Green County Passenger Pigeons
Martha became the last passenger pigeon in the world when she died in 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo. She was hatched in 1885 from a small flock that came from Wisconsin.
By: Tom Fey
Millions of Passenger Pigeons flew through the skies, migrating through Green Country in the 1860’s up to the 1880's. They roosted at night in the extensive Richland timber south of Monroe near the present day village of Twin Grove. Commercial hunters from Chicago netted the pigeons and shipped them by rail for use as cheap food for the immigrants and the poor. Local men also joined in and shot many of the birds for sport.
During the decade of the 1860’s Monroe, Wisconsin's local paper, "The Monroe Sentinel" commented on the increasing size of the Passenger Pigeon flocks passing through Green County and the profitability of shooting, netting and knocking the birds out of their nests. Here are the short notations in the newspaper during the decade of the 1860s when the pigeons migrated through in the spring:
May 2, 1860 - “We have noticed of late large flocks of wild pigeons in this vicinity. They are seen in the largest numbers early in the mornings."
May 1, 1861 - “The pigeons are nesting this season about four miles south of this village in the woods near Shobar's Mill. It is an unusual occurrence. They do great damage to neighboring wheat fields. The nesting place is a rare place of resort for lazy sportsmen who like shooting more than hunting their game.”
May 7, 1862 - “Flocks of pigeons, said to be much more numerous than those that visited us last year, have taken up quarters in Richland and in Honey Creek timber.-- Sportsmen are enjoying themselves hugely in killing them. Every day when the weather will permit, numbers are at the roost shooting them. Besides these. there are several men here who make a business of catching them with nets, who have followed them here from Circleville, Ohio, and who are catching them at the rate of more than one thousand per day. Some of these they pack in ice and forward by express to the New York Market. Others are packed and dressed and sent to Chicago.”
June 4, 1862 - “Yesterday morning there were forwarded by express from this place twenty-five barrels of pigeons, containing about thirty-five dozen each. These were the result of one day's work with nets.”
May 7, 1869 - “Pigeons--For the past two weeks there has been a pretty lively trade in these birds in Monroe. Several firms in New York and Chicago have men here engaged in catching and packing the birds and from twelve to fifteen barrels have been shipped daily from this place. Most of the pigeons are caught in nets but large numbers of them are killed by village sportsmen. “
It is reported that the pigeons are nesting in the Richland Timber only a few miles south-east of Monroe. If this be so, "there's a good time coming," when the squabs shall be large enough to pole. The forests in the vicinity of Monroe are a favorite place of the pigeon, and millions of them are slaughtered here every year
Millions of Passenger Pigeons flew through the skies, migrating through Green Country in the 1860’s up to the 1880's. They roosted at night in the extensive Richland timber south of Monroe near the present day village of Twin Grove. Commercial hunters from Chicago netted the pigeons and shipped them by rail for use as cheap food for the immigrants and the poor. Local men also joined in and shot many of the birds for sport.
During the decade of the 1860’s Monroe, Wisconsin's local paper, "The Monroe Sentinel" commented on the increasing size of the Passenger Pigeon flocks passing through Green County and the profitability of shooting, netting and knocking the birds out of their nests. Here are the short notations in the newspaper during the decade of the 1860s when the pigeons migrated through in the spring:
May 2, 1860 - “We have noticed of late large flocks of wild pigeons in this vicinity. They are seen in the largest numbers early in the mornings."
May 1, 1861 - “The pigeons are nesting this season about four miles south of this village in the woods near Shobar's Mill. It is an unusual occurrence. They do great damage to neighboring wheat fields. The nesting place is a rare place of resort for lazy sportsmen who like shooting more than hunting their game.”
May 7, 1862 - “Flocks of pigeons, said to be much more numerous than those that visited us last year, have taken up quarters in Richland and in Honey Creek timber.-- Sportsmen are enjoying themselves hugely in killing them. Every day when the weather will permit, numbers are at the roost shooting them. Besides these. there are several men here who make a business of catching them with nets, who have followed them here from Circleville, Ohio, and who are catching them at the rate of more than one thousand per day. Some of these they pack in ice and forward by express to the New York Market. Others are packed and dressed and sent to Chicago.”
June 4, 1862 - “Yesterday morning there were forwarded by express from this place twenty-five barrels of pigeons, containing about thirty-five dozen each. These were the result of one day's work with nets.”
May 7, 1869 - “Pigeons--For the past two weeks there has been a pretty lively trade in these birds in Monroe. Several firms in New York and Chicago have men here engaged in catching and packing the birds and from twelve to fifteen barrels have been shipped daily from this place. Most of the pigeons are caught in nets but large numbers of them are killed by village sportsmen. “
It is reported that the pigeons are nesting in the Richland Timber only a few miles south-east of Monroe. If this be so, "there's a good time coming," when the squabs shall be large enough to pole. The forests in the vicinity of Monroe are a favorite place of the pigeon, and millions of them are slaughtered here every year
The last passenger pigeon in Wisconsin was shot by a little boy in September of 1899.
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It was reported that some of the flocks of migrating passenger pigeons were several miles wide and sometimes ten miles long.
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Male and female passenger pigeons.
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Hundreds of pigeons at a time were caught in nets by the large meat processing companies.
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