted little time even thinking about it. The greatest treasure he found, he said, besides the pleasure of living in this still wilderness spot was a cache of old bottles at the base of the hill.
Who murdered Joe Blackburn? There have been as many suspects as there were neighbors. The only evidence was a set of moccasin tracks crossing the creek, so rumor, of course, fastened on an Indian--any Indian--as the culprit; but then it was found that some of the white neighbors habitually wore moccasins! Charles Beauregard was arrested and charged with the crime, mainly because he was part-time and happened to be nearby at the time of the murder, but after spending the winter in the county jail, he was declared not guilty by a jury after only 15 minutes of deliberation.
Another odd circumstance was that two pages of Blackburn's account book had been torn out and were not found. Since they listed what two of the neighbors owed him, suspicion pointed to these men, but the conclusion was that the criminal had done this to turn attention from himself by implicating someone else. Several men left the community shortly after the murder, and others appeared to have more money that they should have been able to earn in their occupation, but no other than poor Charlie was ever officially charged with the killing of Joe Blackburn" (pages 66-68).
Marple, Eldon M. "The Hayward Lake Region." Hayward, WI: The Book Store, 1979.
Aged 68 years
Eau Claire Leader Oct. 6, 1897
Joseph Blackburn, an aged Indian trader and wealthy, was murdered near Gordon, WI.
Eau Claire Weekly Telegram Oct. 7, 1897
Oct. 4, 1897
Joseph Blackburn, a farmer living 10 miles from Spooner, was found dead this morning, having been shot in the head while walking from the house to the barn. He lived alone and is supposed possessed some money. The coroner has been summoned and an investigation will be made. He leaves one son who resides at Bayfield.
Daily Telegram (Eau Claire) Oct. 8, 1897
Judge LH Mond of Shell Lake was appointed by County Judge Roberts special administrator of Joseph Blackburn, the murdered trader. The action was taken upon application of John T. Blackburn of Shell Lake, half brother of the dead man. No will has been found.
Eau Claire Leader, Feb. 9, 1898
Indians Greatly Excited
Size of Sheriff's Posse Prevents an Attack, However
Gordon, WI Feb. 8--Charles Beauregard, a quarter breed Indian, who murdered Joseph Blackburn last September, was captured at Eau Claire Lakes, about 10 miles from Gordon, and taken to Spooner. Blackburn was an old trader who had lived near Gordon for many years. The murder was committed because Blackburn refused Beauregard whisky. The Indians are greatly excited and a large crowd of them followed the officers to Gordon, but the sheriff's force was too large for them to attempt the release of the prisoner.
The Hayward Republican June 16, 1898
Charles Beauregard, the Indian half-breed charged with the murder of Joseph Blackburn, was acquitted to day of the crime upon which he was arranged. The case has been on trial in the circuit court since last Saturday and today at the noon the case of the state was rested.
On motion of the defendant's attorneys, the cause was then given to the jury and in 5 minutes they returned a verdict of not guilty. (The Superior Telegram)
Centralia Enterprise and Tribune June 18, 1898
Indian Goes Free
West Superior, WI June 15--Charles Buregard (sic), the Indian charged with the murder of Joseph Blackburn near Gordon last fall, was acquitted. Blackburn was an old Indian trader who carried on business in a lonely place and who had accumulated considerable money. He was found dead and his house had been ransacked. Suspicion fell on Buregard.
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