USA > Michigan > Ionia County > History of Ionia County, Michigan : her people, industries and institutions, Volume I > Part 41
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In 1671, the same year that Father Marquette built the mission at Point St. Ignace for the Ottawas, a scene was enacted at the Sault du Saint Marie of great significance to the French participants, of awe and wonder to the savages assembled, also of historical interest to all who occupy the land today. We refer to the taking possession of the present state of Michigan and adjacent lands by St. Lusson, in the name of Louis XIV. King of France. St. Lusson, a French officer, had been sent out in 1670 by the intendant of Canada to search for minerals in the Lake Superior region.
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Returning to the straits, he determined to signalize the expedition by an imposing ceremony. He called together all the tribes of the lake country. and the savages, already favorably disposed toward the French, and also fond of councils, ceremonies and speeches had promptly responded to the call, there being no less than fourteen tribal organizations represented in the assemblage. There also were French voyageurs who had lived for years on the streams and in the forests and had become half-Indian in dress, man- ner and appearance. Of these, Nicholas Perrott, the interpreter and historian of the expedition was present, also Louis Joliet. the famous explorer, and four Jesuit missionaries, viz. : Claude Dablon, Gabriel Drublettes, Louis Andre and Claude Allouez, who had reported the discovery of copper ore in large quantities upon a return from a tour to the Lake Superior region in 1666. The great man of the assemblage, in the eyes of both whites and Indians, caused a large wooden cross to be prepared, also a cedar post to which was attached the arms of France. When all was in readiness the commander led forward his fourteen followers, fully armed and equipped. Dablon blessed the cross; it was then raised and planted in the ground, while the Frenchmen sang the "Vexilla Regis." The post bearing the arms of France was then placed beside the cross, with singing and prayer for the French King by one of the priests. Holding his drawn sword in his right hand Lusson then raised a sod of earth with his left and in a loud voice. and at length, proclaimed the sovereignty of France over lands discovered and to be discovered, "bounded on the one side by the seas of the North and West, and on the other by the South Sea;" declaring to the natives their vassalship of His Majesty, in return promising them succor and protection against the invasion of their enemies-"Long live the King." "Long live the King," repeated the Frenchmen present-and the thousands of savages velled in unison.
The probable reason the Indians so readily accepted this sovereignty, was because of their fear of the terrible Iroquois, whose native valor had by this time become more dangerous, by means of the muskets and ammunition supplied them by their friends, the Dutch of New Amsterdam. This was uppermost in their minds probably when they so readily acquiesced. but St. Lusson and his band had other objects in view and were quietly working for the possession of all territory visited by their trading and exploring parties which extended from the month of the St. Lawrence to the mouth of the Mississippi. The ceremony was conchided by a talk from Father Dablon, followed by the drawing ap of a statement of the whole transaction. While this could not give possession it did give legal title in the eyes of the French.
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and was afterward made good by the erection of forts and trading posts through the country, by protection to the Indians, and none disputed this right except their ancient enemies, the Dutch and English.
The traders, explorers and missionaries traversed the region for the next thirty-five or forty years in their different callings, and the friendship between the French and the tribes inhabiting Michigan endured more than half a century and was scarce severed when throughout Canada and the Northwest the Gallic flag went down in defeat before the conquering Anglo- Saxon. The English wanted territory and in 1754 was begun the old French and Indian War, which finally resulted in the acquiring by the English of all the French territory east of the Mississippi, and in February. 1763, the treaty of peace was signed between France and England.
CHIEF PONTIAC.
When the Indians were tokl of this they were furious, and a great upris- ing was planned by Pontiac, a full-blooded Ottawa, and head chief of the tribe here-then about fifty years old. History points him out as excelling in sagacity and strategy any Indian chief known. He gathered all the tribes of the lakes and rivers of the north together and the destruction of all the English forts and garrisons were to take place on a certain day -- a war of complete extermination. The feelings of the Indians are well expressed in the following historically authenticated facts. Major Rogers, with his rangers, was sent to Detroit to replace the French with an English garrison. and on nearing the post he was met by Pontiac and his followers. "What is your business in my country, and how dare you enter it without my per- mission?" was the haughty demand of the Indian chief. Rogers told his errand. Pontiac replied with dignity, "I stand in the path." Again in part of a speech of another chief to an English trader, "Englishman, although you have conquered the French, you have not yet conquered us. We are not your slaves. These lakes, these woods, were left to us by our ancestors, they are our inheritance, and we will part with them, to none." But the race that was to usurp them was at hand, and needless to say, after numer- ons attempts to foil the English. Pontiac renounced forever his scheme, and the greatest chief that ever walked the trails through this beautiful valley, had to give way to the greater race. Parkman, the historian, says of him: "The American forest never produced a man more shrewd, politic and ambi- tions." In 1766, he submitted to English rule and was murdered in 1760 in Cahokia, a village on the Mississippi, near St. Louis, by an Ilinois Indian,
CHIEF PONTIAC.
....
K 1:
MILARN FUUUATIONS
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who had been bribed to do the deed by an English trader. He was buried with all the honors of war by his friend. St. Auge. French commandant at St. Louis, but the Ottawas sprang to arms to avenge his death and almost exterminated the Illinois tribe.
Then came the War of the Revolution and the formation of a new government, but it was 1796 before the British surrendered the post of Detroit to the United States and not until then did the government obtain any control of the territory now known as the state of Michigan. In 1807 General Hull made an agreement with the chiefs of the Ottawas, Pottawat- omies and Chippewas, by which they ceded a large portion of their lands in eastern Michigan to the United States government. War was again declared in 1812, in which the Indians joined forces with the British, but with the victory of the United States, all hopes of the Indians for holding onto their lands were vanquished -- peace and protection were generously extended to them by the government, and then the war-like career of this great league, which had extended for more than a hundred years, was at an end. They no longer kept strictly to tribes and when the whites came here it was no unusual thing to find bands of Indians made up of Indians from all three tribes.
SAGINAW TREATY OF 1819.
Soon after the close of 1812 it became evident to General Cass, then governor of this territory, that more land woukl have to be acquired from the Indians to accommodate the immigration rapidly moving westward, so he obtained authority from the government to proceed in the matter of securing further cessions, and he called for the convening of the chiefs of the Chippewas at Saginaw, in September, 1819. Here occurred the first cession of lands included in what is now lonia county, Accompanied by quite a retinue, General Cass set out on horseback from Detroit on Septem- ber 7. arriving at Saginaw on September 10. Two small vessels which had leit Detroit a few days before had already arrived. They were loaded with subsistence stores, silver coin to pay for the lands expected to be ceded, and goods intended for presents. They brought also a company of the Third United States infantry, under command of Captain Cass ( brother of Gen- eral Cass ) who had disembarked his command and encamped on the bank of the stream. These were thought to be necessary in case of an attempt at violence by some of the bands,
General Cass found a large number of Indians assembled but not so many as he had expected, so he despatched runners to the villages in the
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interior, urging the chiefs to come and join the council. When all prepara- tions were complete, the council opened in a large bower, which by direction of General Cass had been built by Louis Campan, the trader, on the banks of the Saginaw river. All around this structure, crowding close to the line. which they were not allowed to cross, were squaws and papooses from every band of the Saginaw Chippewa tribe, eager to look upon the mysterious ceremonies. Next inside the line were the young men and warriors, while within their circle, seated on trunks of trees placed there for the purpose. were the chiefs, those of high rank being clustered around a low platform of logs on which were seated General Cass and retinue and also many Indian traders. General Cass opened the council by an address to the Indians through his interpreters. He told them the President of the United States . desired to preserve the peace which had been established between their tribes
and the government, that he had their welfare at heart, wished them to change their mode of life In depending more upon agriculture and less on hunting and fishing. He explained that the government wished to purchase their lands for the use of white settlers, would pay them a generous price. and that other lands. ample in extent and as fertile, would be set apart for the perpetual use of themselves and their children.
The original object of General Cass was not only to induce the Indians to cede their lands, but to consent to remove from the peninsula and locate on tracts to be selected tor them west of Lake Michigan, or perhaps west of the Mississippi. This being apparent in his opening speech it roused the opposition and resentment of all the chiefs to such a degree as to threaten a suspension of all negotiations. The first Indian who spoke in reply to Gen- eral Cass was Kish-kaw-ko, the principal chief of the Saginaws. He spoke in a violent and angry manner against the ceding of their lands and advised the breaking up of the council. He was, however, considerably under the effect of liquor at the time and on this account, his speech had less effect than that of Oge-onaw-ke-ke-to, who immediately followed in a speech far less violent, but quite as much opposed to General Cass's plan. Other chiefs spoke in the same vein and when the council was ended for the day the pros- pect for the conclusion of a treaty was far from favorable, and at the close General Cass told the chiefs in a friendly way to go to their wigwams "and smoke and talk the matter over together." while he retired in a state of disappointment and anxiety. There was one favorable circumstance how- ever. Kish-kaw-ko had reached a state of helpless intoxication, remaining in that condition eight or ten days, not making his appearance until the terms of the treaty had been agreed upon.
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The Indians retired sullen and almost rebellious and no other session of the council was held for several days. In the meantime powerful influ- ences had been brought to bear on them by the fur-traders, in whom they had great confidence. The trader, Jacob Smith, was in especial favor among the chiefs and he was in favor of the cession because he expected, and eventually did receive, choice reservations of land for his children. Other traders stood in the same position. And it was because of their work among the chiefs for several days that they nearly overcame the opposition, and General Cass re-convened the chiefs and warriors in the council house. Gen- eral Cass, having found out that the Indians were bitterly hostile to the plan for removing them beyond Lake Michigan, and that if that measure were insisted upon it would probably result in the failure of the treaty, had ceased to press that proposition and substituted for it the plan of granting tribal and individual reservations within the tract to be ceded. This wrought such a favorable change among the chiefs that the parties had little difficulty in agreeing on the terms, which were virtually concluded at this sitting, and all that remained to be done was to engross it in due form and affix the signatures of the commissioner, chiefs and witnesses.
The next day. September 24, the third and last session was held and the treaty was signed. The Indian attendance was much larger than at any previous meeting, being estimated at fully two thousand chiefs and warriors ; while still a greater number of women and children were crowded on the outskirts. The ceremony of signing the treaty was made as imposing as possible, the first name of course being Lewis Cass, United States Indian commissioner, and this was followed by the tokens of one hundred and four- teen Chippewa and Ottawa chiefs, even that of Kish-Kaw-Ko, who had finally come out from his stupor of intoxication. After signing, a large table was placed before the commissioner, and great piles of silver half- dollars were paid out to the representatives of the several bands. After payments had been made General Cass ordered that five barrels of govern- ment whisky be opened and their contents be dealt out to the Indians. An orgy followed, but they were at length pacified and retired to their wigwams to sleep off the effects of the whisky, but after they had recovered were friendly and tractable and even after C'ass and his assistants had started for home they sent a messenger to overtake him and express to him their satis- faction over the treaty.
By this treaty of 1819 the Indians ceded to the United States an arca of territory estimated at about six million acres of land (including part of lonia county), for which the government agreed to pay the Chippewa nation
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(it mostly lay in their domain ) annually, forever, the sum of one thousand dollars in silver coin, and also that the annuities of previous treaties should thereafter be paid in silver. The terms of the treaty of Greenville (1795), giving the Indians a right to hunt and fish at will upon the ceded lands, so long as they remained the property of the United States, were applied to this treaty. They were also permitted to make sugar whenever they chose upon the land during the same period, but without any unnecessary waste of trees.
CHICAGO TREATY OF 1821.
The eastern part of lonia county having been ceded to the government by the Saginaw treaty of 1819, the southwestern part was ceded as part of a large tract by the Chicago treaty of 1821. It was concluded at Chicago in 1821 by Gen. Lewis Cass and Hon. Solomon Sibley, commissioners, and the chiefs of the Ottawas, Chippewas and Pottawattomie nations. In consideration of this session the United States agreed to pay the Ottawas one thousand dollars a year forever, besides fifteen hundred dollars a year for fifteen years to support a blacksmith, a teacher and a farmer, and also the right to hunt and fish and make sugar while the land remained the prop- erty of the government. Arrangement was also made with the Pottawat- tomies.
WASHIINGTON TREATY OF 1836.
But a treaty more important in its results than either the Saginaw or Chicago treaties-by which the government was ceded Keene, Otisco and . Orleans townships in lonia county, as a small part out of a large tract-was concluded at Washington, D. C., March 28, 1836. between Hon. Henry R. Schoolcraft, on the part of the United States, and the chiefs of the Ottawa and Chippewa tribes. Out of the immense tract ceded at this time the Indians reserved one tract of a thousand acres on Little Traverse bay. a tract of twenty thousand acres on the north shore of Grand Travers bay. besides other tracts lying in the northern part of the southern peninsula and northern peninsula of Michigan.
In consideration, the United States agreed, first, to pay the Ottawas and Chippewas the sums, viz. : $30,000 in specie every year for twenty years, of which $18,000 was to be paid to the Indians between Grand river and Cheboygan : $3,600 to those Indians on the shores of Lake Huron between Cheboygan and Thunder Bay river: $7.400 to the Indians of the Chippewa nation north of the straits as far as the cession runs. The remaining $1.000
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to be invested in stocks by the treasury department, and not to be sold until the expiration of twenty-one years. Second-Five thousand dollars per annum for purposes of education to continue for twenty years, and as long after that as Congress might appropriate; $3.000 for missions, subject to various conditions ; $10,000 for agricultural implements, cattle, tools, etc., $300 per annum for medicines, physicians, etc., while the Indians stayed on the reservation ; provisions to the amount of $2,000-6.500 packages of tobacco. 100 barrels of salt, 500 barrels of fish annually for twenty years ; $150,000 in goods, provisions, etc .. on the ratification of the treaty, to be delivered at Michilimackinac.
Other liberal concessions were made to some old chiefs who had been friendly to the government during the War of 1812. also to the half-breed children of white fathers, in lieu of reservations. The tribes also had the right to occupy the ceded lands until desired by white settlers. These are the three treaties affecting the lands in Ionia county, and there were many Indians here when white settlers came, but they retired as they had agreed. readily, though mournfully, from their old haunts, their cultivated patches, and their villages, to still deeper wilds in the north wilderness. They were generally Ottawas, a few Chippewas, now and then a Pottawattomie, but these had been completely subjected and sadly degenerated from the type of true North American Indian described by early writers. Their total defeat in battle had taken away all spirit. For many years large numbers of Ottawas had been in the habit of making annual visits to Mackinaw soon after the close of the sugar-making season. Then large fleets of their Mack- inaw boats. each bearing a family and its supplies, would assemble at the mouth of the Grand, have a jubilee and feast, then the fleet would sweep northward. The return in October was made in the same manner. But there is reason to believe that those who made Fonia county their home, mostly stayed during the whole year, the rich bottom land of the Grand affording them ample facilities for raising corn, beans, pumpkins, etc., while the forests, lakes and streams teemed with fish and game.
STORY OF AN OLD SONG.
The Indians called Grand river "Wash-te-nong," which meant in their language "The Beautiful."
When securing material for this history, many early-day residents spoke of a song called "Washtenong" that was very popular in those days, but (29)
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none could remember the words, and their being kept and secured by us forms quite a story by itself, as they were sent, unsolicited, by Mrs. Frances E. Burns, of St. Louis, Michigan, grand commander of the Ladies of the Mac- cabees, a granddaughter of Judge Yeomans, she knowing that we were secur- ing as many facts, never before published, as possible. One of Judge Yeo- mans' daughters, Mrs. Isaac Thatcher, had a fine voice. She had a sister, Mrs. Sanford (mother of Mrs. Burns), whom she often went to visit at her farm home, just west of the Michigan reformatory. Quoting from Mrs. Burns' letter, "Often, when Aunt Hattie came to visit us at the farmhouse, we would not know she was there until we would hear her singing 'Wash- tenong.' She had a magnificent voice and 1 was never at her home. or she at our house, that I did not have her sing for me, and this from the time I was a little chikl. One day I stood watching her, as I had done many times, and said, 'Why couldn't I learn that?' and she said, 'You could, easily.' So I found an old note book and she just told me the letters of the keys, so I have the tune, which a musician could pick out from that, which I will send to you, together with the words, which I also wrote down." She was but seven years old when her family came to fonia and soon learned to talk with the Indians.
WAASUTENONG.
An emerald bank of woodland bowers, Bespangled with bright roseate flowers, Begirts this beauteous forest stream That glides afar like fairy dream: Where wild birds with their voral song Chant praise to thee. fair Washtonong.
Here does the wild deer feed and lave Ilis graceful limbs beneath thy wave ; In stately form and conscions pride The wild fowls der thy billows glide: While whip-poor-wills sing pensive song Mid thy fair groves, fair Washtenong.
Here bark canoes that onee did rest I'pon thy bosom's placid breast. Have floated down time's trackless shore- A name they've left, and nothing more.
Methinks the Indian maiden's song Laments for thee, fair Washtenong.
Here wandered red mon, free as air. D'er hill and valley. everywhere: But plowmen now furn sacred sod Where forest kings had ever trod ;
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Whose last sad echoing is a song.
Revealing love for Washtenong.
Thou beauteous stream, thou'rt all aglow,
So freety do thy waters flow ;
Now. winding through high towering steep,
By fertile vale thy murmurs sweep:
Then sing thee on thy gentle song,
We love it well. fair Washtenong.
EARLY LIFE ALONG GRAND RIVER.
It is strange in contemplating the Grand today, and which we really pay very little attention to, so long as it keeps quietly within its banks, that it once played so important a part in the life of the inhabitants of this part of Michigan. That is, it was really the great important highway, to easily reach other points to the east, by the way of Maple, with a short cut across at a certain point of a few miles to a branch of the Saginaw ; brought travel- ers to easy access of Lake Huron districts, and this was a much traveled way long before the coming of the whites, and soon after their coming a canal to connect the Maple and Saginaw rivers was planned, to do away, in large measure. with the long distance by the way of Mackinaw straits ; and much work was done, but given up on account of lack of state funds. The Ottawa Indians used the river much in going between their villages along its way, and also in their excursions to and from their principal town of Mackinaw, as did also the French traders, who began to come into the state soon after 1750, and many had trading posts along Grand river far east of lonia. And it is with the more prominent of those, both French and Indian, who are known to have lived along the river in the days preceding the coming of white settlers that this review is devoted. The Indian villages that are known were, a large one at Grand Rapids, also one at the month of the Flat river near where Lowell is now situated. one at Ionia, one at the mouth of the Maple between Muir and Lyons and one in Danby township. And it was near these villages that the traders built their log posts, when they began to come into the state.
America's oldest industry, and which still thrives, is the fur trade, begin- ning in this country in 1615, when a syndicate of Holland fur traders and ship owners colonized a few families on Manhattan island, now New York, for the purpose of preparing furs received in barter from the Indians for shipment to Holland. In 1624 the Dutch West India Company sent thirty families, most of the men being fur dressers, to Manhattan; a part of this
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colony being sent up the river to Beaverwyck, now called Albany, and this company soon built up a large and profitable business, sending their furs to Leipsic. And today sixty-five per cent of the fur trade of this nation is done in New York, and the work of converting fur into wearing apparel gives employment to about fifteen thousand men and women, and the annual trade in finished product is about thirty-five million dollars. The founda- tions of the fortunes of the Astors and many other old families of New York were made in the fur trade. When the first John Jacob Astor was coming as an emigrant to the New World, he met a fur merchant on board ship, and resolved that he would make that his business. He learned his trade from an old Quaker next to the Quaker meeting house in what is now Liberty Place. In 1809 he completed his plans for competition against the Hudson Bay Company and opened a chain of fur-buying posts from the Great Lakes to the Pacific coast, and had fur-trading ships plying between the Pacific coast and the fur markets on the coast of China. And it was his representatives that largely did business along Grand river for some years before the coming of the white settlers.
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