A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 3

Author: Coolidge, Orville W
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1314

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Michigan was the first territory entered under the banner of New France and the Cross. In 1668 Father Marquette, a man of extraordinary ability and of scientific at- tainments, established the first permanent mission at Sault Ste. Marie. Here in 1671 formal possession was taken of the upper lake region in the name of Louis XIV, by St. Lusson, a military leader, in the pres- ence of an immense concourse of the chiefs of the Pottawatomies, Sauks, Miamis, Winnebagoes, Menomonies, and nine other tribes. Father Allouez, another leader in missionary work, addressed the Indians at some length, describing the greatness of France and of its monarch whom he de- scribed as the chief of the greatest chiefs. The savages, moved by his eloquence, yelled out their approval and the alliance was com- plete. In the same year, 1671, Father Mar- quette established a settlement and flourish- ing mission on Mackinac Island. A strong fortress was at once erected by the French, and for one hundred and fifty years it was the chief center of the fur trade of the Northwest. In 1673, Louis Joliet and Father Marquette commenced their memor- able exploration of the River Mississippi, which they descended as far as the mouth of the Arkansas. It seems to be regarded as highly probable that Father Marquette on his final return from missions which he and Joliet had established in the country of the Illinois, came back by way of the Kankakee river, crossed over the portage between the Kankakee and St. Joseph, and then de- scended the St. Joseph to Lake Michigan. But this fact is rather to be inferred than established, and the first authentic and de- tailed account of the visit of white men to

Berrien county is the narrative of La Salle's explorations on his way to the Mississippi.

Leaving Montreal in the month of Octo- ber, 1679, this intrepid explorer, with a band of soldiers and artisans and four priests, ar- rived at the mouth of the St. Joseph river on November 1, 1679. This river he desig- nated the river of the Miamis, the name of the Indian tribe which then occupied this part of the St. Joseph valley.

While waiting at the mouth of the river for the arrival of a large vessel, which he had ordered to meet him at this point. he constructed a fort at or near the mouth of the river. This fort was called Fort Miami and was located on the bluff of the river near the intersections of what are now known as Front and Broad streets, St. Joseph, Michigan. The river then emptied into Lake Michigan about 700 feet farther south than now, the channel having been changed by the U. S. Government. The spot where La Salle landed and established his fort is marked by a monument of large, glacial boulders, erected a few years since by the ladies of the St. Joseph Chapter of the "Daughters of the American Revolution."

The subsequent history of the fort is merged in obscurity. How long this fort existed, or what was its subsequent fate. does not appear in any authentic account or record.

After waiting several weeks in vain for the Griffin, from which he heard no tidings. La Salle determined to press forward. On the 3rd day of December, 1679, he and his party consisting of 33 persons, embarked upon the St. Joseph river in eight canoes. Through the aid of some friendly Indians. La Salle learned that near the present site of South Bend, there was a portage of about five miles from the St. Joseph river to the Kankakee, the head waters of the Illinois. Disembarking at this point the party carried their canoes to the Kankakee, and descended to the Illi- nois. Owing to difficulties which La Salle

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

encountered in Illinois among the Indians and his own men, he did not succeed on his first expedition in exploring the Mississippi. Returning to Montreal, he organized a new expedition, and in 1681 he succeeded in his great design and opened up the Mississippi valley to the military occupation of the French government. While making his var- ious expeditions and returning to Montreal, he frequently spent considerable time at Fort Miami in recruiting the strength of his company and in enlarging the fort. A fort known as Fort St. Joseph was subsequently built by the French at another point on the river.

Writers upon the history of Berrien county have been confused or mistaken as to the location of "Fort St. Joseph," They have generally either entirely ignored the question of location or placed it at the mouth of the St. Joseph river. This arose from the fact that these writers did not have access to the journals and correspondence of the early French missionaries and travelers. It is abundantly established by these journals and correspondence that this fort was located within or near the present limits of the city of Niles.

In 1721, the celebrated French traveler, Charlevoix, a man of great learning and scientific attainments, made an extensive trip through North America, occupying two years. Among his travels was his visit to the Fort. St. Joseph and the mission adjoining.

In 1744, he published a work in Paris entitled "Histoire de la Nouvelle France," and also a journal written while in America and addressed to the Duchesse de Les li- quien.

I translate from a letter addressed to the Duchesse de Lesdiquien and headed "Letter from the river St. Joseph, this 16th Aug- ust, 1721." It reads as follows :

"Eight days ago I arrived at this post where we have a mission and where is a commandant with a little garrison. The house of the commandant which is a small

affair, is called the fort, because it is sur- rounded by a palisade which is a crude af- fair. There are, however, some small can- non, or gun swivels, sufficient to prevent a surprise and hold the savages in check. In order to reach the fort, one ascends it (the river St. Joseph) 20 leagues (French league at this time was about 2.40 miles). We have here two villages of Indians, one of the Miamis and the other of the Potta- watomies. Both are for the greater part Christians, but they have been a long time without pastors, and the missionary which has been sent to them lately, will have some- thing to do to restore to them the exercise of their religion.

"The river St. Joseph is navigable for 80 leagues and in the 20 leagues that I as- cended in order to reach the fort, I saw only a beautiful country crowned with trees of great height.

"The Pottawatomies have occupied here successively many posts and occupy them yet. Their village is on the same side as the forts and upon a very beautiful plateau ; that of the Miamis is on the other side of the river."

In the history of New France by Charle- voix is a map, entitled "Map of the lakes of Canada," of the date 1744. On this map the St. Joseph river is designated correctly and Fort St. Joseph is named and located at about the site of the present city of Niles. The village of the Miamis is located on the east side of the river and that of the Potta- watomies together with the Fort on the west side of the river. The Kankakee river is designated as "Teakiki," and the portage between the latter river and St. Joseph is placed a few mile south of the Fort. The location of the Fort called St. Joseph near Niles is further established by the line marked out by the English military authori- ties of a road from Detroit to the Illinois river in 1772, fifty years later than the date of Charlevoix's visit. After designating the eastern part of the road to the Kalamazoo

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY.

river, the road from thence proceeds as fol- lows :

To Prairie Ronde 30 miles

To Fort St. Joseph 75 miles

To Portage 12 miles From carrying place to Kankakee. 4 miles

To juncture of Kankakee with Illi- nois I50 miles

A fort or stockade was built at some time on the east side of the river, but at what date cannot be ascertained. The earth works of this fortification were clearly in evidence when the first settlers came and for some time after. Among the old residents of Niles who have a distinct remembrance of seeing the remains of the fort are Ezekiel Denniston, John Hatfield, A. J. Cleland and George S. Hoppin.

The fort was built on the brow of the first bluff on the river south of the dam and on the west side of the South Bend road.

The exact date of the establishment of Fort St. Joseph cannot be ascertained. It was probably established at about the same time as the French mission. About the year 1690 the French authorities made a grant of two acres of land to the Jesuit fathers, who at once established a mission among the Mi- amis. A few years later the Pottawatomies, by the aid of the French, also settled on the St. Joseph river, and the mission embraced both the Miamis and the Pottawatomies, un- til the former moved away. The mission appears to have been a flourishing one and the greater part of the Indians were con- verted to Christianity.

It appears that Father Allouez, one of the ablest of the French missionaries, la- bored at this mission in the latter part of the seventeenth century and subsequently Father Aveneau.

According to tradition Father Allouez died at this mission, in 1690, but there is no authentic record of this fact. Another tra- dition is that Father Aveneau died here, but

this tradition is not supported by any proof.

One of the French missionaries appears to have died here, and a wooden cross near the site of the Miami village, for a long time marked the spot of his burial, but what his name was is unknown.

The French mission at Niles was con- tinued until about 1759, when it was prac- tically abondoned. No church was again es- tablished until about 1830, when, in answer to an appeal made by Pokagon, a leading chief of the Pottawatomies and a man highly respected by the early settlers, whose village was one mile west of Bertrand village, Father Badin was sent to the Pottawatomies and built a church edifice of logs near Ber- trand. The church established by Father Badin embraced among its attendants both whites and Indians.

The petition of Pokagon to the Catholic bishop is thus given. "My father, I come again to implore you to send us a Black Robe to instruct us in the Word of God. If you have no care for us old men, at least have pity on our poor children, who are growing up as we have lived, in ignorance and vice. We still preserve the manner of prayer as taught to our ancestors by the Black Robe who formerly resided at St. Joseph. Morning and evening, with my wife and children we pray together before the crucifix. On Fridays we fast according to the traditions handed down by our fathers and mothers, for we ourselves have never seen a Black Robe at St. Joseph. Listen to the prayers which he taught them, and see if I have not learned them correctly."

It is related that Pokagon, after his peti- tion had been presented, fell upon his knees, made the sign of the Cross and recited in his own language, the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Apostles' Creed and the Ten Com- mandments.

The early French missions among the Indians appear to have been successful and productive of great good. A large portion of the Pottawatomies was

I3:

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

converted to Christianity and became to a considerable degree civilized and accus- tomed to industrial pursuits. Between the abandonment of these missions and the ap- peal of Pokagon referred to, a decline in the condition of the Pottawatomies commenced. In the early part of the nineteenth cen- tury white men began to sell liquors to the Indians in large quantities. A passion for strong drink seems to have been inherent in the race, and when once indulged in, the appetite became insatiable. During the French occupation, the sale of liquors to the Indians by the whites was carried on, but to a less extent than subsequently.

The French priests, true to the instincts of their race which despised habits of in- toxication, and to the precepts of their re- ligion, were remarkably temperate them- selves and at all times strenuously en- deavored to prevent the use of liquors by the Indians.

It appears from the "Jesuit Relations" that at the beginning of the eighteenth cen- tury, Father Chardon came with the Potta- watomies from the region of Green Bay to the valley of the St. Joseph, and was their first pastor in this region. Whether they first settled at the mouth of the river or farther up does not appear. A mission, however, was established at an early date at the mouth of the river. This mission embraced not only Indians but Canadian French, who appear to have had a colony at this point for many years, with considerable numbers.

Father Allouez in one of his letters, states that the Pottawatomies procured their liquors from Englishmen to the east, with whom they bartered in furs, and complains that the liquors of the Englishmen were much stronger and more baneful in their effects than those of the French. It would appear that the French preferred light wines, while the English preferred whiskey.

With the early advent of the American trader, the sale of liquors to the Indians be-

came a source of immense profit. The Pottawatomies fell an easy prey to their appetite for liquors, and passed days at a time in a state of gross intoxication, when they were unable to do anything. The rapid deterioration of the Pottawatomie race, be- fore their final removal to their western reservation beyond the Mississippi, may be said to have been mainly caused by the rum traffic carried on by white men who were nominally Christians.

Returning to the subject of the French occupation, it may be said that the fort upon the St. Joseph river, remained in the possession of the French till shortly after the year 1759. In that year occurred one of the greatest events of modern history. Quebec, the great stronghold of the French in America, and one of the greatest natural fortresses in the world, capitulated to the British forces. It was the final act in the great drama of warfare which had waged relentlessly for four years between Great Britain and France and which decided what race should govern the destinies of the North American continent. The English race prevailed. The French flag was hauled down from every fort along the line of the great lakes and rivers of the west. Among the names of the forts which are recorded as having surrendered to the British, is the fort of St. Joseph on the river St. Joseph.

The fort was destined to change hands often. In 1763, the conspiracy of the great Indian chief, Pontiac, whose home was on the Michigan side of the Detroit river, was at its height. The chieftain had visited the Pottawatomies and inflamed their pas- sions against the English colonist. They enthusiastically joined the great conspiracy. now embracing nearly all the leading tribes of the west. The year 1763 was a dis- astrous one for the English, and the English colonist. Fort after fort surrendered to the Indians. Among them was Fort St. Joseph. A band of Pottawatomies sur- prised the English commander, Lieut.

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

Schlosser, captured the fort and massacred nearly all the soldiers. The fort was held by the Pottawatomies for about two years. Upon the failure of the conspiracy and the submission of Pontiac, the fort passed back to the British.

The Pottawatomies were always hostile to the English colonist. They sided with the French against the British in the colonial wars. They joined with Pontiac in his great conspiracy of 1763, and were engaged in many massacres of the colonists. Their animosity was peculiarly aroused against the latter. In the war of the Revolution, they aided the British. In 18II, at the bat- tle of Tippecanoe when Gen. Harrison de- feated the Indians, 300 Pottawatomies were engaged, and fought with great courage and ferocity. In the war of 1812, under the command of the celebrated Tecumseh, they were engaged at the Battle of the Raisin, and also in the battle on the Thames, where Tecumseh was killed. The terrible massacre of whites at Fort Dearborn (Chicago) in August, 1812, was committed by Potta- watomies.

According to the statement of E. G. Mason, in an essay read before the His- torical Society of Chicago, professing to be based on authentic records found in the archives of the Spanish government at Mad- rid, a singular movement was made in 1781 by the Spaniards who then claimed title to Louisiana, Florida and all of the United States west of the Mississippi. In that year, a Spanish force from St. Louis, a military outpost of Spain, marched to the St. Joseph river, captured Fort St. Joseph, hauled down the British flag and raised the Spanish flag. The Spanish troops remained but a few days, but destroyed the magazines and store houses, gave the provisions and stores to the Indians, and returned to St. Louis. This happened during the revolution and while France and Great Britain were engaged in war.

The design of Spain at that time was to

conquer the Northwest Territory and sub- sequently exchange it with Great Britain for Gibraltar. The scheme was not success- ful but a secret alliance was soon entered into between France and Spain, the object of which was to secure for France the pos- session of the Northwest Territory, and for Spain absolute control of the navigation of the Lower Mississippi, as a reward or pay- ment for their aid to the colonists in their struggle for Independence. This object was frustrated by the masterly sagacity and de- termination of three great men, our am- bassadors to Europe, Franklin, Adams and Jay, who, in violation of the instructions of Congress providing that they should first obtain the consent of our ally, the French government, before making a treaty with Great Britain, entered into a secret treaty with the British government, by which that government ceded to the United States all its possessions east of the Mississippi and south of Canada, and made the Mississippi river the western boundary of the United States. The French officials were extremely angry when the terms of this treaty were made known, but opposition was useless, and Congress, although mildly censuring our ambassadors, ratified their action and insisted on the Mississippi river as the western boundary. Thus Michigan was probably preserved by the action of Frank- lin, Adams and Jay from French domination. These men were fully justified in making the secret treaty with Great Britain. The scheme of France to annex the whole terri- tory west of the Alleghanies and east of the Mississippi was extortionate, and attended with conduct of the greatest duplicity on the part of the French ministry.

Undoubtedly, a true and gallant sym- pathy with the cause of the colonies actuated the minds of La Fayette and thousands of freedom loving Frenchmen, but the main motive of the rulers of France in lending aid to the colonies was not a philanthropic one, but a desire not only to cripple Great

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

Britain, but to restore their old dominion and acquire supremacy in North America.

Upon the arrival of the early settlers, Topinabee was the hereditary and ranking chief of the whole Pottawatomie nation and seems to have maintained this position for a period of over forty years, commencing in the latter part of the eighteenth century. His village at the time of the first pioneer settlement was located on the Gitchell farm and the farm now occupied by Chester Bad- ger, situated about three miles southwest of Niles. The village adjoined a lake named after the chief, which was originally quite a sheet of water, but which was subsequently crossed by the Michigan Central railroad track and has been drained. Quantities of Indian relics have been found on the Gitchell and Badger farms, consisting of tomahawks, arrow heads, Indian calumets, and skinning stones for dressing animals. The farm of Mr. Badger has been named after the Indian chief and is called "Topinabee Farm."

Topinabee in his prime, was regarded as a man of ability and a brave and cunning warrior. In the latter part of his life he became addicted to the excessive use of liquors and died from the effect of a fall received while in a state of gross intoxica- tion. At the treaty of Chicago in 1821, he was advised by General Cass to keep sober so as to secure a good bargain for himself and his people. His reply was "Father, we do not care for the lands, nor the money, nor the goods. What we want is whiskey. Give us whiskey."

Pokagon was the second in rank. His village was located in the southern part of Bertrand township, about one mile west of the village of Bertrand, on the old Chicago road. He was a man of talent, strictly honest and true to his word. He became a convert to the Catholic faith early in life through the efforts of Catholic missionaries and was a devout and consistent member of the Church. He was highly respected by the early settlers and a total abstainer from

all intoxicating drinks. When the great body of the Indians went west of the Mis- sissippi in 1834, he preferred to remain in Michigan. He removed to Silver Creek township in Cass county, where he located upon land purchased of the United States government. He died in 1841 and his body rests in a vault in the Catholic Church in Silver Creek.

Weesaw, another chief, had his village on the south side of the St. Joseph river, about two miles northwest of the central part of Niles, on the farm now owned by Mrs. W. B. Gray and her daughter . Kate. He was regarded as the war chief of the tribe, and dressed ostentatiously.

He was tall, dignified and of commanding presence. His leggings were bordered with little bells, his head adorned by a brilliant turban and his waist bound with a gorgeous sash. Upon his breast he wore a huge silver amulet kept very bright and from his ears and nose hung heavy rings of silver. He had three wives, of whom the favorite was a daughter of Topinabee, designated the Princess. Whenever Weesaw visited the whites with his wives, she walked next to him in the rear and the others followed be- hind her. Weesaw was killed at his village in a drunken row with his son.

Moccasin, another chief, had his village on the west bank of the St. Joseph river at a place still known as "Moccasin Bluff," and located about a mile north of Buchanan.

TREATIES WITHI THE POTTAWATOMIES.

Three distinct treaties affecting the terri- tory now included within the limits of Ber- rien county, were made between the Indians and the United States government.

The first treaty was made by the govern- ment August 29, 1821, and to this treaty, the Ottawas, Chippewas and Pottawatomies were parties. By this treaty all that part of southwestern Michigan (including territory which is now embraced with the limits of

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY.

several counties) except that portion of Ber- rien county which lies between the St. Jo- seph river and Lake Michigan, was ceded to the government.

The second treaty was made between the Pottawatomies and the government Septem- ber 28, 1828, at the Carey mission house. located about a mile west of the city of Niles. By this treaty the Pottawatomies ceded to the government all that part of Berrien county lying west of the St. Joseph river, except a tract of land lying between the river and a direct line running from the state. line in the southwest corner of Bertrand township to the river in section 12 of Buchanan township. This tract con- tained nearly fifty sections and included all but four sections of the present township of Bertrand and several sections in Buchanan and Niles townships. This tract was subse- quently known as the "reservation" and con- tained the choicest lands in southern Michi- gan.

The treaty was signed at the Carey mis- sion on the part of the United States gov- ernment, by Lewis Cass, governor of Michi- gan Territory and Pierre Menard, and on the part of the Indians by Topinabee, Poka- gon, Weesaw and other leading men of the tribe.

The third treaty was made at Chicago, September 26, 1833. By this treaty the Pottawatomies ceded the reservation in Ber- rien county to the government, receiving in lieu thereof certain lands lying west of the Mississippi. Pokagon and his band refused to sign the treaty unless they were allowed to remain in Michigan. This request was granted.

In the treaty of 1821 certain individual reservations and grants were made which were not disturbed by the subsequent treaties. To John Burnett of St. Joseph, a white trader from New Jersey who had had married an Indian wife, was reserved two sections of land.

To the children of John Burnett and

Kawkemee, his wife, a sister of Topinabee, was awarded each a section.

To Madeleine Bertrand, a Pattawatomie woman and wife of Joseph Bertrand, a French trader of Bertrand, one section of land on the present site of the village of Bertrand, and also one-half section at the portage of the Kankakee to the children of Bertrand and wife.

An annuity of twenty-five hundred dol- lars was provided for the Pottawatomies.

With the advent of the early American traders, the Indians began to deteriorate. The cause has been stated heretofore. Sev- eral years before their removal west, most of them had reached a sad condition of poverty and destitution. Their food consisted out- side of the wild game, almost wholly of corn and dried beans.

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A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 3

Author: Coolidge, Orville W Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Coolidge, Orville W
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1314