USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Chronography of notable events in the history of the Northwest territory and Wayne County > Part 4
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Pierre, the youngest son of Robert Reaum and Elizabeth Brunet, married twice. His first wife's name is unknown. She died soon after the marriage. He married, the second time, Susanne Hubert LaCroix, by whom he had four children. Charlotte, born in 1738, married, in 1760, Lieut. Charles Denian de May, the son of the commandent of Fort Pontchartrain (Nicholas). Susanne married Duperon Baby in 1760. Bonaventure married twice: first, Jeanne Destres, in 1766, and second in 1793, Josette Gatinon Fenton. His descendants are numerous and embracing among them many noted for enterprise and business sagacity.
There was stationed at Detroit, in 1780, an officer of the English army named Louis Reaum, who was related to this family. He mar- ried Marie Charlotte Barthe 1780, daughter of Peter and Charlotte Chapoton. He was killed two weeks after, leaving her a widow at the age of 17. She married, second, Louis Descomptes Labadie (Badi- chon), a sketch of whose descendants will be found elsewhere.
RIOPELLE.
Ambroise Riopelle, the immediate founder of this family in Detroit, was the son of Pierre, born in 1691, and Marie Anne Mahew Mer- chant, who were married in 1718.
Ambroise came to Detroit about 1760. He married, in 1766, Therese Campau, daughter of Antoine and Angelique Pelletier. They
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had nine children, of whom Dominique, the youngest son, was born 1787 and married Collette (or Clotilde) Gouin, daughter of Nicholas and Archange Boyer, and the widow of Antoine St. Bernard. A son, Dominique, married Elizabeth Gouin, who was the father of the Hon. Claude Riopelle, a genial, courteous and respected member of the Detroit bar. He was a member of the Michigan legislature, and is a worthy representative of the name he bears. Dominique and Elizabeth (Gouin) Riopelle also had three daughters. Edessa married Michael G. Payment, Nancy became a nun, Angelique married Fabien Pelletier.
RIVARD.
This name appears among those of the contemporaries of Cadillac, for we find that among the witnesses of the marriage of Francois Fafard-dit Delorme, the interpreter, Francoise Rivard was one, and this marriage occurred October 30th, 1713. The founder of the family in America is said to have been Nicolas Rivard, born in 1624, who married at Batiscan in 1652. The descendants were Jean Baptiste, born 1763, married 1786, Irene, daughter of Judge Lewis Beaufait- Therese de Marsac. They had five children. Joseph, born 1772, mar- ried Agnes Chauvin; Francois, 1773, married Isabella, daughter of Jean Baptiste Chapoton and Felice Cecyre. He, it will be remem- bered, was an ensign in the first regiment of militia organized in the Territory of Michigan, from whom are descended the present family of that name in Detroit.
ST. AUBIN.
This is one of the oldest names which appears on the records as associated in the preservation of the early history of Detroit. The fam- ily name was originally known in history as " Casse." Jean Casse-dit St. Aubin came to Detroit in 1710. He brought with him his wife, whose maiden name was Louise Galtier, whom he married at Quebec in 1707. Their eldest son, Jean Bapt., Jr., born in 1708, married in 1731 Mad- eline Primeau, daughter of Jean and Susanna Bellanger, of Quebec. He died in 1733. Charles married in 1741 Therese Estene, daughter of Pierre and Madeline Frappier, she dying in 1748. He married the sec- ond time Marie Methe. Pierre Casse St. Aubin, a son of the latter, married Marguerite Brin d'Armor. His son Louis married in 1775 Angelique Chevalier, daughter of Jean Baptiste Francoise Lavoine, of Mackinaw, and their son, Francois, born in 1775, was well known by the older residents of Detroit as identified with its early history, and to whom the present generation are indebted for the preservation of many valuable incidents of that day, through the late Judge Witherell,
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to whom they were related. He owned and resided on the tract known to-day as the St. Aubin farm. He married Baseline Campau, born in 1774. She survived him forty years, dying at the age of eighty-four. Nine children were born to Francois and Baseline (Cam- pau) St. Aubin, Louis, who married, first, Therese Chapoton, second, Madeline Cottrell; Francois W. married Virginia Moran. The daugh- ters were, Mrs. Louis Grosebeck, Mrs. Pierre Provincal, Mrs. Eugene W. Watson, Mrs. Richard Conners, Mrs. John Godfrey, of Grand Rapids, Mrs. Henry Beaubien and Mrs. Antoine Morass.
LAFERTE.
Antoine Laferte served in Subercasse's regiment, and was sta- tioned at Fort Ponchartrain as early as 1710. He married at Montreal Michelle Fortin, whose mother, Louise Sommillard, was a sister of Soeur Bourgeois, foundress of Notre Dame, at Montreal. The chil- dren by this marriage were, Marianne, born 1712, Joseph, born 1724. The present Clement Laferte was the grandson of the latter. His father's name was also Joseph, who married Mile Goyeur, from whom the Laferte farm takes its name.
MAJOR ANTOINE DEQUINDRE.
Born in Detroit in 1784, was the son of Antoine Dequindre, the first male child born in Detroit. The house where the major was born stood near where the Detroit Dry Dock is located, opposite where the old hydraulic water tower stood. He spent his boyhood days on the farm of his father, now embraced in the Seventh Ward. It was cultivated at that period as far back from the river as what is now Adams Avenue East; beyond, was a dense wilderness.
At a suitable age he was apprenticed to the firm of Grant & Duff, prominent merchants at Malden, Canada.
After serving his time, he obtained a clerkship with Conrad Ten Eyck, and in 1810, having accumulated the means, he opened a store for himself in a small wooden building, occupying the present site of the store of ex-Mayor M. H. Chamberlain. At the breaking out of the war between the United States and England, Major Dequindre raised a company of riflemen composed entirely of Frenchmen, and equipped them at his own expense, relying upon the government to reimburse him. His company were assigned an honorable position in the army, and when the British crossed over from Malden and landed some six hundred men at Monguagon creek, Capt. Dequindre's com- pany was the first to attack and enter their breastworks. This act inspired such confidence that Col. Miller directed him to the right flank
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to oppose the Indians, who were speedily put to flight, and in the meantime the British had taken refuge in their boats, while the Indians dispersed to the woods. For his gallant conduct in the battle of Mon- guagon, he was tendered a major commission in the regular service, which he declined, but he has ever since been known as Major Dequin- dre, a title which he deservedly earned. On the 16th of August, 1812 (a few days after the battle of Monguagon), Hull surrendered. None shared more deeply in the feeling of sorrow and indignation at this inglorious event than Major Dequindre.
The prominent part taken by Major Dequindre made him the sub- ject of hatred to the British and Indians, and had it not been for the noble action of Col. McGee, then the British Indian agent, all his mer- chandise would have been destroyed. He soon resumed business, which he continued for many years, and by industry and prudence acquired what was deemed a handsome property.
As a merchant Major Dequindre was respected. He was exact in his dealings, warm hearted and generous, a pleasant and genial com- panion.
Some years prior to his death he was induced to give a letter to a friend at Green Bay, which proved disastrous to him, as he ultimately became responsible for the sum of $24,000, which compelled him to make an assignment. This was a heavy blow to a proud and honor- able man, and seriously affected him. He in 1848 literally, it is said, died of a broken heart. He had been stripped of his property with a family dependent upon him. From the beginning of his career he had aimed to do his duty in all the relations of life, as a neighbor, friend and patriot. His remains were followed to the grave by a large con- course of citizens, who deeply deplored his death.
From the wreck of his fortune there was some real estate, which, under the sagacious management of the Hon. Charles Moran, his adminstrator, realized sufficient to keep his family from want.
He left seven children at his death, of whom we are informed the following are living: Mrs. Beaubien and Mrs. Cobb, at Detroit ; Anto- ine, at Green Bay ; Alexander, who served in the late civil war, and Theodore, who resides in Ohio.
Major Dequindre was a brother of the late Mrs. Joseph Campau.
PETER J. DESNOYERS.
There are few of the older residents of Detroit that do not remem- ber the vivacious, witty and practical good sense, which were some of the characteristics of the subject of this sketch.
Peter J. Desnoyers was the son of Charles Roquilet Desnoyers, of Paris, France, who married Mlle. Charlotte Mallet, of the same
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place. He was a silversmith and a man of extensive influence. Peter J. was born in Paris on the Ist of August, 1772. He served his father until 1790, when a land company having been formed in America, known as the Scioto Land Company, opened an agency in Paris and offered eligible lots of land for sale on a large stream, "La Belle River" (now known as the Ohio), and induced the father to purchase a number for Peter, who, together with a large number of others, embarked in an emigrant vessel and after a voyage of sixty days reached Havre de Grace, Maryland, and thence proceeded to Gallipolis, Ohio, when, on investigation, they found their title deeds worthless, and themselves at the mercy of hostile savages, exposed to all manner of hardships, and destitute of the means, or sufficient knowledge of the country, to extri- cate themselves. A companion of Peter, a Mr. Malchen, was for a long time missing, and it was thought had been killed by the Indians, until several years after, when Mr. Desnoyers met him at the house of a Springwells farmer. Mr. Malchen had been captured by the Indians, who held him until purchased by some of the Canadian French on the Detroit frontier. After a short struggle at Gallipolis, Mr. Desnoyers went to Pittsburg, from whence, in company with Michael Douseman, afterwards a well known merchant at Mackinac, he accompanied Wayne's army, then on its way to the northwest territory, and arrived in Detroit in June, 1796. He was then 24 years of age and was at once commissioned by Col. Hamtramck as armorer. August 30, 1798, he married Maria Louise Gobaille, daughter of Jean Francis and Marie Rose Gobaille, of Quebec. He served as armorer until 1803, when he formed a co-partnership with J. B. Piquette, father of the late John and Charles Piquette, and first husband of Mrs. P. Sheldon. The firm of Piquette & Desnoyers did a successful business until the fire of 1805, which occasioned the loss of most of their entire stock, and the firm dissolved. By this fire Mr. D. lost nearly all his nine years' earnings.
As the fire of 1805 completely destroyed all the buildings, it occasioned confusion as to locality and gave rise to conflicting claims to sites. Congress passed an act granting certain land for the benefit of sufferers, and authorized the Governor to lay out a new plat, based upon which sales of lots were commenced. The highest price paid for the most eligible lots at this period was seven cents per square foot, the average being about four cents per square foot, at which price Mr. Desnoyers purchased the lot on the corner of Bates street and Jefferson avenue, now occupied by the Desnoyer Block, where he erected a small building, one story high, with two wings, in one of which, until 1834, he kept a general store, and in the other he carried on his business as silversmith. The latter business he carried on until 1822, when he turned his whole attention to mercantile business, which
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he continued until 1834, when he purchased the fine brick mansion on the corner of Larned and Griswold, (now occupied by the postoffice) built by Francis P. Browning, well known as a merchant and as a radical abolitionist. He died insolvent in 1834.
Mr. D., who held a commission as lieutenant in Captain Sibley's com- pany at the time of Hull's surrender, and was taken prisoner (but paroled subsequently), Proctor decided to send to Quebec, and would have done so had not just then Perry's victory changed the complexion of matters, and started Proctor for Canada without any prisoners.
During the war the citizens purchased such of the prisoners as could be obtained, to save them from the savages. Mr. Desnoyers in this way bought a number. Proctor, while in command, sent them to Quebec notwithstanding. As these prisoners were purchased from humane motives, the government, a few years afterwards, reimbursed the purchasers for their outlay.
Mr. Desnoyers held a number of public offices, among them, as one of the first trustees of the University of Michigan, alderman for a number of terms. He was a director in the Bank of Michigan for a number of years, and in 1824 was chosen president. As a merchant he was noted for keeping on hand such a variety of articles, that when a citizen failed to find an article elsewhere it could be obtained at Desnoyers. It is related that on one occasion a gentleman made a wager with another that he could name an article that Desnoyer could not furnish. It was agreed. They entered the store and the gentleman offering the wager, enquired of the clerk if he had any goose yokes? "Oui, Monsieur," was the reply, and he produced them. Numerous anecdotes illustrating his characteristics are related by Hon. G. L. Whitney in his reminiscences of the old merchants of Detroit, from which we have taken the foregoing.
Mr. Desnoyers died suddenly at his residence on Griswold street June 3d, 1846. He left a large estate. He had eleven children. Among them the following will be remembered: Peter, the eldest son; Francois, who went to Green Bay ; Mrs. Elizabeth Van Dyke, Jose- phine, wife of Hon. Henry Barnard, of Hartford, Connecticut ; Victor, wife of Henry Cole, who was the eldest daughter.
THE FRENCH OF DETROIT IN MY DAY.
BY WM. C. HOYT.
I first saw the city of Detroit in the summer of 1835, when it was comparatively a small town. I tarried here a few days and then went on my journey westtvard. I improved the time when here by wander- ing around and walking over ground, then open fields; now covered with palatial residences and other magnificent edifices.
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There were then four leading languages spoken here by four races of men, French, English, Scotch and Indian, the former largely pre- dominating. The place then appeared to me like an old French town. I saw this city again in 1841 and came to Michigan to reside in 1842. In 1853 I became a permanent resident of this large, flourishing and beautiful City of the Straits.
During my sojourn here I formed the acquaintance of that Gallic race, many of whose ancestors settled here one hundred and eighty- seven years ago, leaving the land of the Rhine and its cheerful sunny clime in middle Europe.
I could when on my first visit here more easily discern the differ- ence between the Saxon and the Gaul than at the present day. The races are now more intermixed than they were then. The distinguish- ing characteristics between the two was in affability. The real French- man had, and has, more of that suavity or natural inbred politeness than the Saxon. The latter possessed, and still possesses, a rougher exterior and interior that he inherits from a ruder ancestry, and he could be easily picked out. Why, when walking along on the narrow plank sidewalks, the Frenchman, drunk or sober, would politely turn out and give me one-half of the way, while an Englishman, Scotchman, Yankee or Indian would often compel me to give him the entire walk. No wonder that I liked, and do like, the Frenchman.
The French people, like all others who live on the planet, were divided into the rich and the poor. There lived here the wealthy French landholders-that is, wealthy in land-who owned large and long farms that fronted on the river and who retained them much to the damage or growth of the city. The poor were probably naturally im- provident, but had the nack of getting a living some way and at the same time enjoying themselves. They lived in rude one-story cottages, scattered here and there over the city, many of which they did not own, but paid a small rent to the merciful landlord. I understand that evictions for non-payment of rent were not as common as now.
All these people then seemed to enjoy life. They had cheap amusements (a poor Frenchman could not afford much for sport), such as dancing, playing cards, horse racing (in the winter on the ice), cock fighting, fishing, hunting, catching muskrats and pugilistic performances among the men and occasionally among the women. Dog fights fre- quently occurred. These entertainments seemed to keep up a spirit of hilarity and well entertained these volatile people.
On my first visit here I witnessed a dance in an out-of-the-way locality, attended by a few of the lower order of French. The building was a one-story hut. The main room was occupied as a saloon, where whisky was dealt out for three cents a glass. Here were lively and supple dancers, male and female, enjoying themselves to their hearts'
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content by "tripping the light, fantastic toe," while a gentleman of color, adorned with a light tall stovepipe hat, a thin bad-fitting coat, a shirt col- lar that hid or came in close proximity to his ears, and pants strapped under and held down (the style then) by a huge pair of brogans, was sawing away on his old fiddle and keeping time with his feet and parts of his body. Oh, that was a lively dance! Up here! down there! cross over! all hands around! while the whisky-pickled colored musi- cian was rasping his feline strings and smiling all over his charcoal countenance.
The city was then largely populated with a rarity of dogs, "mon- grel, whelp, hounds and curs of low degree." Every Frenchman had one or two, sometimes a half a dozen of these whelps, who barked and chased a stranger as he went along the way. Many were Indian, or of Indian descent. A pure-blooded one was a mean, sneaking looking thing who was seen following close by the heels of an aborigene. One night I was kept awake nearly all the sleeping hours by the barks, snarls and fights of these miserable animals. I was so excited and un- nerved one night, that I would have thrown a dynamite bomb among them and created a small earthquake, if I could.
The French pony and cart, seen bobbing and moving all over the city, were used by all classes and served a good purpose in their day. Ladies dressed in the hight of fashion went to church in these carts and were conveyed to the residences of their aristocratic friends sitting on the bottoms of these vehicles. The Campaus had large droves of small, tough ponies that grazed and picked up their living on the banks of the Detroit river. They cost nothing to keep and were sold for ten, twenty or forty dollars a head.
Windmills were very common when I first saw the city. They were scattered all along the river banks. In these were ground the corn and other grains of the inhabitants.
These have all disappeared, as well as the pony, cart, Indian and dog of lower caste. The whipping post is out of the way ; the Frank- lin printing press moved with a hand lever would be a curiosity now ; scrub pony races are not now seen ; the French dancing parties have fallen through the trap door ; you hear no more the voice of the Mons Crapo who swore at and whacked his pony along the streets and by- ways. These old things and odd old sights have disappeared. A more advanced people, possessing a higher degree of civilization, have trodden down and swept away these rude things and substituted instead the fleet, beautiful horse and stout percheron, the convenient and use- ful wagon and splendid carriage, that move on well paved streets, the pure-blooded hound, mastiff and St. Bernard; the steam printing press that throws out into the reading world its tens of thousands of sheets every hour, courts of justice where corporal punishment is not meted
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out to criminals, the electric telegraph that conveys ones thoughts around the world in the twinkling of an eye, the railroad car drawn by a steam engine, the sewing machine that makes a pair of pants in ten minutes; public schools where all children, white and black, can go together and receive a good education free of expense, and splendid church edifices which all people can attend and hear the gospel preached, without being questioned or sneered at on account of their faith.
The French then as now are Catholics; very seldom could be seen a protestant Frenchman. The mode of worship and Catholic creed have not varied much for ages. Perhaps they were a little more in- tolerant then than now. These people strictly adhered to their faith and were more faithful in attending church. They lived Catholics, went to prison Catholics, died Catholics and seldom were expelled from their church.
These old French settlers have about all disappeared. They sleep in the Catholic cemeteries. I well remember the Chapotons, Campaus, Cicottes, Beaubiens, Godfroys, Piquettes, Coquiards and Berthelets. A few of their direct descendants are now living here and many are mixed with the Saxon and Indian races. Their names sur- vive, though often pronounced with an English accent. They will remain on our records, will be seen on the street corner, "they are on ratione soli (part of the soil), and you cannot wash them out."
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CHRONOGRAPHY -- SECOND PERIOD.
1761 .- Sir William Johnson came to Detroit. He was accompanied by the father of Whitimore Knaggs, who was a noted scout and Indian interpreter for Generals St. Clair, Wayne, Hull, Winches- ter and Cass. His son, Col. James W. Knaggs, is now living in Detroit, aged 88.
1762 .- Pontiac conspired to destroy all the forts on the lakes. His plans were communicated to the English commander, Major Glad- wyn, by an Ojibeway Indian girl, who was held a prisoner by the Pottawatomies.
1763 .- July 21, battle of Bloody Run (then called Parent Creek). Cap- tains Gray, Dalzell and some fifty soldiers were slain. Fort Pont- chartrain was held in siege by Pontiac until the treaty of peace between France and England had been signed at Paris, Febru- ary 3d. Pontiac held his last council with his allies at Ecorse, and on September 7 a treaty was made.
1764 .- General Bradstreet arrived at Detroit with a large force, which relieved its citizens from apprehension of further Indian depreda- tions, and a peace treaty was made with them by Bradstreet. The garrison at Michilmackinac was captured by the Chippewas, led by Minnawauna.
1775 .- Governor Hamilton visits Detroit. He appointed one Captain Phillip De Jean a magistrate, who tried John Continuncan for steal- ing furs from Abbot & Fenchey, also a colored woman and slave named Ann Wylie for stealing six guineas, and sentenced them both to be hung. They were executed, but Hamilton and De Jean were compelled to flee the country. Fort Ponchartrain was destroyed, and earth works were thrown up near what is now Fort Street.
1777 .- Congress adopts a United States flag June 14.
1778 .- Major Lenoult, or Leneault, commanding five hundred British troops, erected a large earth work fort, between what are now Griswold and Wayne and Lafayette and Fort, named after him "Fort Lernoult." After the battle of the Thames, it was changed to Fort Shelby, in honor of Governor Shelby, of Kentucky. Inde- pendence of the United States recognized by France February
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6th. Daniel Boon, the noted hunter, was brought by the Indians as a prisoner. General Clark captures Vincennes, Indiana, and then starts for Kaskaskie.
1782 .- Washington resigns as general. A large number of Moravians from Ohio settled at the mouth of the Clinton river. They named their village "Guadenhutten." General Macomb born at Detroit.
1783-Treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United States, but the English governor, Sir Frederick Haldeman, refused to cede the northwest on the demand of Baron Steuben, who had been sent to Quebec by Washington to demand it.
1784 .- Governor Hay visits Detroit July 12.
1787 .- The constitution of the United States was adopted September 17th. The ordinance for the civil government of the Northwest Territory established at Marietta, Ohio. Congress passed an act creating the Northwestern Territory, and the president appointed General Arthur St. Clair governor, but the fort at Detroit had not been ceded or embraced as a part of said territory; he was the first civil magistrate of the northwest, aside from that portion claimed as a part of Canada, Governor Haldiman insisting that it was not included in the treaty of peace. Marietta, Ohio, was created the territorial seat of government.
1788 .- Cincinnati, Ohio, founded December 28th.
1791 .-- General St. Clair defeated by the Indians. Michigan made a part of Upper Canada.
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