In 1837 Benjamin G. Armstrong (1820-1900) who had run away from his home in Alabama went up the Mississippi to the St. Croix pineries in present-day Minnesota, to get back into the woods to rough it and to live or die there. When he parted with his friends at Hannibal none expected to see him again alive.

At Prairie du Chien he engaged a mixed blood Indian by the name of Ben Young, who had been raised with the Chippewas and spoke English tolerably well. He landed at Lake St. Croix, where the city of Hudson, Wis. now stands, in 1840. The place was then called Page’s Landing.

Mr. Page assisted Armstrong in having a cabin built in the woods, back of the present city of Hudson. He remained in that camp until about the middle of January, 1841, and lived on wild meat, with no tea or coffee, and but little bread, seeing nobody except his guide and one hunter whose name was Peter Bushu, a Canadian. His guide taught him the Chippewa language, and by spring he was able to converse quite freely. Thus began Armstrong's life of adventure among the Chippewas.