The Bird Expedition

Naming Sun Prairie

Read the fascinating story of the Bird Expeditions that led to the naming of Sun Prairie in 1837.

The Bird Expedition Part 1: New York to Milwaukee

The Bird Expedition doesn't actually begin in Munnsville, New York in 1837. It begins with the conflict between the British Crown, the colonies and the division of the colonists between the loyalists and patriots prior to the Revolutionary War.

The Bird Expedition Part 2: Milwaukee to Sun Prairie

There are numerous accounts of the Bird Expedition from Milwaukee to Sun Prairie and all of these accounts center on the actual naming of Sun Prairie. We know the expedition left Milwaukee in late May and reached a lobe of a small prairie where the name "Sun Prairie" was carved on a burr oak tree on June 9, 1837.

Part 1 Documents

  1. Bird Expedition Map Part 1 - New York to Milwaukee, Wisconsin Territory (PDF)
  2. Bird Expedition Part 1 - New York to Milwaukee (PDF)

Part 2 Documents

  1. Bird Expedition Map Part 2 - Milwaukee to Sun Prairie (PDF)
  2. Bird Expedition Part 2 - Milwaukee to Sun Prairie (PDF)