PIONEER HUNTERS OF THE KANKAKEE 

 Brainard, who was with Polsom on his early 

 expeditions on the river and when he sold out 

 on Long Ridge, built a shanty on Grape Island, 

 where he trapped for several years. Then he 

 trapped the Little Beach ground for three or 

 four years. Finally he quit trapping altogether 

 about thirty years ago. Polsom and Brainard 

 were the pioneer trappers who first sat steel 

 traps on the Kankakee River over seventy-five 

 years ago, The next decade found many hunt- 

 ers and trappers along the Kankakee swamps. 

 In the fall of 1847 Aose Summers and John 

 Dusenberg glided down the winding Kankakee 

 in skiffs with a trapping outfit and landed at 

 Long Ridge, built a shanty which was the first 

 trapper's shanty on the Ridge. They used this 

 shanty for a number of years. Leaving Long 

 Ridge they shantied on a number of islands be- 

 tween English Lake and Aomence, Illinois. 

 This same year Joel Gfison built a log shanty on 

 Long Ridge and followed the trapping business 

 for many years. He had two sons who also 



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