In most of the period between the foundation of Duckburg in 1818 and the arrival of $crooge McDuck in 1902 the Coots lead by the founder of the town, Cornelius Coot and his son Clinton Coot, seem to have been the leading family in the district.

During the first few months after the foundation of Duckburg, the colonists lived with a fear that the Spanish once again would make an attempt to conquer the area. That problem disappeared in 1819. When the Spanish lost most of their American colonies they also ceased to constitute a threat to the settlement. After the disbanding of the Spanish colonial wealth in America, its northernmost parts including the rest of Calisota became Mexico.

The Woodchuck militia


Illustration 3.1 - The Woodchuck militia in action.

In the early years of this period there were however still other threats to the settlement like hostile neighbouring Indians. To handle this problem Cornelius Coot founded the Woodchuck militia. Their most memorable moment was however when they fought together with Teddy Roosevelt in the battle for San Juan on July 1st 1898. The Woodchuck militia was finally disbanded ca. 1900.

In the Barks classic Statues of Limitations / Ice Statues (1957) a General Crow that looked very much like Cornelius, but was a bit thicker, is mentioned. He was probably one of the Duckburg pioneers. Perhaps he for some time was the leader of the Woodchuck militia.

In addition to this we don't know much about Cornelius Coot. But in The Day Duckburg Got Dyed /
Gyro's Super-Dye (1957) Carl Barks tell us that once Cornelius Coot piped mountain water to Duckburg.

Into the USA

An important event in the history of Calisota occurred in 1848 when large areas on the American western coast including Calisota, was turned over from Mexico to the USA In 1850 the new western territories finally joined the union and become ordinary states of the USA.

When asked about the position of Calisota and the Coots during the American civil war (1861-1865), Don Rosa replies: "I would not involve Calisota in the Civil War... they were neutral as were other western territories."

The Coots in the late 19th century


Illustration 3.2 - Grandma Duck tells about Coot's Emporium.

There is yet not known much about Duckburg and the Coots in the late 19th century. However in "A little something special" Don Rosa tells us that in this period Clinton Coot the son of Cornelius Coot, had his own store called "Coot's Emporium" and that one of his specialities was ice-cream.

The great northeaster of 1897

In the Barks classic Northeaster on Cape Quack (1962) we can read then in 1897 the Duckburg area was reached by a the most terrible northeaster hurricane in it's history so far. On the worst enormous waves rolled over the Cape Quack and reached high on the lighthouse there. The record wave in this hurricane wasn't beaten until 1962.

The sale of Kill Mule Hill


Illustration 3.3 - $crooge telling his nephews about how he ended up in Duckburg.


Illustration 3.4 - $crooge McDuck has just earned his first million $. The calendar on the wall in the bank (upper, right panel tells the time of this event).


Illustration 3.5 - Casey Coot sells his deed to $crooge McDuck.

It seems that the power of the Coots declined in the late 1800s. Anyway, in the last years of the 1890's Casey Coot, the son of Clinton Coot went to Yukon to dig for gold. He didn't succeed and the only reason he still could afford to buy his ticket back home to Duckburg was that he sold the deed to Kill Mule Hill and Fort Duckburg (a total of 10 acres of land) for $200 to another gold prospector who just had earned his first million $. The new owner of Kill Mule Hill and Fort Duckburg thus became a Scotsman called $crooge McDuck, a distant relative to Malcolm McDuck, the very first commander of Fort Drake Borough in 1579.

The foundation of The Junior Woodchucks


Illustration 3.6 - The foundation of "The Junior Woodchucks".


Illustration 3.7 - HD&L reveal the secrets of the JW Guidebook.

In 1901 Clinton Coot founded a new organization "...to teach young Duckburgians to uphold the ideals of doing good deeds, protection of the wild lands, and the preservation of knowledge". The name for this organization was taken from the near history of Duckburg. The organisation was thus named "The Junior Woodchucks" after the "Woodchuck militia" that in earlier days had defended the settlement against hostile Indians and other threats. Clinton Coot also gave The Junior Woodchucks the book his father Cornelius Coot once had found in the secret room beneath the fort. Since the Woodchuck Militia was disbanded JW was allowed to use Fort Duckburg as their headquarters.

Storekeeper and the founder of "The Junior Woodchucks". During the second half of the 19th century Clinton Coot the son of Cornelius Coot, was a highly respected store keeper in Duckburg. His store was called "Coot's Emporium". There he sold among other stuff, ice-cream.

Clinton Coot was very interested in the nature and in science. He also learned very much from a book he once got from his father Cornelius Coot, who once found the book in a tight box in a secret room beneath Fort Duckburg.

To promote his interests for the nature and to ensure that the book ended up in safe hands after his death, Clinton Coot in 1901 founded a new organisation that was called "The Junior Woodchucks", after the Woodchuck militia. Like the old militia The Junior Woodchucks was supposed to use Fort Duckburg as their headquarters.