First Children of Farmington
First Children of Farmington
First Children of Farmington is a series of historical fiction children's picture stories based on real-life people and a documented event, part of a series of six ethnic tales.
The descendants of these
Weaving the
One child, the Potawatomi Boy, carries a running thread through each of the six books.
The community of
Each story carries a theme such as learning to adapt, obeying your parents, and understanding each other.
The illustrations were done by Laurie Holle, a Cedar Grove resident.
The Potowatomi Boy
The Potwatomi Boy
Little Green Leaf is the only made-up character in the series; however, he befriends the Luxembourger boy, Henri Brinker, a true historical person. Little Green Leaf and Henri learn that friendship transcends language barriers.
Little Green Leaf is a young boy, one of the last of the Strolling Potawatomi, of the Silver Birch clan, who lived in what is now Farmington Township of Washington County,
The story is set in the early 1850’s, the last days of Indian tribal occupation of their homeland of the past two hundred years.
The Saxon Boy
The Saxon Boy
John Klessig’s young father dies suddenly. His mother has five little children to care for on her own. When Mother marries again, John must learn to accept his new father, who is very different from his happy inn-keeping father.
This is a story of growing up in the Saxonia House in Fillmore, a newly registered historic property in Wisconsin and on the National Register of Historic Places.
John Klessig's parents immigrated from Saxony in 1845 and 1848, settling in
Little Green Leaf and Henri
John Klessig
Little Green Leaf
The Irish Girl
Ann Riley is the first settler’s child born in Farmington. She came overland from New York with her parents, her uncles and aunts and Grandmother. Ann’s friend, Katie Murphy, has a grandfather. When Katie’s little sister insists that everyone has to have a grandfather, Ann sets out to find one in Boltonville. She realizes that, while no one particular person has all the gifts to be a grandfather, anyone who loves her can be her grandfather. The letters of Catherine Riley, older sister of Ann, are held by a descendant, and describe life in Farmington during the mid-nineteenth century.
The Yankee Boy
Matthew LaCraft’s father is giving up his ship. He’ll no longer be captain of the Mary Jean, a Great Lakes clipper. Worse, Matthew is going to have to stay home and go to school - not even in town, but with the nuns. The LaCrafts don’t attend mass; they are FreeWill Baptists. Why can’t he go to school with the boys he knows? When a Potawatomi boy attends school, everyone learns a lesson. The LaCrafts helped found the St. John of God School, in partnership with the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, begun by Father Casper Rehrl in Barton, Wisconsin.
The German Girl
Huldah Hartz likes to watch the butterflies and play. When Papa brings home a cow, Mama teaches her to make butter. Huldah’s job is to take care of the cow and make sure she is home safe every night. One night, the cow decides to go home a different way than Huldah wants. Huldah is the one who was lost. Her friend, Little Green Leaf, finds her and takes her to the local trading post. Huldah learns to pay attention. This story has been documented and handed down by the Hartz family.
The French Girl
Marie Brinker’s mother came from