USA > Michigan > Saginaw County > History of Saginaw County, Michigan; historical, commercial, biographical, Volume I > Part 11
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The total length of the lake shore is 1,620 miles, and there are over 5,000 smaller lakes in the States, having a total area of 1,114 square miles.
RETROSPECT.
And now, how natural to turn our eyes and thoughts back to the log-cabin days of less than 50 years ago, and contrast it with the elegant mansion of modern times. Before us stands the old log cabin. Let us enter. Instinctively the head is uncovered in token of reverence to this relic of ancestral beginnings and early struggles. To the left is the deep, wide fire-place, in whose commodious space a group of children may sit by the fire and up through the chimney may count the stars, while ghostly stories of witches and giants, and still more thrilling stories of Indians and wild beasts, are whisperingly told and shudderingly heard. On the great crane hang the old tea-kettle and the great iron pot. The huge shovel and tongs stand sentinel in either corner, while the great andirons
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patiently wait for the huge back log. Over the fire-place hangs the trusty rifle. On the right side of the fire-place stands the spin- ning-wheel, while in the further end of the room the loom looms up with a dignity peculiarly its own. Strings of drying apples and poles of drying pumpkin are overhead. Opposite the door by which you enter stands a huge deal table; by its side the dresser whose " pewter plates" and "shining delf" catch and reflect "the fire-place flame as shields of armies do the sunshine." From the corner of its shelves coyly peep out the relics of former china. In a curtained corner and hid from casual sight we find the mother's bed, and under it the trundle-bed, while near thein a ladder indi- cates the loft where the older children sleep. To the left of the fire- place and in the corner opposite the spinning-wheel is the mother's work-stand. Upon it lies the Holy Bible, evidently much used, its family record telling of parents and friends a long way off, and telling, too, of children
Scattered like roses in bloom, Some at the bridal, and some at the tomb.
Her spectacles, as if but just used, are inserted between the leaves of lier Bible, and tell of her purpose to return to its comforts when cares permit and duty is done. A stool, a bencli, well notched and whittled and carved, and a few chairs complete the furniture of the room, and all stand on a coarse but well-scoured floor. Let us for a moment watch the city visitors to this humble cabin. The city bride, innocent but thoughtless, and ignorant of labor and care, asks her city-bred husband, "Pray what savages set this up?" Honestly confessing his ignorance, he replies, " I do not know." But see the pair on whom age sits "frosty but kindly." First, as they enter they give a rapid glance about the cabin home, and then a mutual glance of eye to eye. Why do tears start and fill their eyes? Why do lips quiver? There are many who know why, but who that has not learned in the school of experience the full mean- ing of all these symbols of trials and privation, of loneliness and danger, can comprehend the story that they tell to the pioneer? Within this chinked and mud-daubed cabin, we read the first pages of our history, and as we retire through its low doorway, and note the heavy battened door, its wooden hinges, and its . welcoming latch-string, is it strange that the scenes without should seein to be but a dream? But the cabin and the palace, standing side by side in vivid contrast, tell the story of this people's progress. They are a history and prophecy in one.
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY
CHAPTER I.
THE INDIANS.
The origin of the red men, or American Indians, is a subject which interests as well as instructs. It is a favorite with the ethnologist, even as it is one of deep concern to the ordinary reader. The era of their establishment as a distinct and insulated people must be set down and credited to a period immediately after the separation of the Asiatics and the origin of the languages. No doubt whatever can exist when the American Indian is regarded as of Asiatic origin. The fact is that the full-blood Indian of the pres- ent is descended directly from the earliest inhabitants, or, in other words, from the survivors of that people who, on being driven from their fair possessions, retired to the wilderness in sorrow, and reared up their children under the saddening influences of their unquenchable griefs, bequeathing them only the habits of the wild, cloud-roofed homes of their exile-a sullen silence and a rude moral code. In'after years those wild sons of the forest and prairie grew in numbers and in strength. Some legend told them of their present sufferings, of the high station which their fathers once had held, and of the riotous race that now reveled in the wealth which should be theirs. The fierce passions of the savage were aroused, and uniting their scattered bands, all marched in silence upon the villages of the Tartars, driving them onward to the capital of their Incas, and consigning their homes to the flames. Once in view of the great city, the hurrying bands halted in sur- prise, while Tartar cunning took advantage of the situation, and offered to the sons of their former victims pledges of amity and justice, which were sacredly observed. Henceforth Mexico, was open to the Indians, bearing precisely the same relation to them that the Hudson Bay Company's villages do to the Northwestern Indians of the present time,-obtaining all and rendering little.
The subjection of the Mongolian race, represented in North America by that branch of it to which those Tartars belonged, seems to have taken place about five centuries prior to the arrival of the Spaniards; while it may be concluded that the war of the races, which resulted in reducing the villages erected by the Tartar 8
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hordes to ruin, took place between one and two hundred years later. These statements, though actually referring to events which in point of time are comparatively modern, can be substantiated only by the fact that about the periods mentioned the dead bodies of an unknown race of men were washed ashore on the European coasts; while previous to that time there is no account whatever in European annals of even a vestige of trans-Atlantic humanity being transferred by ocean currents to the shores of the Old World. Toward the latter half of the fifteenth century, two dead bodies, entirely free from decomposition and corresponding with the characteristics of the red men, as afterward seen by Colum- bus, were cast ashore on the Azores, and confirmed the great discoverer in his belief in the existence of a western world and a western people.
Storm and flood and disease have created sad havoc in the ranks of the aborigines since the occupation of the country by the white man. Inherent causes have led to the decimation of the race even more than the advance of civilization, which seems not to affect it materially. In the maintenance of the same number of represent- atives during three centuries, and its existence in the very face of a most unceremonious, and, whenever necessary, cruel conquest, the grand dispensations of the Unseen Ruler are demonstrated; for, without the aborigines, savage and treacherous as they were, it is possible that the explorers of former times would have so many natural difficulties to contend with that their work would be surrendered in despair, and the most fertile regions of the conti- nent saved for the plow-shares of the coming generations. It is very questionable whether the ultimate resolve of Columbus was not strengthened by the appearance of the bodies of Indians on the coast of Europe, even as the fact of the existence of a people in the interior led the French explorers into the very heart of the continent in later days. From this standpoint their services can not be over-estimated. Their existence is embraced in the plan of the Divinity for his government of the world; and it will not be a matter of surprise to learn that the same intelligence which sent a thrill of liberty through every nerve of the Republic will. in the near future, devise some method under which the remnant of a. great and ancient race may taste the sweets of public sympathy, and feel that, after a long season of suffering, they have at last found a shelter amid a sympathizing people.
EARLY EXPLORERS.
Among such a people did the Jesuit fathers-Claude Allouez and Claude Dablon-venture in 1665; Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet in 1668, and the hundred missionaries who fol- lowed after them. Many of those zealous men visited the lodges of the Saginaws while yet the spirit of Pontiac was living and breathing death to the pale-face; but the very warriors who went forth in 1762 to aid the great Indian chieftain in his proposed
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capture of the English garrison of Detroit were among the first to bid the Frenchmen welcome to the valley of the Saginaw, as also to go to the aid of La Balme in 1780, when he marched against the English position at Detroit.
About the year 1520 the Chippewas gained possession of this district, when the massacre of Skull Island resulted in almost the total annihilation of the original possessors, the Sauks. The story of this massacre is thus related by William McCormick:
BATTLE OF SKULL ISLAND.
"On nearly all the tributaries can be found mounds filled with human bones, which I have opened for my own satisfaction, and found them lying in all directions, showing they were thrown together without any regularity, upon which I became satisfied they were killed in battle. This awakened in me a curiosity to find out what people they were, and where and what had become of them. I often questioned the Indians in regard to it, but they would invariably say that there were two or three very old Indians living on the bay that could tell me all about it, giving me their names. Accordingly, in one of my journeys to the bay I sought out the Indians in question. I think this was in 1834. I found him a very old man, and asked him his age. He said he thought he was a great deal over 100 years. His faculties were as bright as a man of 50. I told him I understood he could give me the tradition of his race. He replied he could, as it was handed down to him by his grandfather, who he said was older than he was now when he told him. For fear I would not get it correct I called to my aid an educated man who was part Indian, Peter Grewett, a man well known by the early settlers as an Indian trader, and is still living, I believe, in Gratiot county, and has spent his life with the Indians, in the fur trade, and was for many years in the employment of the American Fur Company.
"The old Indian, Puttasamine by name, commenced as follows: He said the Sauks occupied the whole of the Saginaw river and its tributaries, extending from Thunder Bay on the north to the head of the Shiawassee on the south, and from Lake Michigan on the west to Detroit on the east. The balance of Michigan was occupied by the Pottawatomies, and the Lake Superior country was occupied by the Chippewas and Ottawas, while the Monomonies. were at the head of Green Bay in Wisconsin, and another tribe west of the Mississippi which he called Sows. The main village of the Sauks stood on the west side of the Saginaw river, just below where the residence of Mr. Frank Fitzhugh now is, and opposite the mill of the Hon. N. B. Bradley. The Sauks were always at war with their Chippewa neighbors on the north and the Pottawatomies on the south, and also with other nations in Canada, until at last a council was called, consisting of the Chippewas, Pottawatomies, Monomonies, Ottawas, and Six Nations of New York. At an appointed time they all met at the Island of Mackinaw, where they
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fitted out a large army and started in bark canoes, and came down the west shore of Lake Huron. They then stole along the west shore of Saginaw Bay by night, and lay concealed during the day, until they arrived at a place called Petobegong, about ten miles from the mouth of the Saginaw. Here they landed part of their army, while the rest crossed the bay and landed to the east of the mouth of the Saginaw river in the night. In the morning both armies started up the river, one on each side, so as to attack both villages at once. The army on the west side attacked the main village first by surprise, and massacred nearly all; the balance retreated across the river to another village, which stood near where the court-house now stands, near the ferry, in Portsmouth. At this time that part of the army that had landed on the east side of the river came up, and a desperate battle ensued in the vicinity of the residence of William R. McCormick, that being the highest land, and where they had attempted to fortify themselves; and at the present time, by digging in this hill, you will find it full of human bones which were killed in that battle. Here they were again defeated. They then crossed the river and retreated to Skull Island, which is the next island above what is now Stone's Island. Here they considered themselves safe, as their enemies had no canoes and they could not fortify themselves. But the next night after their retreat to the island the ice froze thick enough for the allies to cross, which they did, when another massacre ensued; here they were all exterminated with the exception of 12 females. Since that time this island has been known as "Skull Island," from the number of skulls found on it in after years. The allies then divided, some going up the Cass, some up the Flint, others up the Shiawassee, Tittabawassee, and so on, where there were different bands located. But the largest battles were fought on the Flint on the bluff.
"Another Indian traditionist says another reinforcement met them here, coming through Detroit. Here there is a large number of mounds filled with bones, which can be seen at the present day. They then came down the river and fought another battle on the bluff, about a mile from the present village of Flushing, on the farm formerly owned by a Mr. Bailey. Here there is also a large number of mounds yet to be seen; and, if you should dig them open as I have, you will find them filled with human bones.
"The next battle was fought abont 16 miles from Flushing, on the farm formerly occupied by the late James McCormick. There were several battles fought on the Cass, at what is now called the Bend, or Bridgeport Center, where there was a fortification of earthwork which was plainly to be seen 35 years ago. The next important battle was fought on the Tittabawassee just above the farm on which the late Jaines Fraser first settled when he came to the Saginaw Valley. This differs from the rest, as the remains of the slain were all buried in one mound, and it is a very large one.
"After the extermination of the whole nation, with the exception of the 12 females before spoken of, a council of the allies was then
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held, to know what should be done with them. Some were for torturing and killing, others for sparing their lives; finally it was. agreed that they should be sent west of the Mississippi, and an arrangement was made with the Sioux that no tribe should molest. them, and the Sionx should be responsible for their protection, which agreement was faithfully kept. The conquered country, of which the present Saginaw Valley is a part, was then divided among them all as a common hunting ground. But a great many who came here to hunt never returned, nor were ever heard of. It became the opinion of the Indians that the spirits of the dead Sauks still haunted their hunting grounds and were killing off their hunters, when in fact it was a few Sauks who had escaped the massacre and still lingered around their hunting grounds, watching for straggling hunters and killing them whenever an opportunity occurred. Ton-do-gong, an Indian chief who died in 1840, told me he killed a Sauk while hunting when a boy. This must have been over 80 years ago, and up to a few years ago the Indians still believed there was a Sauk in the vicinity. They had seen the place where he had made his fires and slept. I have known them to get together and not hunt for several days, for the reason, they said, there was a Sauk in the woods; they had seen where he had slept. I used to laugh at them, but it was of no avail; you could not make them believe otherwise.
"But to go back to the Indian tradition. The country was con- sidered as haunted, and no more Indians came here to hunt, although game was abundant. Finally it was converted into what. would be termed among civilized nations a penal colony. Every Indian who committed a crime would flee or be banished to the haunted hunting grounds (Saginaw Valley) to escape punishment, for the Indian laws were more severe and strict then than now. This was long before we became degraded by coming in contact. with the whites, said the Indian.
"The Chippewas becoming the mnost numerous, finally their language predominated, and at the present time the Indians in the Saginaw Valley do not speak in all respects the same as the Chip- pewas on Lake Superior, from which they originally sprung, showing that the mixing of different nations in the Saginaw Valley has been the cause of the same. Put-ta-qua-sa-mine said his grandfather told it to him when he was a boy, which was 90 years. before, and that it had been handed down to his grandfather from his ancestors, and was a custom with him to repeat it often to his people, so the tradition or history should not be lost; and a suc- cessor was always appointed in case the traditionist should die, that the history of the nation should not be lost, and be handed down from generation to generation.
"I have talked with two other old Indians on the same subject, and their tradition is precisely the same, word for word, with one exception. They say the battles on the Flint were fought by the army coming from Detroit. I have no doubt that the above is a
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correct narrative, as much so as if it had been written at the time and handed down to us as a matter of history."
LOCATION OF THE BATTLE-FIELD.
About 12 miles below Saginaw City is "Skull Island," so named by the Indians in consideration that upon it exists an endless quantity of "dead heads," which were left here after a great fight, years long past, between the Chippewas and Sauks, their owners having no further use for them, especially after they had passed through the hands of a set of hair dressers who took off skin and hair together. These Indians were queer fellows in their day; and at this battle of Skull Island, which the Chippewas had trav- eled " many a weary mile to enjoy," they made a general Kilkenny cat fight of it, and as, like Maturin's tragedies, "all stabbed and everybody died," except about six on each side, each party of them retired and celebrated the victory, leaving the field in undis- turbed possession of the " skulls," which, having seen the folly of fighting, were willing to lie quiet, friend and foe, "cheek by jowl," and compose themselves for a few more years of hunting and fishing, by the glorious expectation of taking a squint at the "happy hunting grounds," and the proud consequence of having dedicated their respective knowledge-boxes to the christening of about two acres of Bad Island.
Just below this locality of warlike memory lies Sag-e-nong, upon a high bank on the west side of the river. This is the Saginaw of the red man, and the only place known to him by that name. The meaning of the word is the "land of Sauks." The place known to white men as Saginaw lies 12 miles or more up the river, and is called Ka-pay-shaw-wink, which means the "camping ground." Here it was that the tribes living hereabout were wont to assemble, statedly to hold council together, often continuing some days.
THE WINNEBAGO WAR.
During the year 1827 a war party of the Winnebagos attacked a camp of the Chippewas, and succeeded in killing eight warriors. The Winnebagos engaged in this ruse de guerre were arrested under authority of the United States, and four of them given up to be tried by the court of warriors of the Chippewas. The Winne- bagos were of course found guilty and suffered capital punishment. Red Bird, a chief of the Winnebagos and a kinsman of the four braves who were executed, sought revenge, attacked the Chip- pewas, and, being defeated, turned his savage arms on unoffending white inen, but he and six of his band were soon made to surren- der; three of them were hanged, and the chief with three others placed in prison, where they died.
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THE LEGEND OF THE LONE TREE.
The following legends and descriptions have been collected from many sources, and relate to history so far as they are character- istic of Indian life:
No person who has ever traversed the valley of the Saginaw but remembers the "lone tree," which stood upon the east side of the river above Portsmonth, isolated upon the prairie, far from its fellows. It looked like some lone misanthrope, who, having become disgusted with the vanities and foibles of human nature, had taken up his abode in the desert, where, far from the busy haunts of his fellow man, he might pour out his heart's bitterness to the wild winds, and waste his spleen and discontent upon the "desert air." There it stood, majestic in its loneliness, like the last rose whose companions are gone. A spirit of romance cer- tainly seemed to linger about it; a whisper of the past gently breathed through its desolate branches, and the question naturally arose, Why is it that this tree thus stood alone? A greater interest was imparted to it by the fact of its having been for years the abode of a white owl, whose dismal whoop fell mournfully upon the ear of night. The Indians had a great reverence for this tree, and also for its occupant, which they believed to be a spirit.
There is a beautiful belief existing among the aborigines of our country in regard to a guardian spirit, which they say is often seen, and which appears in the form of a bird, sometimes the dove, sometimes the eagle, but more frequently assuming the forin of a night bird, though the disposition of the deceased, while living, has much to do with the species. For instance, a great warrior dies whose disposition had been fearless, ambitious and untamed; his spirit-bird personifies an eagle; a blood-thirsty chief tain's spirit-bird is a hawk. A gentle maiden passes away to the spirit-land, and her friends know that she is hovering near them when they hear the mournful notes of the turtle dove at morn or eve.
A legend, or tradition, concerning the "lone tree" exists among the Indians of the Saginaw Valley. Many, many long years before the white man's foot had left its impress upon this valley, Ke-wah-ke-won ruled his people with love and kindness. He was a patriarch among them, and beloved for the gentleness of his man- ners and the mildness of his government. He had been a great warrior in his day, but his youth had departed, and languid pulse and feeble footsteps told, alas! too plainly, that he would soon be treading the hunting grounds of the Great Spirit. The good old man felt that indeed he was passing away-dying-and he was desirous to see once more his tribes in council, and bestow upon them his last blessing, and impart to them his dying counsel and admonition. The old chief lay upon his death-bed, and around him were gathered, in mournful silence, his beloved people, eager to catch the first and last words that should drop from the lips of their dying chieftain. It was a mournful and melancholy picture,
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that death-bed scene in the wilderness. At length the chief spoke, while the fire of his youth seemed to kindle again in his dim eye, and his voice, though weak, was calm and clear:
"My children," said he, "the Great Spirit has called to me, and I must obey the summons. Already is the hand raised to sever the last chord that binds me to my children; already my guide stands at the door to convey me to the hunting grounds of my fathers in the spirit-land. You weep, my children, but dry your tears, for though I leave you now, yet will my spirit-bird ever watch over you. I will whisper to you in the evening breeze, and when the morning comes you will know that I have been with you through the night. But the Good Spirit beckons for me, and I must hasten. Let my body be laid in a quiet spot in the prairie, with my tomahawk and pipe by my side. You need not fear that the wolf will disturb my rest, for the Great Spirit, I feel, will place a watch over me. Meet me in the spirit-land, my children. Fare- well." And the old chief slept the sleep that knows no waking till the end of time.
They buried him in a lone spot in the prairie, near the beautiful river, with his face toward the rising sun. His remains were never disturbed by bird or beast; for it would indeed seem that so the Great Spirit had ordered it. Time passed on, and a tree arose from his grave and spread its branches over it, as if to protect it, and a beautiful white owl took possession of it. The Indians tell us that the "lone tree " marked the last resting place of Ke-wah- ke-won, and that the white owl was the spirit-bird sent to watch over it. The "lone tree " is no longer seen by the boatman or the passer-by, for vandal hands have cut it down; yet the spot is often pointed out upon which it stood, and where sleeps Ke-wah-ke-won, the beloved of his tribe.
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