USA > Michigan > St Clair County > St. Clair County, Michigan, its history and its people; a narrative account of its historical progress and its principal interests, Vol. I > Part 6
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"We are not told with what imposing ceremonies the christening was performed, but surely some inspiration was derived from the beau- tiful seenes of nature through which the voyageurs had just passed, which then surrounded them, and which to our eyes this day are no less lovely and inspiring. The natural beauty of the region lying be- tween Lakes Erie and Huron had been recorded by all the early travel- ers, with words of admiration. Many of the islands were low, and some of the river margins scarcely above the water. But all was green and peaceful. Dark forests extended to the river edge, and many a tall monarch of the wood waved its gigantic arms over the brink, and was reflected in a glassy surface which no tide or flood ever disturbed. The marshes were luxuriant with wild rice, that furnished a sump- tuous repast to a great variety of birds and water fowl, and even a welcome supply to the Indians. Occasional villages and bark wigwams enlivened the shore, surrounded with gardens and corn fields, and the most elevated points were crowned with burial mounds. Most of the shores had high banks and were covered with timber."
The name if properly Anglicized would appear as Saint Clare, and in most of the English maps for fifty years, beginning with 1710 the name does appear in that form, but the present hybrid form soon came into use
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
and upon the English maps beginning as far back as 1755 the name ap- pears as in its present form.
Before the time of La Salle the lake had many names. The first map of this region was made by Sanson in 1650, and upon that map the lake is named Lac des Eaux de Mer. Upon various other maps the name appears as Otsiketa, Ganatchio, Lac de la Chaudiere, Kande- quio, Oiatinatchiketo, and Oiatinonchikebo. The name Lac des Eaux de Mer, or Sea Water, has the same meaning as Otsiketa, and evidently was derived from the existence of salt springs at several places along the northwest shore of the lake. Lac de la Chaudiere-Lake of the Kettle-was evidently so named from its circular shape. The last two names are the same and appear to refer to the Wea or Miami Indians who probably had at one time a tribe in that vicinity.
The name which was used by the Missisauga Indians who came into its vicinity the latter part of the seventeenth century and established a village near it, was Wahwehyahtahnoong, meaning the round lake.
CHAPTER IV
COUNTY GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
STREAMS AND DRAINAGE-GLACIAL AND GEOLOGICAL ACTION-KNOWL- EDGE DERIVED FROM DRILLINGS-ST. CLAIR FLATS AND RIVER-IM- PROVEMENTS OF RIVER CHANNELS.
St. Clair county is the easternmost county in Michigan, the city of Port Huron containing the point extending farthest east, just north of the mouth of Black river. It lies between 82° 24' and 83º W. long- itude, and parallel 43º N. of latitude crosses at the entrance of St. Clair river. The county contains 16 full surveyed townships, and 8 fractional townships, without including the islands, it has a width at the widest point of 27 miles and a length of about 45 miles.
There are in the county 22 organized townships, 4 cities, 3 villages and parts of 2 more.
STREAMS AND DRAINAGE
St. Clair river, which forms a large part of the eastern part of the county boundary, has a length of approximately 30 miles with a trend to the westward, its mouth at Algonac being about 7 miles farther west than its entrance. Into this river empty all the streams which form the drainage system of the county, there being three streams of im- portance : Black river, which finds its main source in the swamps along the north line of Sanilac county, whose chief affluent within St. Clair is Mill creek, which has its own sources in Lapeer county, Pine river and Belle river. Into these rivers flow a large number of creeks of varying length and size, which together form a very complete system of outlets and drainage for all the low or swamp land within the county. The sources of the rivers are in all cases much to the north of their mouths so that their general direction is from nearly south in the case of Black river, to southeast with the other two rivers. In general, the surface is quite level, and at no places reaches the height above the lake level of more than 150 feet. With the exception of some miles along Black river there are few elevations, and little rough or broken surface. Originally a considerable portion of the county was swampy, but these swamps are readily drainable, and under the pro- visions of the drainage laws practically all of the so-called swamp land within the county has been drained and reclaimed.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
GLACIAL AND GEOLOGICAL ACTION
At the time of the glacial period in America this part of Michigan was entirely covered with ice, but the warmer region toward the Ohio river melted the ice as rapidly as it was pushed southward. The under layers brought imbedded pieces of rock and stone from the far north. and as the climate grew warmer the ice melted more rapidly, the stones and drift were deposited in places, and lakes were formed. There was thus formed a large lake including Lake St. Clair, the greater part of St. Clair county. and extending a considerable distance southwest of Toledo. and this lake found an outlet to the southwest and the Mis- sissippi valley.
As the time went on, the ice receded and finally as the front end of the ice wall reached the upper end of Lake Huron. the waters found an outlet into the St. Lawrence valley by way of Lake Nipissing and the Ottawa river. This ancient outlet was the route used by the early French explorers who found only a short portage between the head waters of the Ottawa and the streams emptying into Lake Huron.
There then came a time when the land on the north of Lake Huron began to rise more rapidly than at the south, and that movement has continued at the rate of a few inches a century up to the present time.
The result of this geological action was to open a new outlet for the waters of Lake Huron, Lake Superior, and Lake Michigan into Lake Erie, and the St. Lawrence river, and this condition still exists. If the tilting toward the south continues it is quite conceivable that the waters of the upper Great Lakes may again find their way into the Ohio valley and the Mississippi.
Another result of this tilting action from the northeast has been the drowning of the rivers opening into St. Clair river from the west, Black, Pine and Belle rivers are all dead streams for some distance from the mouth.
KNOWLEDGE DERIVED FROM DRILLINGS
There is no rock exposure at any point within the county, nor in- deed does it anywhere come near the surface. our knowledge therefore of the underlying formation of this locality must be based upon the data derived from the wells drilled within the county and fortunately there are enough of those whose records have been faithfully kept to furnish us complete information. Thus the Miller salt well at the ex- treme south end of the county shows 208 feet of surface soil, 85 feet soft white shale, 20 feet soft brown limestone, 200 feet soapstone, then 1,120 feet mainly limestone with one layer 75 feet in thickness of blue shale and an 80-foot layer of shale and salt mixed. At 1,633 feet a hundred foot bed of salt was struck.
A well at Marine City shows surface clay 145 feet, then mainly slate of varying color and hardness to a depth of 930 feet when lime- stone is struck at 1.170 feet, a layer 200 feet thick of sandstone is found, then follows lime rock and shale and at 1,675 feet a hundred foot bed of salt is found.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
The F. L. Wells well at Port Huron showed a surface mostly clay 102 feet, 83 feet black slate and shale, 450 feet lime rock, at 810 feet a bluish black marl abont 90 feet thick, at 1,000 feet a brine, at 1,150 feet sandstone, at 1,255 feet a dolomitic limestone which continues down about 300 feet, then layers of salt and shale to a little above 1,700 feet, when the bed of solid salt is reached.
These drillings show a substantial uniformity above the salt rock : At Port Huron the Huron formation extending to a deptli of 200 feet, then the Hamilton to about 750 feet, the Corniferous to 1,000 feet, the Oriskany to 1,150 feet, the Helderberg to 1,535 feet, when the Salina formation begins.
At Marine City the Huron extends to 360 feet, the Hamilton to 635 feet, the Corniferous to 1,060 feet, Oriskany to 1,130, Helderberg to 1,485, when the Salina formation is found.
The establishing of the great salt deposit within a practicable dis- tance from the surface, under the entire eastern portion of the county was of great economic importance. A company was formed at St. Clair about 1865 to make salt from brine, and a well was drilled on the property afterward occupied by the Oakland Hotel, but although brine was found and buildings erected, the plan did not prove successful and it was not until the foresight and courage of Crocket McElroy demon- strated by deep drilling the actual existence of the salt bed at Marine City that St. Clair county became aware of one of its greatest sources of wealth.
ST. CLAIR FLATS AND RIVER
In the St. Clair flats, the county of St. Clair possesses an unusual though not unique natural feature. It is unusual in that a delta such as this is commonly formed at the mouth of a long river which has brought down from long distances mud and silt which it deposits upon coming into contact with the ocean. In this case it is at the mouth of a river thirty miles long which itself is the outlet of a large lake which does not contain silt in the ordinary sense, and takes and holds earth of any kind in suspension only as the result of storms.
St. Clair river has an average breadth of about half a mile, and except at the rapids, just below the entrance of the river, an average current of about two and one-half miles per hour.
The banks are generally low below the middle of the township of East China, and above that vary from 15 to 50 feet in height and are of blue clay with yellow clay and sand above.
As the river approaches Algonac it sends one channel off upon the Canadian side, which forms Walpole Island, and is named Chenal Ecarté, or Side channel, commonly corrupted into Sny Cartey. This probably marks the upper part of what was originally Lake St. Clair. A little further down, the main river divides into two channels, the North channel turning rather sharply to the westward, the other named the South channel, continuing more in the course of the river. The North channel is considerably the larger and deeper, and has the stronger current. About five miles from the turn, the Middle channel
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
branches off, turning to the south from the North channel, and be- tween it and the South channel lies Harsen's Island. Continuing to the west it again branches off to the south into the Chenal à Bout Ronde -commonly called Snybora channel-or Channel of the Round End. Between this and the Middle channel lies Stromness or Dickinson Island. Pursuing its course still further, the North channel opens into Anchor Bay.
IMPROVEMENTS OF RIVER CHANNELS
This channel was until the construction of the Ship canal by the government, the one commonly used by shipping, although a bar at
SCENE ON ST. CLAIR RIVER, 1865 TO 1875
the mouth prevented any boats except those of light draft from going through. It was not an uncommon thing in early days for a ship to run aground upon the bar and be compelled to partially unload. In- deed, upon a map of this locality, made in 1809 by Thomas Smith, a surveyor for the British government, opposite the mouth of the chan- nel are these words, "Here vessels lighter to pass the bar," from which fact the name Anchor Bay is derived.
The South channel, along which the international boundary line was established in 1821, is more direct, and of ample depth-30 to 40 feet, until approaching the lake proper, when it was so much shallower that none except small boats could use it.
As early as 1834 the necessity of having the channel deepened and improved was felt, and the legislative council memorialized congress te assist commerce by removing the bar. At that time, however, con- gress could not be roused to activity in this direction. In 1856 General Cass secured from congress an appropriation of $45,000 and with this a channel 6,000 feet long, 150 feet wide, and 9 feet deep was made.
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
By this time the lake shipping was assuming quite respectable propor- tions, and boats were increasing in size and draft, and in 1857 Senator Zachariah Chandler introduced a bill in congress appropriating $55,000 to deepen this channel to 13 feet; the bill passed but was vetoed by President Buchanan on the two grounds that the shipping itself ought to bear the expense, and that it was unconstitutional.
Soon followed the Rebellion and for a time the money and energies of the nation were direeted elsewhere, and improvements of this ehar- aeter languished. In 1866, however, an appropriation was made to seeure a channel 300 feet wide and 13 feet in depth, and in 1872 the plan was modified to give a depth of 16 feet. Again in 1886 the depth was inereased to 18 feet, and later it was given a depth of 20 feet to make it a part of the great 20-foot channel. Dikes were formed on each side of the dredged eut, the faces of which were supported by sheet piling, the length of the dikes being 7,221 feet. In 1902 in order to meet the demands of the greatly increased commerce, and to avoid the serious consequences in stoppage of traffie which might follow a collision in the single channel, funds were appropriated to build a second channel 20 feet deep and 300 feet wide alongside and westward of the existing channel. This new channel was opened in 1906. The total cost of the channels from 1866 being $1,181,301.
That part of the county known as the Flats consists of the various islands of all sizes and height above the water lying south of the North channel. Various estimates have been made of the quantity of land embraced in the Flats, but this amount depends so much upon the height of water, and the strietness with which the different channels and bays are outlined, that all estimates are misleading.
For many years this locality has been a favorite summer resort, and its development in that direction has been limited chiefly by the inability to obtain legal title, which is more fully deseribed in another chapter.
The state geological survey has made a thorough examination of this delta, and reports as a summary of its investigations: That the land area is being inereased slowly by the deposit of fine sand and elay, which materials are for the most part derived by the action of waves on the shores of Lake Huron, with additions brought in by the rivers tributary to the St. Clair, and with some material from the banks of St. Clair river itself, and that it would require from 20,000 to 40,000 years to complete the filling up of Lake St. Clair with the exception of one deep channel extending through from St. Clair river to Detroit river.
This relieves the dwellers on the Flats of immediate danger, and allows a reasonable time for the readjustment of boundary lines and improvements.
CHAPTER V
FLORA OF THE COUNTY
BEFORE THE PALE FACE CAME-THE AGGRESSIVE, DISTURBING WIIITE MAN-PRIMITIVE LANDSCAPE VIEW-NATURAL GROWTH S WEPT AWAY-FAVORABLE CONDITIONS . FOR PLANT LIFE-ALLEGHANIAN FAUNAL AREA-SPECIAL PLANT SPECIES-PLANTING OF NATIVE TREES -PROPOSED PUBLIC RESERVATION.
By Charles K. Dodge
In our day perhaps one of the most difficult things for us to realize fully is that we live in a new country. Busily engaged in our daily occupations for a living and deeply interested in the pursuit of happi- ness, we are very liable not to notice particularly and partially to for- get the changes that have been and are gradually taking place, although often reminded of the real facts by our immediate ancestors. In look- ing about we notice that nearly everywhere the original timber except small patehes is substantially removed and the land cleared up. Large trees and the primitive forest have almost entirely disappeared, leaving quite without exception what is popularly known as "second growth." The country is considered well settled. fields are cultivated, and agri- culture on the whole is in a fair state of advancement. Busy cities and villages have grown up. and every day we see around us the life, activity and implements of what is known as advanced modern civiliza- tion. Thus in so many ways our surroundings have somewhat of an outward appearance of age. But in fact all around us even to a casual observer, the evidence of the comparatively recent advent of the white man is overwhelming. The numerous monuments and ear marks, not yet wholly obliterated, showing this to be a new country, are perhaps quite as convincing as written history.
BEFORE THE PALE FACE CAME
Comparatively speaking it was but a short time ago when St. Clair county was densely covered with a primitive forest of large trees, shrubbery and herbaceous vegetation, penetrated only by paths and trails. It was what nature had made it, and this condition had no doubt prevailed for hundreds, perhaps for thousands of years. Present surface conditions have been forming since the last glacial age. Nearly
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
every species of plant had fought its way, struggled for existence and finally become established where it could best maintain itself against others and where the environment in every particular was most suit- able and congenial. In the fierce contest for place and room the strong had prevailed and taken possession. Plant life had long become settled into a kind of equilibrium of existence. The Indian and our fauna and flora are intimately connected. Our primitive native animals, not yet having come in contact with the dreaded white man and his destructive and murderous weapons, lived here and roamed at will in the woods and on their borders, apparently with little fear of the In- dian. Deer, elk, moose. otter, beaver, mink, muskrat, squirrels, bear, the wolf, lynx, and wolverine were common. Sylvan game birds, the turkey, partridge, and quail were numerous. The bald eagle, large owls and hawks, building their nests in large trees, were not rare. The wild pigeon, greedily devouring acorns and beechnuts and now believed to be extinct, came by the million at the proper season. Ducks, wild geese and other water loving birds feeding greedily on the natural aquatic products fairly covered our clear and beautiful waters. Even the graceful swan was a frequent visitor. Lakes, rivers and creeks were filled with the finest and most delicious fish. The Indian. except when at war with other red men, roamed over the country without restraint. In fall and spring large fleets of birch bark canoes filled with shouting aborigines, plied upon Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and their connect- ing streams. Among their favorite landings and abiding places were the shores of Lake Huron and St. Clair river where the city of Port Huron now stands, at Point Edward in Lambton county, Ontario, and the high banks of Black river, where Fred A. Beard and David Beard now live in the township of Clyde. The Indians were not then imbued with civilized commercial avarice, nor did they indulge appreciably in the destructive and exterminating processes of mere gain. Only a very small portion of timber and other natural products were required and taken for their uses. With their primitive needs, implements and weapons, it was quite impossible to destroy the forests or exterminate the game, fur animals, and ferocious sylvan beasts of the country. Only such part of the natural products was taken as was actually needed for present use and only so much game was killed or fish taken as was necessary to supply actual wants. The red man having very proh- ably through hundreds of years, may be ages, learned to limit his wants mostly to what nature produced without human assistance, knew well where to find the useful wild products. For his canoes he had taken the bark of the white birch, quite common here. different parts of other trees and shrubs for his rude and temporary dwellings. used the edible portions of other wild plants like the tubers of the wild bean, sometimes called the groundnut, jack-in-the-pulpit, the corn of which, although biting to the tongue of the white man. he knew how to pre- pare for palatable food, and many medicinal plants having astringent, laxative and tonic properties. The black walnut, butternut, hickory nut, hazelnut, beechnut, huckleberries, raspberries, wild plum, and wild cherries were delicious. Game and fish were always plentiful. For all these natural products as for nearly every stream. lake and native
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
animal he had appropriate and euphonious names which have been preserved to us only in part, a fact to be regretted. To him it appeared beyond doubt that the Great Spirit had kindly provided for all his wants. It was indeed quite natural for him to think and say, "The Sun is my father, the Earth my mother, and on her bosom I love to repose." From his standpoint this beautiful country had been created for and given to him forever for his hunting grounds. Apparently he lived in perfect harmony with his natural surroundings.
So far as is known very little of the land in our vicinity was cul- tivated previous to the advent of the pale face. The conditions of drainage then were such that there was little danger from devastating forest fires. All nature here so far as living things were concerned was in a comparative state of equilibrium. The use and destruction of what Mother Earth produced were not then far outstripping her ability to furnish. There was at that time no occasion to intrude the present popular idea of conservation.
THE AGGRESSIVE, DISTURBING WHITE MAN
And so, as it were only a short time ago, right here in the land of comparative comfort and so many beautiful homes, primitive life went on in its own natural way, apparently without being materially affected by extraordinary and disturbing outside forces. In the highest and truest philosophical language of modern thought, "the fittest survived." But on the coming of a different race, of men with inventive genius, of men with an intense desire for gain, willing to suffer deprivation and severe hardships and even to endanger life in order to acquire wealth, an immense change took place. The poor red man, unskilled in the ways of bargaining, without the real knowledge of the true value of his country, quite unable for the most part to withstand the aecom- panying vices of civilization, and not fully foreseeing the profound consequences of his acts, traded away his lands and privileges for "fire- water," trinkets, mere promises, and small sums of money, surely a very inadequate compensation in exchange for this extensive and beau- tiful country. As many cities and villages below this region began to appear, the best lumber was in great demand and along these Great Lakes and their connecting waters, transportation was comparatively economical. As a natural consequence the noble white pine, white oak, and other timbers became valuable and were felled without further thought than mere gain, seeming quite proper at the time as the forests of Michigan were then considered inexhaustible. Our great men had not then made plain and urged the principle, necessity and duty of conservation, and the methods of lumbering were wasteful in the ex- treme. Here and there small tracts were being cleared for general farm- ing. On the lumbered portions the parts of trees not then considered valuable and their tops were left to decay. Systems of partial drainage after a time began to be inaugurated. All the activities of the white man tended directly to disturb seriously the equilibrium of life and existence so long established by nature. As a natural and we might say necessary result devastating forest fires from time to time visited
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
partieular spots or swept over the whole country. In many places like the swamps near Capae, a complete change took place, every tree, shrub and herbaceous plant having been destroyed, leaving a bare tract for the appearance of another race of plants. Without doubt in this way many species of native plants have become lost forever to this locality. Under the influence of progress and civilization, even in its early stages, which so changed natural conditions and the superficial appearance of the country, the poor Indian, now a sad relic of his former active and brave ancestors, and at present treated as a legal infant, quite disappeared from view, like so many of the native plants and animals, and is found now only living here and there on small spots of his former extensive land doled out to him by the white man. Such immense changes in human, native animal, and plant life are really tragic and ineredible were we not by the very best of evi- denee certain of their historic truth. And these great events have come about in our very midst. But yesterday as it were, our immediate ancestors struggled, suffered and succeeded in this new part of the world and were instrumental in bringing about such a radieal revo- lution. The history of our fauna, flora and the Indian in North America and particularly in our county is no doubt only a slightly variant account of the history of numberless races and localities all over the world. The weaker raees, meaning those who cannot defend themselves successfully against superior numbers or superior methods of warfare are overeome, undermined and taken advantage of through their ignoranee and imperfections, and are absorbed or disappear, like weaker plants before the more vigorous and stronger. In primitive times no land was usually allotted to a conquered inferior raee except as slaves of the conquerors. Such kindness and partial justiee is a late or modern humane idea.
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