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The Fur Trade

In Michigan’s Thumb

A Story about the Gun, Silver, and Blacksmiths and the Makers of Brandy and Rum

By Mark R. Putnam

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http://ipoetry.us/

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Table of Contents

Introduction Conchradum

Chapter 1

Ekandechiondius 1535 - 1701

Chapter 2

Les Pays Plats 1701 - 1761

Chapter 3

The Flat Country 1761 - 1796

Chapter 4

Michigan’s Thumb 1796 - 1850

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Introduction

Conchradum

The Conchradum landscape was dominated by a great projecting cape.

This is a story or tale of the early fur trading that impacted Michigan’s Thumb. During the winter of 1615-16, French explorer Champlain visited among the

Native People of the Great Lakes the French called the Huron. At this early date, the country on the west side of Lake Huron was called

Conchradum. The Ontario Peninsula was formed by Lake Erie and Lake Huron.

The south part of the Ontario Peninsula was inhabited by the Neutral Nation. This was the time of the Great Lake’s written history inauguration.

After the Iroquois War with the Huron in the 1640’s, the Chippewa would call

Conchradum Saguinan. Today, in modern history, it is called Michigan’s Thumb.

This is the story or tale of an old antediluvian region. This is a saga of the fur trade in an early Native kingdom.

Michigan was a word for the greater region joined by the Chippewa. Almost surrounded by fresh water, Michigan is a great peninsula.

The word Michigan comes from the Chippewa pharse “Mitchi—gami”.

It means great lake or great freshwater sea.

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Above is a cutting from the 1660 map drawn by Franciscus Creuxius. The accolade the Thumb of Michigan was created because the lower peninsula of

Michigan is formed like a mitten. The Thumb of Michigan is the large peninsula in that mitten.

To the left, Michigan’s Upper Thumb contained three regions: Pagus Etioheroius, Pagus Ekandechiondius, and Pagus Skenchioetontius.

This was primordial land now called Michigan’s Thumb. It was before 1660 called Conchradum.

At the large east lake was then called Mare Dulce the sweet-water sea.

Mare Dulce was also applauded as Lacus Huronium. In Latin “pagus” means village, district, or country.

In Chippewa a Native Language, “tessakamiga” meaning the Flat Country, was another appellation for the Thumb.

This was the land of the fertile ground and the land of the pelt. This was the magical land where over time many Native People dwelt.

Conchradum by 1660 was called in part Ekandechiondius.

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The meaning of these two appellations can be deciphered with little fuss.

Ekandechiondius means the great peninsula . . . the great land protrusion. The roots "ek" means “where” and “ondech" means “land”. “Io” means great while the suffix “ondius" means projected.

Pagus Ekandechiondius was where the land was greatly extended. Condechrata in Wyandotte stood for earth’s end or the earth’s projection.

Condechrata means cape or headland.

In western Conchradum a great river into a large bay poured out. This great river and region was known later as Sankinan.

Sankinan means where the river makes a spout. The river was the homeland of the Native People called the Sauk clan.

In Conchradum hunting, fishing, and gathering food was at its best. Control of the land also was often hard-pressed.

Eastern Conchradum was the land of Pagus Skenchioetontius or Skenchioe.

Skenchioe was the home of the early Fox Native People. The Huron called them people of the opposite lake shore or the Outagamie.

Conchradum was the good land for Native People. Over time one hundred different Native villages here were created.

It was a land that was initially populated.

The early 1600’s were the dawn of Great Lakes written history. Conchradum then was a land of magical enchantment.

It was a land of charm and allurement. This was the time of antiquity.

In the late 1600’s, Western Conchradum was called Sankinan. Sankinan is likely connected to the Dutch word “schenken”.

“Schenken” means to give out or to pour.

Sankinan now the Saginaw River was something to be passionate about and adore.

Latin “echanson” meant “cupbearer” or one who poured a drink.

Sankinan meant it pours out.

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Sankinan and “schenken” both seem to have had a common link. There is another name for the land where water poured out.

In west Conchradum, Pagus Etioheroius was land that was noteworthy. In the mid-1700s, a Detroit Indian clan was called the Etioreendi.

The river’s mouth people was the meaning of the Etioreendi.

The Sauk is likely another name for the Etioreendi. Sankinan and Saginaw also were words for the Sauk People.

Conchradum was a home to the Sauk, Fox, Mascouten and Rock People. The name Sauk comes from the Chippewa whose word “siginan” likewise meant it

is poured. A “siginigewigamig” or “ashangggewigamig” means the tavern where liquor is

decanted. The Sauk were Algonquin People who lived at the mouth of Saginaw a great river.

In the early 1600’s, the Saginaw River on was called Fluvius Kariendiondi. Fluvius Kariendiondi meant the great river with the embouchure.

In the early 1600’s the Sauk People lived near the river’s mouth where it emptied into the great freshwater sea.

Fluvius Kariendiondi was the region’s great river. “Fluvius” in Latin means to flow, to be a great stream, or to be a river.

Kariendiondi is a Latinized word that comes from the Huron language.

In Wyandotte, or Huron, river’s mouth is the word “arenti-". Fluvius Kariendiondi was the medium of transportation in this time and age.

A great bay formed at the mouth of Fluvius Kariendiondi and was called Tekariendiondi.

"Tek" means where, “areenti" means river mouth, “io” means great, and “ondi" means it is projected.

Tekariendiondi was where the river’s mouth greatly obtruded.

Lacus Huronium, Lake Huron, was in the early 1700’s called Karegondi. The later name was a shortened form of Tekariendiondi.

A great tribe of Conchradum was the Mascouten.

The French included them in the larger group of people the Gens Feu or the Fire Nation.

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The Huron called the Fire Nation the Asistagueronon. The Sauk, Fox, and Mascouten together were the Fire Nation or Asistagueronon.

The Fire Nation between 1632 to 1636 were driven from Michigan’s Thumb or

Conchradum. A coalition of the Ottawa and Neutral Nation drove them away.

The Asistagueronon were left in asylum with the Winnebago in Lake Michigan’s Green Bay.

Afterward only the spirits and place names of the Fire Nation were to be hear or found in Conchradum.

From 1643 to 1649, the Five Nations or Iroquois of the east fought the Huron.

The Iroquois in the end drove Huron from their Ontario land. The Iroquois also defeated the Huron’s neighbors the Neural Nation.

The Iroquois then used the Thumb as their trapping and hunting ground or land. By 1687, however, a Ottawa and the Chippewa alliance together displaced the

Iroquois. The goal of each Native group was to hunt the enchanted ground and the benefits

of Conchradum enjoy.

In Conchradum, Michigan’s Thumb, the best, most plentiful, fur was found. Great harvests came from the woodlands in south Conchradum from the Belle

Chasse River. Belle Chasse River was a great stalking and trapping ground.

It was a bountiful river. “Belle chasse” meant beautiful hunt.

Here fantastic hunting was done on hill, dale, and waterfront.

Today Belle Chasse River is known simply as the Belle River. The lower Skenchioetontius included Belle Chasse River.

“Schenchioe” is said to mean Fox People, however, the Onondaga word

"uschentchios" meant land that is flat. In the early 1700’s Pagus Skenchioetontius was called by the French La Pays Plat.

The later French word means the flat country. In the late 1700’s the English also called Skenchioetontius the Flat Country.

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In the early 1600’s the Gens Neutral, the Neutral Nation, lived south and east of Lacus Huronium.

The Iroquois and Neutral Nation initially avoided conflict in the Huron and Iroquois War.

However, in the end the Iroquois would displace even them. The Gens Neutral had lived north of Lake Erie’s shore.

They were however an ancient brother of the Five Nations or Iroquois. The Neutral Nation were driven to Skenchioetontius and westward by the

Iroquois.

In Conchradum great expectation for the future was destined to aspire. Pelts from the forests and waterways brought power and authority.

Conchradum, or Saginaw, pelts brought with them great emotions at the Indian campfire.

This was the region of valued and treasured peltry.

The Huron, the Wyandotte, were people with the fantastic hair. In the 1640’s, with the Iroquois, they were in warfare.

The Huron were inhabitants of Georgian Bay on the eastern shore of Lacus

Huronium. The Iroquois called the Huron the people of the west or Ouatogie.

This was the great time of the Iroquois war drum. Into Ontario and today’s Michigan, the Iroquois pressed increasingly.

They pushed the Huron the Ouatogie further to the west. In the war, control of Conchradum’s hunting ground was the ultimate conquest.

It was the ultimate land that was unsurpassed.

In the 1700’s the land was Teuschegronde where beaver dams were many athwart.

To the Iroquois, Conchradum this was the land afar into which they pressed. Conchradum Furs embellished many a European royal court.

Grand were the rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds of Conchradum. Prodigious was Michigan’s Thumb.

Conchradum was known for sparkling water.

The great sparkling running water was Fluvius Kariendiondi.

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Into Lacus Huronium flowed the great Fluvius Kariendiondi. Lacus Huronium at its foot supplied Otsiketo River known today as St. Clair River.

Otsiketo River flowed into a great round and shallow lake. It was likewise known as Otsiketo and St. Claire Lake.

These were the waters that clear and bright.

They were the waters of light.

Into Otsiketo River flowed Black River. Below the Black River emptied the Belle Chasse River.

Below the Belle Chasse was the Pine River.

At Otsiketo Lake emptied streams called Swan, Salt, and Lower Huron, Nottoway Sebewaing, now called Clinton River.

These streams were great resources of south part of Michigan’s Thumb.

Otsiketo meant Whiteman’s sugar or salt. On the Franiscus Creuxius map, Lake Otsiketo is called Lac Aquarum Marinarum.

It meant the lake that was briny or tasted like salt.

The rivers and streams of Conchradum were called the waters of light. In bright sunlight, they glittered, gleamed, and rippled. The Chippewa and Ottawa use "wasseia" to mean light.

These were streams that dazzled, sparkled, and glimmered. This indigenous water reflected sun lite beams.

This land of waters of light had clear, lucent lakes, ponds, and streams.

Ironically, only Black River with its hemlock dye was dark. The great rivers that ran into Fluvius Kariendiondi were radiant in quality.

The Chippewa called two northern streams Tittabawassee and Shiawassee. The surfaces of each stream gleamed like a spark.

“Wassee” means having the quality of light. They were the waters of light.

Each stream had an individual character.

"Tittiba" meant it turns or rolls in a grand way.

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Tittabawassee River’s headwaters turn around going west then north back toward Tekariendiondi or Saginaw Bay.

The suffix “wassee" means has a luminous feature. "Shia" means it is straight ahead.

Fluvius Kariendiondi is in a straight line by the Shiawassee River fed.

Wakishegan, now the Cass River, meant simply it is glossy or shiny. Wakishegan also means it sparkles or glitters.

The Tittibawassee, Shiawassee, and Wakeshigan rivers emptied into Fluvius Kariendiondi.

They were the sparkling rivers. The Wakeshigan was also identified as the Onottoway Sebewaing, Upper Huron,

and Matawan of Michigan’s Thumb. The all were the fur collecting grounds of Conchradum.

Waters of light was a major character of the region.

The waters of light ran eventually to the Atlantic Ocean.

Fluvius Kariendiondi, Saginaw River, flowed into Tekariendiondi or Saginaw Bay. The water then slowly flowed to Mare Dulce or Lake Huron.

Karegondi was another name for Lake Huron. Lake Karegondi was light blue near its shores then to dark navy in deeper water as

it went slowly south on its way.

The waters of light rounded the Tip of Conchradum and where it would slowly pass.

The unhurried current southward bound passed the Indian Monument called White Rock.

A short distance from the shore, White Rock was a famous site for Native People who at times there would meet and amass.

“Wasse-bik” was likely the Chippewa—Ottawa word for White Rock. The waters of light then went Lake Huron’s end.

Toward Lake Huron’s outlet and into Otsiketo River, the water would descend.

The water’s light at Lake Huron’s foot entered Otsiketo River. Down the strait flowed the water.

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It reached Otsiketo Lake or Lake St. Clair. Lake St. Clair was also called Kettle Lake or in French Lac Chaudière.

French “Chaudière” means cooking pot or caldron.

The water of Lac Chaudière was sparkling bright and clear. The St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair were part of a water corridor that began at

Lake Huron.

The corridor ended at Lake Erie Lac Chaudière was circular and looked like a huge pot for cooking.

On and near Lac Chaudière was excellent hunting and fishing.

The Huron, Wyandotte, word for kettle was “ganatchio”. Lake St. Claire was also called Ganatchio.

Kandekio a final word for Lake St. Clair that likely meant where the land is good. “Ek” means where; “ondech” means land or country. The suffix “io” often means it is boundless or good.

This was the good country.

Otsiketo Lake was shallow and clear. Geese, ducks, and swans often fill the Lake. Into the Otsiketo Lake entered Swan River.

Here swans swam each with its own rolling wake. On Lake St. Claire swam many a flock of wild fowl.

Found here was also the shoreline bird and the forest owl.

South the waters of light flowed. Out of Lake St. Claire the water surged.

The river south of Lake St. Clair the French in the early 1700’s would call the Detroit River.

It was the site at different times of a large Indian village. It was a primordial camping location with great age.

Teuschegronde the beaver land was the name of the region north of the Detroit River.

Teuschegronde was also spelled Tiosharondion.

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The Detroit camping ground had other names, too. The name used by the Huron was Karontean.

The highland above the Detroit river presented a wonderful view. The oldest name for the site Yondotiga was used by the Sauk, Fox, Mascouten,

and Pottawatomie. Yondotiga meant great Native village or city.1

A final name Waweatunong meant where there is in the river a bend or a way

circuitous. The French name Detroit meant the strait the place that is narrow or slenderous.

Teuschegronde meant where there are many dams of the beaver.

These were the names that applied to the region at or above the Detroit river.

By 1701, the French located at the village, the straights, or Detroit. Going onward the waters of light enters Lacus Erius, Lake Erie, below Detroit.

Erius meant the cat.

The area there was a great fur habitat.

Eastward flowed the water first shallow then deep. Over Niagara Falls with a great a thunder and down a great gorge, it would sweep.

From the Niagara River the water entered Lake Ontario and there empty. Deep, long, and wide was Lake Ontario.

Lake in Huron was “ontar”, and great was “io”. Lake Ontario was the great lake that had great beauty.

The Iroquois of today’s New York saw Conchradum as the land afar.

Going here, they follow the evening star.

Conchradum was the land of waters of light. It was the land of the necromancer's or magician’s valuable fur.

In Conchradum the future was bright. Conchradum was home to the great hunter or chasseur.

It was the region of bright glistening streams.

1 The City of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Volume 1 edited by Clarence Monroe Burton, William Stocking, Gordon K. Miller

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It was the place of great hopes and dreams.

Conchradum was filled with dams of beaver. It is filled with optimistic fervor.

Michigan’s Thumb, Conchradum, was the land afar.

Its history will fill many a memoire.

Conchradum was the setting of glistening river’s bend. To Conchradum Native and European people would ascend.

Conchradum was home to magical fur.

Conchradum was "La Pays Peles", the land of prized, well-loved, pelts or fur.

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Chapter One

Ekandechiondius

1535 to 1701

The European entrance to the Great Lakes fur story, its history, started at the end of the 1500’s.

The foundation years stretched over many years into the 1600’s.

1535

Written history commences in the Great Lakes with two groups of people called the Iroquois and Algonquin.

Both then possessed the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. In 1535, the Ottawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi claimed what today is

southeastern Michigan. They were the leading powers in the middle Great Lakes.

Today’s, City of Detroit was had then been for a long time occupied by these people as a large village.

They called Detroit Yondotiga meaning grand village.

In 1535, Jacques Cartier explored St. Lawrence River and found the Huron Indians. On the St. Lawrence, he also discovered the Iroquoian Indians.

The Huron are situated on north and south banks of the river.

They were mostly found in today’s Quebec and Montreal vicinity. In 1535, the Huron are at warfare to protect the river.

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Before the 1535 arrival of European explorers to North America, there were many Native wars in this region or country.

During the late 1500’s the French again explored the St. Lawrence water way. The Algonquin Indians then lived between what is Quebec and Georgian Bay.

Because of the cold, Algonquin Indians are mostly hunters and gatherers.

In 1535, Jacques Cartier discovered the Iroquois were engaged in agriculture. They are farmers and planters.

On both sides of the St. Lawrence River lived the Algonquin’s the French called Huron.

“Fantastic Hair” was the meaning of the French word Huron.

1603

In 1603, the Huron and Northern Iroquois were in an ominous conflict with the Southern Iroquois.

By the time Champlain arrived in 1603, the Huron are defeated. The Huron villages along the St. Lawrence River were deserted.

The Huron had migrated to Georgian Bay in Ontario to escape the Southern Iroquois. 2

Great Lakes written history had a flourish in 1606.

The French and Dutch then were in search of the Northwest Passage and also pelts or fur.

In defiance of the French, the Dutch sail up the St. Lawrence River. The French and Dutch are then at war and did not mix.

For peltries, then finding the French, Dutch looked elsewhere. They found promise below the St Lawrence River in the North or Hudson River.

Samuel de Champlain founded New France later called Canada in 1608.

His goal first however had been to discover a Northwest Passage to the orient. However, establishing fur trade with Native Indians was also is dedicated intent.

Champlain began a fur trading post now known as Quebec in 1608. At this time, beaver fur was used in Europe to make hats of felt.

High was the demand then for the beaver pelt.

2 Geological Report on Wayne County by William Hittell Sherzer

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1608

In 1608, the Huron lived in Ontario at Georgian Bay. The French made alliance with the Huron in 1609.

That year Champlain went to Huronia, the Huron homeland on the eastern shore of the bay.3

Nearby, the beaver pelts are very plentiful and very fine. By 1609, the Dutch were on the North or Hudson River.

The river was named for Henry Hudson an Englishman who discovered the river.

1609-10

By 1609, after leaving the St. Lawrence River, the Dutch went to find pelts southward.

Employed by the Dutch, Henry Hudson discovered the North River. Now 1610, the Dutchman Arnout Vogels was trading near the mouth of the

Hudson River. From his ship, he purchased numerous furs and put them for the return trip to

Europe onboard.

Arnout Vogels had engaged two Frenchmen. With the help of Native Indians, the Dutch gainfully traded.

It was not long before Vogels was followed by other Dutchmen. Soon Dutchmen Adrian Block and Lambert Van Tweenhuysen arrived.

They traded with the local Native People from their ships with European goods. Many Native People came to trade from the local woods.

Trading of fur was done during warm weather in late spring and early summer.

In a short time, a trading post was opened at the outlet of Hudson River.

The post was owned by the Dutch West India Company. The company proved to be unprofitable at least initially.

An Iroquois People, the Mohawk Indians lived on the upper Hudson River.

The Mohawk objected to the Dutch on the lower Hudson who eventually wanted to abandon trade.

3 The Fall of Fire Nation—the Expulsion of the Sauk from the Saginaw Valley by John A. White Jr.

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They encourage the Dutch to relocate to the upper Hudson River. They wanted the Dutch to build there a new trading post with stockade.

Shortly thereafter, a permanent settlement was established on the upper Hudson. The post was very successful and worked well with the Indian trade in the region.

In short time, a Dutch New Colony was established known as New Holland.

It was also later called New Netherland.

1613

In 1613, Samuel Champlain was still exploring [Canada or] New France. Champlain explored or reconnoitered the Ottawa River.

The New World was then a region of opportunity, profits, and chance. In 1614, the Dutch built Fort Nassau on Castle Island in the Upper Hudson River.

Castle Island was near the confluence of the Hudson River with the Mohawk River.

The region to the west was called by the Mohawk Schenectady. In Mohawk “over the pineland” is the meaning of Schenectady.

A large number of furs are brought to Fort Nassau located on the Hudson River.

The Mohawk River was a passageway inland to many points westward with caches of peltry.

The Mohawk Indians would ascend the Mohawk River, portage at Lake Oneida, and descend the Oneida River. They went onward to Oswego.

Oswego was a place to hunt and trap and was located near Lake Ontario.

The region from Schenectady to Oswego was excellent for the beaver and other fur.

The region about Fort Nassau is a land that was beautiful pine forest. Mohawk River was an unspoiled and untouched river.

For those who lived in the region, life seems at its best. Furs are abundant and without problems, furs were easily obtained.

In this region, the Indian fur trade was for years sustained.

Fort Nassau became the leading Indian fur trade center on the Hudson River.

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Burgeoning wealth and growth of Fort Nassau came because it is near the both the Hudson and Mohawk River.

1615

Later in 1615, in New France, Champlain along the Ottawa River and down the

Matawan River traveled. Champlain stayed with the Nipissing Indians at the Lake Nipissing and then down

the French River voyaged.

Near the mouth of the French River was in Ontario was Georgian Bay. At Georgian Bay Champlain met with 300 men from the Indian tribe Cheveux

Releves. These men were harvesting blue berries near the bay.

The Ottawa them were called the raised hair people or Cheveux Releves. For their furs, the French made a pact to solely trade with the Huron.

The other tribes in the region first brought their furs to the Huron.

Champlain followed the eastern shore of Georgian Bay south to the Bay of Nottawasaga.

Huronia, which was the home of the Huron Indians, was on the bay’s eastern shore.

In 1616, the the region saw the beginning of the Beaver Wars. Conflict over the control of the beaver hunting grounds took place on the Ontario

Peninsula. For over fifty years, the Iroquois, Huron, other tribes were involved in wars.

In Southeastern Michigan where the Sauk, Fox and Mascouten live, the Indian

population was very heavy. According to the French explorers, the populace was many.

At the end of the Beaver War in 1670, the area was mostly unoccupied. From Michigan, more than 20,000 Native people to Green Bay were exiled.4

The Huron of New France and the Iroquois of New Netherland were at war. In 1616, Champlain made an agreement with the Huron to help them in the

conflict.

4 Flint Journal letter to the editor for Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008, by John A. White, Jr.

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The Huron and French made plans to invade New Netherland and knock at the Mohawk’s door.

They planned a strike at the very center of the Mohawk district. From New France, Champlain and Huron guides traversed across Lake Ontario.

Crossing the lake, they went to the Village of Iroquois at Oswego.

1616-17

The French and Huron attacked the village but were defeated and crushed. During the winter months of 1616-1617, Champlain again spent time with the

Attigouantan or Huron. At this time, Champlain the nearby great lake with the named Mere Dulce

christened. Mere Dulce is known today as Lake Huron.

The Huron had a number of villages on the east side of Georgian Bay and had control over a large region.

Their influence extended westward to the Fire Nation.

Huronia, the Huron home district, contained eighteen villages. Six of them were enclosed and fortified.

Stones and water were in place on the palisades of the villages. Huronia was a region that was burned and cleared.

Stones were hurled at the enemy, and water used to extinguish a fire. The most difficult defense was against gunfire.

In these eighteen Huron villages, live two thousand warriors.

The villages include thirty thousand Indians in their total population. Between Huronia and Tekariendiondi [Saginaw Bay], the route by canoe was

along the southern Lake Huron shores. The total distance was 330 miles over the curved shoreline route to the

Tekariendiondi region. Seldom did an Indian canoe directly cross between Huronia and Tekariendiondi

Bay. This is true even though that was the straightest or shortest way.

The Gens de Petun, the Tionnontate, resided southwest of the Huron on the

Nottawasaga River.

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They were also called the Tobacco Nation. The Gens de Petun grew large amounts of corn that they traded with the other

Indians in the region. The Gens de Petun and Huron formed a coalition together.

In the winter of 1616-1617, Champlain visited the local Petun village. Afterward, he visited the principal Cheveux Releves, or Ottawa, village.

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Part of the 1632 Champlain Map

The Cheveux Releves were pleased to see Champlain in their region. They grew corn but typically hunt and gather for their subsistence.

In search of food, they often travel a great distance. As hunters and gathers, they went in groups to many a different region.

They were also beginning to be fur and goods traders. The Ottawa would later be known as the major fur brokers!

At times, the Cheveux Releves traveled 600 miles to the west tip of Lake Superior.

They also traveled west to the tip of the Grand Lac or Lake Michigan. The journeys of the Ottawa often caused conflict between them and many a

Native nation. In Ekandechiondius, Assistagueronon, or Fire Nation, they also wanted to

conquer. The Fire Nation was in distance a ten-day’s journey.

The Fire Nation lives possessed a splendid hunting and trapping valley.

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The Ottawa requested of Champlain that he provide them with assistance in their conflict with the Fire Nation.

Champlain however replied that the Ottawa must wait for another time or occasion.

South of the Huron and Ottawa Nations was an Iroquois group the Neutral

Nation. They are neutral in the Huron War and not at war with the eastern Iroquois.

However, the Neutrals allied themselves with the Ottawa and assist them in their war against the Fire Nation.

A war against the Fire Nation, the Neutrals and Ottawa then did employ. The Neutrals were two days' journey south of the Ottawa.

In the struggle, the Nation of Fire ultimately was removed from southeastern Michigan by the Neutrals and Ottawa.

The Petun or Tobacco Nation was often very cruel.

They were known to plant large amounts of tobacco on their land. Their warriors numbered four thousand. On the Ontario Peninsula, they did dwell.

The distance between the Ottawa village and Neutral village was four to five day’s

journey. At good walker may walk twenty miles in one a day.

The two villages between them was about eighty miles away. The Neutral Nation was populous and had villages numbering about forty.

Between 1616 and 1629, the beaver fur trade for the Huron was a grand success. The Algonquians and Huron of the Great Lakes accounted for two thirds of the

French fur business.

The annual beaver output then was 12,000 to 15,000 pelts. One year it maxed at 22,000 pelts.

However, beaver near Schenectady and Oswego is starting to become decimated

and depleted. In the end, the eastern pelts would be exhausted.

1629-30

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In response to the east depletion of fur, in 1629, British privateers engage and

capture Quebec. There was then in storage in Quebec 3,000 to 4,000 pelts.

The following year, 1630, the British took in 30,000 [pounds] of pelts. However, in 1631, the British limit the trade as it was then seeming to plunge

toward a wreck. The eastern Iroquois devastated sought new hunting grounds in the lands afar or

westward. Their control and harvest of Pagus Ekandechiondius and Pagus Skenchioetontius

was then spurred.

The Dutch also wanted the eastern Iroquois fur trade. The Iroquois besides also wanted the Dutchman’s aid.

1624

In 1624, the Dutch had built a second fort on the Hudson River called Fort Orange.

Fort Orange was located on the east bank of the upper Hudson River. It is built just opposite the outlet of the Mohawk River.

In was pockets of the Dutch are great amounts of currency and change. The Mohawk River led to the western frontier and wealth as it was the gateway. The eastern Iroquois led by the Mohawk took great advantage of the waterway.

The Mohawk River led to the far interior forests that were plentiful in fur.

From the great passageway, to the Great Lakes, the Iroquois gathered woodland goods from the interior.

To Lake Ontario and the Upper Great Lakes, Mohawk River was the gateway.

Control over the Mohawk river allowed one to possess great sway.

The Mohawk River would carry great amounts of woodland and merchant freight. Westward up the Mohawk River, the stream led to Lake Oneida.

The lake was named for the Native Iroquois there also called the Oneida. Over the passageway, the Dutch and their European partners indirectly would

participate. The Oneida Portage proved a connection to the Oswego River.

25

The Oswego camping and hunting ground was located near Lake Ontario that early on abounded in beaver, muskrat, and other fur.

The Oswego route and the shoreline of Lake Ontario were the links to the upper

Great Lakes. Native canoes would may ply the southern Lake Ontario shores in countless

wakes.

At the west end of Lake Ontario was Niagara River. Passing through the Niagara isthmus, the Iroquois would encounter Lake Erie and

further west and then north Lake Huron. The Iroquois had dreams of hunting and trading in Sankinan on Fluvius

Kariendiondi or Saginaw River. In 1628, the Hudson River, the Iroquois defeat the Indians called the Mohican.

The Iroquois then had a monopoly and became the bush runners for the Dutch on the Hudson the western waterway.

Iroquois bush runners would eventually travel far away to Tekariendiondi Bay.

The Iroquois became dominate players in the New Netherland fur trade. They are called the bush loppers, woods runners, the middlemen of the Dutch. The Iroquois began obtaining peltry in volume that was of the highest grade.

The beaver was the most spectacular fur that was used in making felt hats that were resilient and soft to the touch.

Dutch Beaver hats are then much in style. Beaver fur made the best hats then over any type of cloth or textile.

Everyone wanted to increase security, commerce, and travel.

To that end, the Iroquois and French of New France took on a pack of peace. However, in the end the French fund that the Iroquois only took to the Dutch furs

that are the most valuable. The Dutch gave the Iroquois the highest price for their peltry or fleece.

The Iroquois were set on being Dutch engages or woods runners in the western region.

They would go as far as Lake Erie and Huron.

With Iroquois assistance, the Indian trade for the Dutch became very profitable. Many furs made their way to Dutch traders at Fort Orange.

26

For a great number of years, that trading situation does not change. At this time, for the French, losing the trade of the western region seem very

possible.

Dutch traders at Fort Orange at this time asked the New Netherland governor to give them a fur trading monopoly.

Dutch traders ask for a license to have sole control of the Indian trade. The traders at Fort Orange are successful with their entreaty.

Dutch merchants at the fort afterward became wealthy from the Indian trade. The military in New Netherlands gave those at Fort Orange backing.

This allowed the Dutch the Indian trade to be extremely profitable and rewarding.

In the fur trade, the Dutch import very few of their trading goods. Most of the items, the Dutch themselves would sew, forge, or brew.

They manufacture nearly all their trade goods. The Dutch also had the best quality and most wanted items, which everyone

knew. Dutch selling prices were very low generally and of the best grade.

The woodland goods from the interior many Indians by way of the Iroquois brought to Fort Orange where the Dutch give more in trade.

By making their own goods, the Dutchman’s costs were greatly reduced. The furs were brought to Fort Orange each spring from western forest.

The Dutch traders found that the Iroquois middleman system worked the best. The Iroquois also with the Algonquin also have exchanges or traded.

Dutch did not however initially go into the far woods. Only at Fort Orange would they trade their goods.

The Indian trade in the region was then the greatest local source of income and

money. The furs were shipped to Europe, and the proceeds were the greatest part of the

local economy.

The Indian Trade generated large amounts of income. Throughout the whole system furs pass between many a hand.

In Europe the American peltry was in great demand.

27

Furs and other woodland goods brought to Fort Orange by the Iroquois were more than welcome.

The furs brought in were muskrat, martin, mink, raccoon, possum, fox, lynx, and

bear. The most valuable pelts were those of the beaver.

At this time, it seemed the Indian trade at Fort Orange would never come to an

end. Each year, hunting and trapping further to the west did extend.

The Iroquois and the Dutch were allies.

In this accord marriages between the two people take place. With marriage and the building of family relationships, profits would maximize.

Dutch and Iroquois marriages were not an unusual case. Dutchmen and women often had Iroquois relatives or ancestors.

It was the case however that only an Iroquois into the deep woods ventures.

1632

In 1632, the principal village of the Fire Nation was the Mascouten village. A few miles up from the bay on Fluvius Kariendiondi, Saginaw River, laid the

village.

To the north of Ekandechiondius and Skenchioetontius lived the Sault or Chippewa.

They inhabited the region of the straits that connected Northern Lake Huron and Lake Superior.

The Sauk and Chippewa were always at war. The hunting grounds of Old Conchradum were coveted by the Chippewa who

were known also as the Ojibwa. For many years, the Ojibway desired the Fire Nation’s prized land.

In the fight, they now took a strong-minded stand.

The Chippewa planned to overpower and destroy them. The Ojibwa wanted nothing more than to decimate them.

28

To this end, the Ojibwa hold council with the Northern Ottawa who were their close neighbor.

The objective was an outright and final war.

By 1632, the French explorers went as far west as La Grande Lac or Lake Michigan.

In 1632, a Jesuit priest learned of the invasion into the Fire Nation by the Chippewa and Ottawa.

That year, Paul Le Jeune baptized a boy taken captive from the Fire Nation. The boy, his father, and mother were taken in this war by the Ottawa.

The Ottawa burn the boy’s parents. Very cruel are the Ottawa notions or torments.

The Ottawa attacked the village at the mouth of Fluvius Kariendiondi [the

Sankinan later the Saginaw River]. The other villages in the interior had survived.

On maps of New France until 1656, the Fire Nation or Gens de Feu would however continue to be denoted.

In 1632, there yet stood Fire Nation villages on the Flint, Shiawassee, Tittabawassee and Wakeshigan [or Cass] River.

The Ottawa had invaded the land of the Gens de Feu without question. The inland villages survived as there are no worn foot trails to them for the

Ottawa from Lake Huron.

The Ottawa invaded by way of the bay of Tekariendiondi and Fluvius Kariendiondi. Beginning in 1632 the Fire Nation was gradually exiled.

All the individual tribes of the Fire Nation within ten years were gone, unquestionably.

The Fire Nation would leave or be destroyed man, woman, and child.

1633

In 1633, the Ottawa tried to establish trade at Green Bay with the Winnebago. The Winnebago in response kill and ate the envoy from the Ottawa.

Ottawa then provide weapons to the Ojibwa, and in the process, the Winnebago sent a message to the French.

In it, they said that they were at war with the Ojibwa.

29

Many Lower Michigan Indian tribes then began to seek asylum among the Winnebago.

They also wanted asylum from the French.

In 1633, the French provide skilled artisans to the Huron. They sent bakers, farmers, and blacksmiths. Blacksmiths could also serve as gunsmiths.

Goods of many types make their way into the region. To this country, French and Dutch goods were infused.

Into the Indian trade, gun, ball, and powder were launched.

1634

In 1634, Jean Nicolet traveled to Green Bay from Huronia with seven Indians likely Huron.

They planned to make peace between the Huron and Winnebago. Nicolet learned from the Winnebago that the Pottawatomie, Menomonee, and

Mascouten were being driven from Michigan. They’re exile was in Green Bay with the Winnebago.

The Potawatomi and Menomonee were originally located in Northern Michigan. They once lived near the Chippewa [now in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan].

The Fox had not yet arrived in Green Bay, certainly.

Some of the Fire Nation had remained to fight in the Saginaw Valley.

1635

In 1635, the Neutrals from the Ontario Peninsula attack the Gens De Feu but were defeated and retreated.

In 1635, the French in New France, or Canada, were in an excellent trade position.

They then began to trade with the Iroquois people called the Onondaga. "Standing Stone" was the meaning of their name in translation.

Mohawk do not want the French to trade with their Iroquois brothers the Onondaga.

The Onondaga lived mid-way between Fort Orange and Niagara Falls.

30

However, the French went to trade in spite of the Mohawk to the Onondaga Village walls.

The Onondaga lived on the Dutch [later the New York] frontier. The Mohawk would, however, oust the French from this region.

They did it with the aid of the Dutch weapons financier. This place the Mohawk and Dutch in a very good position.

In the Mohawk and French conflict, the Dutch express publicly that they were

neutral. However, war between the Iroquois and French reached a situation that was

pivotal. To this end, the Dutch openly without doubt took the Iroquois side.

With the weapons help of the Dutch, there was a turning of the tide.

1640

By the 1640, beaver in the Iroquois’ homeland were nearing extinction. To obtain furs, the Iroquois pressed and traveled further to the land afar.

To acquire new trading and trapping country, the Iroquois planned to conquer the land of the Huron and indeed the Fire Nation.

The began by attacking the Huron on the east shore of Lacus Huronium. Iroquois efforts promoted the displacement of the Gens de Feu [fire Nation] from

ancient Sankinan or Conchradum.

In controlling the trade of the region and limiting the French, the Iroquois had to manage and control the Ottawa River.

They needed to be in command of Huronia. At the same time, Old Conchradum was being invaded by the Ottawa and

Chippewa The whole mid-Great Lakes region was in a high fever.

To this region, Iroquois are in rapid advance. The Iroquois gathered excitedly around the mid-night fire with war dance.

In defense, the French of New France [Canada] offered arms to the Huron. The Huron, [also called Wyandotte] lived on Lake Huron’s eastern shore.

At stake were peltries of Michigan’s Thumb and much more.

31

A great Native battle began over the ancient land of the Huron. On one side of the war were Iroquois and Dutchmen.

On the other side of the war were Huron and Frenchmen.

1641

The Fire Nation, the Native People of Ekandechiondius, lived on ground that was excellent for hunting, trapping, and cultivating.

The Fire Nation was composed of Sauk, Fox, Mascouten, and Pottawatomie. They occupied the river valleys that the Algonquin’s called the Saginaw, Flint,

Shiawassee, Tittabawassee, and Onottoway Sebewaing. In the early 1600’s, this Saginaw Valley was their region.

From the Novvelle France Map, [1614], the following were another names for the tribes of the Fire Nation.

From Tekariendiondi [Saginaw Bay] going southeast, the following tribes made up the Fire Nation:

32

Part of the 1641 Novelle France Chart that is drawn on a beaver pelts shows the tribes of the Fire Nation.

The Fox clan likely the People of the Red Earth were the Oskovararonon.

They inhabited what the Algonquin’s call the valley of the Onottoway Sebewaing River [today’s Cass River].

[The Onottoway Sebewaing River was later called the Upper Huron River.] The Onottoway may be another name for the Oskovararonon.

The Oskovararonon lived on the Onottoway Sebewaing River east of the Sauk [or Saginaw] Indian trail.

The Oskovararonon lived above the great bend in the Onottoway Sebewaing River where the land for hunting and gathering would not fail.

Onottoway means snake while Sebewaing means river of fur.

In Algonquin, Onottoway-Sebewaing meant the foreigner or the snake river of fur.

The Onottoway occupied the valley of the Onottoway Sebewaing River. Their principal village was a few miles up from the outlet of that river.

At the headwaters of Onottoway Sebewaing and to the shores of Lake Huron lived

the Ariotoeronon. The Ariotoeronon, the rock people, were likely Pottawatomie.

Their domicile was mostly along the mid-western shores of Lake Huron. The Ariotoeronon lived near White Rock in Lake Huron and inland at White Rock

and Slate Stone Creek. Not far away also was Rock Falls Creek.

Between the Shiawassee and Flint River lived the Skenchioeronon.

They were the main branch of the Fox people in the region.

Their home was near Flint River and the burnt-over fur country later called by the Ottawa Muscutawaing.

The ground was later cleared by fire for corn planting.

East of the Skenchioeronon were the Sauk or Kovatoeronon. Southwest of the Kovatoeronon are the Mascouten or Aictaeronon.

33

The people of fire is the meaning of the later name. The Fire Nation were Algonquin nations that had a heritage that was the same.

In the Ontario Peninsula, resided the Neutral Nation.

North of them was the Petun or Tobacco Nation.

The Fire Nation was a paradise of fish and game that includes the golden or tan-brown beaver.

These tribes lived together in harmony. Between them, they had good relations and amity.

From the shores of Lake Huron, the domain went from the head-waters of the Shiawassee and Tittabawassee River.

Strong and valiant were the Sauk and Fox and the Onottoway. Pagus Ekandechiondius was their home south of Tekariendiondi [or Saginaw] Bay.

In 1641, the Neutral Nation attacked the Fire Nation and take one hundred

prisoners. The following year they took one hundred seventy-five prisoners.

The captives the Neutral Nation characteristically kill.

*****************

This year the Fire Nation compose many villages. They are more numerous than the Iroquois, Neutral Nation, and Huron.

The 1641 Novvelle France chart shows details of the locations of the Fire Nation or Gens de Feu villages.

All the tribes of the Fire Nation have similar dialects and similar points of view. ************************

The 1641 Novelle France Chart puts forward that the Fire Nation:

They are the Aictaeronon (the Mascouten), the Kovatocronon (the Sauk), the Skenchioronon and the Oskovararonon (the Fox), and the Ariotoeronon (the

Pottawatomie).5

Flint may have been an early place for planting corn.

5 The Early Map "Novvelle France": A Linguistic Analysis, By John Steckley

34

Each Native household lives on what it gets by fishing and planting.

They improved as much land as they needed and cleared up the ground with difficulty. They did not have the implements adapted to farming.

A party stripped the trees of all the branches. They then burn the tree at its base in order to kill the tree.

They clear carefully the land between the trees. They plant corn at distances of a pace putting in each hole some ten kernels.

They plant just enough for provisions for three or four years.

Flint was known by the Chippewa as Mus-cu-ta-wa-ingh or the open Plain Burned Over. The Flint site may have been cleared by fire to plant corn.

1642

In 1642, the French built a fort at the north end of Lacus Huronium.

It was established on the strait between Lake Superior and Lake Huron on St. Marie River.

The fort and surrounding land became a refuge for the Ottawa and Chippewa hunter, trapper, and warrior.

This was their home. For Native People, the blacksmith was in the end the utmost valued person or

artisan. Blacksmiths made and repaired the valuable trap, axe, and gun.

In 1642, the Huron War reached a peak on Lake Huron’s southeast shore.

The Dutch had supplied the Iroquois with gun, powder, and shot. The French did also for Huron or Wyandot.

To this ancient region, the Iroquois came in canoes with paddle or oar. Wyandot [another name for the Huron] meant the people of the land separated

or the island. In the end, in the Beaver Wars, the Huron were driven from their homeland.

The Huron fled westward to La Bay [Green Bay] in the region of Wisconsin.

The Iroquois had forced the Huron toward the setting sun.

With the Fire Nation, the Neutral Nation was very cruel in the war. They were often as cruel as the Huron in war.

The previous year, in 1641, the Neutral Nation had taken one hundred prisoners.

35

In 1642, they return with an army of two thousand men They bring away in 1642 more than one hundred and seventy men prisoners.

They did not consider the killing of prisoners a sin.

Toward the Fire Nation, the Neutral Nation conducted many same cruelties. The Neutral Nation burned women prisoners. They likewise burned as well men prisoners. They were very cruel toward their enemies.

The Huron were content to knock down a woman down bear off with a part of her body.

Such as the cruelty and atrocity.

The brutality was enormous and was often an attempt to obtain justice or revenge from a past quarrel or event.

Such was war’s sentiment. Vengeance played a role in the laws of the Huron and Neural Nation.

……

1643

In 1643, the Neutral Nation return [to Michigan’s Thumb] heavily armed and severely attacked the Fire Nation.

However, there would be yet another year, 1644, of war in the region.

The Neutrals in 1643 were in here [in the Thumb of Michigan] in the summer. They numbered of two thousand men and attacked a palisaded village that was

much protected from the enemy. The village was strongly defended by nine hundred warriors who withstood the

assault, initially. In the end, the Neutrals they carry it after a siege of ten days, however.

They killed 14 . . . many on the spot. Being a prisoner such was the lot.

The took eight hundred captives—men, women, and children after burning

seventy of the warriors that were the best. They put the eyes out and girdled the mouths of the old men.

36

They abandoned them to their own guidance that they might thus drag out a miserable life and not rest.

Such was the scourge that depopulated they country side. The war was a war of extermination.

Only the native spirits in the woods reside.

The location of the Fire Nation village is not known. It fell in 1642, ten years after the fall of the first village fell in 1632.

The first village of 1632 likely was at the mouth of the Fluvius Kariendiondi [Saginaw River].

The village of 1642 was likely much more remote in the interior Perhaps on the Flint River, the later battle was sown.

Saginaw Bay and Flint River were separated by two or three day’s travel. It was the final battle.

The two locations were the north and south boundaries of the Saginaw Valley.

It was the bounds of Gens De Feu or Fire Nation.

1645

The war with the Fire Nation ended shortly after 1645. Nearly all the survivors went to Green Bay.

In the mid-1600’s, there are 20,000 Indians from Michigan in Green Bay. They sought asylum there and would survive. In 1645, the French trade was big business.

For the French the wars were a success.

In 1645, in New France [Canada] over 45,000 beavers are harvested. They are worth 300,000 in francs in French money.

For France a fleet departed in October laden with with 20,000 pounds of Beaver skins, it is estimated.

The skins sold for ten to eleven francs a pound, finally.

1649

Eventually, the Neutrals suffer the same fate as Fire Nation. In 1649, Huronia and the Petun are overrun by the Iroquois.

37

Eventually in 1651 the Neutrals were also defeated by the Iroquois. They were expelled from the region.

Neutral refugees fled to Ohio and Pennsylvania in the south. There they were absorbed by other Native populations in the south.

The Sauk were initially lived on the contributory rivers of the Saginaw River except the river

now called the Cass. The Sauk appeared on the Tittabawassee, the Flint, and the Shiawassee River.

The Onottoway occupied the Cass. The Cass was then called the Onottoway-Sebewing” about twenty miles up from Saginaw Bay

on Saginaw River.

The Onottoway principle village was near the mouth of the Cass River. A large earthwork much later was visible until about 1840.

“Onottoways” seems to be an identification for the Fox of the early 16th century. The Fox were a tribe related to the Sauk and Mascouten.

The Chippewa name for the Fox is “Outagamie” which means "people of the other shore." The Saginaw Valley was an Indian paradise of fish, deer and beaver.

The front door to the Saginaw Valley is the mouth of the Saginaw River at Saginaw Bay. All river traffic to the Saginaw valley must use the Saginaw which was inhabited by the

Assistaguerouon. Since the Mascouten are the Asistaguerouon the main villages of the Mascouten were located

at the mouth of the Saginaw River at the present sight of Bay City Michigan. The Mascouten may have been a tribe of the Sauk that occupied the Saginaw River.

It is evident that the Chippewa name for Sauk includes the Fox and Mascouten as well without any distinction between them.

The Saginaw Valley was also prized by the neighbors of the Asistaguerouon whom the Asistaguerouon frequently clashed with.

The Ottawa and Neutrals had been at war with the Asistaguerouon for decades. The Ottawa were trading allies with the Chippewa.

The Ottawa and Chippewa met at Mackinaw and agreed to attack the Mascouten.6 They came down in canoes along the shore of Lake Huron and ditched their canoes a few miles

north of the mouth of the Saginaw River. The Mascouten had villages on both east and west banks of the river.

The attackers divided into two columns that moved along both sides of the river. The principle village located on the west side of the river was attacked first.

Most of the Mascouten were killed with some escaping to the village on the east side of the river.

The second column of attackers destroyed the eastern village as well. Some Mascouten escaped to an island in the Saginaw River and they were killed as well when

the island became accessible by ice.

6 Ellis . . ..

38

The Chippewa claim that there were only twelve female survivors. After the Mascouten were destroyed at the mouth of the Saginaw River, the attackers formed

detachments that destroyed Sauk villages throughout the Saginaw Valley.

***********

Part of 1643 Boisseau Map

1643

In 1643, the Iroquois [or Five Nations] began a Beaver War with the Huron. During the war, many Great Lakes Native People were diffused to the west.

From Ontario and what would become Michigan, many journeyed toward the setting sun.

The 1640’s were for Native People a great test. On the Boisseau Map of 1643, north of Lake Erie live the Cheveux Relevez the

raised hair people. They were later called the Ottawa or the trading people.

The Gens de Petun [Tobacco Nation] lived east of the Ottawa.

39

The Gens Petun tended to avoid conflict. In 1643, in the north part Mere Dulce or Lake Huron lived the Sault or Chippewa.

They were lived at the Sault Rapids. This would be a good trading district.

West of the Sault [or Chippewa] dwelt the Puan or Winnebago. Their winter hunting ground was often in deep snow.

In 1643, in the center of today’s Michigan’s Thumb lived the remnants of the

Asistagueronon. They were the miscellanies of the Fire Nation the Sauk, Fox, Mascouten, and

Pottawatomie. Yet, on the east shore of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay lived the Huron.

The lands of these Native people attained a great profit form the collection of peltry.

The Neutral Nation, Ottawa, and Sault would eventually expel the Fire Nation.

The Iroquois destroyed the Neural Nation that is no more. The remnants of the tribes of the Saginaw Valley went to Lake Michigan’s western

shore. After the Beaver Wars, the Iroquois were sojourners of Thumb of Michigan.

The Iroquois then in Ekandechiondius were in control. At that time, here they would take on the leading role.

The Iroquois now managed Teuschegronde or Tiosharondion.

The place where there were beaver dams many athwart. In the beaver grounds, Iroquois trapped furs that the Dutch would export.

It was Thumb of Michigan. The French would call it, “Pay Peles”, meaning land of peltry.

Many place names here contained the ending “waing” meaning the place of fur or peltry.

Such names as Upper and Lower Nottaway Sebewaing, Sebewaing, and

Muscutawaing were located here. The endings “waing” likely mean the peltry land.

The Chippewa and Ottawa word “waian” as an ending means fur. “G” at the end likely implies country or land.

Nottaway Sebewaing meant the snake river of the fur ground.

40

Sebewaing meant the river of the fur ground. Muscutawaing meant the burnt place of the fur ground.7

The Flint River may have first been called Biwanag-wain-aki-sebee.

It was in the 1800’s spelled Pewonogowink-sebee. In Chippewa and Ottawa “biwanag” means flint, “wain” means fur, “aki” means

country, and “sebee” means river. So, the Flint River was actually called in English the flint place in fur country river.

The early Chippewa and Ottawa name for the Saginaw camping ground was

Pashawning or Pay-saw-wink. We see the same ending “wink”, which is likely a shortened “waian-aki”.

Most Thumb of Michigan and Saginaw Valley place names used the corrupted ending “waing” or “wink”.

Wink seems to mean fur country.

The Mattawan River much later called the Cass River was central in Michigan’s Thumb.

In the mid-1600’s, it was a part of the Iroquois and Dutch consortium. The Iroquois then began taking pelts from the region.

They then had tremendous clout. From the rivers of drained into great Fluvius Kariendiondi, pelts were drawn out.

The magical fur place was likely the meaning of Matawan.

The Iroquois then controlled the places of the enchanted fleece. The wealth of the Iroquois and the Dutch then began to increase.

Matawan likely comes from Chippewa and Ottawa “Mamanda-waian”. It means astounding, wonderful, or miraculous fur.

The best of furs certainly must have come from the Matawan. It was the unbelievable fur river.

The Iroquois are composed of Five Nations each known to the Huron by its own

name. However, their endings “hronnon” meaning people are the same:

7 History of Genesee county, Michigan, her people, industries and institutions, by Edwin O. Wood

41

First the Mohawk were the Anie. They likewise were called the Agnie.

They were also called by the Huron Annniehronnon.

Second were the Cayuga who the Huron called the Onneiohronnon.

Third the Onondaga were called by the Huron Onnontaëronnon.

Fourth were the Seneca or Sonnontouaheronnon.

Finally, there were the Oneida who were likewise were Onionenhronnon.

1644

In 1644, a large scale offensive on Fire Nation occurred by the Ottawa, Neutrals, and their allies.

By that winter, a party of one hundred people from the Neutral Nation came to visit this country.

The Neutral Nation was always at war with the Nation of Fire who are a farther distant from us.

42

1650

In the early 1650’s, there is a large migration caused by fur trade competition. Native Indians were engaged in a grand displacement.

To the west the Huron and to the south the Neutral Nation went. They relinquished their old homes on the shores of Lake Erie and Lake Huron.

1652

In 1652, the advancement of the Iroquois hit a turning point.

The Iroquois [the Five Nations] drove northward to Lake Superior. On Lake Superior, they were met by the heroic Sault or Chippewa at a place to be

called Iroquois Point. The battle would determine the future.

The Sault at this site defeat the large Iroquois war party. The defeat marked the furthest extent the Iroquois entered into the northwest

territory.

Though defeated in the north, the Iroquois continued to hold onto Teuschegronde and the great beaver hunting ground of mid-eastern Michigan.

Their northern limit was then the land of Ekandechiondius and Skenchioetontius. The Iroquois then trapped magical peltry of that region.

Pelts were gained from both sides of Otsiketo River. Down Lake Huron and Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, the pelts finally went down the

Mohawk River.

At this time, the Ottawa become the middlemen for the French Indian trade. To replace the Huron, this new player took over.

The Ottawa became the traders for the French on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.

North of Teuschegronde and Saginaw Bay the Iroquois did not again invade. In the northern part of the Grande Lac [Lake Michigan] and Lacus Huronia [Lake

Huron] the Chippewa and Ottawa remained. In this period in the fur trade, Montreal heavily on the Ottawa heavily relied.

43

Part of 1656 Sanson Map

1656

In 1656, the Iroquois went to the French and sued for peace. Trapping and trading was better when there was peace.

The Dutch continued to buy furs from the Iroquois who travel as far as west as

Tekariendiondi [or Saginaw Bay]. The Iroquois were still bringing pelts to Fort Orange after the thaw of spring.

They, however, were spending large efforts in war and defense then winter pelt collecting.

With their defeat on Lake Superior, the Five Nations eventually penned a truce. With peace the circulation of money and goods was more profuse.

44

To the Dutch and French, war is an unneeded expense and the taking of pelts decreased.

Everyone wanted peace that aided in the gathering of furs With tranquility in the forests, trapping and trading increased.

In the end, a pact of peace is signed that allowed Native People to bring in again all kinds of furs.

The Ottawa then brought large bails of furs to Montreal with the spring

snowmelt. Near the Jesuit mission on the St. Mary’s River, the they and the Chippewa had a

home or dwelt.

The Ottawa took on the trader’s role in the French Indian trade. To Montreal, they transported packs of furs down what we now call the Ottawa

River. In Montreal, the Ottawa sold their packs of fur that were of high grade. Each year the Ottawa increased the northern buying and selling pace.

They sold bails of pelts in the grand Montreal marketplace. As time went on, to Montreal, the Ottawa continued the journey in great spring

fleets. They were capable of great business accomplishments and other feats.

The Ottawa became widely renown. They as fur traders in every northern Michigan Native town.

The Iroquois, however, manage the beaver ground around the Onottoway-

Sebewaing River. Also called by the Chippewa called Matawan River the place of the charmed

beaver fur. The finest pelts still came from Ekandechiondius and Skenchioetontius. So good is the fur, over these pelts everyone made a great deal of fuss.

Teuschegronde was the land of the beautiful hunting chase. Here was seen Dutch goods.

After the removal of the Fire Nation, the Iroquois hunted the beaver ponds within these pine and hemlock woods.

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The Iroquois loaded their canoes in spring with peltry. They then headed to Albany.

In Albany, the magical fur from this place was a prize.

Its high quality was a welcomed surprise.

The snake river of the fur country was the meaning the Chippewa and Ottawa gave to the Thumb’s central river.

They call it Onottaway—Sebewaing. Of its bounty many sang.

“Onottaway” meant snake; “sebee” meant river, and “wain” meant fur. Also times, it was called Mattawan.

The place of the magician’s song.

To the French it the Pays Peles”—the land of peltry. Muskrat, martin, mink, and beaver came from the Onottoway-Sebewaing.

Likewise beautiful hunting was also found to the south on the Belle Chasse River. Celebrated also were the colossal beaver dams to the west or the Tittabawassee

River. Pelts from the region were brought to Albany each the spring.

It was the pleasing land of peltry.

On Nottaway—Sebewaing in winter, Iroquois were found. The home of the mink, martin, and beaver, its woods are also full of fish and game

year around.

1653

In 1653, the Iroquois again went to Montreal for peace. The best of hunting is done when there was no war.

The leading negotiator was Mohawk and Dutch and called Canaqueese. He would take the floor.

In Dutch, he was called Jan Smith. Canaqueese was likely a blacksmith or gunsmith.

In making terms, Canaqueese was pushed by his brothers the Onondaga and

Oneida.

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Canaqueese mades it clear that for the Iroquois [or Five Nations] the Mohawk are the utmost.

He said the Mohawk would make terms to end the war. Canaqueese gave a boast:

"Frenchmen listen to the Mohawk over the Onondaga and their close kin the Oneida" in matters of war.

During the 1650's, Dutch trading by law still only allowed trading within the walls of Fort Orange on the Upper Hudson River.

The Dutch could not go to trade into the frontier.

Fort Orange was opposite the mouth of Mohawk River. Outside Fort Orange, trading of furs was prohibited.

Dutch law proscribed trading goods for furs in the interior. Dutch forest runners or "bosch loppers" were banned.

The Iroquois were the middlemen. They traded fur also ultimately only with the Fort Orange aldermen.

Many Iroquois were brother, or sister, or cousins to the Dutch trader.

A Dutch traders was a citizen of Fort Orange and was often a smith or brewer.

The Dutch never went into the far western countryside. Fort Orange was where they would trade and reside.

Except on the Upper Great Lakes, the Iroquois collected pelts. They traveled to west to lands such as the Thumb of Michigan.

Dutchmen married Iroquois brides so that the trading families were allied, but they did not collect the pelts.

The Iroquois middleman was often a brother of brother-in-law of the Dutchman. The Iroquois only went to the forest.

This was a system that seemed to work best.

However, the Dutchman often acted as the negotiator in exchanging prisoners. Dutch Captain, whose Indian name was Otsi-rdiakhon, went to Three Rivers with a

Mohawk peace keeping team. His goal was to buy back prisoners.

Because it allowed hunting and trapping, peace was beneficial.

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With peace, hunting and trapping would commence each the fall. In the spring, they would bring back pelts from the western river or stream. With peace, furs made their way to the Dutch at Fort Orange on the Hudson

River. With peace, furs alsowere brought to the French on the Ottawa River.

Before long, there was war in Europe between the Dutch and English.

In 1664 the Dutch and English were in a critical feud. An overturn in Dutch rule in New Netherlands ensued.

It happened without firing a gun. New Netherlands was taken over by a large fleet of English.

The colony then went into English hands. New Netherlands was then named New York.

On the other hand, the Dutch at Fort Orange for always in charge of the trade. They continued to conduct business successfully at the upper Hudson River fork.

Fort Orange was, however, then named Albany.

Although it was English it followed the local Dutch strategy. Canada was known then as New France.

Both regions were deeply steeped in Indian Trade romance. Each spring from the western woodlands, furs continued to be brought back by

the Five Nations to Fort Orange now Albany.

1664

Before 1664 in New York, the drinking of rum was rare. After 1664, the consumption of rum in New York under the British was everywhere.

A part of the Triangular Trade, it was a British commodity. In the Indian trade, the English used rum widely.

The English could make rum at half the cost the French made their brandy.

The Dutch of Albany, New York, also still made Indian trade goods at a very low cost and high quality.

English rum was a by-product of West Indies sugar making. It was made very cheaply.

After the English took control of New York, rum was very widely selling. Dutch goods and English Rum greatly influenced the Indian Trade on every stream and lake.

Rum lifted and extended the trade to a new higher level or wake.

In New York, the trading of furs still was still only legally done at Albany.

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However, illegal trade was done in other towns including Schenectady. Many of those in Schenectady were close in kin to the Mohawk.

On occasion some Dutch went westward with their siblings who were Mohawk. It possible that nameless Dutchmen made their way to Lake Huron in the wars before 1653.

Trading furs was only officially done within the walls of Albany.

Trading was forbidden to those of Schenectady. Schenectady people had an intimate understanding of the frontier woods.

They too were also experts at making trade goods. Schenectady supply many interpreters.

Schenectady people also became French prisoners.

As a captive of the French, a person would learn the Chippewa and Ottawa language. Because of western knowledge, past prisoners often formed a bridge that was vital.

They later became negotiators, guides, and interpreters. They were at times illegal traders.

The people of Schenectady were very valuable. They were often at the negotiating table.

The Dutchmen of Albany traded goods for the furs of Tiosahrondion.

The Iroquois who trapped, hunted or trapped the pelts Michigan. Possibly, in the end, those that prospered the most were the Albany aldermen.

A valued person was one who operated the local tavern or Inn. Western woods runners to the land afar for the Dutch were the "bosch loppers".

They were the young Iroquois who made their way to south eastern Michigan's and its many rivers.

New York was now under the control of Englishmen. To the western woods, now, the English would send the Dutch, Scotts and Irishmen.

In the Huron and Iroquois War, the Dutch tried to be neutral.

To the Iroquois, however, the Dutch were vital. The Dutch of Albany furnished the Iroquios with food, guns, and goods.

These the Iroquois also used for trade in the far away woods.

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1664 Du Val Map

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Cutting of 1664 Du Val Map

1664

As 1664 began, a new period began of competition. New Netherlands, now New York, was now owned by England. At the same time, Canada was going through a consolidation.

France now was arming the Great Lakes Chippewa and Ottawa. They had ambitions to control the shiny waters the rivers in Saginaw.

The Great Lakes fur trade was a great part of the economy.

Albanysupplied goods and arms to the Iroquois who traveled to Michigan's flat lands or Skenchioe.

The Indian fur trade included goods such as gee gaws, beads, and charms. The Indian trade also included weapons or arms.

The Iroquois desired that the land of fur Michigan's Thumb should not be lost. Here the trade was undertaken with dear cost.

At their Northern Michigan palisades the Ottawa, also, stored pelts, and in the spring took them

Montreal. The great camping site the Island of Mackinaw.

In Montreal, the Ottawa traded for blankets, beads, powder, and gun. Also part of every request, or trade, was brandy.

To the French, selling brandy made buying furs cheaper when all was said and done. Brandy would clinch many a trade very quickly.

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The legacies of the Indian Trade were guns, brandy, and rum

Liquor or spirits made the trials of the forest numb. Brandy or rum was often requested over calicos and ornaments.

The English and Frenchman nearly always supplied spirits at their eastern settlements. The message that sounded, however from many a woodland drum,

That "French brandy was expensive while cheap was British rum. You often could buy more liquor from the British for the same number of peltry packs.

Also cheap were the other goods such as the tomahawk of axe.

The English carried on the same policies as the Dutch who came before them, and they found supported in the Iroquois.

Iroquois knew the Dutch since they were girls or boys. To the Mississippi River and to Mackinaw, English and Dutch goods found their way.

While the quality was high, the cost of Dutch and English goods were low. Even the Ottawa and the renegade Frenchman found their way to Albany.

A bottom line profit on the English financial statement, now also would show.

The aldermen of Albany many of them who were Dutch acquired fortunes that they invested in land.

The fortunes they gained came from the Michigan Trade, and trapping its rivers of gravel and sand.

In 1664, the occurrence of beaver dams near Albany now was very rare. Furs from the west became a great part of the fur commodity share.

A great portion of the Indian trade in pelts came then from the Lower Great Lakes. There were also occasions of waylaying that was not uncommon in the spring just after the

winter season of snowflakes. Trapping and trading would wax and wane between peace and war in the Great Lake's domain. The Nottawa Rivers produced a high quality harvest of pelts from its inner pine land hills and its

outer wetland plain.

Indian Trade went on because its income was a large part of the economy. The Indian was the driving force behind domestic and foreign policy.

Along the Southern Shore of Lake Huron, it would last two hundred years. It effected both political and commercial careers.

Also in 1664, King Louis XIV of France sent settlers and a military force Canada.

Canada diligently fought the Iroquois. Within 3 years, they subdued the raids into Canada by the Iroquois.

1667

In 1667, the Iroquois sued for peace.

They wanted their loses and the pain that war brought to them to cease.

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In 1666, the French in Canada had sent a military force to New York to defeat the Iroquois.

Frenchman, Chippewa, and Ottawa advanced toward Albany the homeland of Iroquois. Governor Nicols of New York, quickly, negotiated for peace.

As the truce was enforced, the fur trading in Albany was good. The value of peace in Albany was widely understood.

Profits from the Indian Trade for Albany began to multiply or increase.

The English and Dutch traders, however, still felt that the French might be grasping more of the trade.

The French now were ventured into the western New York woodland glade. Now, the Iroquois no longer controlled the Ottawa River route from the Great Lakes to

Montreal. To the Upper Great Lakes, French Canadians now had a clear passage.

For them this would bring in a Indian Trade golden age. The Ottawa brought packs of furs that were valuable and stacked high and wide on the docks of

Montreal.

1670

Before 1670, the French did not venture to the Saginaw Bay shore. France's holdings, then, were along the Upper Great Lakes.

With the opening of the Ottawa River, French profits began to sore. For them, furs came from Minnesota, the land of the sky-blue streams and lakes.

To oppose the French in 1670, King Charles II of England Chartered the Hudson Bay Company. It was located in Northern Ontario and competed with the French very successfully.

1673

In 1673, the Iroquois began an invasion that caused the French to move to the north and west. After the invasion, the Iroquois again controled Teuschegrande, now Ohio and Lower Michigan.

The Iroquois were now again given the the Algonquin a test. The now trade divided between Montreal and Albany.

Many Native People again were being swayed by Albany's goods of low price and high quality.

The Dutch and now the English had an advantage. They make excellence, cheaply priced, guns, spirits, and other goods.

With these, they dominated the Southern Great Lakes woods. Dutch and English deals were the best was the adage.

Native People flocked to Albany. They wanted the goods of low price and good quality.

Outside Albany, Native People lodged during the spring and summer season to sell furs.

Stories likely were told of the enchanted or magical furs.

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Hunting and trapping was good in the Teuschagrande wood.

The Canadian fur trade strategy relied on Frenchmen called "coureurs de bois". These Frenchmen "coursed" the "bush" in search of furs.

The Dutch and English however, officially, only used the Iroquois as "bosch loppers". The Dutch also used many renegade coureurs de bois. Canada complained about English competition in 1670.

The Iroquois were then encouraging the Ottawa to travel with their furs to Albany.

As the Ottawa began arriving in Albany, an imbalance in trade was created. In 1673 in response, along western shore of Lake Ontario, the French constructed Fort

Frontenac. The French then stopped the Ottawa from going to Albany with dugouts burdened with many a

fur pack. With Fort Frontenac erected, the French position was strengthened.

The Algonquin trade with Albany was nearly stopped.

Canada's goal then was to control all the trade of western Lake Ontario and beyond. This was done by maintaining and supporting Fort Frontenac.

Also, with Fort Frontenac maintained, the French stopped the Iroquois from going into Lake Erie and the Straits of Michillimackinac.

Fort Frontenac greatly effect travel to the enchanted land of fur and what is now Michigan. The Chippewa and Ottawa then began to enter the region.

Fort Frontenac hindered the Iroquois from going to their winter trapping ground that for many years they had been bound.

This generated a great deal of Iroquois hostility.

It also created insecurity for the French and their Algonquin Allies. The beautiful trapping ground of Michigan's Thumb had been a great Iroquois enterprise.

By the early 1670s, the Chippewa and Ottawa were moving into the region the prime ground of eastern Michigan.

Occupation of this land went hand in hand with the work of the French Missionary.

1675

In 1675 a French missionary came to the shores and rivers of Eastern Michigan. The settlement of the French before that time had been in St. Ignace at the top of Lake Huron.

French missionaries also worked Le Bay, Wisconsin, at the top of Lake Michigan.

Until the War or 1648, Michigan's northeast Huron shore was occupied by the Wazhashkosag, the Muskrat Clan.

Here also were the Negawishininiwag or the Sand Shore Clan, the Otawag Zainagog, or Ottawa Rattle Snake Clan, the Kishkagogag or Short-tail Bear Clan, and, the Otawag or Ottawa who

lived just above Saginaw Bay.

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Southeastern Michigan had anciently been the home of the Pottawatomi and Sauk. It was also the home of the Nassawakwatt or Fork Clan of the Ottawa.

These tribes the Iroquois had chased away. In 1675, French Priest Father Marquette went to wakes and shores of Lake Michigan.

In 1675, Father Henry Nouvel came to western Lake Huron.

1671

Sulpitian members Dollier and Galinee passed through the Le Detroit in the spring of 1671. However, they plied the eastern shore of Lake Huron.

Father Henry Nouvel's journey would span three months in Saginaw. Father Nouvel had been for four years the Superior of the St. Ignace Mission to the Ottawa.

1675-76

In the winter of 1675-1676, the Amikoniniwag the Beaver People planned to hunt toward Lake

Erie. They were Chippewa.

The Beaver People desired to have with them a missionary. Father Henry Nouvel that winter went with them to stay in Saginaw.

They began their journey in the Straits of Mackinaw.

Southward, then, two Frenchman, Father Nouvel, and the Beaver Clan headed to Saginaw. After journeying south for ten days, they lodged with the Indians called the Oupenegous, likely

the Partridge Clan. The Oupenegous lived on the southern shore of Thunder Bay.

From that point, they started south again the next day. Traveling along the shore, they saw large oaks, and maples.

The land was well timbered. Along the shore, they also found apple trees from which apples they gathered.

At day twelve, their canoes rounded Point Au Sable, or Sand Point, where they entered a

marsh. It was hard to find a camping place here along the northern part of Saginaw Bay.

The following day, the was weather foggy as they canoed into Saginaw Bay. The weather was very cold, windy, and harsh.

For six days, they were confined by ice, and there they had to stay. Breaking the ice, they eventually made progress toward a small island that was known as Little]

Charity Island. The following day, December 1st, they entered Saginaw River when the ice was just breaking

up. As winter was fast approaching, they hastened onward during the brief warm-up.

That night they camped on the Saginaw River.

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The following day, they recklessly made their way and mistakenly passed the mouth of the Tittabawassee River.

At this point, called Green Point, three large rivers meet. The Rolling or Twisted Light River, the Straight Light River, and the Wakeshigan or Light River.

"Wasse" means to shine, glitter or be bright. Straight ahead and up the Shiawassee River went the small fleet.

Realizing their mistake, they traced their steps back to where they had camped the previous night.

They had camped at Green Point or where the rivers diverged. It was here that the Tittabawasse, Shiawassee, and Nottawa or Wakeshegan Rivers join to form

the Saginaw River. They turned west and paddled up the Tittabawasse River, the river that rolled westward, and

onward their paddling surged. They headed northwest up the Tittabawassee River to the with the Chippewa River.

Three days later, they arrived at the Chippewa Fork in the Tittabawassee River on the 4th of December.

Half way up the Chippewa River where the Beaver People previously had camped, they stopped.

There they would stay. Here the woodland game had been allowed to increase over the years.

Here there were many colossal beaver weirs.

At the camp, were many furs from hunting. They included bear, deer, and wild turkey. There were also pike and bass from fishing.

To this site, the Chippewa had come about the year 1670.

The Fork was a very advantageous site to hunt elk, deer, bear, and raccoon that were prevalent. Geese, ducks, and turkeys were also abundant.

Here there were also the "white man's" apple and large walnut trees.

Going up the Chippewa River, they arrive on the 7th of December at their camping place for the winter.

Here everyone gathered and recovered in strength. Here, there were, Chippewa People waiting with great joy,

Man, woman, girl, and boy.

The camp was on the Chippewa River within the Chippewa winter hunting ground. Father Nouvel within a short span of time constructed a chapel and cabin.

Father Neuvel did not confined himself to only this Chippewa mission. He was also to other Native camps bound.

To the camp of the neighboring Nipissing, he went that was one day away. On his journey to the Nipissing, Father Nouvel saw the destruction of much timber caused by

beaver.

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In the region, which was had not long been hunted, were many great lodges that beaver had erected.

He also went to the Missisaugua Camp that was several day’s journey away. On Father Nouvel's journey to the Mississagua, the weather was bitter.

It was the month of January, but Father Nouvel's dedication was extraordinary. Father Nouvel stayed until March on the Chippewa River.

His cabin and chapel were made of arched bowers. Within its walls he taught and preached for hours.

The cabin and chapel floors, walls, and vault were made of bark. The door was made of animal skin.

There was even an opening for smoke in the roof in this his small ark. The opening also allowed light shine in.

1679

In 1679, Frontenac produced a chill for the English.

The year, New York required a pass of any Canadian trading in Albany. This increased the money that came into the till for the English.

At the same time, the Dutch and English were going to Montreal and Quebec to sell their goods.

Even the French wanted the valued Dutch and English goods.

Since Canada was losing trade to Albany, La Salle of Canada made plans to stop furs from going to Abany.

La Salle wanted beaver hunting to be only under the control Canada. La Salle then buildt a shipyard above the Falls of Niagara.

He was aided by Chippewa and Ottawa. La Salle's built a ship christened the "Griffin" that quickly made its way toward Saginaw and

Mackinaw.

The Griffin was the first sailing yacht that plied the Upper Great Lakes. Leaving Niagara, it sailed through the Strait of Detroit, Lake Kandechioe, and then the open

water of Lake Huron. Great opportunities for the French lay in the vessel's gentle wakes.

The ship however was destined for disastrous weather. Up the Strait of Detroit, it passed by the ancient Grand Village of the Iroquois . . .

Tiosahrondion. Up shallow Lake Kandechio it floated to Great Lake Huron.

Onward it skimmed passing Saguinan Bay and then onward to Thunder Bay.

In Lake Huron's northwest corner above the Mackinaw Island, the Griffin docked at St. Ignace to barter with the Chippewa and Ottawa.

It then went on to Le Bay, or Green Bay, were it collected many pelts during its short stay. The Griffin full with packs of fur headed back to St. Ignace and the Straits of Mackinaw.

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To order to build forts further west, LaSalle went by foot to the Miami orSt.Joseph River and then the Illinois River.

When the Griffin went on its way eastward, violent winds filled the weather. Fear was instilled in each and every sailor.

The Griffin became lost in the storm as it returned along the waterway. When La Salle hear of the event, he was in great dismay.

1681

IN 1681, two years later, the Iroquois destroyed La Salle's Fort on the St. Joseph's River.

In 1680, the Iroquois had destroyed Fort Crevecoeur on the Illinois River. Dispite the efforts of the French, the Iroquois still made their way to Saguinua.

With the Chippewa in southeastern Michigan, the Iroquois developed an equilibrium. It was a divided kingdom.

In 1680, the Iroquois needed more hunting ground, so they made war with the Illinois.

They were in the end successful and returned with their canoes packed full.

Du Chesnau and Frontenac of Canada said that in this war the English were the instigators. The English and Iroquois had a pack.

It was the English goal to force the Algonquin to the open English trading doors. In their raids, the Iroquois came very near to Canada.

The Dutch, however, wanted peace with Canada. The war for the French was a setback.

To a great extent, war prevented beaver trapping.

The Iroquois now had defeated the Susquehanna in Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna to the west were fleeing.

The Iroquois when they achieved this new conquest put the English to a political test. The Iroquois said their enemies were hunting upon Iroquois land.

They also said that contrary to Indian Custom their enemies would seize beaver both male and female.

This did not allow the beaver population to replenish. This was also the position of the English.

In 1681, Dutch traders asked the Albany Court to regulate the Indian Trade, the fur trade.

France was licensing traders for the interior and encouraging them to establish and man trading posts.

France was supported them with new military posts. The Huron, Pottawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa could now trade at these locations.

To sell their peltries or furs, they now did not have to go all the way to Montreal. These were the new Canadian regulations.

To sell their peltry or fur, Native People only had to go to a local trading post.

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1682

Canadian military posts helped to prevent waylaying by Iroquois. In 1682, the Huron and Marquis Denonville went on a mission against the New York's Iroquois.

The maneuver was planned with much skill . Their goal was to capture the Dutch and English Trading Post at New York's Irondequoit Bay.,

MORE

After Canadian Governor Frontenac, Governor La Barre came in power.

In New York, Thomas Dongan, an Irishman was the governor. These two political changes would affect the Great Lakes and Michigan.

William Penn at this time was also founding Pennsylvania, Penn then requested that the Iroquois sell lands to him on the Susquehanna.

The people of New York and Albany feared that William Penn would divert the fur trade.

New York's Governor Dongan was also requesting that the Iroquois not go to Canada to trade. The Iroquois make peace with the far tribes at this time and allow them to go to Albany.

The 1684 Hack Chart

1683-84

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In 1683, New York's Governor Dongan told the French that no Englishman or New Yorker had been beyond the Seneca Country.

The French were concerned about the number of furs that were going to Albany. In the fur trade the French wanted a larger share.

In 1684 the Iroquois informed French Governor La Barre that they had guided Dutchmen to the Great Lakes Country.

The Great Lakes Indian knew that goods traded for at Albany were better. They were also cheaper.

To Albany many furs were coming from Pagus Ekandechiondius.

At this time the Far Tribes made peace with the Iroquois. In 1684 the Dutch and English were obtaining a great quantity of fur from

Kandechiondius. The French though were again devising war against Iroquois.

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From the mid-western lands, New York Governor Dongan wanted to expel the Jesuits from the far region.

Dongan planned to establish military forts connecting the Great Lakes with Albany.

In 1684 Governor La Barre of Canada went on an expedition against the Iroquois Nation.

The expedition failed and even more fur was brought to the English. That fulfilled Governor Dongan's wish.

In the spring of 1684 New York's Dongan gathered the Iroquois, the Five Nations,

to Albany for a meeting or conference. He wanted the Iroquois to oppose the French and their Indian allies in Saguinan

including the Jesuits. Dongan wanted put in place in Saguinan a permanent English presence.

His goal was also put in place English emissaries where once preached the Jesuits. Dongan began by allowing merchants to give arms and ammunition to the Five

Nations. There were gifts with obligations or accommodations.

At that time the French advise Father de Lambertville the priest to the Onondagas

that the English desired his demise. In 1684 the Iroquois went to Saguinan on an expedition against the Chippewa,

Huron, and Ottawa. Those Indian tribes trapped during the winter in Saginaw.

Canada’s Governor Denville then wrote that the English had more to do with the expedition than even the Iroquois, which was not surprise.

The Iroquois campaign to Pagus Ekandechiondius allowed the Dutch and English to venture a flotilla to the region the next year.

The Dutch and English hoped that the Chippewa and Ottawa would trade their valuable fur.

1685

In 1685 the French in Canada purchased from the Ottawa and Ojibwa two-thirds

of their furs. One-third of the peltries went to the English.

Controlling Ekandechiondius was the ultimate desire of the English.

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With the expedition New York claims its pushed further along western rivers.

Governor Dongan's venture proved a respected plus. New York gain and was more prosperous.

1686

In 1685-86 the Dutchman Johannes Roseboom and party was at Saginaw and

Mackinaw. Denonville in Canada wrote that Dongan worked secretly to debauch the French

and their Indian allies. "Denonville wrote that Governor Dongan's pretensions embraced the whole area

from the South Sea to Mackinaw. Denonville added that on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, many an English canoe on

their way to the Ottawa plies. He wrote that Mackinaw belonged to the French or to them.

New France had then a great problem.

Johannes Rosenboom's party acquired the aid of Frenchmen who were accustomed to and knew the woods of Pagus Ekandechiondius.

These Frenchman were familiar with this trapping and hunting country. The Indians Afar understood that the English had better bargains and cheaper

goods that was a great advantage or plus. Only the French military might would stop the English from their economic

advancement. Only forts and military action by the French would stop the English

encroachment.

The Governor of New France Denonville wanted the French to erect a fort at Niagara Falls portage.

This would keep out the English and stop them from coming to Mackinaw. The most valued furs were obtained in Ekandechiondius or Saginaw.

Holding Ekandechiondius was a very great advantage. There was now a fresh New York saying.

They said that the young men should be encourage to go beaver hunting as the French going hunting.

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Acting in the forests as the French did would bring large amounts of wealth. In the West the English wanted to take the front stage particularly in

Ekandechiondius. A new day was seeming to dawn on the English commonwealth.

In 1685 Governor Dongan issued a pass to the Rosenboom party to go trapping

and trading among the Far Indians of Ekandechiondius. In the winter of 1685-1686 Johannes Rosenboom's party reached Mackinaw.

They were also successful in trading with Ottawa.

1686-87

For the following winter of 1686-87, Dongan sent out two more parties. However, this time the French had been alerted. The French were ready with a band of militaries.

The two English parties were captured.

Under orders from New France Governor Denonville in June 1686, Frenchman Daniel Du Luth built Fort St. Joseph near the bottom of Lake Huron.

Du Luth had been a courser des bois or French runners of the woods.

Du Luth was ordered to stop the passage of the English and their rum and Dutch goods.

The forest around the site of the Fort St. Joseph woods was full of tall white pines.

The fort was made with pickets from these trees. The French at Fort St. Joseph stopped the English trade on Lake Huron with

ease. Stopped were the English designs.

Du Luth built Fort St. Joseph at the mouth of the Black River. It was later known as the Du Luth River.

Fort Joseph was just below the outlet of Lake Huron.

In 1687 at the fort, two hundred Frenchmen and five hundred Native People assembled.

The English trade was obstructed or blocked. Being captured near Fort St. Joseph was each expedition.

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Three months later, the English parties were returned to the English. However an intense war began between the Iroquois and French and trade would

languish.

New France Governor Denonville also built forts at Green Bay and on the Mississippi River.

Seeing these forts, the local Indians were impressed. Denonville granted land to the Jesuits on Michigan's St. Joseph River.

The property was near Old Fort Miami that the Iroquois had previously destroyed. For two years longer Daniel Du Luth was assigned to the Fort St. Joseph post.

Fort St. Joseph on the St. Clair River prevented the English from trading on the Great Lakes the most.

As War once more began, control of the Great Lakes this time the French would

win. When New York Governor Thomas Dongan issued licenses for fur traders, many

New Yorkers hoped to become wealthy. They wanted to gain for an extended time the Ekandechiondius woodland fen.

In 1686 Major Patrick Mc Gregory the Military Muster Master led a flow-up trading party.

In the spring of 1687 McGregory hoped to trade with the Chippewa and Ottawa. His destination was the Mackinaw.

Many young men from Albany and Schenectady composed the early expeditions. In the winter of 1686, the Rosenboom and McGregory Parties went Oswego Bay.

They arrived in canoes, and McGregory's party camped there that winter with crepitations.

The Rosenboom Party went on toward Mackinaw. He would journey passed Ottawa and Chippewa.

McGregory had learned many an Indian language.

The young men of Schenectady and Albany were destined to be a part of history. This was the second excursion of record for New Yorker's to the Mackinaw village.

Their canoes were fully loaded with trade property. With them they brought calicos, gee gaws, and rum.

On the ventured to Mackinaw, they may have camped on the shores of Old Conchradum.

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In 1686 the Charter of Albany gave the sole right to trade in the woods to the City

of Albany. However, the possession of the Great Lakes would lay in military power.

In New York nonetheless Albany had an Indian trade monopoly.

Albany would establish a great deal the Indian policy.

In 1686 the McGregory Party at Oswego Bay wintered. After the spring thaw, they paddled toward Lakes Erie and Huron.

Johannes Roseboom was on his second journey and by the French near Mackinaw was captured.

A year later, McGregory’s party on Lake Erie was also taken.

The McGregory Party to Mackinaw had been on a great journey. His canoes were full of Dutch progeny:

They included Nanning Harman and Johannes Bleecker, Jr., who were sons of

Albany Aldermen. Arnout Corneliuse Viele who linked to Schenectady was an interpreter and skilled

trader.

At Mackinaw the French captured Rosenboom’s men. The French then took them as captives to Montreal

New York Governor Dongal eventually was able to free the group.

A few Frenchman had helped the New York expedition. They were punished with execution.

The Schenectady Dutch brewing families were important in the Indian Trade. These families included the Van Slyck, Viele, Van Eps, and Bradt families. Very important also were gunsmiths such as the Fonda and Post families.

Brewing, gun making, and tanning were occupations that produced the greatest value or aid.

Other important families were Scotts such as the families Glen, and Riley. The most important skill for an Indian agent was the ability to make an axe, trap,

or gun. In the Indian Trade the smith was very much wanted.

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The occupation was very dear in the mid-western frontier. It was necessary for an axe or trap to be forged.

That was how the region was won.

1688

In 1688, the Iroquois complained to Governor Thomas Dongan. "The French at Fort St. Joseph had blocked the route to Michigan."

Two years after the capture of the English expeditions, Du Luth was reassigned to the Northwest,

Baron de Lahontan was then appointed commandant of Fort St. Joseph. The French had a new goal and planned to disband Fort St. Joseph.

They reselected a piece of property that would serve their interests the best. The French of Canada now had their eyes southward to the Grand Indian Village known as

Teuschegronde. The French determined to settle there on the west shore of Le Detroit River.

1689

In 1689 the conflict that became worldwide intensified.

France and England between each other commenced a series of wars. Frontenac returned to Canada

He favored the missionary corps. Denonville was replaced and Fort St. Joseph on the Black River was abandoned.

This would impact the economy of the Michigan Peninsula.

Despite the progress of French in the woods the Iroquois were still trading with English goods. They did this with the western tribes, however, in small amounts. The French could not eliminate the English prices and discounts.

The Western tribes still liked the English or Dutch goods and their price. They also fought comfort in French military advice.

The staples of the fur trade were beads, gee gaws, traps, axes, guns, and powder,

A vital commodity too was British rum and French brandy. Calicos and blankets were also important and kept handy.

These were the general commodities of the French or English trader. In 1689, the English paid two to four times as much for furs as did the French:

The French military however was very much more entrench.

In Canada, La Salle and Frontenac wanted to extend Canada's influence. They favored the coureur de bois for a profitable westward advance.

The coueur de bois worked closely with Chippewa and Ottawa. La Salle and Frontenac opposed the Jesuits who objected to the selling of brandy,

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The Jesuits also scorned the life of the coureur de bois that was reckless and ruddy.

The Jesuits Missionaries wanted to confine the Indian Trade to Montreal. Since there was little trade between 1689 and 1692, the Iroquois seems to be winning after all.

They defeated the French at La Chine in 1689,which lead to the abandonment of Fort Frontenac.

The French however would fastly hold the post at Mackinac. .

The western tribes began to seek peace with the Iroquois, but other events shaped the outcome.

In 1689, the Rebellion of New York helped Montreal to gain an upper hand. Internal events in New York over the years had not been calm.

Jacob Leisler, overthrew Nicholson, which came as a blessing to those of Schenectady. However, Albany, and New York in general refused to recognize Leisler’s authority.

Under Leisler's government, Albany continued to be armed. The people of Schenectady, however, were isolated and little protected.

Schenectady was vulnerable to a French attack to their land. During the winter of 1689 and1690, the Massacre of Schenectady by French and their Indian

Allies occurred.

1690

In February 1690, the French attacked and burned Schenectady.

1693

In 1693 the Iroquois suffering losses. They also were dismayed with the English and Dutch who would not help against the new

French bosses. Since New York would not aid them, the Iroquois, the Five Nations sued for peace.

In western Michigan on the St. Joseph River, the French built a new Fort St. Joseph that in the in the spring of 1694 the Iroquois attacked.

However, in 1693 and 1695, huge flotillas laden with furs made their way to Montreal. For the French, these were the years of the great haul.

1694

In 1694, Frontenac assigned Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac to the command of Mackinaw.

They foresaw control of the Upper Great Lakes that produced a monopoly in the fur trade for Montreal.

Cadillac began making a small fortune in the fur trade. Soon plans for a fort at Le Detroit was laid.

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The English, Dutch, and Iroquois wanted peace so that trade might again go on with the Western Tribes.

So, the Iroquois sued for peace. The French stopped it though against the Iroquois complaints and diatribes.

In Albany, there was not much talked about trade with Michigan. In 1692-1694, English trade with the Shawnee South of Lake Erie began.

The Nation of the South People, the Shawnee, then, lived in Ohio below Lake Erie. In 1693, Arnout Viele's organized a trading party from Albany that went far into the Ohio

Country. The French were alarmed and the Indian Trade there eventually was stopped.

Arnold Viele was of Iroquois and Dutch ancestry.

He was connected with the Dutch in Schenectady and Albany. He was very good in making a deal.

The two year expedition to the Shawnee went ant along the Ohio River valley. As Frontenac returned to Canada, the morale and prestige of the French was restored across

Canada very widely. Frontenac was praised by the Chippewa and Ottawa.

The women in Albany for safety retired to New York City. As late as 1700, the Indian trade for Albany and New York was wholly in decay.

The Iroquois, English, and Dutch would not be seen on Saginaw Bay.

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Chapter Two

The French Period

Le Pays Plat

1701 - 1762

It was the beginning of the French period of hunting, trapping, and trading.

1701

In 1704 Lahaton created a map that depicted Michigan’s Thumb and Saginaw. The region was called the "Chasse des Castor des Amis de la Francois".

The phrase is translated as the "the place of hunting of the beaver for the friends of France".

The year 1701 marked the beginning of a great romance.

In Lahaton’s map the remnant of Old Fort St. Joseph is visible. It was located on the St. Claire River. It was below the Lake Huron shore.

The was a region that was plentiful in game and accessible. The region west of Fort St. Joseph was the best hunting ground for beaver.

Fort St. Joseph had been the home of the fur trader’s lore.

By 1701 the Iroquois had suffered many losses. They had been defeated many times over the previous few years.

With the French they needed peace to cut their losses. In 1701 to Montreal furs were brought by both Algonquin and Iroquois warriors.

The stowage amounted to 800 and 300 packs of furs respectively.

That year there was a war between the French and English. In the war the Iroquois pledge neutrality.

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To continue in peace and trade was their wish.

In the 1701 the Iroquois made a Treaty. Also, that year the French laid the foundation to the City of Detroit.

That year Cadillac established a French colony. The woods he wanted to exploit.

The meaning of Detroit is the strait. Detroit was about one hundred miles by water below Saginaw

Saginaw was then spelled Sakinaw. Cadillac felt he could easily fortify a spot on the western high banks of the strait.

July 24, 1701, Cadillac landed and built here Fort Pontchartrain.

The spot was a short distance below the Flat Country. He at that time had the all Nation People as his allies.

In the Indian trade Cadillac hoped to make gain. H arrived with a large readily made community.

From that time onward Detroit would rise.

About the situation New York's Governor Dongan could do nothing. He could not stop the French from their building.

Their colony in southeast Michigan would only grow. The Iroquois still complained to the French that to the English with furs they could not go.

The Iroquois near Montreal raided settlements.

The Iroquois contended to the French arrangements. They said that the French and their Indian allies have taken Teuschegronde.

They said that it had been the Iroquois hunting ground. They said it was here that the bear, deer, and beaver abound. They had once held and continued to desire the flat country.

The Iroquois were dismayed as it they had lost.

The lower shores of Lake Huron were lost. It was here that they had in the winter had hunted, trapped, and stayed.

The beautiful hunting country for them was gone. This beaver, elk, bear and deer hunting country the Huron now live upon.

Iroquois had for sixty years owned the hunting ground.

Here the Iroquois were no longer bound.

The Iroquois said that within a handful of years the Huron took possession. They did it because of avariciousness or greediness.

On the over hand the French made an assertion.

They said that the Iroquois could still hunt their beaver ground.

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They said that the French wanted their protection. For that they had built Fort Pontchartrain.

They intentionally built it near the beaver ground.

The French also said that they would provide the Iroquois with led and powder. They would also give them all the things for hunting that they needed.

They told the Iroquois that the warring with the Ottawa would be discontinued.

Tranquility was the Frenchmen’s endeavor. Peace was what Fort Pontchartrain would accomplish.

The Iroquois should not go to the aid of the English.

The Huron likewise complained about the Mississauga the Chippewa. They also had clenched the land of the Huron.

This they could not dismiss.

Cadillac responded: He said that both Frenchmen and Indian could settle near Fort Pontchartrain.

Their mutual goals would be achieved. ****************

For nine years Cadillac commanded the fort.

During that time the largest resettlement of Native People would come to bear. Huron, Miami, Ottawa, and Chippewa established villages near the Detroit River.

They were located above and below the French fort. In 1705 Huron and Ottawa from St. Ignace Mission departed for Detroit.

The Jesuit Priests also moved to Detroit.

1702

In 1702 Huron made a request. They desire that the French removed the Chippewa from Detroit forest.

The Wyandotte and Miami also informed the Iroquois that they were residing near Detroit.

They said that they had their own devices and plans for the land around Detroit.

The strategic point was Fort Pontchartrain. Everyone seemed to want the woods about the fort as a home.

From the state of New York came some the woods to roam. ****************

In the west woods in the late 1690s and early 1700s there were woods runners. They were mostly New York Dutch whom the Dutch called “bosch loppers”.

In New York it was illegal for non-Native to go into the woods. Many bosch loppers were brought before the court in Albany.

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The law would be changed ultimately. Trading would be done by anyone having a license and could be done in the woods.

In 1702 Albany was then still in demand of furs. There was also in the economy a large amount of furs.

South of Tiosharondion below Sandusky was the land of the Maumee.

Here there was a portage to the Ohio River. In 1701 the Iroquois gave a deed of land for the King of England.

It included Ohio.

The deed was to Canagariarchio. It meant where beaver is great or fine.

“Ca” meant where. “Nagariarch” meant beaver. “Io’ meant is great or fine.

This was the land south of Detroit where the beaver were The land abutted the Twichtwich's or Maumee where great hunting was headline,

The Maumee lived southwest of Lake Erie. Here beaver, elk, deer, and such beast kept. This was where many of the Iroquois slept.

The Old Iroquois city in Teuchsagronde, or Tiosahrondion,was called "Wawyachtenok".

It meant The passageway above this town led to Lake Huron,

And, the sacred place to Native People called White Rock. The narrow passageway,

L'Detroit was a fortuitous place in which to stay.

From Detroit and Fort Pontchartrain, one could go southwest through the land of the Maumee. From there one would portage to the Wabash, Ohio, and Mississippi River.

Ohio was a fine area for the trapper. But, the Thumb of Michigan, Sakinaw, was the where the hunting was the best.

To hold that land, Indian Country or the land of the Great River, was to L'Detroit Town, Which was then held by the French Crown.

In 1686, Denonville had ordered Daniel Greysolon Du Luth

To build a picket fort called St. Joseph on the Otsi Keta, or St. Clair River. Otsi Keta meant salty to the tooth.

The fort as built during a stormy winter. Situated on the Black River on a hillside,

The palisade only for a short time was occupied,

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In 1702, peace reopened the trading of furs. Prominent men of Albany went to Montreal.

There they traded as foreigners. The Christian Iroquois living at Caughnawaga near Montreal,

Would go to the west without hindrance. But, near the end of 1702, war broke out in Europe between England and France.

Called Queen Anne’s war,

A conflict between England and France had started, But, the Caughnawaga came and went as before.

New York's Governor Hunter attempted to stop their passage--but it was not stopped. After a small Canadian skirmish, trade went on with vigor.

Between Canadian and New Yorker.

Trade prospered during peace and neutrality, During Queen Ann's War, neutrality was Albany's policy.

To a greater degree, it was also the policy of the Iroquois. Peace with the French and western tribes was enjoyed by the Iroquois.

American policy was to maintain a balance, At least on this side of the ocean with France.

There was peace as Cadillac, a Frenchman, built Fort Pontchartrain.

Which the local fur trade would sustain. The palisade fort was strategically situated.

On the high river bank, 40 yards from the river it was located. mmm mmm

Fort Pontchartrain was 60 yards square.

Though primitive and open, it would forebear. Cadillac, then, consolidated the Chippewa,

Pottawatomie, and Ottawa. Who came to the Great City of Michigan.

Along with many a Frenchman.

Drawing Frenchmen to Fort Ponchatrain, Canada left open the opened the New York frontier, Which was good for the people of New York and Albany.

Here they would carry on trade on every river. As far as the Great City.

The Dutch were trading with both the Iroquois and Canada. The bulk of Queen Anne's War fell on New England, which was desolated by Canada.

1703

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In 1703, Canada made a census of the warriors and their tribes, That were about Detroit.

Along Lake Erie there were no tribes. Three Hundred leagues from Montreal was Detroit. At Detroit, the Huron there numbered 180 warriors.

With a coat of arms bear and black squirrel, the Ottawa there numbered 200 warriors,

The Pottawatomi had a village at Detroit of 180 warriors. A golden carp and a frog they used as a coat of arms.

The Mississaugues lived in a small village at the entrance of Lake Huron with 60 warriors, With a crane for a coat of arms.

The Ottawa of Saguinan were in number 80 warriors. With a bear and black squirrel for a coat of arms, they set their fires.

1709

During Queen Anne's War, New York was spared the cost of defense.

But, by 1709, the atmosphere was, however, tense. The British government sent an expedition against Canada.

Against it was Albany, who wanted traded with Canada. Against the expedition were New York's handlers or traders.

For the expedition, were New York farmers.

1711

In 1711, after a failure of an expedition to Canada, New England sent Hunter to the Iroquois to ask them to defend the frontier,

Which would start another attack on Canada. In 1712, Secretary Clarke wrote the the country was averse to war,

Between the French and the Iroquois. as before.

1713

New York choose to sit still.

In 1713, there was peace, again. This increased the influence of the English and brought cash to their till.

In Albany, Robert Livingston, wanted New Yorker's to go into the frontier, again, And, establish many a trading post.

That was the policy of New York that was foremost.

Robert Livingston was from Scotland. He married into the Schuyler family of Albany,

And, had been the clerk of that city.

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With the Albany aldermen, he had worked hand in hand. Since 1675, Livingston had been the Secretary for Indian affairs.

He, also, knew much about Albany goods and wares.

The Livingston Plan was to have peace. He also wanted to build trading posts or forts.

He wanted one at Detroit so that English influence would increase, And, one among the Five nations as a halfway point of sorts.

He encouraged bush loping or going after the trade, Into the woodland or forest glade.

Livingston wanted to place a fort in Onondaga country,

Which would attract the western tribes. The Iroquois, however, opposed him, respectfully.

A western post may not allow them to exploit the western tribes, The Iroquois wanted to remain as middlemen. They gained the vote of the Albany aldermen.

Although cheap English goods and rum were irresistible;

The Iroquois attitude and French Forts kept the western tribes from going to Albany. After Frontenac, Vaudreuil tried to abandon the western French posts,

He cancel licenses to trade and gave interests to missionaries. In 1702, Lord Cornbury and the Albany Indian commissioners invited Detroiters come to Albany.

He found five Indians in 1702 at Albany who came from French post of Detroit. He urged them to come again and to settle near Niagara or Albany.

Hunter, also, urged the Five Nations to allow Far Indians to come to Albany.

1707

In 1707, Vaudreuil reported trade was significant especially from Detroit. In 1711 , Lake Superior Indians were coming to Albany each year.

It seemed the English would soon be masters of all the upper great lakes. To pursue this end, the English planned to establish trading posts

And, develop itinerant traders. This was not traditional Albany style and was not adopted.

Albany was only getting a fraction of the western trade.

The Iroquois opposed plans that would displace them as middlemen Neutrality, trade with Canada, trade at Albany were all parts.

After the war, trade both with the west and with Canada increased. Primarily due to the cheap English stroud, which were coarse woolen blanket

They were staples of the Indian trade. French government was compelled to to buy strouds in England for export to Canada,

the easiest way to get strouds was to buy at Albany.

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no attempt was made in New York to prohibit this trade, but Canadian policy varied.

Trade was carried on chiefly by Caughnawaga. French secured goods necessary for the Indian trade,

Albany got a share of the western fur trade via Montreal. Hunter wrote in 1720 that the value of this trade

was ten to twelve thousand pounds a year. Two reasons assigned for the weakness of French influence.

One was the policy of restriction. During the war, issuing licenses to trade had been abandoned,

The post at Mackinaw was given up, Second, the sale of brandy was forbidden.

At the close of the war Michilimackinac was reëstablished, The licenses were partially restored,

1714

In 1714 and again in 1717 laws were passed

to encourage the western tribes to come to Albany. In June 1717, in a talk between Canada's Marquis de Vaudeuil and the Ottawa of Saguinau,

It was said that the Pottawatomi and Saguinau, Left Detroit that year to go to trade at Orange or Albany.

The left with 17 boats. Six went to Montreal, and 11 returned to Detroit with De Tonty. Shamgoueschi spoke to Vaudreuil in Montreal for the Ottawa from Saguinau.

And, said that matters had altered very much since the arrival to Detroit of Sabrevois.

1717

In 1717, Canada permitted the sale of limited amounts of brandy. In 1720, licenses and brandy were again discontinued,

But, they would in 1726 be restored.

The second French weakness in the west was the war with the Fox Indians, Which broke out in 1712 and lasted until 1731.

This affected French in the far west. They still held Detroit and Fort Frontenac,

through the efforts of Joncaire and other agents were able to gain considerable influence among some of the Five nations,

notably the Seneca and the Onondaga. As early as 1716 Joncaire had a trading house in the Seneca country,

Later, he relocated to Niagara. In 1726 the trading house was turned into a fort.

Despite French influence in the lakes western tribes continued to go to Albany. Where they were welcomed.

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1719

In 1719 the Albany commissioners made the significant statement

That goods could be obtained more cheaply at Albany And, he French themselves had no goods but what they got at Albany.

1726

In 1726, Indian commissioners were speaking of the coming of the Western tribes as a usual

thing. The western tribes came in increasing numbers to Albany,

There also were New York traders who would go out after trade.

In 1716, six traders got permission to open a trade at Irondequoit, In 1720, Vaudreuil reported that the English had a post at Niagara for several years,

He gave that as a reason to build a French post there. At Albany were two groups of traders.

One group traded with Canada. The other group trade with the Five nations and the western tribes.

The Canadian trade gave the largest return. With Fort Oswego and the law changes in the 1720s,

The fur trade moved west way from Schenectady and Albany.

In the 1720's, from Schenectady and Albany, Many a batteaux,

Made its way to Fort Oswego, To the river's dock or quay.

Furs from the west, Niagara, Detroit, and the Thumb of Michigan. The outposts are manned by sons of many a wealthy Albany alderman.

In 1725, Indian Commissioners estimated the quantity of furs obtained from Canada And, those obtained directly from the Indians.

Trade with Canada was then illegal. Fifty-two canoes and nearly 100 people were engaged at Oswego,

They brought in 788 bundles of furs. Forty-three canoes came from the western Indians

Who came to Orange bringing in 200 bundles. One hundred and seventy-six bundles of beaver came in from Canada.

Trade with Canada was easy, profitable, and risk free,

Trade was done through Montreal. Fur trade policy ignored the political factors.

When the French sold goods to the western tribes, they maintain influence among them. When western tribes bought goods of New York traders or Albany,

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The political influence of the English was increased. English trade with Canada lessoned English influence

The Iroquois called attention to the fact that the French got their goods at Albany. Governor Hunter was hostile to this trade and promised to stop it.

Burnet relied on the same advisers, and continued Hunter’s policy.

Robert Livingston was an advocate of expansion. Between Hunter and Burnet, Peter Schuyler as senior member of the council in charge of the

province, Robert Livingston suggested suspending trade with Canada for three months.

With hopes of building up the trade with the west by sending men to Niagara and Seneca country.

This was not approved by Peter Schuyler. Livingston as speaker of the assembly put through an act forbidding trade with Canada

Albany traders did not want the enforcement of the act. Despite the act that the trade between Albany and Canada did not stop.

Trade increased with the western tribes. Prohibition of trade with Canada was half of Burnet’s plan.

The other half was building a fort at Niagara as a center for trade

1721

In 1721, Burnet sent out a party of traders to trade with the western tribes This would counter the influence of Joncaire among the Seneca.

1725

In 1725, a trading post was established at the mouth of the Oswego river

1727

In 1727 a fort was built there.

There was opposition at Albany to the Fort Oswego.

The Iroquois also opposed it because it endangered them as middlemen, The Iroquois also protested the sale of rum at Oswego.

Rum was sold to keep the trade. There was a conflict between retailers and wholesalers, also.

Between New York and Albany, which profited with Canadian trade.

The small trader wanted direct trade with the west. Small traders had increased in Albany since the peace of Utrecht.

They made trips yearly to Oswego to buy furs. This method of trade became popular.

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1726

In 1726, most people wanted trade.

Profits from direct trade free was higher. Trade with the French was also possible at Oswego.

Canadian the trade was a wholesale business.

The Indian trade was largely in the hands of the New York merchant, In 1726, so strong was the opposition that an act

Prohibiting trade with Canada was repealed In its place, a double duty on goods shipped to Canada was placed.

Prohibiting Canada trade had decreased the quantity of Indian goods New York exported.

Burnet’s policy had political advantages, Gained was the friendship of western tribes

And, diminution of French influence.

1727

In 1727, many tribes were making Detroit their home, Wyandotte, Miami, Fox, Ottawa, Sauk, Mississauga, and Potawatomii.

It's history would be written in many a story or poem,

1729

In 1729 the New York assembly put equal duty on Indian goods that were shipped to Canada or Oswego.

With proceeds supporting the fort and garrison of Oswego. Where Albany traders played but a small part.

Opponents of Burnet policy were London and New York merchants. Who wanted free trade.

The English had economic advantages in displacing the French from the fur trade.

New York merchants were fond of the Canada Trade, They sold large amounts of goods without trouble,

The French took the goods from their doors. Whereas the Trade with the Indians was carried on with a great toil.

The merchants of Montreal heard of the establishment of Oswego.

They afterward persuaded the Canadian governor to set an expedition to raze the fort. The governor abandoned the idea.

Oswego extended English influence into the Great lakes.

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In 1749, New York's trade was at five times what it had been before the Burnet policy.

About Eight leagues above Lake St. Claire, was the entrance to Lake Huron. Lake Huron is the same size as Lake Erie.

Thirty leagues into Lake Huron in a westerly direction is Saguinan. Here there are settled some Ottawa who amount in number to 60 men.

They live on the island at the entrance to Saguinan Bay. Here they have villages and cultivated fields. They raise grain and for the most part stay.

When they are not at war with the other nations they raise crops on the mainland.

They always till the land in both locations. They fear their supply of food may fail on the island.

Their land is very fertile. Game of all sorts is abundant.

Fish fill the water.

The Saguinan nation is the most unruly and unmanageable in this whole region. They have the same customs in every respect as the Ottawa.

On the other side of Lake Huron to the north is the Matchiache. It is settled by Missisauguas who have the same customs as the Ottawa.

In June 1742 the Saguinan Outaouacs or Ottawa gave a speech to the Governor of New France Marquis de Beauharnois.

He knew of their circumstance. The governor had sent Monsieur de Blainville to their villaged that spring with a message.

The dispatch was the Ottawa of Mackinaw and Saginaw would find brandy at Montreal.

They would have to bring their furs to its hall and not to the English. The Saginaw Ottawa promised not to go to the English.

The Ottawa made their way to Montreal braving the rapids and danger.

They nearly perished in the cataracts of the Ottawa River.

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One of their canoes was broken before reaching Montreal. They assured Governor Beauharnois they would do his will.

They would not go to the English.

They desired, however, a new canoe and for when they broke gun and axe. They wanted a blacksmith for their village.

With this item they hoped the governor would not be lax. They had no one to mend each item. They were obliged to discard them.

The Governor responded, I am delighted that those of Saguinan have listed to Monsieur de

Blainville. I thank that to the English no more have you traveled.

I thank that your young men have come to me your needs to fill. A father is always glad to see his children.

My hands are open to you with present and token.

He went on saying thank you for braving danger to see me. I will replace your broken canoe.

I am convinced that you speak with a sincere heart to me. I will give you the blacksmith you ask who is Amoit of Missilimakinac.

That will be between us our pax.

Because of the good reports about you Achaouabeme, I give a mark of distinction. Which the King grants only to whose holds he in the greatest consideration.

May this induce thee to continue to devote attention to affairs that are right. Smoke calmly on your mats.

Drink peacefully like true brothers tonight.

******** 1737

By 1737, New York's Governor said that the Shawnee dwell at Detroit.

The Seneca and Cayuga had sold their land in Susquehanna from under their feet", So, they had gone to Detroit. Here was many a tribal seat. Here they all come to meet.

1744-48

Governor Beauharnois latter gave orders to the Sieur de Vercheres,

To send the second in command to spend the each winter with the Ottawa in Saguinan Bay. He will prevent the Ottawa from trading with the English in any way.

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During the 1744-1748 War, trade was interrupted but after the war it resumed.

1749

Trade at Oswego in 1749 was £21,406. Trading at Oswego offset the influence of Joncaire

Among western Iroquois Oswego was the only barrier against the French to all the Provinces Between New England and Georgia.

The establishment of Oswego lessened the importance of Albany. The Indian trade was now at Oswego.

Traders went there from Albany.

Settlement up Mohawk towards the fort grew. William Johnson was carrying on a good trade with Indians.

1745

In 1745 some of the five nations told Conrad Weiser “The Indians . . . will on no occasion trust

an Albany man”. “We could see Albany Burned to the ground and every Soul taken away by the great King and

the other people planted there. When after thirty years of peace war again broke out between England and France,

Albany commissioners still favored neutrality. That approach served Albany well during Queen Anne’s war.

With peace the frontier is safe and trade with Canada would continue. Governor Clinton wanted New York to be at war.

Indian commissioners resigned. Clinton appointed William Johnson to command the Iroquois.

That marked the end of Albany control of Indian affairs. Control of the fur trade and Indian relations no longer was entrusted to a small group of Albany

traders.

1755

In 1755, with the appointment of Johnson as Indian superintendent Albany ceased to exert any great influence again.

In 1727, the New York Courts made trade free!

Palatines were settling on the upper Mohawk and along the Schoharie. Scotch and Irish settlers also were settling on the frontier.

This increased the fur trade to the interior. Traders received goods in bulk at Albany

Roads were made westward from Albany.

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Schenectady was the best place of departure. Its inhabitants had always traded, which was against the law.

They were ready for the new conditions. They extended their journeys to the western New York, to Detroit, and to Mackinaw.

1740

In 1740 the British purchased a 20 by 30 mile tract of land on Lake Ontario's Irondequoit Bay.

1749

In 1749 William Johnson told Governor George Clinton in his own written hand that it was time

to commence settlement there. The Seneca had a large village near Genesee River just twenty miles inland from the bay.

In 1749 one-hundred ninty-three Indian canoes brought to Oswego 1,385 packs of fur.

That generated a tremendous amount of money for the economy.

The early traders of Saginaw and else where siversmiths, were blacksmiths, gunsmiths. They were also armorers or abricators of weapons or arms.

The trading in Michigan's Saginaw was wrapped in beads, geegaws, blankets, and charms. As a group those that worked in Michigan's Thumb were adventuresome.

Before the English and the Dutch made their second incursion to Thumb and the Saginaw River

The trading families here where Campeau and Barthe. They were Frenchmen.

Charles Andre Barthe was an early Mackinaw and Detroit aldermen. Barthe was gifted and a fluent speaker of the local Native language.

Barthe was a maker and dealer of weapons who traversed Saginaw Bay. Barthe was an early Detroit maker of armor.

His trade also included work as a metal forger. Barthe was a welcomed visitor to Saginaw and also the Grand River Native village.

Charles Andre Barthe married Theresa Campeau.

She was a daughter of Detroit's Marie Roberts and Louis Campeau. Barthe sailed the he water of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.

He used a small Mackinaw sailing bark or pirogue. The trapping of furs in Michigan’s Thumb was very much vogue.

Louis Campeau's son Jacques Campeau also paddled and sailed these waters. Jacques Campeau was also a famous hunter.

He often made trips up the Saginaw River past Crow Island. His nephew Lewis would later take over his inland trade.

Native people and the trader often met at the Great Camp.

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It was a place of merriment and celebration. It was the place of the Campeau trading post.

Here trade was carried on. It was known as Gabeshiwin.

It was the place of the winter lodge.

Here there were many Native Lodge or wigwams. The trading lodge or wigwam was the atawe-wigamig.

The trader was the atawe-winini. Life was good here.

The wigwam's were made of bark, limb, and twig. This location was part of the trading ground of Charles Andre Barthe.

Pirogues were loaded with goods for barter.

Pirogues returned to Mackinaw and Detroit loaded with pelts. This was where many wore the coat of fur or pelisse.

The trader then on the Saginaw River and Bay was Charles Andre Barthe.

1747

In 1747 Charles Barthe married Teresa Campeau the sister of Jacques Campeau.

The surname Barthe or Barde many mean to fit with bard or plate armour. In Detroit Barthe made iron axes. His forge and iron shop in Detroit.

He was skillfully at repairing guns and made axes. He was an important person in the trading of fur.

This everyone around Fort Detroit knew.

In the Indian Trade the Campeau and Barthe families were mentioned with bravo. Like Charles Andre Barthe members of the Campeau family were tool and trap makers and

smiths. A large factor in their ability to control of the fur trade was the Campeau family’s talent to

produce or access brandy. Detroit's leading family the Campeau's dealt widely in the manufacture of wine and owned a

winery.

The French called the Thumb of Michigan Les Pays Plat. The English when they arrived in 1761 continued this tradition and call the Thumb the Flat

County.

85

86

Cutting from the 1762 Chart

87

Chapter Three

The English Colonial Period

The Flat Country

1761 - 1796

1762

The French and Indian War was over in 1761. It had been a war on American soil between France and Great Britain.

In the end the English won. In 1761 the England became proprietor of Detroit, Mackinaw, and in general Michigan.

They also control Saginaw and Michigan’s Thumb. *************

After the war traders were quickly sent to Detroit from Albany.

The Campeau and Barthe families were linked for years with the trade on the Saginaw River. Now English would be found hunting, trapping, and trading in that river.

Dutch and English families would then take much of the trade in Saginaw and the Flat Country. They would exert their control over the region.

**********************

The French surrendered Detroit in 1761. Many French then moved further west.

A few Frenchmen nevertheless would stay in Michigan. The English relationship with the Native person had passed the test.

English traders had better goods, guns, and rum.

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This would continue to be true north of Detroit in Michigan’s Thumb.

North of Detroit was the Flat Country. Leading out from Detroit were many an Indian path or trail.

Going to the Saginaw River the major Native course was the Saginaw Trail. **************

Another smaller path led to the Mattawan River. *************

The new English Detroit traders often were employed by the Indian Department.

Many of them had worked William Johnson in Fort Niagara. The most valued traders were also blacksmiths in almost every event.

They would often walk the woods to Saginaw. The influx of traders to Michigan increased settlement. The English trader arrived in Michigan as early as 1761.

They often were silversmiths who made trade goods and renovated the gun.

The British had been sellers of whisky and rum. They also distributed the Northwest trade gun.

Many of the just now arriving “Englishmen” were actually Dutchmen. They had experienced or heard much about Michigan’s Thumb.

One of the first was Isaac Garret Graveradt who was a trader and gunsmith. He would make his way to the borders of the country forthwith.

Isaac Graveradt settled in Fort Detroit.

Another Dutchman Jan Van Eps also came to Detroit. Jan Van Eps was born in 1713 in Schenectady.

Jan married Maria du Trieux in 1743. Jan enjoyed listened to the Native drum.

He may even had made his way to Michigan’s Thumb.

Jan was a noted fur trader. On Lake Erie in 1763 during Pontiac’s War Jan was taken prisoner. He nonetheless was able to escaped and reached Detroit in safety.

In 1748 Jan Van Eps had been in Oswego as a public servant. Jan Van Eps was then it seems in the business of transporting packs of fur to Albany.

In 1748 Jan Van Eps was a commissioner in the local Oswego government.

Jan's brother James or Jacobus Van Eps was born in 1715 also in Schenectady. In 1743 he married Catharina the daughter of Helmer Veeder.

James from 1744 to 1745 in Oswego was a licensed Indian trader. They were a Dutch family.

In 1759 Jan was trading with the Seneca at Irondequoit. After 1761 the Van Eps family likely visited Fort Detroit.

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A number of Dutch families near Detroit settled and intermarried.

They were driven here by the experience in the New York fur trade.

As mentioned Isaac Garret Graveradt was a silversmith and blacksmith. Jacob Harsen another Dutchman made traps and gewgaws for the Indian trade.

Both refurbished and renovated the trade gun. Also through the woods for the Indian Trade they may have run.

Blacksmithing was Jacob Harsen’s niche.

He worked with forge, flux, and pitch.

The Dutch word “hars” means resin or rosin.

These Dutchmen likely knew each river, creek, and brook. At their homes in Detroit they manufactured goods for the trade.

The goods would be trade and taken to the Native nook. They also made the tomahawk and knife blade.

Goods included bead, kettle, needle, and blanket. Goods include also ball and powder and the Northwest trade musket.

The traders possessed skills that likely in their families were ancient skills.

Jacobus Harsen and Isaac Graveradt the woods and shores tramped.

The two of them came to Michigan to lend their skills and lore. From the Fort Detroit they likely ventured into the Michigan’s Thumb.

They visited the Ottawa and Chippewa. In Saginaw they were also found.

Jacobus Harsen was born in 1738 in Albany.

He was the son of Bernard and Catherine Pruyn Harsen. In 1764 Jacobus Harsen had married Alida Groesbeck also in Albany.

Jacobus learned the gunsmith trade as a young man. In 1766 Jacobus Harsen was a Fort Niagara resident.

Shortly thereafter he would remove to the Detroit settlement.

Jacobus and Alida Harsen lived in Detroit in 1778 just after the American Revolution. Their home was next to William Groesbeck who was the father-in-law of Harsen.

Jacobus Harsen’s father Bernard Harsen was born in 1714.

Bernard was baptized at the Dutch Reformed Church in New York City. In 1737 he married Catherine Pruyn of Albany.

In 1730 he worked as a blacksmith in the Seneca Country at the age of sixteen. He was then a client of Sir William Johnson.

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As a smith the British Army had hired Bernard Harsen.

Up until 1796 Detroit’s Barthe family was very influential in Michigan’s Thumb. They managed the fur trade from Detroit to Saginaw.

************** **************

Latin “faber” means ingenious or skillful or one who worked in hard metal a forger.

The French term "le febvre"means the fabricator. A fabricator was a toolmaker or blacksmith.

Tools, traps, kettles, geegaws, and guns were all made from iron, copper, and silver. It was the work of the smith.

Following the Revolutionary War there was considerable trade with Native People.

Charles Barthe ran the woods of Huron [Clinton], Upper Huron [Cass], and Saginaw River.

He also was connected with the Tittabawassee, Shiawassee River. They also ran the trade in Western Michigan on the Grand River.

In 1789 Barthe, Lefevre, and Bourassa were the licensed traders for the region. They controlled the Indian Trade on Western Lake Huron and Eastern Lake Michigan.

About 1788 the Mackinaw Store was still deeply involved in the fur trade.

The store stockpiled one hundred thousand pounds of flour. I also had fifty thousand pounds of pork and one thousand gallons of brandy.

It was doing a brisk trade. The commodities were held by a group of about thirty traders.

They included Jean-Baptiste Barthe, Lefevre, and Jean-Baptiste Bourassa. The value of the goods was five hundred thousand dollars.

Jean-Baptiste Barthe would settle his accounts at Mackinaw.

The surname Lefevre meant "the fabricator” of iron, gold, silver, and copper. His name meant the craftsman or iron smith.

Just after the Revolutionary Rev. William Andrews of Schenectady, New York, made a report. The said that his church was better attended during the winters than in the summers.

When the Mohawk River was open from ice, many churchmen became boatmen. They would attend to the Indian or fur trade.

They would proceed to Fort Detroit and even to Mackinaw.

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Jacobus Harsen was pivotal in the early fur trade of the Michigan’s Thumb. At what Harsen’s Island, he would establish the first distillery and trading post in the Thumb.

It would be the first between Detroit and Mackinaw. The land purchase of Jacobus or James Harsen was also the first written land transfer.

In 1778 James acquired the large Island that was located at the mouth of the St. Clair River. Here would established his inn to trade between Lake St. Claire and Sagianw.

At his inn many people he would house and feed. Harsen's Island he purchased from the Chippewa.

They were given the small remittance of a keg of whiskey and a string of bead. Always filled with people was the Harsen Trading Post.

Here he sold goods of whose quality everyone would boast.

Stories of the Michigan’s Thumb would fill the time. Jacobus Harsen was a very skilled gun and silversmith.

News of his establishment widely would chime. Hi brothers William and Bernard later also come to the island.

They would join the in the merry band. The Island was steeped in history and myth.

To Michigan’s Thumb the Harsen’s were the American vanguard. They were the ones which whom one would need to deal.

Trade goods, guns, and liquor they furnished. The jewelry and tableware were all very well burnished.

The surname Harsen may have meant the worker pitch or resin.

Harsen's Island was just located just below the Belle Chasse River.

It was the river of beautiful hunting. Just to the southwest was the Huron [Clinton] River.

Native American paths lead along each to the north and the Upper Huron River. Each path followed the rivers initially.

They then led to a high crested hill. The ridge remains here still.

The Indian trails are erased but from the landscape or scenery. They are however left in today’s roads and railroad tracts. Along those old tails many transpired many trading pacts.

The trails headed to the Upper Huron River.

It was also known as the Mattawan River. Mattawan meant the land of the magical fleece. The trails headed to the central stopping place.

Here were the Indianfields. The hills and waterways were always hunted and trapped during times of peace.

The Indianfields were an ancient Native camping base.

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Great returns the crop here yields.

The trail forks in four ways here: To the northwest runs the path to the land where elk are found.

To the north goes a path to the land of the muskrat or beaver lodge [Wiscoggin}. To the northwest runs the tail to the Bear [Quanicassee] River.

To the west runs the trail to Saginaw and the great camping ground. This was the central component of the Thumb of Michigan.

On the way to Saginaw the trail passes Shop-ti-qau-no.

It means the short bend in the river. The Native hunter would trap nearby during the winter’s snow.

The western pathway runs on to meet the Saginaw Trial. Both meet at the place in the river called the great bend.

It was once the home of the Iroquois or Nottaway. The Upper Huron River was furthermore called the Nottaway River.

Fur traders often would tamp the forest and visit the river bend. Here the Native person was fully in style.

The Nottaway River emptied into the Saginaw River. Not farther along the Saginaw passed the Island of the Crow.

The out to the Saginaw Bay the river would flow.

The Upper Huron River was also called the Washington. It was said to also be the early home of the Native People called the Wakisos.

Their name may mean the people of the shining river.

Jacobus Harsen forged many types of goods for the fur trade. Even snares and traps he would have made.

John Harsen the son of Jacobus Harsen married the daughter of Isaac Garret Graveradt. The riding and pack horse they would have shod.

The Harsen’s y worked at the forge after the time of England’s King George.

Harsen's Log Inn was ultimately destroyed by a keg explosion of gun powder. *****

The first White settlement in the Thumb of Michigan was the Harsen Inn. It had been made with rough cut pine timber.

This Island settlement was the first permanent settlement in the flat country or Thumb.

When the American’s took over the he major part of the trade included American Whiskey. Ottawa and Chippewa would come to the Inn to trade.

They would stop here before going to Detroit from Saginaw Bay.

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MORE

When it was built, trading place at Fort Gratiot.

Here tall dark woods were calm and quite. It was located above Harsen's Island on the St. Claire River.

Both were stopping places between Detroit and the Saginaw River. Another route to the Saginaw Bay was over the Saginaw Trail.

From Detroit to the land of oak Lands, to Grand Treaverse, and to Saginaw Bay it would hail.

Near and outside of Fort Gratiot, The trade was still done by Frenchman,

Who live the live of the Indian and their diet. Here near the confluence of the Black and St. Clair Rivers with Lake Huron,

Trading, hunting, and trapping would go on.

A number of Frenchmen, to this spot were drawn. The major figure was Anselm Pettit.

He was once a voyager who had worked with a French fur trade fleet. The Black River was originally called the De Luth.

But, native people had always called it the Black River from its taninng color to tell the truth.

The name seems to set the mood, The river and forest were dark.

Life was here somewhat primitive and crude. Here often there were many a Native hut,

The woods were dark, Olive green and uncut.

MORE

Probably, the greatest trader in these olive green.

Was the Dutchman by marriage, James Van Slyck Riley. James was the son of ... Van Slyke and Philip Riley.

The Van Slycke family was descended from an Iroquois "princess or queen". James Riley came soon after the Revolutionary War to Michigan.

He and his father like him had repaired many a Northwest Trade gun.

Philip Riley was an agent to the Cayuga in 1750. He then worked repairing the trade gun.

Philip was then stationed a Fort Niagara and was a client of Sir William Johnson. Both men were from Schenectady.

Sir William Johnson was the Commission of the Indian Department. Philip may have worked within many a Chippewa tent.

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James Van Slycke Riley married a Chippewa lady.

She perhaps was the daughter of Flint River Chief Meomi. Her name was Mokisheenoqua.

She was a Chippewa from the place called Saginaw. Perhaps, her name meant Good . . . . Lady.

She had three sons by James Riley.

The Riley sons or boys, Understood each and every woodland noise.

The elk, beaver, bear, and moose, they would take with wise agility. Such were the son of of James Van Sycke Riley.

Their names were Peter, James, and John. They would be no one's pawn.

These men, the boys of the Menacumsequa,

Would in the forest trade with trinket and gun. They were the most famous of bartering people of Michigan. They left a legacy in Michigan'sThumb in the Lower Peninsula.

The languages Chippewa, Dutch, Iroquois, and English were part of their vocabulary. They moved between Native People and Detroit bourgeoisie, freely.

*******************

1707-08

Etienne's Campau had two sons Michel and Jacques who went to Detroit. Each arrived with a family.

Michel arrived in Detroit in 1707 and Jacques in 1708.

Jacques was a tool smith.

1734

In 1734 he obtained a grant of land from the French government and to also become a farmer. His land was later known as Private Claim No. 18 and laterthe Meldrum farm.

The property would be considered a place of charm. Jacques was born in 1677 and in 1699 had married Cecile Catin at Montreal.

They had six children: Their eldest son Jean Louis, born in Montreal August 26, 1702.

He married at Detroit in 1724 Mary Louise Robert the widow of Jean Francis Peltier. Jean Louis Campau obtained a grant of land at Detroit the same year as his father 1734.

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1735

Of the family of Jean Louis Campau and Mary Louise Robert, Jacques, named for his grandfather and was born March 30, 1735.

Jacob Campeau was married in 1761 to Catherine Menard. She died in 1781 and in 1784 Jacques married Francoise Navarre of Detroit.

All twelve children of Jacques Campau were by his first wife, Catherine Menard. Louis Campau son of Jacques was born July 26, 1767, and married Therese Moran in 1789.

He settled along the Clinton River and was buried there May 13, 1834. His son the Louis Campau was born at Detroit August 11, 1791.

His uncle Joseph Campau of Detroit took the eight-year old boy under his care. Joseph promised to bring Louis up and eventually start him in business.

Louis spent only a few months in the school as it was customary. He learned the rudiments of the French language, in the meantime, was an under servant for

his uncle.

1762

The French occupied Detroit until 1762 when the British took possession. The French residents of Detroit were violently anti-British, and just as strongly sympathetic with

the young republic of the United States.

***** They were made to trade for the fur or pelt.

Michigan saw the use of the Northwest gun that was easily to repair.

Other items in the Indian Trade were tomahawks, gaudy bells ribbons, butcher knives, and gewgaws.

1768

George Meldrum was born about 1737.

He was a member of the fur trade in Detroit as early as 1768.

In 1772 he purchased a lot from George Knaggs.

For many years thereafter Mr. Meldrum was prominent in trade and as a citizen at Detroit.

In 1788 Lord Dorchester appointed him one of the commissioners of the then newly

created District of Hesse.

In 1796 he signified his intention of remaining a British subject.

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However he remained a resident of Detroit until his death, April 9, 1817.

For many years he was a member of the firm of Meldrum and Park.

He married Mary Catherine Angelique Chapoton about the year 1782.

She was buried in Ste. Anne's churchyard, March 4, 1815.

They had several sons and daughters.

George Meldrum was the owner of considerable real estate in Detroit.

One major piece was the tract known as the Meldrum farm, or Private Claim 18.

It previously had been the estate of Louis Campeau the well-known fur trader of the Thumb.

**************

1778

James Abbott was one of the early English merchants of Detroit.

In 1778 Governor Hamilton confiscated his goods for a violation of orders with respect to the

conduct of the Indian trade. Two years later Abbott was the recipient of extensive grants of land fronting the Detroit River

and Lake St. Clair made by the Potawatomi and Chippewa tribes. He died prior to July 25, 1800, leaving to his widow and offspring much property.

Abbott was the father of six children, born between the years 1770 and 1777.

Three of them were sons—Robert, James, and Samuel—and all were prominent men in their generation.

The marriage connections established by all six children served further to enhance the family influence.

Mary Abbott married William Hands, who became sheriff and registrar of Essex, Kent, and Lambton;

Frances and Elizabeth married, respectively, Frangois and James Baby of Detroit and (subsequently) Sandwich; Robert Abbott married Elizabeth, daughter of Peter

Audrain; James married Sarah Whistler, daughter of Captain John Whistler and sister of Colonel William Whistler of the U. S. army; Samuel married a Miss St. Croix

of St. Louis and spent most of his life at Mackinac.

1773

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In 1773 from Schenectady several hundred boats went to Niagara. Some of the boats went to on to Detroit loaded with dry and wet goods.

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Chapter Four

The American's

Michigan’s Thumb

1796—1850

1796

Michigan Historical Society Records, Vol. 8 - Annual Meeting 1885 by Ephraim S. Williams, of Flint.

The Campeau family are dominant players in the Saginaw Valley.

1812

Being of French blood Louis Campau was strongly American. At 21 years of age he became a member of a French-American military company. The company served in the War of 1812 between the United States and England.

The company was attached to General William Hull's army, which rather ingloriously surrendered to the British in Detroit.

At the close of the War of 1812, Louis yet in his twenties left Detroit for the Saginaw valley. He then worked as employee of his uncle and other merchants who had goods to sell to Natve

People. Louis acquired the dialect and confidence of them as well.

Soon he was trading on his own account.

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He traveled over the eastern part of Michigan between Detroit and Saginaw. Durring the next six years he sold goods to Native People and bought from them furs and other

articles that sold in Detroit and elsewhere. He made a good profit.

Louis saved his earnings enough to consider marriage and the establishment of a home. August 11, 1818, he married Ann Knaggs in Detroit.

She was born in there September 23, 1800, the daughter of George Knaggs and Elizabeth Chene.

Louis kept up his trading activity in the small settlements and Indian villages north of Detroit. He did not spend much time at home.

Ann die young and was buried in Detroit, April 13, 1824. They had no children.

During the time he was an Indian trader Louis Campau became well known to the prominent men of eastern Michigan.

1819

In 1819 he was directed by Territorial Governor Lewis Cass to build a council house.

It was built near Campeau’s Trading Post located upon the site of what is now Saginaw. This was done as part of the arrangements for the governor and his suite to negotiate a treaty.

The governor arrived September 19, 1819. He opened negotiations for the purchase of the lands of the local Native People.

They were to move further west. The council lasted three days.

The chiefs finally yielded to the terms offered by the governor. A portion of the purchase price, in silver, was laid upon the table.

At that time some of the Native People owed Louis Campau about $1,500 for goods he had sold them.

At first it was suggested that he be paid at once. However there were present three other traders who objected.

They were interested in making sales to the Indians who would with the treaty would have ready cash.

The principal grumbler was Jacob Smith. Physical strength counted most.

Louis Campeau knew it. He jumped from the platform and struck Smith two heavy blows in the face.

Smith was smart as steel and Louis was not slow. However , Louis Beaufait, Connor and Barney Campau got between them and stopped the

fight. So, Louis lost his money and was “cheated me out of a good fight besides."

From his early youth Louis Campau had been intimately acquainted with Sophie Marsac. She was the daughter of the Captain Rene de Marsac who was commander of the military

company in which the young Louis had fought during the War of 1812. Their marriage took place at Detroit August 9, 1825.

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Sophie was born at Detroit September 25, 1807. Her mother's maiden name was Eulalie Gouin.

After his second marriage the roving Louis determined to fix upon a permanent place of abode.

1823

He had sold out his business at Saginaw in 1823 to his brother Antoine. He then went southwestward to the Shiawassee River. He located near the site of the present city of Owosso.

Here he established a trading post. He eventually removed again to the populous Indian villages at the rapids of Grand River.

Here he decided to settle. Some accounts say he came here as agent for Mr. Brewster of Detroit who was an extensive fur

dealer. Louis Campeau labored at Grand River opposite the American Fur company. Louis secured a license as a trader from the superintendent of Indian affairs.

He was obliged to give bond that he would carry out scrupulously the instructions given on his license.

He could trade only at the place at which he was licensed---that is, Grand Rapids. He was to treat the Indians fairly and in a friendly manner.

He was not to attend any Indian council or to send them any talk or speech accompanied by wampum.

He was forbidden to bring any spirituous liquor into the Indian Territory or to give, sell, or dispose of any liquor to the Indians.

This provision of the license was considered so important and so necessary that any trader who violated it would have his goods seized by the Indians for their own use.

The fur trader was required to tell the Indians that they had such a privilege.

*********************

1812

Because they wanted to protect their fur trade from the English, In 1686, the French built Fort St. Joseph a the head of the St. Claire River.

Here Lake Huron meets with the river. Fort St. Joseph was abandoned after 1688, without a skirmish.

Its garrison to Mackinaw was transferred. It was one of the oldest settlements in Michigan, although often abandoned.

In 1790, permanent settlement was made near old Fort St. Joseph by Anselm Petit.

In 1807, a Chippewa Indian Reservation was platted on the south side of Black River.

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1814

In 1814 American soldiers built Fort Gratiot, here.

1819

About 1819, Petit built the first house near Fort Gratiot, now called Port Huron on Court Street. The town of Port Huron was organized in 1828.

Having in interest in the Fur trade of Le Pays Plat,

Anselm married Angelique Campeau, She was the daugther of Simon Campeau and granddaughter of Louis Campeau.

Pettit knew well the land to the north, the timberland that was flat. The fur trading Petit family,

Was related to the Saginaw trading families Campeau and Barthe.

Anselm Petit was a nephew of Andre Barthe, Who in 1789 had a license to trade on the Saginaw and Grand Rivers.

They were both traders, Who knew each other well, and probably together went after furs.

mmm mmm

1819

Points of trade along Southeast Michigan's shore,

For the late Thumb fur trader, Were Harsen's Island, Fort Gratiot, and Detroit, which many did explore.

A happy place to the trader Was also White Rock, or Rogers Point,

And, above that was Traverse or Aux Barques Point.

There were major places to meet along Saginaw Bay southeast shore. One was called Shebeon meaning where is hidden the ore.

The other place is called Bear River, Maquanicasse

, or Quanicassee. The French called the place in between these two Du Fill or Thread River.

The Algonquin called Thread River Sebewaing Sibee. Perhaps, meaning Sugar River.

These were the place of major trade.

Also, the short bend on the Ottawa Rive was a camping ground.

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Where many came to trade and a deal was made. Here at Shop-ti-quano the trading horn or drum would sound.

Serving as a natural lighthouse White Rock,

Was a favorite spot of Native People, and a sugar house. Waab-bik was the name of White Rock.

Anselm's son, Edward Petit here would build a trading house. Edward started his stint in trade on the Saginaw Bay.

1828

In 1828, there he would stay.

For a few years before,

He traded at the post on the creek called Shebeon, Just off the Saginaw Bay shore.

The Upper Thumb trade Edward Pettit would own. mmm mmm

1813

In 1813, during the war years between Great Britain and the United States, Edward Pettit was born in his father's log-house.

He was the first child born into Angelique Campeau and Anselm Petit's house. In the woods and neighborhood were the sounds of old hates.

The War of 1812 was going on, And, When Edward was just months old, his family loyalty was put upon.

, The Pettit family fled to Detroit where they until the war ended.

After the War of 1812, they returned home, and Anselm the building Fort Gratiot helped. About 182, a missionary school at Fort Gratiot was opened.

Here Native People who to attended. A Mr. Graveradt was the interpreter.

Jacobus Graveradt was likely his father.

The students numbered some 50 or 60. After 3 years, the missionaries were removed to Mackinaw. With the number of Native People following being about 30.

At the school, Edward Petit took his first and only lessons. He had his eyes set on trading in the Saginaw.

In its woods he would see many dawns.

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Aa a boy, Edward amused himself with hunting and fishing. He learned from his Native friends their languages. He, also, learned the French and English languages.

Along with his spirit, which was enterprising, He was well educated to do the books for a fur company.

In boyhood, Edward was employed in the fur trade, quickly.

Trapping, hunting, and trading were part of his ancestry. His life experiences were of that of the forest.

The Huron, or Onottoway River after the 1819 treaty was called the Cass River.

mmm It was the early home of the Wakishegan.

Their main camp was at Mattawan. This was the home of the Chief Otusson.

Northwest of Otusson's Village was Sheboygan Creek whose current is slow.

Cheboygan meant the rice gathering place. Cheboygan Creeks empties into the Saginaw River at the island called Crow.

The Chief at the latter place, Was called Menitegow, which means island in the river.

This was where

The land on the west bank of the Saginaw River, Opposite Crow Island, Was called "Mtigong",

Meaning a place the the timber first come to the river. The name Zilwaukee would later be giving to the wetland.

A woods is "mtig" and to be in front is "niigaan". This is where the pine trees first show along the Saginaw River.

At the Short Bend in the Mattawan River,

The water would bubble and squeak, And, along the south bank was Dead Creek.

Northwest of the Sheboyganing Is the stream called Quanicassee.

It was also called "Maqua-na-ka-see. The later seems to have been the original wording,

That described the creek. It meant The Black Bear Creek. It flows into the Saginaw Bay,

Running almost strait north over much of its way. From Otusson's Village one can reach the shores of the bay in one day.

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Further up the coast of the Saginaw Cove, Is the stream called Wiscoggin Creek,

Whose name one may seek, Means "The Beaver or Muskrat Lodge",

And, creek called Sebewaing, Du Fill, or Thread River is along the bay just above, Its mouth empties straight into the Saginaw Bay with a dodge.

Above, Sebewaing is Shebeon Creek, Both, may come from "zibii" meaning "river" or creek.

The Native word for netting or sack cloth is "assabiiwegin", At signer of the Saginaw Treaty of 1819, the local chief seems to have been Sepewan,

This estimable person made shoes for the horse,

For covering ground the equine was the ultimate resource, For overland traveling,

To where the Native People were camping. The horse was the ultimate form of transportation,

Although usually going from one location to another location, Was done by walking.

And, the heaviest of loads was transported in by voyaging.

The Latin word for to catch, Is "cape".

While the Latin word for a fish cage, trap, or net is "nassa". In Chippewa a reed is called "assagaanshk".

Along the Northwest Thumb of Michigan, On the Thread, Du Fil River, or Sebewaing River,

Trading at an early date had begun. Another good place for trapping and trading was the river,

Quanicassee.

At the mouth of the Wiscogan Creek on Saginaw Bay, was a good place for trapping. It was just below Fish Point.

The Old Indian sacred ground called White Point, On Lake Huron's east shore, also, had many a small, fur trapping creek.

Trade, also, took place at the mouth of the Pigeon River . . . And, Pinnebog, River.

The Wyandots later called the Huron were at Quebec in 1535. This was when Jacques Cartier arrived there.

Later they formed an alliance with the Adirondacks.

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About 1580 the Adirondacks however joined the Southern Iroquois. The power of the Wyandots then began to fade.

The dispersion of the tribe followed to Lake Huron. Inthe 16th century, the Huron with some Mississauga formed a new confederacy.

The Hurons owned Ontario from the Ottawa to Lake Huron.

To this Ontario division the general title of Iroquois du Nord was given by the French.

1810-11

From Roxbury, Massachusets,the Williams moved to Michigan.

Major Oliver Williams was one of the pioneer settlers in Michigan, and of Oakland county. He , was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, May 6, 1774.

He came to Detroit in 1808to established the mercantile business. He purchased his goods in Boston, carted them overland in covered wagons to Buffalo.

He then shipped them thence by water to Detroit.

During the winter and spring of 1810-11 he built, at the River Rouge, a large sloop, which he named the "Friends' Good-Will,"

1812

in the summer of 1812, just previous to the breaking out of the war between the United States

and Great Britain, made a voyage to Mackinaw, acting as super-cargo. At Mackinaw his vessel was chartered by the government to take military stores and supplies

to the garrison at Chicago a small military and trading post.

She was also to bring back a cargo of furs and skins for the government and himself. The commanding officer at Mackinaw, Lieut. Hanks, furnished father with a box of ammunition,

twelve stand of arms, and a non-commissioned officer and six men as a guard against Indians who were then openly hostile

it was known that war was imminent. Before his return from Chicago he was decoyed into the harbor of Mackinaw

, which had in the meantime been captured by the British , they keeping the American flag flying over the fort

, and they were made prisoners. His vessel and cargo were taken possession of for the benefit of the British government

his vessel being under a government charter. The name of the vessel was changed by the British to "Little Belt,"

it formed a part of the British squadron and was captured the next year by Commodore Perry on Lake Erie.

At the time of the battle she mounted three guns.

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She was burned at Buffalo the following winter, having, with two others, been driven ashore by a gale.

Father was paroled, sent to Detroit under charge of British officers; was at Detroit at its surrender by Gert. Win. Hull

with other citizens, was marched through the province to Kingston as prisoner of war. In time they were exchanged.

He then visited his family in Concord, Massachusetts and soon after returned to Detroit to look after his business and property, which he found scattered to the winds.

Detroit and the entire frontier had been laid in waste. The most that he saved from the general ruin was his residence, and twenty acres in the then called Bush, on Woodward avenue all of which he sold when he bought his farm in Oakland county.

1815

In the fall of 1815 he moved his family from Concord, Mass., to Detroit.

-- Detroit a Strange Place.

We rode and walked up past the fort, whose frowning guns, pyramids of balls and strong

stockade, with its heavy gates, were all new and strange to us. The people all turned out to see the Yankees, and as we passed along by the curious, one story and a half French houses, the women greeted us little ones with a kiss, saying: "Ah, to mon petit

Boslinien!" We found Detroit a very strange place, walled in with high pickets, with three large, very heavy gates, and two regiments of United States soldiers lying in tents outside the pickets, on the rise

of ground The old fort also was full of soldiers.

At each gate of the city stood a United States soldier on guard, and no one passed in or out without a password.

The city contained probably only about five or six hundred whites.

Father opened a hotel and boarding house, raised a large gold ball for a sign , and it was known as the Yankee hotel, with the sign of a pumpkin.

His house was over-run with eastern people, as the troops were mostly eastern men, many of them from Massachusetts, and father and his family became great favorites.

As I have said, Detroit was a strange place. The old market stood in the centre of Woodward avenue, south of Jefferson avenue, with a whipping post at the northeast corner, where criminals were whipped for petty crimes, and

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sold for fines and costs to the one who would take them for the least number of days' work on the streets.

I have often seen them whipped and gangs of men at work on the streets , often many with ball and chain, and

made to work out their fines and costs of suits , instead of being a city or county charge.

We boys had an old two-horse sleigh, with bar iron shoes (no cast-iron shoes then), and a dozen would often get on and ride down hill in the winter

, going on to the river quite a distance. There was no Atwater street then;

the river came up to the rear of Mr. James Abbott's storehouse deep enough for boats and canoes to unload furs, sugar, etc.,

which was about half the length of what was then the Abbott block, wh ere he lived and had the postoffice for many years.

The old Frenchman used to run the ferry with a large canoe until Mr. Ezra Balding [Baldwin]

put on a scow and boats. There were only three brick buildings--the Governor Hull house,

Government store house, and the old bank on the Major [Jonathan] Kearsley corner. I clerked it awhile in this building for Mr. Melvin Dorr, a dry goods merchant

, who afterwards settled on a farm near Little Springs and was superintendent of the building of the United States turnpike to Saginaw,

which was built six miles north of Flint city, one hundred feet wide. Father purchased all the fruits on the orchards on either side of Detroit river

and put up many winter apples and made a large quantity of cider- -one year packing two thousand barrels of apples and making seven hundred barrels of cider.

Apples sold for twenty shillings and twenty-four shillings per barrel, and cider ten dollars per barrel for all he could make,

I recollect I took ten barrels in a boat to Mr. Henry J. Hunt, merchant, for his use and he paid me one hundred dollars, (ten dollars per barrel) everything in proportion.

Potatoes were two and two and a half dollars. Whisky sold for two dollars per gallon by the barrel.

Butter, fifty and seventy-five cents per pound; roasting pigs, two and three dollars each; turkeys, from twelve to twenty shillings.

All these things were brought from Ohio – l ittle vessels plying all the time in this trade, buying our apples and cider.

- Families Return After War.

1816

Many families who left Detroit during the war, returned in 1816.

Governor L. Cass brought his family to reside there.

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The currency was mostly shinplasters and what was called "cut money"--that is, a Spanish dollar, for instance, was cut into halves, quarters and eights, which passed current for small

change, and many times it was cut into nine shilling pieces, from one dollar.

The troops were paid off for long back pay, and money flowed like water --everybody had plenty.

Many of the troops were discharged (times expiring) in Detroit and settled on farms in Oakland and other counties in the State.

Being first-class eastern men, they made many of our best citizens. Lieutenant Chesney Blake resigned in Detroit, and afterwards became the noted Captain

Blake, of the lakes, and finally settled on a farm in Oakland county. Colonel John Hamilton, of Flint, was discharged a sergeant in Detroit.

I have seen all these men march Detroit streets, and lived by them in after years. Mr. Samuel Munson, father of Mr. Henry Munson, of Detroit, is now living at East Saginaw.

1816-17

He came to Detroit in 1816 or 1817, and tended bar for my father.

Being about my age, we used to slide downhill together, on Woodward avenue.

We boys had a large skating park, of several acres, the water in the fall coming from the upper part of the city and flowing the low grounds in the

rear of old Ste. Anne's Catholic church. I have lived in the State ever since those days, and am astonished when I look in vain for our old

play grounds. here was in that hill a small fort open then to the river, where stood one or more guns and

mortars, used for throwing shot and shell across the river during the war of 1812; On the 14th day of August, 1817, President James Monroe visited Detroit and was received

with public honors. My father was then city marshal, and was conducting the procession through rite city.

Passing his residence on Jefferson avenue mother beckoned him, when he dismounted, went into the house,

1818

The first steamboat upon Lake Erie, the "Walk-in-the-Water;" visited Detroit in the summer of 1818.

She was a great wonder to the French and Indians. in fact to us all, being the first I or any of our family had seen.

I recollect one circumstance which I never shall forget. The steamer landed at what was then Wing's wharf.

at the foot of Bates street, originally built by Henry Hudson and called Hudson's wharf.

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It was built on bents and planked over, about ten feet wide, running to the channel;

at the end was a large pier, with an ice-break, laid of square timber and filled with stone, also a pier built in same way about half way.

carts could drive out there, turn round, fill their barrels with pure water and water the city. I have described the wharf; now for what took place.

On the deck of the old "Walk-in-the-Water" stood Lord Selkirk. with cocked hat, English coat and breeches and buckles, talking with some gentlemen.

when Hon. Austin E. Wing, United States marshal, walked up and arrested the lord for crimes committed against the Hudson Bay Fur Co.

in the Hudson Bay country years before, and the lord and Marshal Wing walked up town together.

-- Venture to Oakland County.

In the fall of 1818, my father, Calvin Baker, Jacob Elliott, my uncle Alpheus Williams, and

others, made a journey to Oakland county, on horseback. They had a French guide.

Following the Indian trail towards Saginaw, they crossed the Clinton River at Pontiac. After exploring the surrounding country, my father selected three hundred and twenty acres of

land in the vicinity. , or upon a beautiful lake, which he afterwards named Silver Lake.

After an absence of three or four days, the party returned. Their report electrified the staid, quiet inhabitants of Detroit.

, among whom the belief was general that the interior of Michigan was a vast impenetrable and uninhabitable wilderness and morass.

In the winter of 1818 and 1819 father started with his horses and wagon, provisions and tools,

and three men for his new home. , to build a house for the reception of his family in the spring.

This was the first team and wagon ever driven to Pontiac. taking three days, cutting his road and bridging streams and bad places.

The few families then at Pontiac had packed their supplies on ponies or on their own backs.

There were Maj. Todd, Orson Allen, son-in-law of Maj. Todd, and one other man and his wife all living in one (not large) log house.

Father's house was of hewed logs laid up very nicely, fifty feet long and twenty wide, one and a

half stories high, with a shake roof.

1819

In March, 1819, he moved his family into his unfinished yet comfortable house.

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and all commenced to make a farm among the Indians, flies, mosquitoes, snakes, wild game, and fever and ague.

Father used to say, when asked if we had the ague, "Yes, we had a little about thirteen months in the year."

Our family suffered much from sickness, privations and lack of the comforts of life.

Mother and sisters lived there six months without seeing the face of a white woman; then my aunt and her daughter made us a visit from Detroit, stayed with us a few days,

helped us and cheered us up.

1820

The summer of 1820 father raised and finished a large barn, 40×40, which was the first frame raised in Oakland county

and which still stands upon the old homestead in a good state of preservation. I was one who drew the pine logs from a pinery, about one and a half miles from the old home,

for the finishing and enclosing the barn. The plank boards and shingles were sawed and made on the place.

The Indians were kind and very friendly during our sickness , bringing us many luxuries in the shape of wild meat and berries of the choicest kind.

We found them not bad neighbors. The winters of those days were not much like 1885

; no snow of any consequence until March, and then we got barely enough to enable us to get up our year's stock of wood.

I have driven team to break up our land through the months of December. January and February, as we would now in May and June.

We used three and four yoke of good heavy oxen, to plow the oak openings, among what we called the the heads of the oak scrubs that had been burned off).

I recollect the first field of wheat of about six acres we had; when in the milk the yellow birds commenced coming.

The first we saw delighted us, but they increased and destroyed every head of grain, and we never cut a straw.

This we thought rather rough, on the start. Father kept a few goods and we boys traded considerably with the Indians,

collecting a good many furs and skins, sugar, wax, etc., which we sold in Detroit, procuring in exchange many comforts we could not get from the new farm.

Every spring while I remained at home I would take a load of furs, sugar, etc, to Detroit. I could not go direct, the roads being impassable; consequently I used to go by way of Mt. Clemens,

taking two and three days, usually staying at Mt. Clemens over night with Colonel Clemens , going from there out to the lake and then down the lake and river road

(this was a little like pioneer life). Often I had to stop, when night overtook me, (very few taverns, if any),

with farmers who had nothing to eat but baked potatoes and milk,

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but who afterwards became fine farmers and leading men. The road direct from Pontiac to Detroit became, after some travel almost impassable,

so wet and muddy to any depth. Father purchased a corn mill, which was put up in a tree in the yard;

the hopper would hold half a bushel or more. With two cranks we boys would grind out a bushel of corn when wanted,

which gave us nice corn meal. The neighbors also came and ground their corn,

and this proved a very great convenience to the neighborhood. Deer and all wild game were very plenty. We boys became quite expert hunters.

I hunted considerable, but for a long time could kill nothing, often having deer stand all around me,

distant from three or four rods to ten, fifteen and twenty. I would take the nearest, aim and fire, but could not get one,

although I was a splendid marksman— could hit the size of a quarter of a dollar twice out of three times at twenty rods. The trouble was, I was excited, and in sighting a deer I would see the deer's body

, and, of course, I would fire above the deer. My younger brothers had killed many, and they laughed at me, to my great annoyance.

I started out one morning early and said to myself, Now, if I get a shot, I will be calm and take time and take good aim, as if shooting at a mark,

I will have no more fooling. I had not got out of sight of the house before I saw a deer about twenty or thirty rods from me.

I took deliberate aim, drew a fine sight, and my deer fell. Then to get him home.

I thought I could carry him on my back, as I had often seen the Indians do. So I fixed him, got him on to a log, and then on to my back, and started

, but did not go far before I backed up to a log and let him off. After a little I started again, but it was no go.

I was in sight of the house for which I had started. Such a looking object as I was!

I had daubed myself from head to foot with blood and deer hair. Oh, how I looked, but I marched bravely home, for I had killed a deer.

The family were at breakfast as I went in.

As soon as my father saw me he and my brother shouted, "He's killed a deer !" Mother, good woman, smiled and said, "Why, Ephraim, how you do look!

Just look at your clothes." I said, "Never mind, mother, I have killed a deer." I was then over the buck fever and could kill a deer every time I fired on one.

Father took his horse and wagon and we went and brought him in. We never spent much time in hunting, for we could go out an hour or two, morning or evening,

and kill a deer. Our lakes were almost black with ducks, spring and fall.

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We could kill a mess in five minutes near our house. I recollect father and myself crawling beside a fence leading from the barn to the lake. , and, upon his giving the word, we fired together into a flock of ducks near the shore,

and we got eleven large, fine, black-neck ducks. An Indian family by the name of Wa-me-gan lived on the high bank near the house

, and were a fine, friendly family. Wa-me-gan started out one morning a-hunting, went in north a few miles

, when it commenced snowing. He fell upon an old bear lying under a turned-up tree.

We supposed he found and wounded him, and the bear made fight. The old man defended himself, losing his knife and tomahawk in the fight.

The bear struck him on the head, cutting gashes With each claw like a blow from a tomahawk, the thumb claw taking out one eye.

We supposed this blow knocked him down, then the bear bit him through his legs and arms terribly, and left him for dead.

The old man recovered, went a few steps, set his rifle beside a tree, sat down with his head on his bands and knees, and was found frozen dead. His sons found him, after one or two days' search.

It had snowed several inches: his knife and tomahawk were never found.

The sons followed the bear, but never found him. My brother and myself took the horses and sleigh,\

and, with his sons, brought him in. He was buried on the farm.

This grave was always protected, and I presume it is to this day.

1822

In the fall of 1822, Mr. Rufus Stevens, his brother. A. C. Stevens, and myself went from Silver Lake to Saginaw on horseback,

following the Indian trail. We found the two companies of United States troops in their tents,

hard at work building the stockade and their winter quarters. We remained a day and returned.

There was not a house from Waterford to Saginaw.

The winter of 1822–3. Colonel John Hamilton, Harvey Williams and myself each took a team and lead of supplies and provisions for the troops,

Mr. Schuyler Hedges accompanying us to see the country. The soldiers had cut a road through the woods and pine windfalls for sleigh track.

Going out we put all three teams on each lead to draw it across Flint River and up its banks. We slept on the south bank of Cass River,

between two large fallen pine trees. In the morning we were under about four or five inches of snow.

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It snowed all day. We arrived at Saginaw and crossed the river not until after dark,

having traveled only about twelve miles. The soldiers took charge of our teams and put them in warm stables and

we were ushered into good, warm quarters and fared sumptuously. We left next afternoon and slept that night at Cass River, where we found a vacant log house.

We got our horses into it and with rails we built a big fire in the fireplace

and camped for the night. It was a very cold night.

Our horses and ourselves suffered severely. Of that company I am the only survivor, the Messrs. Stevens, Hamilton, Williams and Hodges

all have crossed the river, where we must all follow ere long.

1823

My sister Caroline married Mr. Rufus Stevens and moved to Grand Blanc, Genesee county, in 1823,

they being the first settlers in that town. In the fall of 1824, a party of eight young men and girls visited my sister, Stevens,

traveling on horseback, there being no road, but only an Indian trail. Next morning we rode to Flint River, seven miles, (where the city now is)

, crossed the river on the rapids where the dam and mills now are; explored the surroundings, which were beautiful, being an open oak forest like an orchard.

We could see for miles around, having been burned over, and could see the wild deer feeding on the acorns in from twos to droves of often a dozen.

You may think this exaggerated but it is not, for they were as plenty as sheep.

It was not unusual to see in the fall of the year, droves of twenty and even more. In those days we could not ride through the oak openings without seeing deer feeding on the

rolling hills, in all directions. The oak openings were perfectly beautiful, being from June a perfect flower garden.

-- Militia formed in Pontiac.

In the year 1821 a militia company was formed in Pontiac, and vicinity.

Calvin Hotchkiss was the captain. I hold a commission, as ensign, under Lewis Cass, Governor of the Territory, dated June 13,

1821. A regiment was afterwards formed, and

I hold a commission as its adjutant, dated the 11th day of August, 1824. I think the above was the first company, and regiment formed in the Territory.

We were well uniformed and equipped. Had a grand regimental parade every fall, in Pontiac.

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To have a parade ground, I engaged men and mowed off the brush and cleaned off the ground from Pike street to the river,

on the west side of Main street, in Pontiac, where the Hodges House stands; Calvin Hotchkiss, colonel; David Steward, lieutenant colonel; Henry C. Brunson, major.

We soon had three or four rifle companies, in full uniform, commanded by Captain John Hamilton, Captain Archibald Phillips, Captain John Hamlin, and so on.

We used to have fine parades and any amount of fun. We also had one company of horse, about thirty strong, commanded by Captain Daniel Lyon.

-- My Parents Marriage.

Father and mother were married in 1796, in Concord, Mass.

Mother's name was Mary Lee. They had a family of fourteen, ten boys and four girls.

Father died in 1834. Mother died April 1, 1860, and

in January, 1884, seven of those children were alive, six being of the eight that came to Detroit in 1815.

Two died in California during the summer of 1885.

-- My Marriage.

March 13, 1825, I married Miss Hannah Melissa Gates, on her Grandfather James Harington's farm, near the village of Auburn, Oakland county.

I built a log house on part of the old homestead , and lived there until I moved to Saginaw.

My daughter Mary (afterwards Mrs. Hiram Walker of Detroit) was born September 25, 1826. We had a family of seven, of whom four are still living.

1829

In 1829 I moved to Saginaw, our party going on horseback,

I carrying my daughter before me on a pillow. My wife's sister and several others accompanied us.

The first night we camped out at Pine Run. The next day we arrived at Saginaw, and

made our home in the officers' quarters--a very comfortable place, inside the stockade, until I built on the corner of Mackinaw and Washington streets.

1828

In 1828 my brother and myself commenced the Indian trade

, under the firm name of G. D. & E. S. Williams, which we continued about twelve years, under the auspices of the American Fur Company, of

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which James Abbott, of Detroit, was agent. There were no roads.

We had, with others then at Saginaw, to go on horses (or ponies) from Saginaw to Grand Blanc, some forty odd miles, and

not a house or white family the entire distance, carrying our children before us. Often, from high water and bad roads to get through, we were obliged to camp out for the

night , and so always went prepared for the emergency.

Over bad places, swamps, etc., we crossed on fallen trees, old logs, etc., carrying our wives and children on our backs,

while the men took the ponies through or around places almost impassable. We usually traveled in companies of a dozen or more, for mutual protection and assistance.

My oldest children, Mary and Olive, had only Indian children for playmates.

The chiefs gave them Indian names, in token of their friendship.

The wives and daughters of the chiefs, would take them to the pay grounds , and, under the direction of the chiefs, they would draw their share of money the same as,

and with, the Indian children. We bought our goods for the Indian trade, and

also for what little white trade there was of the American Fur Company, and sold them our furs in the spring.

1822

Perhaps it is well to give a short sketch of the city of Saginaw at this time.

The government made it a military reservation , and troops were sent there in the summer of 1822,

being part of the third regiment, U.S. troops. They were ordered there from Green Bay, for the protection of the frontier.

They were under the command of Major Daniel Baker, and remained at this point about fourteen months.

Here they lost some valuable officers, Lieutenant Baker, the major's brother, and Lieutenant Allen, and about a dozen men.

This discouraged the major, and they were ordered by the war department to Detroit.

The venerable' and beloved Dr. Pitcher, of Detroit, who was then assistant surgeon in the regular army, and had

reported to Major Baker at this time, was in attendance upon the garrison.

The event of withdrawing the troops tended to draw away attention from the Saginaw Valley, and

retarded immigration. The military reserve was purchased of the government by Samuel Dexter, of Dexter, Mich.,

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for seven or eight thousand dollars. We rented the property of Mr. Dexter, and occupied it until we built up town, on Mackinaw

street. Mr. Dexter often urged my brother and myself to purchase the property,

which at one time he offered to us for seven thousand dollars. He afterwards sold it to Dr. Millington, of Ypsilanti, for $dollar; 11,000,

who, in turn, sold it to Mr. Norman Little, for himself, Mackie, Oakley and Jennison, of New York city, for $dollar; 55,000—

a nice little speculation in a short time for the doctor. Then commenced the building of Saginaw City.

1836

In 1836 Mr. Norman Little came from Detroit, with Governor Mason,

by the steamboat "Governor Marcy," the first steamboat that ever plowed the waters of the Saginaw River.

The citizens all took a ride on the "Marcy" up the Tittabawassee River , above Green Point (which is the head of Saginaw River),

a mile or two, got aground, and were most of the day getting off and back to the city, being a hard day's work instead of a day of pleasure.

-1837-38

The expenditures of the firm of Mackie & Co., of which Mr. Little was a member, in their efforts

to build up Saginaw City, by the erection of various expensive structures, some of which still stand as monuments of

their enterprise, amounted to a very large sum, and,

followed so soon by the financial crisis of 1837-1838, it is not to be wondered at that trouble and embarrassment ensued,

causing further active efforts on their part, at that time, to build up Saginaw City almost entirely to cease.

Disappointed, but not discouraged, Mr. Norman Little turned his attention to the east side of the river, and

in 1850 induced Mr. James M. Hoyt, of the old firm of Eli Hoyt & Co., of New York city, and his son, Mr. Jesse Hoyt, to become interested with himself, each one-third, in the site and business

of East Saginaw.

-- First Steam Mill in Saginaw.

In the year 1834-1835 my brother and I (G. D. & E. S. Williams) built the first steam mill, with one saw, ever built in the Saginaw valley; and,

I think, the first in the State. Harvey Williams owning one-third, he furnishing the engine and boilers.

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In after years it was burned down. My brother, G. D. Williams, built a fine mill afterwards, on the point opposite the first one.

That was burned down. Then his sons built a first-class modern mill on the river, and it, with salt block and fixtures, still

runs.

1828

When G. D. & E. S. Williams commenced the Indian trade in 1828 we occupied the sutler's store,

outside the stockade: and, as I have said, lived inside the stockade in the officers' quarters.

We built the red store and occupied it as long as we continued trade. Reaume, a Frenchman and an Indian trader, (who was at that time, 1828, and at that point the

agent of the American Fur Company, and was trading under them), and the Messrs. Campau had had personal difficulties of long standing,

which had become an inveterate feud, creating unprofitable divisions with the Indians, amounting with them to fierce partisan hatred.

The current becoming turned against Reaume, and his personal safety endangered, his store was kept closed too much of the time for him to continue a profitable agent of trade

for the company at that post.

Judge Abbott, the company's superintendent at Detroit, selected the Messrs. Williams as the successors of Reaume

, who became the owners of his entire interests in his Indian trade. The hatred had become so strong against Reaume by the opposition traders that

they endeavored to and did set the Indians against the out-posts. Dequindre, an active young Frenchman, clerk of the store at the forks of the Tittabawassee, was driven out of his store, by a very ugly Indian, called White Devil or Wah-be-man-e-too,

White Devil taking possession with his friends, of the store, drinking and enjoying themselves

until the employs came home from the woods: The clerk fled to Saginaw, got lost, and was frozen badly before he got in.

This was the state of things we found when we commenced the trade in 1828.

The traders had become savage toward the Indians, and often abused them for little or no cause, which

we had to put a stop to, putting in their written agreements if anything of the kind was done,

without good provocation, they would be discharged.

In arranging for our winter trade, in the fall of 1828, we considered it very important to reestablish and open the trade at the Forks

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where the store had been broken up, that being a good business point, and it was thought best that I should go to that post.

I consequently prepared to do so, with a good stock of goods for the trade. I choose for my assistants, interpreter and runners,

Jacob Gravenrod [Graverod], one of the best interpreters in the whole country , and the two younger Rays.

Prudent friends endeavored to persuade me not to embark in an enterprise so evidently fraught with danger,

but my own and the company's interest required the venture, and I, with my assistants, soon arrived at the post.

The opposition store, with three men, was about sixty rods from mine.

The Indians in this section were, at this time, considered the worst and most dangerous in all the country,

but about the best hunters and trappers of valuable furs, and it was a very important post to be maintained.

I was successful in taking in a large lot of valuable furs, such as beaver, otter, martin, mink. , fisher, bear, coon and muskrat and doeskin.

My men were absent from home most of the time gathering furs from the Indians ; therefore I was alone and experienced many unpleasant affairs

, a few of which I will relate. I soon gained the friendship of the Indians and they behaved well toward me and my men,

only when put up to mischief by the opposition, who were half-breeds, and, being jealous of our success, could, with a little whisky,

cause the ugly ones to give us serious trouble, but always, when sober afterwards, say they were sorry and ask forgiveness.

It was necessary to have an Indian guide who understood where the hunters and trappers were in the interior.

The opposition house had a very good one, who had been their guide for years and not good for much else.

During the winter Gravenrod and myself, when about retiring one cold and snowy night,

heard a "bang" on our outer door; soon again, another. We asked who was there; "bang" again, harder than before.

We told him to go away or he would get hurt. "Let me in;" "bang" again.

I picked up a hickory sapling about three feet long we had been using and crept carefully to the door,

unfastened the inner door, unhooked the outer door (having double doors), and when the "bang" came again, threw open the door and sprang out.

He ran, I after him, down toward his home, the snow being about a foot' deep. I came up to him in about twenty rods, struck him over the head with my hickory, and

he fell into the snow. I gave him one or two good cuts across his thighs, and left him.

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The next morning I left for Saginaw, on business, on an Indian pony, and as I was about starting, the fellow came in, painted black; said he was drunk and was sorry; said he was put up to it.

I told him we wanted nothing to do with him, to go home and keep away from us, or he would get worse punished.

I left for Saginaw, and when twelve or fifteen miles on my way,

I heard a slight noise, and, looking around, this fellow, with a shotgun on his shoulder, was trotting along behind me,

looking black and ugly as possible. It gave me a little start, yet I knew he was a coward.

I asked him what he was following me for. He said the clerk had sent down for some goods. I told him to take the front and trot ahead, and

I kept him in the front the rest of the way to Saginaw.

On my return he came to the store, said he was sorry and ashamed of what he had done,

wished me to forgive him, and, if I wanted him for a guide,

he would leave the opposition and join us. Good guides were very scarce, and he being an excellent one, we took him.

We found him very useful, and he remained with us ever after. Indians are peculiar.

If they feel they have been abused or punished undeservedly, they never forget it, and sometime will retaliate on you or your property;

but when they deserve punishment for doing wrong, if partially drunk, they know it , and will invariably, when sober, come and say you did right; that they were wrong, and

ask to be forgiven and to be friends, and they wild ever after be good friends and do anything for you.

This very thing is the cause of much of the trouble with the Indians in the western portion of our country.

Government officers and traders misuse them, rob them of their reservations, their game, and often of their wives and daughters,

at which they feel injured and abused. I often think they are not so much to blame, after all.

-- Fued Among Indians.

During this winter two parties of Indians came to the store from different sections,

and of different totems, between whom a feud existed, of long standing. After trading their furs, they had a drink together, and began to talk up the old feud.

Gravenrod, and myself made up our minds there would be trouble, and we must guard against it as much as possible.

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There were about twenty, and they were outside the store. I proposed they should not come into the store, unless they gave me their knives at the door.

Only one refused. I stood on the inside of the door, which, being low, one had to stoop a little.

This one said he would come in, and I said he should not, unless he gave up his knife. He lowered his head to rush in, and I met him between the eyes with my fist, and he went to

the ground. He jumped up and handed me his knife.

This man's brother was a chief, and a powerful man, called Chee-a-nin-nce (Big Man). The leading man from the other party was called As-see-nee-wee,

one of the finest built men I ever saw. These two leading ones became the contestants, the rest of each party trying to prevent

hostilities, and Gravenrod was doing his best to separate the two, as they had clinched each other.

I stood by the door, in the rear of Big Man. Gravenrod, called to me at the top of his voice to pull Big Man back,

for he had a knife and would kill As-see-nee-wee. I sprang and caught Big Man by the shoulders, and sprang back with all my strength, separating

them, and we all came down upon the floor.

Old Man, his brother and two or three more all had hold of the old man, his brother and myself holding him down, and

it was all we could do, the old fellow roaring and frothing at the mouth with rage.

He had dropped his knife. We got the advantage of him, so his brother could hold him.

They told me to get a rope and we would tie him. Hearing this he begged us not to tie him, and he would give up and be quiet.

Tying is something an Indian fears and looks upon as degrading. While this was going on, Gravenrod got the others out of the store

and started them off to their camps. It was now getting dusk.

I spread some deer skins beside the chimney, in a corner, and his brother got the old man to lie down,

and he soon got to sleep, and his brother watched him all night. During the night As-see-nee-wee came to the door and asked Gravenrod to let him in,

which he did. He was about sober.

He came to my bed and said if I would let him have a knife, he would fix the old man so he would never trouble us again;

if I would do so he would give me a big beaver skin, then worth about $dollar; 15. I said, "No, ain't you ashamed of yourself, you coward,

To take the life of that good old man while asleep. " He shook my hand and said. "You are right;

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let me out and I will go home." In the morning they all met friendly,

and soon left for their several homes. I have often thought how we barely escaped being injured.

It was a terrible fight, bloodless, however. The winter passed without any more excitement.

More Trouble in Spring

One pleasant day in the spring, while alone,

I saw Mr. White Devil coming up from the other trading house apparently a little "set up," and I thought he would probably give me a call.

I had not seen him all winter. I had kept a good hickory cane, about an inch in diameter, in the store in case of necessity,

which I took in hand. White Devil came in, threw off his pack of traps and fixtures for his spring trapping,

seated himself on a stool, looked ugly and about half tight.

He raised his head and says, "Mis-shay-way," (my Indian name, meaning Big Elk), with an insolent and defiant hearing, which a half-drunken Indian only can assume,

"give me some whisky." I refused.

He placed his hand upon the handle of his tomahawk, drew his knife, and repeated the demand more fiercely than at first,

and was met by another refusal as defiant as his last demand. He then sprang for me (I standing beside the door) with uplifted tomahawk and knife,

aiming a blow at me which, if I had not warded it off, would doubtless have proved fatal.

With my hickory cane, and keen eye on his movements, I took him on the side of his head and felled him to the floor,

and being about to repeat the blow, the discomfitted hero begged for mercy. Getting up, after recovering from the stunning effects of the blow,

I ordered him to leave the store, which he did and sat down in front of it in apparently deep thought,

his head in his hands and blood flowing from his nose and mouth. After a little he called me to come to him,

and expressed great mortification at the outrage he had attempted, and, to confirm his sincerity, promised that on his return from his trappings, if he had good luck,

I should have all his furs except enough to pay his debts at the other store. I told him never to attempt anything again on me,

for he would not escape as easily. I had no confidence he would keep his promise,

for he had always been a fast friend of the opposition. But he did, faithfully, and became my fast friend,

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and would stand by my side in case of any trouble with Indians as long as he lived. I got about fifty dollars' trade on his return and all future trade.

He was a desperate fellow, had killed several during his time,

and all the Indians stood in fear of him. He was finally killed.

He and another hard case sat down opposite each other with a bottle of whisky between them, and commenced talking over their exploits, which was the best man, etc.,

exchanging drinks, until they drew their knives and commenced striking for each other's hearts,

and White Devil was killed, and the other nearly so. White Devil is the same man who I have said broke up and took possession of the store the

winter before I went in charge. This winter settled the question of quietly holding the Forks trading post during remaining years

of trade.

New trading posts or stores were established.

During this winter's trade of mine at this post, my wife and daughter were with my father, on the old homestead, at Silver Lake.

We established stores at River Au Sable, with a clerk and two men; one on Cass river, clerk and two men; one at Sebewaing, clerk and two men.

We also commissioned several Indian women with goods to trade for us. Many were very good traders and collected many furs,

and were usually very trusty and would render just account for every dollar.

My brother and I owned a small sloop of about thirty tons burden, called the "Savage," which plied constantly between Saginaw and Detroit,

and many a time she was looked for with much anxiety, as often not a barrel of flour could be gathered in the valley.

One spring, cranberries were very high in Detroit and Buffalo, and that spring there were any quantity on the Shiawassee low lands.

We told the Indians we would buy all they would bring us. They went to picking, and we took the "Savage" and filled her full in bulk,

after filling all our barrels and boxes. I think we had one thousand five hundred or two thousand bushels.

She left for Detroit. I went overland.

Mr. Abbott told me there was a man from Buffalo buying all the cranberries he could. We sold him the entire cargo, delivering by the "Savage," at Buffalo,

at two dollars and fifty cents per bushel. We bought about one hundred bushels of other traders at eight shillings per bushel.

We thought this a very good little operation.

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There was in the Saginaw Valley a legend of Sauk spirits haunting the valley.

It has been mentioned that the ancient Chippewas imagined the country which they had

wrested from the conquered Sauks, to be haunted by the spirits of those whom they had slain and that it was only after the lapse of years that their terrors were allayed sufficiently to

permit them to occupy the "haunted hunting grounds.

But the superstition still remained, and in fact, it was never entirely dispelled.

Long after the Saginaw Valley was studded with white settlements, the simple Indians still believed that mysterious Sauks were lingering in their forests and along

the margins of their streams. for purposes of vengeance;

that "Manesons,"; or bad spirits in the form of Sauk warriors, were hovering around their villages and camps and the flank of their hunting grounds,

preventing them from being successful in the chase and bringing ill-fortune and discomfort in a hundred ways.

So great was their dread that when (as was frequently the case) they became possessed with the idea that the

"Manesous" were in their immediate vicinity, they would fly as if for their lives, abandoning everything, wigwams, fish, game and all their

camp equipage , and no amount of ridicule from the whites could convince them of their folly

or induce them to stay and face the imaginary danger. Some of the Indian bands whose country joined that of the Saginaws, played upon their weak

superstition and derived profit from it by lurking around their villages or camps,

frightening them into flight and then appropriating the property which they had abandoned.

Dried Sturgeon an Indian Delicacy

There was a time every spring when the Indians from Saginaw and the interior would congregate in large parties

for the purpose of putting up dried sturgeon, which made a very delicate dish when properly cooked,

and was much used in those days by the first families of Detroit. We used to purchase considerable of it for our use.

The Indians would select the best, flay them, hang them across poles in rows, about four feet from the ground and two feet apart,

then a gentle smoke was kept under them until they were perfectly dry, then packed up in bales of perhaps fifty pounds each.

Where they accomplished this was on the Point Au Gres (as it was then called). At a certain time every spring the sturgeon would come upon this point,

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which was very shallow a long distance out, and in the warm sun would work themselves to the shore until they would lie and roll like cord

wood, perfectly helpless, and here the Indians would go among them and select the best.

I have been on the point at these times and seen the performances. It was great sport.

A little Indian will wade in to about a foot of water, find a big sturgeon (some are very large) , strike a small tomahawk in his nose, straddle him;

the sturgeon will carry him through the water at quite a speed, the little fellow steering by the handle of his tomahawk,

not letting him go to deep water, and when he feels tired of the sport he runs his fancy nag ashore.

When their sturgeon was dry and often put up in bales for summer use, then poor, lazy, worthless Indians from a distance,

having an eye to supplying themselves with provisions which they never labored to obtain, would commence, in different ways, to excite their fears that the "Manesous" were about their camps, until at last they would take to their canoes and flee,

often leaving almost everything they possessed. Then the "Manesous" (the thieving Indians from the bands who had cunningly brought about

the stampede for the sake of plunder) would rob the camps of what they wanted, and escape to their homes with, perhaps their summer supplies Of fish, and often of sugar and

dried venison. I have met them fleeing as above;

sometimes twenty or more canoes; have stopped them and tried to induce them to return,

and we would go with them, as we were going by their camps); but no, it was the "Manesous." they said, and nothing could convince them differently,

and away they would go, frightened nearly to death.

I have visited their camps at such times, gathered up their effects that were left, and secured them in some one camp from destruction

by wild animals. After a while they would return and save what was left.

During these times they were perfectly miserable, actually afraid of their own shadows. It was nor alone on their annual fishing expeditions to the lake that these things occurred;

similar scenes were enacted by their hunting parties in the forests of the Shiawassee and Flint. , and at their summer camps, the beautiful inland lakes of their southern border.

I have had them come from places miles distant, bringing their rifles to me, asking me to examine and re-sight them,

declaring that the sights had been removed (and in most cases they had, but by themselves in their fright).

I always did, when applied to, resight and try them until they would shoot correctly, and then they would go away cheerfully.

I would tell them that they must keep their rifles where the "Manesous" could not find them.

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At other times, having a little bad luck hunting or trapping,

they became excited and would say that the game had been over and in their traps, and that they could nor catch: anything.

Have known them to go so far as to insist that a beaver or an otter had been in their, traps and gotten out;

that their traps were bewitched or spell-bound, and their rifles charmed by the "Manesous" so that they could not catch or kill anything.

Then they gave a great feast, and the medicine man or conjurer, through his wise and dark performances, removed the charm.

, and all was well, and traps and rifles did their duty again. These things have been handed down for generations,

and so through all the domains of the Saginaws their lives were made miserable by their superstitious fears;

and they expiated the crimes committed by their ancestors against the unfortunate Sauks.

Strange Incidents Part of Indian Trade.

The Indian trade was attended with many strange incidents. Where there was opposition each party was on the lookout to get the advantage of his

opponent in starting on expeditions for trade unknown to him,

or, wherein it was thought they could not follow on, to get by the opposition's traveling posts so they would not know it.

I started one bright, cold winter morning, about sunrise, for the bay and lake shore, with one man.

We had an old style French cutter, with high back, loaded full of goods and provisions for the trade;

the ice was fine, and, with skates on we shoved the sleigh before us. We were going with great speed down the river,

when, about in front of where East Saginaw now stands, we found ourselves on new ice formed the night before, over an air hole.

We left the cutter to save ourselves, on strong ice, when our cutter dropped into the river.

Our load consisted of corn, one two bushel bag of flour, a large bundle of dry goods, silver ornaments, etc.,

for Indian trade, a bundle of traps, hatchets, ice chisels, etc. We soon worked our load up to the strong ice and got all out, except the traps, etc.,

which went to the bottom. Our goods, being on top of the load with our blankets and provisions, were not wet. The corn and flour were pretty wet,

and ourselves very wet. The question was should we return (being only about a mile from home) or load up and go

ahead? If we returned the opposition would take our place, and laugh at us,

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and get the trade we expected to get. We decided to go ahead.

The ice being fine for skating we were not long going to the mouth of the river, and, running along the bay a few miles beyond O-kaw-kaw-ning (now called Kawkawlin) river,

we drew up under a sand bank and evergreens where the sun came down warm. We made a good fire, dried ourselves, took a lunch and started on.

Reaching an Indian camp, where we had a squaw trader, we left part of our corn and flour for her trade and what goods she wanted,

and left and camped at the River Au Gres, making our day's run some fifty miles or more.

Next day we arrived at the River Au Sable, where we had a trading post. We had sold our corn and flour before we reached the River Au Gres,

where we camped the first night. The cotton bag with the flour had wet in, and considerable flour stuck to it.

I requested the squaw to dry it and keep it until my return. While at the Sable a heavy wind broke the ice up, in the bay and lake,

making it difficult to get back, leaving to keep along the shore, we left our cutter, and

with packs on our backs, made our way slowly homeward. When we got back to where we left our flour bag we had about used up all our provisions,

always depending much upon the Indians; but, the ice being gone, we found them very destitute, in some cases almost starving,

as the lake Indians depended on fish for their living, going out a great distance to fish through the ice, often getting camped down for the night by a fire.

The young men came in from hunting, but had killed nothing and they had nothing to eat.

I asked the squaw if she had cleaned the flour off the bag that stuck to it, being wet. I supposed she had, she said she had not,

thinking we might want it on our return she brought it forward, and it being heavy I told her to scrape the flour off and cook it up for our suppers.

She was more than pleased to do so. I told her to cook it the way she could make the most of it.

She made a large kettle full of Per-quish-a-gan-nor-bo, flour mush made about like our paste. , only thin, so you eat it with a spoon.

I asked her then to give it out to all her family. She gave us a good pan full, which made us a good supper.

This night was very cold and the following morning extremely so. I supposed our paste was all gone, but no, this good woman had kept a pan full for our

breakfast, which she gave us hot and good.

As we were about to leave and bid them good-bye the old father of the large family who laid in one side of the wigwam almost helpless,

fumbled over his bags near him;

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he took out a dried fish, about the size of a medium whitefish, and addressed me with.

"My son, this is a very cold morning, you have a very cold trip, you will find it very cold traveling on the ice on the other side of the point,

you have nothing to eat and you will find the Indians on your route very poor and hungry,

take this fish. It's the only thing we have left;

I have kept it in case of necessity; this cold spell will make ice so my sons can go out and catch more;

you will need it more than I. " I thanked him and said "no." and handed it back to him,

he would not take it but insisted I should do so. I cut the fish in halves and handed him a half, and told him I could not take it all from him;

he accepted the half, and we shook hands and departed.

We soon crossed the point and found it as the old man said, severely cold and the ice slippery, obliging us to keep nearer the shore on the old ice and snow.

We traveled until in the afternoon, it was so cold we could not stand it,

and, seeing a smoke in the woods, we concluded to make for it, And take quarters for the night-.

We found the women and children all out digging in about eight or ten inches of snow for acorns,

which was all they had to eat. These they boiled and made a kind of mush, which was not very bad.

We took quarters for the night with them, for it was a long distance before we should find another camp.

About dusk one or two hunters came in with a large raccoon,

and there was much rejoicing all around. They soon had him dressed and in the kettle, and,

when cooked, the lady of the house kindly presented us with one shoulder of Mr. 'Coon, in a clean wooden dish,

which was really more than our proportion, and, with our half fish, we made our supper.

It was awful cold; they kept fire all night,

still we could sleep but very little. We started in the morning, without breakfast, traveled all day and until after dark,

when I became about tired out, and told my man we must go in shore and camp,

for I could not go much further.

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He thought the same. He said we must be near the Indian camp, where we left corn and flour on our way out,

and just at that moment he said, "I smell smoke." and he gave an Indian whoop, and a dog answered.

This was a cheering sound, so we rushed in toward shore, and soon arrived at the camp, where lay beside the camp a dozen or more fine, large, fresh trout

the old man had just brought in from the bay. Oh, how good they did look!

We never saw a more gratifying sight than when the woman and her two daughters met us at the door and welcomed us in

(they were our trading women I spoke of). They had a nice, clean, warm camp.

They soon laid down some mats and made a place for us. The old man said, "You must be tired and hungry." We replied, "Yes." I said, "I am almost dead."

We laid down and the women took off our moccasins and leggings, which were frozen on our feet.

They were cleaned off and hung in the smoke for morning use. The girls pounded some corn, and soon a kettle of hominy was cooking,

with a kettle of those beautiful trout, and a cake of bread baked in the ashes.

"You bet" we had a feast and plenty kept warm for breakfast. Never could any one be more kindly treated and cared for.

We were now a good hard day's walk from home. I was not used to such marches and it was very hard for me.

My man could stand it better, being an old traveler for years and used to it. The next morning we started for home,

both with pretty heavy packs on our backs. We soon entered the mouth of the Saginaw River, where we found plenty of snow.

We arrived home about sundown and all were glad to see us.

-- New Year's Day Dinner and Recall Good Times.

This was New Year's day and Mrs. Williams had gotten up a New Year's dinner for all, my brother, his wife, and the men, expecting me home.

After washing, changing clothes, and a general cleaning up, we sat down to a splendid table and happy home and happy New Year.

We should not have had as hard a trip but for the ice breaking up. I always had pleasant trips every spring in a birch canoe, going as far as Thunder Bay

(where I suppose Alpena is now situated), gathering furs along the coast and bringing home the store and men from Au Sable.

They also had a large bark canoe and we usually had them both loaded, their capacity being two tons each.

Often we could only make the river and run up as far as where Bay City now is, where we would make our camp on an old Indian camping ground,

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not being able to run the river in the night.

-- Indian Camp Stories.

The Indians are peculiar for telling stories, and delight in listening to others from the traders.

They will lie, smoke and tell stories, which are very long, half the night. When we get camped down with them for the night, a chief, perhaps, or the head of a family,

will say, "Well, come, tell a story," as they call it, art-soo-kay. They usually begin and make it mostly as they go on.

One I heard told, was as follows: He commenced to explain how the beaver came by his large, fiat tail,

and the muskrat by his round one. He said: "Originally, the beaver had the round tail and the muskrat the flat one.

The beaver was at work, building his dam across a small stream, for the purpose of forming a small pond to live in.

After cutting his timber and brush, floating and placing it in his dam, and getting it ready for sand and gravel,

he could not contrive how he should transport his sand and gravel, to make his dam water tight.

While in this state of mind, a muskrat came along, with his broad, flat tail. examining the beaver's works.

lie inquired how he would get his sand and gravel for his dam. Beaver said he had been thinking it over, and

thought perhaps they had better exchange tails for a time, or until Mr. Beaver could finish his dam.

Muskrat having no particular use for his flat tail, consented to accommodate his friend beaver,

and they exchanged. Beaver went on and carted sand and gravel on his flat tail and finished his dam.

Then muskrat wanted to trade back, but beaver, finding it just what he required for his work, objected to changing back,

and beaver being a large, stout fellow and muskrat a small one, the latter stood no chance to contend with beaver,

and so they have always remained to the present time." This story relates to many facts of the beaver's life which my friends are acquainted with.

Their working in past years--remains of their dams--are to be seen at this day in very many places in our State,

showing their wonderful ingenuity. When they are at work, building their dams, they keep an old, experienced beaver as sentinel

on watch, and upon the appearance of anyone, or hearing any strange noise, he will strike his tail upon

the water in such a manner as to give a loud sound

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, upon which signal all disappear in an instant

and remain until the watchman, by another signal, notifies them all is right again, and they go to work.

A Native Person will discover in a pond of stream with working beavers. To take one they would have a good opportunity.

Nonetheless they never fire a gun upon the beavers. They fear that the sound will break up their ventures.

The Indian prefers to trap them in a quiet way. ****************

The Indian who first discovers their dams building claims the site as his own possessions.

He then preserves them from year to year They only catch a few each year.

He only catches as many as required to pay his obligations. No other Indian presumes to set his traps without the owner's consent.

Somehow they know if an intruder has trapped their game without agreement.

They soon find out through traders or otherwise who was the thieving. The offended party will demand pay for what they stole.

Or they otherwise find a satisfactorily understanding. In this way the beaver’s ground was stayed under the holder’s control.

There was another story often told.

The animals called a convention to meet at a certain time and place. Their intent was to consult upon grave matters for their mutual benefit.

After being called to order a chairman chosen and many big talks were made in great confusion. The turtle rose to make a few remarks in answer to what had been said by some of the

members of the convention. When he was called to order by the skunk and others.

The turtle became displeased and in disgusts withdrew from the convention. Upon leaving the turtle was followed by Mr. Skunk.

Turtle being followed closely and much annoyed by his pursuer he ran up a tree. He got out of the way of the skunk.

Soon the convention broke up. The turtle came down and went home.

You already have the Ne-war-go affair.

What there is of Indian cures.

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The old chief speaker O-Gee-Maw-Ke-Ke-To, was the head chief and business manager of the Saginaw Indians.

He was stabbed across the body so the lower part of his liver came out about an inch. The conjurer or Indian doctor said he must die unless a piece of his liver was cut off and cooked

and eaten by him. , which was done and he was cured and lived many years.

Another fine man and splendid hunter, at one of their feasts (on the ground where East

Saginaw stands), became intoxicated as well as the rest. He rolled against the fire and being unconscious one side of him was literally cooked.

; the flesh came off his side, leaving his ribs bare

, and his thigh and arm to the bone. No one supposed he could live but a short time but they went to work and cured him.

He was able to hunt and carry a deer on his back. They caused the flesh to grow over all the bones perfectly.

He lay on his back six months before he was able to get up and about.

I often visited him, and the whites rendered all the assistance and little necessities they could for his comfort.

I suppose our doctors would call that patent-medicine treatment. It was done without the drugs of the present day.

Their medicines were all taken from the woods and the ground. It was perfectly wonderful to see the cures they would perform.

Another one was the case of a young married man, whom I knew very well. , living near us, at Green Point.

He was in the woods, a short distance from his camp. He cut down a tree for a coon,

in falling it, somehow caught his foot as it fell, so fast that he could not extricate himself. Night coming on, he unjointed his ankle and crawled home.

He was cured and lived to good old age, and was an excellent trapper,--going in his canoe.

Spring Trip to Forks Store

I went one spring with a canoe loaded, and three Indians, with supplies for our store at the Forks.

The water was very high, flooding the settlers on the river bottoms. Mr. Whitney was one flooded out.

He was at Saginaw when I left, and wished me to look into his house and see how things were. Mrs. Whitney was at a neighbor's, on the opposite side on a high bank.

We ran up to the door, opened it, and found the floor afloat, about three feet of water in the house;

their dog and cat on the floating floor. We took them in the canoe across the river, to Mrs. Whitney,

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and went on our journey. At another time a sudden freshet raised the ice, which was a foot thick, from the shores.

It being necessary to get supplies to the store at the Forks before the ice broke up, we laid timbers from the shore, on to the ice at Saginaw,

got a loaded pony and sleigh on to it, and I went to the Forks,

stayed over night, covered up the pony, and fed him in the sleigh.

He stood on the ice all night. We took the load off on poles, laid from ice to shore. Next day we loaded with furs and returned to Saginaw, not getting off the ice the entire

distance, some thirty miles or more.

-- Small-pox Deadly to Indians.

Small-pox broke out among the Indians and the poor creatures were frightened and fled in all directions;

a great many died. Although some of their villages were only a few miles from Saginaw,

there never was known one of them to expose a settler on the river and come into town. We had several men who had had the smallpox;

they ventured to take supplies to them and the citizens joined and would send a canoe load every day to the nearest families.

I went to the Forks in the summer after, in a canoe (this was the only way we traveled). I found two Indian persons partly buried in the sand at the water's edge

, where they had crawled down to drink and died there. The settlers turned out, upon being notified, and buried them.

Some were found dead in their camps, when their friends had fled and left the sick to die.

-- Appointed Saginaw Postmaster by President Jackson.

I was appointed postmaster at Saginaw by President Jackson and held the office several years, until the spring of 1840.

I built the first postoffice with boxes. I was also elected register of deeds and county clerk.

I procured the first record books for deeds and also record of mortgages and had them approved by the judges.

-- Fishing for Wall-eye.

In the spring of the year, in high water, the ice being gone, the wall-eyed pike would run up the

Saginaw in great numbers. , running on to the Shiawassee meadows which were over-flowed for miles, from three to six

feet deep.

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One beautiful warm spring morning, Major William Moseley and myself proposed to go up the Shiawassee River about four miles and have a little sport,

spearing in the evening by torch-light. I took a large canoe, one man, our lunch basket, blankets, etc.,

expecting to stay overnight. Arriving at the Indian camps the water for miles was like a mirror in the hot sun.

We went out a short time and found the water alive with fish. We speared a good many with much sport.

The Indians proposed if I would buy the fish they would all go out and spear enough to fill our canoes.

I agreed to do so, and in an hour or two they came in alongside my canoe. I would count the fish, taking each Indian's name and number of his fish on a pass book. We loaded our canoe, and I engaged two others, loaded all, and got home before dark,

when we set men to work cleaning and packing for market. Next morning, the result of our day's sport was thirty barrels,

then worth and sold for five dollars per barrel. These fish were in schools and the water black with them.

An Indian stood in the bow with a spear , while one in the stern would hold the canoe still on one of these schools and the spearsman

would fill his canoe , often bringing up three and four fish at a time

, averaging from three to six and eight pounds each. We used to take a good many with seines in the Saginaw, opposite the city,

but it was not a success, there being so much sunken floodwood.

-- First Griss Mill at Owasso.

Daniel S. Ball and Hon. Sanford M. Green built the first grist mill at 0wosso, Shiawassee county. I think they purchased the mill site from my brothers, A. L. and B. O. Williams, of that place. Our sloop "Savage" brought the mill-stones and all the machinery from Detroit to Saginaw,

Judge Green and a gang of men, with much hard labor and vexation of spirit, boated it up the Shiawassee, to Owosso. The judge is still well, residing at Bay City, and is judge of that district.

These were pioneer days in earnest.

-- Trip to Silver Lake and Pontiac.

In the winter of 1830 I left Saginaw, in a cutter, for my father's at Silver Lake and Pontiac , with Mrs. Williams and daughter, whom I left on a visit until the summer of 1830.

Mr. Louis Moran, who carried the Mackinaw and Sault Ste. Marie U. S. Mail from Saginaw to Detroit once a month during the winter months, accompanied us.

He had Mrs. Antoine Campau, who was going to Detroit for a visit with her friends until spring.

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We took the ice up the Cass River, and on one of the rapids my sleigh broke through, letting the water into cutter enough to wet our clothing, lunch basket, my wife's and daughter's feet and

lower part of their dresses, and our robes some. We got out into strong ice, got the water off as well as we could,

and I wrapped their feet and clothes up in the dry part of the robes and blankets, and, finding the ice unsafe,

we made our way through the woods for the road, and got as far as Pine Run, within about twelve miles of Flint, where we camped for the night on an Indian camping

ground. We found part of an Indian camp of barks,

which we placed so as to break off the wind, and, with a good fire, we passed the night,

Mr. Moran and myself keeping a good fire all night. I dried all I could of our wet effects

and had them dry for wife and daughter in the morning, for the rest of our journey, arriving at father's that day.

Several times on leaving Saginaw in the spring for Silver Lake, I went with the family up the Flint River, in a canoe, rather than by the road through the

woods. At that time of the year, on account of high water, the road was almost impassable.

It took two hard days' work to make the journey to Flint, the river being high and very rapid. I had the assistance of two or three Indians to work us up.

-- Viscous Swarms of Mosquitoes.

In closing up Our business every spring, before leaving for Detroit to sell our furs and prepare

for the next winter's trade, I had a good deal of writing to do.

The mosquitoes were so annoying, I would set a table in the middle Of the store floor , with a kettle of smoke under it, and write until almost blinded.

My eyes would get so sore I could scarcely see for some time after , but this was the only way we could write.

They were so bad, tire only way in the morning, going to the river for water, when twenty or thirty feet from the river, to shut eyes and mouth, run, dash the pail into the river, fill it, and run almost for life.

By eight or nine o'clock P. M., the cattle and horses would come rushing from the woods for the clearing

, where we kept large smokes for them— they would be covered black with mosquitoes and blood.

We had to enclose our beds, windows, doors, and even the fire-place with millenett, if not they would come down the chimney and fill the room full.

I never saw anything like it.

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As we cleared and made improvements, they fell back, and in a few years they became less troublesome.

Trade Bounty.

The first winter after commencing trade, in 1828, we put up five packs of muskrat skins, 500 in

a pack, making 2,500, and this was more than the traders had been in the habit of putting up.

The last year of our trade, at the end of twelve years, we put up fifty-six packs of 500 each

, making an annual increase up to 28,000 muskrat skins, in those days worth from twenty-five to fifty cents each.

All other furs increased in proportion. Martin skins--we only took in the first year about 400 or 500. They increased annually, until we took in from 1,500 to 2,000.

They were worth from one to two dollars each. I left Saginaw in the spring of 1840 for Pontiac, where I went into business.

Times changed and I did not make it a success.

MOVE TO FLINT.

******************************************** -- Recalling Years as Postmaster at Saginaw.

When I was postmaster at Saginaw the mail was first carried by Joshua Terry in a valise, most of

the time on his back; it used to come to Flint in mud wagons, and often through the Grand Blanc woods the passengers would get out and with rails pry the stage wagon out of the mud,

rarely arriving at Flint before l0 or 12 P. M., and often we had to sit up all night for it, to distribute and make up the mails for Saginaw to leave early in the morning. It is very different now. The mails from Saginaw to Mackinaw and the Sault Ste. Marie were carried on the backs

of half breeds, or on dog sleighs. I have put up ninety pounds of mail matter, leaving out all books and heavy newspapers. A man would carry that weight on his back, besides his snow shoes, blanket, provisions, hatchet and tin cup. Several times I took my man and goods and went with him as far as Thunder Bay collecting furs. I was astonished to see how easily he

carried his lead. All his provisions were parched corn pounded fine and Indian sugar, mixed with cold water and drank. He said he could travel farther on that than any other, even pork and

bread.

1828

In 1828 at 15 years of age, Edward Pettit is engaging business in the fur trade. In his work he may be called the best.

****

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Pettit was employed by the American Fur Company.

Into the woods, Pettit takes with him supplies of shot and powder and the blue broadcloth.

He takes with him calicos and a customary cup of broth.

He is a dealer with the Indians for maple sugar and pelts of beaver, mink, bear, martin, and otter.

Pettit is the clerk of the Gordon and Ephraim Williams of the American Fur Company on the Nottaway[-Sebewaing] River.

At the Short Bend or the place called Skop-ti-qua-nou, the post meets with great

deal of activity. The Indians of the Nottaway-Sebewaing or Cass River are very numerous and

intelligent. Much time trading is spent on the that Saginaw tributary.

Traders who come there have plenteous to eat is often the regular comment. The Traders have ample to do in looking up the Native People.

On the Onottoway candied maple sugar is a staple.

On this occasion, the traders have a problem, thought, looking up a local band. Furs from the encampments are all bought, so everyone was looking for the

O’tawas band. After this group, Pettit also seeks.

He follows the ancient streams and creeks. The O’tawas band consists of five to six families.

They are gone all winter long and likely have furs in great quantities.

Trader after trader goes out and returns without finding the clan. The head of the camp, Chief O’tawas is an old fellow.

One of the chief’s sons has blue eyes indicating an ancestor was Canadian or American.

Pettit resolves to obtain Chieff O’twas’ winter haul of furs so his earning may grow.

Pettit starts out with provisions for a week on his back and looks for O’tawas. Into the woods he goes looking for the Indian clan and their boss.

With this goods for barter, Pettit heads north of the Cass River for Shebeon Creek.

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Pettit’s guide is a Native Indian who has but one arm. But, left with his life so to speak. He was left with no more harm.

The Native man's people shot him because he killed his wife at Delude River. In gratitude and servitude, he remained a trapper and hunter.

The two of them went off and hiking to Sebewaing.

They, then, followed around the bay and then the Tip of the Thumb, They came down to the White Rock clearing.

Here they made a bark shanty and camped worrisome. In the morning in a drenching rain, with nothing to cheer, and one a loaf of bread remaining,

They continued in their searching.

After a tramp of five miles, they were rewarded. They found Otawas and his families preparing to make maple sugar.

They had many brass kettles of all sizes that the British gave to make sugar. The site was not only a good site for sugar: it was a good site for fishing.

Edward and his friend were almost starving. mmm

Otawas had only moose fat scraps.

Edward, however, added his only loaf. For several days, they had bread and tallow scarps.

The maple sugar, they also boiled off. Edward purchased from Chief Otawas 500 martin skins at $1 each.

When back to the post, he sold them for $2 each.

Only the finest of the furs did Pettit take away. The others were in Detroit on another day.

The coarse ones Pettit left for the other traders, Who would journey to Saginaw Bay.

Returning to camp, Edwards wages were quadrupled by his employers,. Who were the William's Brothers.

1845

In 1845, a few German people built an Indian Mission,

Near the mouth of the Shebeon Creek. Here the Native People a good like would seek.

The Native chief here went by the appellation of Brilliant Rising Sun, Or, Soe-ache-wah-o-sah,

Which is to say Wasseias mokaan gisiss.

The Chief had brilliant red hair.

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His tribe of 300 people saw the coming of the White settlement, Which put many in despair.

After acquiring land in 1847, many of the Native People sold their entitlement. In 1856, for a small amount of money their land they sold.

Thought a few remained it told.

These did not sell their land until much later, "Green Parrot" and "Middle Lake" were, then, each a grantor,

Small pox and took a heavy toll within the tribe. No remedy could be prescribe.