USA > Michigan > Saginaw County > History of Saginaw County, Michigan; historical, commercial, biographical, Volume II > Part 12
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The withdrawal of the United States troops from Fort Saginaw in the fall of 1823, by reason of the extreme unhealthful climate, as had been widely circulated, also deterred many emigrants from penetrating the in- terior : and De Tocqueville, in his memoirs, makes note of the fact that the land agents and others interested in the sale of lands directly west of Detroit, exerted every influence to discourage a permanent settlement on the Saginaw, and to direct immigration westward. Then, too, the fur traders, who were the only white inhabitants of the valley, with the future of their trade ever in mind, also opposed any settlement of the country which would inevitably exterminate or drive away the wild animals, upon which their trade was based. As a result of these conditions, for more than ten years after the treaty was ratified, the number of white settlers in this valley could not have exceeded thirty : and there were only three or four hamlets between Sag- inaw and Pontiac.
Nearly all the early settlers were engaged directly in the fur trade, the profits of which were large and was simply an exchange of commodities. An Indian would bring in rich furs, to him scarcely of any value, but worth perhaps ten dollars in London or Paris. He would receive in exchange a strong, keen-edged knife, worth in European cities about a half dollar, but to him worth ten times the furs. His joy was great as he showed the keen cutting tool which shaved down his bows and arrows so smoothly, in con- trast to the laborious use of his hard stone implements. Imagine the delight with which an Indian woman, for the first time in her life, hung a stout iron kettle over her cabin fire. Would she not induce her "brave" to give up his scanty supply of furs in exchange for it?
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY
From the "Voyage of Captain Richard Lode" a clear insight into the terms upon which exchanges were made with the Indians, is derived. Beaver skins were then the standard currency employed in trade, and values were based on them. The Indian gave in exchange for -
1 gun 3 pound of powder 4 pounds of shot 1 beaver skin
10 beaver skins 1 beaver skin
1 axe 1
beaver skin
6 knives 1 beaver skin 1 pound of glass beads 1 beaver skin
1 laced coat 6 beaver skins 1 laced female dress -
1 pound tobacco
comb and looking glass
5 beaver skins 1 beaver skin 2 beaver skins
Treaty Reservations to the Rileys
Among the reservees in the treaty of 1819 were John, James and Peter Riley, who were the sons of James V. S. Riley and Me-naw-cum-ego-qua. a Chippewa woman. According to early accounts of pioneer life the father by heritage came from excellent stock, and was a most fearless man of great strength and resolution. It is related of him that upon coming to Detroit in his youth, he refused to work on the King's highway, as ordered, and a file of soldiers was drawn up to log him, but he dared them to do it. This defiant challenge was borne to Major Antrim, in charge of the British forces. who was so dazed by the Herculean mould and courage of the young fron- tiersman that he released him.
The sons inherited much of their father's physical strength and intrepid spirit, and were of great aid to the Americans in the war of 1812. On one occasion one of them, probably John, guided General Cass, Judge Moran and others in repelling hostile Indians in the suburbs of Detroit, and shot a fierce warrior in the advance. The aid the Rileys gave the government was no doubt the cause of the generous reservations of land for their individual use in the treaty of Saginaw. The location of John Riley's land was within the corporate limits of Bay City: James Riley's grant formed a part of the site of East Saginaw, while that of Peter Riley was on the west side of the river. None of the Rileys ever took up a permanent residence here, their tribal homes being near the head of the St. Clair River. In 1836 James and Peter sold their lands here to Andrew F. MeReynolds and F. H. Stevens, when their connection with local history ceased.
Indian Payment Days
One of the provisions of the treaty provided that in consideration of the cession of the territory named in the treaty, the United States should pay to the Chippewa nation of Indians, annually, forever, the sum of one thousand dollars in silver, and to pay all annuities due on former treaties to the said tribe in the same coin. Indian payment days of that olden time, long before the settlement on the Saginaw had attained any importance, was an interest- ing and picturesque event. About twelve hundred Indians of all sorts and conditions, from the papoose strapped to a piece of birch bark to the swarthy savage, were assembled early in the morning upon the lawn which sloped gently toward the river in front of the council house. Groups of Indian boys, some exercising with the bow and arrow, others wrestling, racing and making the woods ring with their gladsome merriment, were collected in the vicinity of the tents. The river was covered with candes in which many a dusky maiden demonstrated her dexterity in the use of the paddle.
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The money to be paid the Indians was placed on a table in the council room, in piles of ten and twenty dollars, each in American half-dollar pieces. Around the table sat the Indian superintendent, interpreter and clerks. A list of all the names of the heads of Indian families also lay upon the table. Commencing at the top of the list, the names were called off, the Indians presented themselves, were paid off, and stepped aside to make room for others. Each Indian invariably had a large number of friends on these occa- sions, and too often, the money soon disappeared. There was generally plenty of "fire water" to be obtained, despite the vigilance of the authorities, and drinking, rioting and carousing were characteristic features of this annual event.
Customs and Habits of the Indians
The Indians of the Chippewa tribe, as they appeared ninety or one hundred years ago, were well built, exceedingly swarthy, with prominent cheek bones, coarse black hair, but with no whiskers; and were not at all attractive in their personal appearance. They were usually attired in a calico shirt, woolen or buckskin leggings, and wore heavy mocassins. In the early days they wore no head covering whatever, but in later years they adopted the cap of the white man. The warriors at first wore feathers in their hair, and the chiefs were elaborately decorated in their councils and festivals. On the war path they painted their faces with red, black and yellow colors, in hideous and often diabolical manner, a custom which was also practiced on occasions of councils, feasts or other ceremonies.
The squaws were almost without exception ugly in appearance and care- less in their personal habits, although there were exceptions, and some of the half-breeds were quite pretty. The women usually wore calico dresses and mocassins, a very plain and simple costume, but one which answered the requirements. The papooses were strapped to narrow shingle boards or stout bark, and when travelling were carried on the backs of their mothers. In camp the boards were placed against a tree or post, a practice which caused the infants to grow straight.
It was a universal habit among the Chippewas to loiter around the trad- ing posts, staring at everything, and asking for anything that pleased them such as bread, pork, tobacco and whiskey. They did not steal, and were not quarrelsome unless crazed by drink, and altogether were as inoffensive as they were worthless. It was the contamination of the white men that blighted the character of the savages. They lived chiefly by hunting and fishing, in season picking berries for sale to the whites, and making baskets and mocassins. The painting of their baskets with gay colors, and the em- broidery of their mocassins and leggings, were their only attempts at a crude though interesting art. They lived in wigwams, log cabins and bark shacks : and their only cultivation of the soil consisted of planting and weed- ing a little corn, a work which was done entirely by the squaws.
The Character of Au-saw-wa-mic
A mighty hunter of the Chippewas was the chief Au-saw-wa-mic, who bitterly opposed the treaty, and refused to attach his totem to the inscribed document. He lived in the vicinity of Sibi-way-ink, the Sebewaing of the present day, but afterward moved to a point about six miles from Saginaw ; and was noted for his prowess as a hunter, having killed many a bear single- handed, and had run down a deer. Ilis figure was the personification of physical strength and manhood - the ideal aborigine, such as J. Fennimore Cooper immortalized in his Leather-Stocking Tales, or as the poet drew with his magic pen in Hiawatha. He was always attired with great care, and in
HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY
the strictly native garb, consisting of deerskin wampus, leggings and mocas- sins, all ornamented in the most elaborate fashion. A broad belt, artistically colored. encircling his waist, tall eagle feathers adorned his head, while his face was painted with as much care as that of a fashionable belle. His long rifle rested across his arm with unstudied grace.
After the treaty had been consummated Au-saw wa-mic isolated him- self from his tribe to a great extent, and never failed to taunt them for hav- ing bartered away their birthright. For years after he would present him- self to the paymaster to receive his share of the annuity, and to show his contempt of his people and the general government, he would take his allotted stipend, walk majestically to the bank of the river, and contempt- uously hurl the shining coins into the stream. The old chief never became contaminated with the vices of the whites, and infinitely more than any living member of the various tribes did he manifest a spirit of dignity, independence, and pride which never forsook him.
William McDonald, the "factor."
In August, 1824, the American Fur Company established a post at Sag- inaw City, with William McDonald as "factor", or agent. This post was located within the stockade and log houses of Fort Saginaw, which stood on the present site of the Hotel Fordney and adjoining buildings on Court Street and the old First National Bank building. McDonald was known among the dusky hunters as "White Cloud", and was probably more trusted and beloved by the red men than any of the early traders in Saginaw Valley. His life from early manhood had been spent in the service of the American and Hudson Bay companies; and he spoke with fluency many dialects of the various tribes with whom he came in contact, and his mind was well stored with the legendary lore of the tribes which roamed the vast region to the north. For years after his retirement from trade, late in the 40's, he was well known to all the pioneer settlers, whom he often entertained with recitals of the many stirring scenes which he had passed through during his life in the forests and among the untutored children of nature. Interspersed with his tales of border days were occasional incidents illustrative of the inquisitive nature of the savages.
One bright afternoon in May, while enjoying a quiet smoke in front of the store of William H. Sweet, one of the early settlers of this valley, the giant figure of an Indian chief, with the customary salutation, "bon-jour", uttered in the deep guttural ejaculation of the native, entered. bestowing upon the proprietor a keen glance as if mentally interviewing him. Without further notice he proceeded to ransack the drawers, shelves and cases, tak- ing from them in the course of a half-hour a variety of articles which seemed to invite his fancy. Having examined them very carefully his curiosity was apparently satisfied. for he replaced everything and departed, exchanging a few words in his own tongue with MeDonald as he passed out.
Naturally, this peculiar proceeding of the Indian, as well as his physical proportions and racial characteristics, which were unlike any of his race. aroused the curiosity of the storekeeper, and he enquired of McDonald the name which he bore. It was old chief Au-saw wa mie the renowned hunter of the Chippewas. To further satisfy his inquisitiveness he had inquired of McDonald the name of the storekeeper, how long he had been in the valley. and other things he desired to be informed of. The old fur trader further stated that it was a habit of the Indian chief to enter the cabin of any settler. particularly a new comer, and make a thorough inspection of the chattels and personal belongings therein, and that he might be expected to make a call
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PIONEER DAYS
at Sweet's house. It would be well, he said, for the storekeeper to inform his wife, so that she might not be alarmed, as the Indian was perfectly harmless. merely seeking to gratify his curiosity.
The surmise of McDonald was soon verified, for one pleasant afternoon the shadow of the chief appeared at Sweet's threshold. His wife was sew- ing as the strange visitor glided noiselessly into the cabin, hideous in feathers and paint, and all the tawdry trappings of the native. For a moment she was startled at the sudden apparition, who without a word of greeting gave her a scrutinizing glance, and took a look at the sleeping babies with appar- ent pleasure. This brief interview was followed by a personal examination by Au-saw wa-mic of all the settler's property, including a number of colored lithographs of Indian chiefs, drawn by an artist named Catlin, who had visited many of the western tribes. The inspection of these pictures afforded him great pleasure, which he evinced by various guttural ex- clamations which could not be mis- interpreted. One in particular. the likeness of a chief of the Menominee tribe across Lake Michigan, an old friend of Au-saw-wa-mic. excited his wonderment, the recognition being so unexpected as to be a mystery the like of which he had never experienced. It was a revela- tion and delight to him to gaze upon the face of his savage friend, whom he never again expected to see. As he was about to leave he plucked from his crest an eagle feather and handed it to Mrs. Sweet, gave the sleeping babies and the pictures a parting glance, and quietly de- parted.
Soon after this incident Mc- Donald informed the storekeeper that the old chief had told him of AU-SAW.WA.MIE his discoveries in the settler's cabin, and that he wanted the picture of his old friend - the chief who lived far away to the west. It is needless to state that Au-saw-wa-mic was duly pre- sented with the portrait of his red brother, and for years it hung as a precious gift in his wigwam. To the settler the bestowal of the picture was a real pleasure: to its new possessor a delight, which manifested itself in the stead- fast friendship of the native lord of the forest. For years after he remem- bered his white friend with many offerings of venison, duck, bear meat and other trophies of his skill as a huntsman. Long after Au-saw-wa-mic had passed to the happy hunting grounds. his rude though noble virtues were recalled by those who recorded the chronicles of the race.
In those early days the Chippewas were quite numerous in the vicinity of the little settlement on the Saginaw; and there was a large village at Swan Creek, another at Taymouth, one at St. Charles, and one on Cheboy- ganing Creek in Buena Vista Township. It was then a common occurrence to see numbers of Indians in town trading their peltry, sugar, baskets, fish and other game with the whites for such articles as their rude tastes fancied. Despite their characteristic stoicism some were "wags" in their way. One
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY
Chippewa brave, having given a trader some annoyance, was told that if he was ever again seen with a bottle, it would be taken from him and thrown into the fire. A few days later the Indian appeared at the trader's cabin, with his pint flash in his blanket as usual. The trader thereupon demanded the bottle, which the savage rather reluctantly yielded up and started for the door. The trader threw the flask into the stove, when there was a sudden eruption, the stove and windows being blown out, and the trader making a hasty exit through the largest opening. From this experience he learned that it was advisable before burning an Indian's whiskey flask to ascertain that it did not contain gun powder.
Doctor Charles Little
A sturdy pioneer who laid the foundation for early settlement on the Saginaw was Doctor Charles Little, who for forty-two years practiced his profession in Avon, Livingston County, New York. As early as 1822, hav- ing formed a favorable impression of the resources of this section of Mich- igan, he deposited the necessary funds to secure lands by government entry. He had passed over the site of Rochester, New York, at a much earlier day, when it was a sylvan waste, and had seen that and other localities, which could have been purchased at nominal prices, converted, as if by magic. into busy marts of trade. In the summer of 1822 and 1823 he visited the Saginaw Valley and traced all the principal tributaries of the main stream, and, acting upon a practical theory which had been impressed upon him, and with a foresight eminently wise, he made his entries which embraced the site of almost the entire East Side of the City of Saginaw, and other desirable lands.
These entries extended for several miles along the east bank of the river, from a point near Crow Island all the way, with occasional exceptions, to Green Point, including the site of the Village of Salina. On the west bank of the stream the entries extended from the embryo settlement to the Titta- bawassee and along that stream for some distance; and years after his de- scendents realized and appreciated his far-seeing sagacity. After a life of great usefulness Doctor Little died at his homestead in 1842.
Eleazer Jewett
Eleazer Jewett, the first surveyor to trace lines in Saginaw Valley, was a native of New Hampshire and came to the little settlement in the western wilderness in the summer of 1826. Attracted by the beautiful surroundings at the head of the Saginaw, he and Asa L. Whitney, who had preceded him to the valley, built a comfortable log hut on the bank of the Tittabawassee at the place known as Green Point. Ilere they passed the winter of 1826-27, in the employ of the American Fur Company. Whitney was accidentally drowned in the river near their camp in April of the following spring. That year Jewett succeeded MeDonald as factor for the company, and at once established a post at the forks of the Tittabawassee, near the present site of the town of Midland. This proceeding somewhat displeased the Indians, and he was threatened by them with death if he continued business there. This threat, however, he treated lightly, not believing that the chiefs, with whom he had sustained the most cordial relations, would permit their young men to molest him.
One day he saw more than a hundred blood-thirsty warriors approach- ing the post along the narrow trail, the only thoroughfare through the woods in those days. They were all attired in full war dress, and the affair had a serious aspect. Jewett, however, was made of stern stuff and did not pro-
E. JEWETT
HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY
pose to be bluffed into abandoning the business at this place. He appeared at the door with presents of tobacco to the chief, the stoical and savage Oge-maw-ke-ke-to, who refused to accept the gift. Being well conversant with the Indian character, he at once realized the gravity of the situation, and hastily retired within his stout cabin, bolted the door, and made ready for defense. He had a half-breed assistant with him and a large number of guns and plenty of ammunition. While the Indians were holding a confab outside, the occupants of the post loaded the guns and made ready to give the redskins a hot fight. Before a shot was fired, however, more than a score of tomahawks were launched against the heavy door of hewed planks in which they were half-buried.
The moment for action having arrived. Jewett fired several shots over the heads of the savages, as he did not want to kill any of them if it were possible to avoid it: and then sent a few charges of fine shot into the legs of the red men, taking care not to inflict much harm, his object being to intimidate them. He knew that if one of the savages was killed they would become infuriated, and with the odds so overpowering in their favor they would speedily find a way to enter the post and slaughter the inmates. See- ing that the trader meant business and did not intend to give up the post without a fierce fight, the chief finally called off his braves, and made no further attempt to take possession of it.
The old savage was always known to place high esteem upon personal bravery, and he was convinced that Jewett was no coward. The next day Oge-maw-ke-ke-to visited the post alone, was admitted and given a hearty meal which was always appreciated by the Indian. His visit was soon after repeated and a similar reception given him. On the third day he came again, and was given a bowl of his favorite soup. After his appetite had been appeased and he had enjoyed a smoke with tobacco which the trader had furnished him, the old chief for the first time spoke, addressing Jewett : "My pale face friend," he said, "I did wrong in seeking your life, but now it is all over and you and I are friends forever." And the red man was true to his word, and proved his sincerity by acts of kindness to his white friend.
On October 22, 1831, Mr. Jewett was married to Miss Azubah L. Miller. a sister of Albert Miller who, in after years, was one of the prominent citizens of Saginaw and Bay City. She was born at Hartland, Vermont, of parents who belonged to an old Puritan family of that State. In the spring of 1831. having resigned her position as school teacher in her native town. she came with her mother to Michigan, and settled at Grand Blanc. Her wedding trip from that place to Saginaw took one week, the first part of the journey to the grand traverse of the Flint being by wagon, and the remainder by canoe fashioned from the trunk of a huge tree. In those days the Flint River was choked in several places with driftwood, and at times it was neces- sary to call in the aid of Indians to get them over the portages. Mr. and Mrs. Jewett settled at Green Point, but a few years after they built a hotel in the town, which they kept until 1859. In an interesting account of her experiences, Mrs. Jewett gives a vivid description of pioneer life from which the following paragraph is taken :
"When I contemplate my social privileges, in the midst of a population of fifty thousand, containing hundreds of friends and acquaintances, that I can visit any day I choose - for, if they are too distant for a walk, street cars will carry me to their residences or near them. - I wonder at my con- tentment then with my nearest neighbor two miles and a half away, and with no means of travelling except by river. either on the ice or in a canoe; often many weeks would pass without seeing a female friend. We lived in a log
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PIONEER DAYS
house, and nearly every stranger that visited Saginaw would come to our cabin for entertainment. There were very few conveniences for cooking ; no cookstove, coal range, gasoline stove, only an open fireplace with but few cooking utensils. Men always came in groups; one or two would seldom come through the woods from Flint to Saginaw by themselves. Our life began to grow wearisome from entertaining people under disadvantages, and concluding that we could as well keep a hotel, in 1837 Mr. Jewett built one sufficiently large to accommodate the travelling public, for a number of years. When the plank road was built from Flint to Saginaw, in 1850, and steam- boats came up the river, and a bridge was put across, only a small portion of the travelling community could be accommodated in the first public house that was built in the place."
For a number of years Mr. Jewett kept a ferry and owned the only boat that would carry a horse across the river. He was the first surveyor in this county, and filled other positions of honor including the office of probate judge, of which he was the second incumbent. About 1860 the family re- moved to a farm in Kochville Township, where he died in February, 1875. Mrs. Jewett was an energetic woman of keen intellect whose generous and kind impulses were proverbial. In the early days she extended innumerable kindnesses to those who, as young men in the wilderness, were laying founda- tions for the business which made many fortunes. She was the mother of four children, Mrs. N. D. Lee, Alonzo, Oscar and Wallace Jewett. The daughter was born in the log house at Green Point, in February, 1834, and excepting one born when the United States troops occupied the fort at Sag- inaw, was the first white girl born in Saginaw Valley. Mrs. Jewett died at Saginaw, June 8, 1889, in her eighty-fourth year.
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