Petition for a permanent ferry on the Mississippi River between Dubuque, IA, and the opposite landing in Grant County

To the Honorable the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Wisconsin - [illegible].

The petition of the undersigned citizens of Grant County W.J. would respectfully represent that the establishment of a permanent and safer ferry across the Mississippi River from the City of Du Buque I.Y. to the landing opposite [illegible] in said county of Grant will be of great importance and convenience to the citizes of this territory generally and especially to that portion who reside in Grant and the adjoining counties. Many of your constituents with the subscribers having often material and indispensable business in the neighboring territory have heretofore been put to great trouble, expense for the want of a suitable and secure Ferry. We therefore having great confidence in Mr. Timothy South of said county and believing him to be an accomodating and enterprising citizen and knowing him to have kept an excellent ferry at the point aforesaid during the last few months

and having good reason to believe that if he obtains a charter from our Legislature that he will still enlarge his accomodations and greatly increase and improve his ferry privileges, would most earnestly and respectfully solicit your Honorable Bodies to grant him during your present session an act of incorporation authorising him thereby to keep a good secure and sufficient horse or steam boat ferry across said river at the point above designated under such regulations as your wisdom and discretion may direct. And your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray be.

Names:

James Virden Warren Hannum Warren Hannum Thomas Place Alinor Wilson Geo. Badsock Rufus Hannum B. Kilbourn Asa Cabe [illegible] Thomas Rea Lewis S. Reynolds John Mullen Martin E. Baker Andrew Smeter Israel Moore John McCullough John Houslett Lysander Gilman Ephraim Crane William Bownest H. House

George Rea Jason Lathrop W. Hutchinson David David Ross PH Crawford CB Shields W Curtis SJ Shields AJ Sone H.M. Lane J.M. Kasey EH Chase John C Evans MM Olmsted John Taylor James M Fletcher John R Steel William Sullivan W.W. Finn William Propell Isaac Williams James Lister Samuel Lister Thomas Longbotham Benjamin Nelson William Gilmore John Snavely H.D. Brigham James Gilmore Wm. Bond James McGloughlin John Bainbridge Charles Bainbridge John Ricketts Aaron B Story David Arnot L Hall [illegible] Oliver Rice Hugh Aldmen E Stiles S Fieldner Samuel B. Johnson Lewis Root Joseph H. Howell P.P. Staill S Woods