Bay County, Michigan - The whole text, 1883 (part 1 of 20)

Contents -Continued

All American history, whether local or general, opens amid similar scenes, and its pictures have a common back-ground. Dense forest fills the space, and the moving figures are the savage and tlje brute. The lakes, the plunging rivers and the placid streams are unruffled save by the bark canoes of savage wanderers, and the storms of heaven. Then there comes a time when the rays of advancing civilization begin to penetrate the gloom. The approaching footsteps of the .pioneer fall with equally ominous sound upon the ears of the savage and the brute. The contest that follows is sometimes brief, though oftener protracted; but the interests of civilization, the destiny of a great republic, are at stake, and in the Providence of human affairs ultimate triumph must some time come to the founders of homes, the builders of cities and of states. Then

The spot where civilization struggled with barbarism for the supremacy is the Mecca of the historian. Thither he repairs with hurried step, to rescue the traditions of returnless centuries and of tribes fast disappearing. In nooks and caves and scattered mounds he finds a multitude of characters that speak in a voiceless language of a past out of which no other tidings will ever come. Starting from the spot dedicated to the future by the heralds of civilization, of social refinement and civil authority, history begins to deal with characters and scenes belonging to its foreground.

A knowledge of the past is necessary to an intelligent understanding of the present, and a wise preparation for the future. An inheritance, whatsoever its form, is most truly prized and wisely guarded by the heir who is best acquainted with its cost. Without struggle there is no triumph, without toil no harvest, without sacrifice no blessing. Civil Hberfcy might seem to be an inherent right; but human experience teaches that it has been purchased and preserved at a fearful cost. Material importance and grandeur are also wrought out by severe process. Every ladder, no matter how high it may reach, has its lowly rounds which weary feet have pressed. The beautiful cities that throng and adorn this fair land to-day may each trace its genealogy to humble parentage and lowly birth; and from that spot leads a tangled path, along lowly ways, from which the early conquerors of waste places have carved out the great highway upon which the world is traveling to-day.

We stated, at the beginning, a general truth in relation to American history; but, it is also true of local history that there are degrees of interest and importance fixed by the characteristics of the locality treated ; and this country has few localities more fruitful of inviting material for a writer's use than the far-famed Saginaw Valley. The romancist might revel amid its traditions and reminiscences, the scientist find a field worthy of his attention, and

Prior to about half a century ago, this valley in its primitive grandeur had been the habitation ^of wild beasts and wOder men. The sound of the woodman's axe had never helped to swell the music of the woods, and the solitude of the centuries was upon land and river, neither of which had ever felt the encroachments of even the rudest civihzation. When, in 1831, the French traveler and savant, De Tocqueville, visited America, he sought the wilds of what was then the "Far West," and selected the lower portion of the Saginaw Valley from which to make observations. In his '< Democracy in America," he wrote of this country with the pen of true prophecy when he said:

" In a few years these impenetrable forests will have fallen ; the sons of civilization will break the silence of the Saginaw; the banks will be imprisoned by quays ; its current, which now flows on unnoticed and tranquil through a nameless waste, will be stemmed by the prows of vessels. We were perhaps the last travelers allowed to see the primitive grandeur of this solitude."

But even the imagination of a De Tocqueville could not have forecast the changes of fifty years. The silence of the Saginaw " has been broken by a chorus of industry that has rung in the ears of all the commercial world, and the forests of the valley have been transformed into vigorous and beautiful cities.

Indian Traditions And Treaties

The Saginaw Valley derives its name from an Indian word, 0-sauk-e-non, meaning " the land of the Sauks." Three hundred and fifty years ago the Sauks were a warlike and powerful tribe of Indians who held undisputed sway throughout all the region of country now known as eastern Michigan. The Saginaw Valley was the most attractive portion of the lake region. Even as late as twenty years ago the high ground now within the hmits of West Bay City was a favorite camping ground of the Indians, and was as charming a spot as the eye ever rests upon. Game of ah kinds abounded in the vaUey. The buffalo, elk and moose roamed throughout the forests, and fish abounded in the rivers and lakes.

The Skull Island Massacre

in which the Sauks were nearly exteiminated hy the Chippewas, occurred on an island situated a short distance above where the McGraw mill, at South Bay City, now stands. The best traditionary history of this event we have been able to find is from the pen of William K. McCormick, of Bay City, one of the early pioneers, and one who is considered excellent authority upon matters of early local history. Mr. McCormick writes as follows :

*'My father emigrated to the valley when I was but ten years old. My associates were mostly among the Indians, which language I became almost as familiar with as my own, and for a great many years was engaged in the fur trade. During this time I used to go up the different tributaries of the Saginaw to buy furs, and on nearly all such occasions I found indications that the Saginaw Valley was inhabited by a different race of people prior to the present Indians. On nearly all the tributaries can be found mounds filled mth human bones. I have opened those mounds for my own satisfaction, and found bones lying in all directions, showiug 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; telling me fcheir names. Accordingly, in one of my journeys to the bay, I sought out one of the Indians in question. I think this was in 1835. I found him a very old man. I asked him his age; he said he thought he was a great deal over one hundred years old. His faculties were as bright as those of a man of fifty. I told him I understood he could give me the tradition of his race. He said 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 should 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 who had spent his life vdth the Indians in the fur trade, and was for many years in the employ of the American Fur Company. The old Indian commenced as follows : - The Sauks occupied the whole of the country along the Saginaw Eiver, 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 Pottawatomie s, and the Lake Superior country was occupied by the Chippewas and Ottawas, while the Menominees were at the head of Green Bay in Wisconsin, and another tribe west of the Mississippi which he called the Sioux. The main village of the Sauks stood on the west side of the Saginaw Kiver, just below the recent residence of Mr. Frank Fitzhugh, 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, Menominees, Ottawas and Six Nations, of New York. At an appointed time they all met at the Island of Mackinaw, where they 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: Here they landed part of their army while the rest crossed the bay and landed to the east of the mouth of the Saginaw Eiver, 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 Center House now stands, near the old Portsmouth, ferry. At this time that part of the army that had landed on the east side of the river came up and a desperate battle took place in the vicinity of the residence of William E. McCormick, that being the highest land and where they had attempted to fortify themselves. At the present time by digging in this hill you will find it full of human bones, the remains of those 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 called Stone's Island. Here they considered themselves safe, as their enemies had no canoes, and they could 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 aU exterminated, with the exception of twelve families. From the numbers of skulls found on it in after years, this island has received the name of Skull Island. 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; one about half a mile below the present city of Flint, on the bluff. Another Indian traditionist says another re-enforcement met them here, coming through from 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 above 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; if you should dig them open, as I have, you will find them filled with human bones. The next battle was fought about sixteen miles below 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 earth-work, which was plainly to be seen fifty years ago. The next important battle was fought on the Tittabawassee, just above the farm on which the late James Fraser first settled when he came to the Saginaw Valley. Here there is a difference, as the remains of the slain were all buried in one mouud, and it is a very large one. After the extermination of the whole nation, with the exception of the twelve families before spoken of, a council of the allies was then held to know what should be doue with them. Some were for torturing and killing, others for sparing their fives. Finally it was agreed they should be sent west of the Mississippi, and an arrangement was made with the Sioux that no tribe should molest them, and the Sioux should be responsible for their protection, which agreement was faithfully kept. The conquered country, of which the present Saginaw Valley is apart, 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 kilhng them whenever an opportunity occurred. Ton-dog-a-ne, an Indian chief who died in 1840, told me he killed a Sauk while hunting, when a boy. This must have been over one hundred years ago, and up to a few years ago the Indians still beheved 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 considered as haunted, and no more Indians came here to hunt, although game was abim- dant. 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 than now. *This was long before we became degraded by coming in contact with the whites,' said the Indian. The Chippewas becoming the most numerous, finally their language predominated, and to the present time the Indians in the Saginaw Valley do not speak in all respects the same as the Chippewas 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-gua-sa-mine said his grandfather told it to him when he was a boy, which was ninety years before, and that it had been handed down to his grandfather from his ancestors, and it was a custom with him to repeat it often to his people, so that the tradition or history shoald not be lost; and a successor 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 FJint were fought by the army coming from Detroit. I have no doubt the above is a correct narrative - as much so as if it had been written at the time and handed down to us as a matter of history. "

In confirmation of the foregoing theory regarding the Sauks, Maj. Long, in his expedition to the sources of the St. Peters Eiver, in 1823, on an exploring expedition by order of the United States Government, when he came amongst the Sauks on that river, says of their oiigin that the Sauks have not always resided where they are at the present time. Their tradition is that they formerly lived upon ^Saginaw Bay, of Lake Huron. They consider the name of their nation to be connected with that of Saginaw Bay, and probably derived from it. They have no account of any former migration, but entertain the opinion that the Great Spirit created them in that vicinity.

It has been claimed that the Sauks were totally exterminated in this massacre, but the preponderance of evidence is in favor of the account as given by Mr. McCormick.

Treaties With The Indians

The first treaty of importance, which was made for the extinguishment of the Indian title to the soil of what now comprises the state of Michigan, was the one entered into by William Hull, then governor of Michigan, as a territory, and ex-officio superintendent of Indian affairs, with tha natives at Detroit, in 1807, when a tract of land in the south-eastern part of the state was ceded by them to our government. Detroit and a belt of land adjacent to it, lying along the river and lake, six miles in width, were not affected by this grant, we having before that succeeded to the possessory rights of Great Britain to the District of Detroit, so called, which she had held for a series of years, co-extensive with the claims of her predecessor, France; and which by the treaty of Greenville, made by General Wayne, on behalf of our government, in 1795, had been reassured to and made perfect in us. With that exception, the title to the south-easterly part of our state was obtained from the natives by the treaty of 1807.

The northerly line of this grant included only small portions of what are now the counties of Lapeer and Genesee, and was a httle north of their southern boundaries, thus leaving Saginaw River and its principal affluents, the Flint, the Cass, etc., entirely unaffected by the provision of that treaty. This portion of the state remained

In that treaty the Saginaw region was particularly interested, for the cession of lands then made by the natives, with the reservations therein provided for, include the rich and flourishing valleys of the Saginaw and its tributaries.

General Cass was commissioned to act as the agent of the general government in securing to it this important addition to our territory. He appeared upon the Saginaw, upon the site of what is now Saginaw City, September 10, 1819, accompanied by a staff of interpreters and assistant.

The conference lasted ten or twelve days, and witnessed many stormy scenes, but the terms of treaty were at length calmly discussed, and agreed to. The harmonious adjustment of their differences was reached chiefly through the instrumentahty of Stephen V. R. Riley, an Indian trader, who married a squaw, and Jacob Smith, another trader. In the treaty agreed to, the Indians ceded to the United States all but 40,000 acres of their territory, reserved for the benefit of the tribe in common.

Mr. Riley's children were regarded by the Indians as natives of the forest. During his residence among the Chippewas Mr. Riley exercised great influence over them, and such was his power over them that it was found necessary on the part of the United States to conciliate him before a favorable treaty could be made. That was done by allowing him to select six hundred and forty acres for each of his three sons, named respectively John, Peter, and James. He located his eldest and favorite son, John, on a "tract one mile square, now included in fche limits of Bay City. The 40,000 acres reservation for the benefit of the tribe in common was upon the west side of the river, on a portion of which West Bay City is built. From this it would seem that the region of country about the mouth of the Saginaw River was a favorite locality of the Indians. There were other reservations for the benefit of different persons, including Mr. Riley's two other sons, and the hilf- breed children of Jacob Smith.

In 1837 another treaty was made with the Indians, in which they ceded to the United States the 40,000 acres belonging to the tribe in common. According to the terms of this treaty the government was to cause the land to be surveyed and put into market at $5.00 per acre, and held at that price for a certain length of time, and then what remained unsold should be reduced to a minimum of $2.50 per acre, and the Indians to receive the avails of the sales after deducting the costs of survey and sale, and a large amount advanced to them with which to pay their debts.

The chiefs who visited Washington to perfect this sale were 0-ge-ma-ke-ga-to, Ton-dog-a-iie, Sha-e-be-no-se, Wos-so, Mose-gaskink, Ma-sha-w.iy and Nau-qua-chic-a-me. The w^hite men were Henry 0. Connor, Capt. Joseph F. Marsac, and Charles Rodd, a half-breed, as interpreters, and Gardner D. and Benjamin O.Williams.

The result of this visit was that Mr. Schoolcraft was ordered to call a meeting at Flint, for the purpose of concluding the treaty, which was done. It was during this visit that President Jefferson presented 0-ge-ma-ke-ga-to with the colonel's uniform, in which he was buried, as described in the reminiscence concerning him.

After 1837 the original proprietors of the soil in the valley gradually decreased in number. Many went to the reservation at Isabella, and death thinned their ranks. Nau-qua-chic-a-me, the chief of the Chippewas, after the death of his father finally took his band to Bau-gan-ing, and there died in October, 1874. James Cloud, the Indian clergyman of Indiantown, on the Kawkawlin River, has been pastor there for fifteen years, receiving barely nothing for his labors. Fifteen years ago, he says, there were as many as 1,600 Indians

The following interesting reminiscence is taken from the Bay City Tribune, of August 15, 1877 : - "The discovery of the remains of the celebrated Chippewa chieftain, 0-ge-ma-ke-ga-to, was noted in the Tribune of Thursday last. On Sunday afternoon we visited the residence of Wilham R. McCormick, and took a look at the skeleton of one of the most noted Indian characters of his day. There are a number of residents of this city who well remember the chief, and many reminiscences have been related to us since the publication of the item on Thursday last. Mr. McCormick knew him well, also Judge Albert Miller, of this city. The former says there were no bounds to his eloquence. He heard him speak (some forty years ago) for two hours to a g.ithering of 1,000 Indians on the Fhnt River, and during all that time his hearers sat apparently spell- bound. At the time Gen. Cass was negotiating the treaty of 1819 0-ge-make-ga-to, although only twenty-five years of ^ge, was head chief of the Chippewa nation, and as such was at the council. He was over six feet in height, and in his bearing graceful and handsome ; and although in the later years of his life he was often seen intoxicated, he never fully lost a look of conscious dignity which belonged to his nature as one of the original lords of the soil. In true eloquence he was probably hardly surpassed by the Seneca chief. Red Jacket. His band lived at the forks of the Tittabawassee, and like Red Jacket he wore upon his breast a superb government medal.

was of an oblong shape, fully five inches in lengtli and one quarter of an inch thick, and. was composed of pure silver. On one side was the figure of an Indian chief in fuU dress, and on the other what was intended to represent the president of the United States, with the following inscripfcion: - 'Presented to 0-ge-ma-ke-ga-to by Thomas Jefferson.' " was a very important one, as this portion of the state was then in Indian possession, and the object of the' government was the cession by the natives of the vast tract in which was included the rich and flourishing valleys of the Saginaw and its tributaries. The chief speaker for the Indians was 0-ge-ma-ke-ga-to, and he opposed the proposition of Gen. Cass, with indignation. Said he:

" You do not know our wishes. Our people wonder what has brought you so far from your homes. Your young men have invited us to come and hght the council fire ; we are here to smoke the pipe of peace, but not to sell our lands. Our American father wants them. Our English father treats us better. He has never asked for them. You flock to our shores ; our waters grow warm ; our lands melt like a cake of ice; our possessions grow smaller and smaller. The warm wave of the white man rolls in upon us and melts us away. Our women reproach us; our children want homes. Shall we sell from under them the spot where they spread their blankets? We have not called you here; we smoke with you the pipe of peace."

The Chippewa nation was then comprised of ten or twelve bands, each governed by a hereditary chieftain. These chiefs formed a council which governed the nation and elected the ruling chief annually. 0-ge-ma-ke-ga-to was not a chief by blood, but his remarkable intellectual qualities, as well as his undaunted courage, made him a power among his dusky people, and at the early age of twenty-five he was the leading spirit. Gen. Cass was surprised at the remarkable brain power of the man, and remarked that he was " the smartest and most eloquent Indian he had ever met." His administration of the affairs of his people was so satisfactory that for over he was annually re-elected to the position of head chief. He never ruled a single band until in the later years of his life, when he became chief of the Tittabawassee band, to which he belonged.

His power of oratory made him a great favorite with his people, and the fame of 0-ge-ma-ke-ga-to spread far and wide. Subsequently, at the ratifying of the reservation treaty, at Detroit, many learned and able lawyers were present, not one of whom, after hearing his great speech interpreted, dared to accept his challenge to discuss the questions affecting the Indians' welfare with him.

After the treaty of Saginaw had been ratified and the Indians had become reconciled to the encroachment of the white man, 0-ge-ma-ke-ga-to was quite friendly, and like an honorable man endeavored to fulfill his obligations to the new comers under the treaty.

Many Astounding Stories

are told by the old settlers regarding his bravery and fortitude, some of which surpass belief. Mr. McCormick says that about 1835 two members of the Tittabawassee band had a disagreement while under the influence of liquor, and drew their knives for a settlement of the difficulty, according to the aboriginal code. 0-ge-ma-ke-ga-to, who was standing near them, immediately jumped between the combatants and received a knife thrust in his side. The cut was so large and deep that a portion of his hver protruded, and in this condition he lay for several days. One afternoon he took a knife laying by his side, and in the presence of several Indians, sliced off a portion of his oivn liver, threw the piece on the coals and roasted it, and then ate it. Turning to those present, he said: - "If there is a braver man in the Chippewa Nation than I am, I should like to see him."

This story, incredible as it is, Mr. McCormick says can be well attested by Joseph Trombley, E. S. Wilhams, of Fhnt, and Peter Grewett, now of Gratiot County, all of whom were Indian traders at that time. Judge Albert Miller, now of Bay City, also recollects the circumstance at the time.

As we have stated, 0-ge-ma-ke-ga-to ruled the Chippewas until 1839 or 1840, when death stepped in and robbed the dusky nation of its wisest, most eloquent and bravest member.

He Died At Salzburg

and was buried in the mound in front of Mr. McCormick's residence. At that time lumber was scarce in the Saginaw Valley, and a board was of more value then than now. Joseph Trombley was building the Center House, yet standing on the corner of Twenty-fourth and Water Streets, the lumber for which was all brought from Detroit. Mr. Trombley liked the old chief, and made the family a present of a single board, out of which was constructed a rough box coffin, and the burial took place with more pomp and splendor than had previously fallen to the lot of an Indian corpse.

His Grave Was Marked

in after years, when lumber became more plenty and consequently cheaper, by erecting over it a small wooden house, surmounted by a flag staff. As the years rolled by this grave cover became dilapidated, and finally Mr. Thomas Stevenson, who built his house close by, obliterated it entirely. When he was buried there was nothing but an Indian trail along the bank, and after the little house was torn down all trace of the grave was lost, and as the land became tilled it was plowed over.

Search had been made for the last two or three years to find it, by Mr. McCormick and others, but always unsuccessfully. Its accidental discovery while digging a cellar, has revived memories of the old aboriginal monarch, and many persons have visited Mr. McCormick's residence to interview him upon the subject.

The coffin was badly decayed, - nothing remaining but a few pine knots.. The colonel's uniform, presented to him by the President of the United States, and in which he was buried, was found to be in a remarkable st.ite of preservation. It was by this uniform that the remains were identified as being those of the noted chief. His httle kettle was bottomless and badly demoralized by rust, and the medal was not to be found; but his tomahawk, knives, pipes, etc., were by his side.

The remains were taken possession of by the man who was <iiggiiig the cellar, and kept by him on exhibition for some time. His descendants, and other Indians in the vicinity, were much incensed at what they regarded as an indignity to a great man, and requested Mr. McCormick to take possession of the remains and have them decently buried. Mr. McCormick, who talked their language fluently, compUed with their request, and buried the remains in his own door yard. Mr. E. B. Denison, of Bay City, has presented him with a stone which marks the last resting-place of the once noted chief of the Chippewas.

Indian Stoicism And Coukage

For the particulars of the following tragic story I am indebted to Hon. E. S. Williams. It occurred while he was trading with the Indians at Saginaw, some time before De Tocqueville's visit, and about two years before I came to the Saginaw Valley. The event was witnessed by Messrs. WilHams, Judge Jewett, Colonel Stanard, and others, and strangely illustrates the pecuHarities of frontier life and of the Indian character.

Neh-way-go was a young Saginaw brave, hving, in his earlier hfe, at Green Point, which is at the mouth of the Tittabawassee River, and in his later years upon the shores of the Saginaw Bay. He is described as a model of native strength and grace. While Hving at the former place he killed a son of Red Bird, who Hved on the Tittabawassee River. The relatives demanded satisfaction, and by Indian laws his life was the forfeit. He presented himself at the chief mourner's wigwam, where the warriors of the family of the deceased had assembled, and informed them that he had come for them to strike at his haart. He bared his bosom and took his position for the selected number to pass by him and inflict the knife wound. They passed and inflicted, as they hoped, the mortal thrusts. That done, and Indian usage being satisfied, he was making the best speed he could, with his streaming wounds, to his own wigwam, when he was struck in the back by a cowardly Indian, inflicting a severe stab, but, as it appears, like the other blows, not fatal. He was yet enabled to reach his own wigwam, some distance off, where his young wife was waiting, not expecting ever to see him ahve again. She received him and bound up his w^ounds. He was restored after fearful suffering.

After this event he removed to Kawkawhn, where he remained until his wounds were nearly healed. When he came up to Saginaw in a canoe, with his wife, to do some trading at the Indian trading post of the American Fur Company, which was then operated by G. D. and E. S. Williams, he was not yet able to get out of his canoe and go to the trading post, which was but a few rods from the river, without the aid of his paddle to lean upon.

Some Indians were there at the time. They soon sent word to 0-sou-wah-bon's band at Green Point, some two miles distant, that Neh-way-go had arrived at the American Fur Company's trading post. The Messrs. Wilhams were well aware that if they met there would be a dreadful tragedy. They therefore placed persons to watch if any Indians came from that direction. It was not long before 0-sou-wah-bon and two Indians were seen approaching, while Neh-way-go was still by his canoe standing on the bank of the river leaning on his paddle. He was told by the Messrs. Williams to get into the canoe with his family and go down the river. This he refused to do, saying he was no coward, but like a brave man patiently awaited the attack. E. S. Wilhams went and met 0-souwah-bon and told him he must go into the store, as he wanted to see him. After he was inside the door was closed and he was told that they knew his business and that he must now give up his knives. He reluctantly drew his knife from his sheath and handed it to B. 0. Williams. They asked him if he had any more, and if so to give them up or they would search him. He finally pulled out another which he had concealed down his back. They then asked him if he had any more. He said "No," when E. S. Williams said they would have to search him, which he refused to submit to. Mr. Wilhams clinched him, and with the assistance of B. 0. WilHams, now of Owosso, and some others, after a severe struggle, as 0-souwah-bon was a very powerful man, they threw him on the floor. While B. 0. WilHams and some others were holding him, E. S. WilHams commenced the search, and inside of hisleggin they found a large knife, a very formidable weapon, and as sharp as a razor. When Mr. WilHams drew it from his leggin he caught it by the blade and refused to give it up; the result was, before they could wrench it from his grasp it had nearly severed his hand in two. They then let him up and dressed his wound. While this proceeding was going on B. 0. WilHams and another person slipped out of the back door and found Neh-way-go stiU standing on the shore leaning on his paddle, awaiting the attack, while his wife was sitting in the canoe crying. They told him to get into his canoe and be off, which he refused to do, repeating he was no coward. They then took him by main force, put him into the canoe with his wife, and shoved it from the shore and ordered his wife to paddle him home, and not to come back again. He returned to his home on the Kawkawhn, where he soon after fully recovered from his wounds.

Afterwards, finding upon his hunting ground the coward who had inflicted upon him the wound in the back, he sunimarily visited him with Indian vengeance, - death. Soon after the Indians were assembled in large numbers at Saginaw at an Indian payment, when an altercation ensued between Black Beaver, an Indian of considerable note, and the brave Neh-way-go. The former reproached him with the outrage he had committed upon the Indian who had struck him in the back. Neh-w^ay-go defended the act as just and brave; the reproof was repeated, and upon the instant he slew Black Beaver. This was at the upper end, where the city of East Saginaw stands, near where the upper bridge crosses the river, in the vicinity of the old Curtis-Emerson mifl. Black Beaver and his band were here encamped. On the west side of the river, on the open plain near where the residence of E. J. Ring now stands, Neh-way-go and his band Xvere encamped.

After the bloody deed Neh-way-go crossed over to the west side of the river amongat his own people. A warrant was at once issued by Colonel Stanard for his arrest, acting as justice. Neh-way-go fled back to the east side of the river, and, accompanied by a friend, secreted himself in the woods upon what is now the site of the city of East Saginaw. He preferred to trust himself on the same side of the river with the tribe whose leading warrior he had stricken down than to endure the mortification of arrest and punishment of the white* man's laws.

He sent word to two of his white friends, Antoine Campau and Ephraim S. Williams, desiring them to cross the river and come to the woods in which he was secreted, when by giving a signal he would come to them. They did so and he soon made his appearance. He informed them that he had sent for them for advice; that the white man's punishment (imprisonment) was only fit for cowards; death by the hands of his own race was glorious in comparison, if any relative of Black Beaver should choose to make it a cause for vengeance.

They advised him to cross back to his own camp, present himself to his people and let the affair take the course warranted by Indian usage.^ The arrest by the officer was waived and he presented himself at his own camp openly.

The hour for tlie burial of Black Beaver arrived. An immense number of Indians, from two to three thousand, were present- - as it was Indian- payment at Saginaw at the time - as mourners and spectators. The place of burial was just below the old Campau house on the brow of the hill, west of where A. W. Wright's planing mill now stands and near where Neh-way-go and his band were encamped. The body had been placed in the coffin. The relatives, with their faces streaked with black, had gathered about it. The few white settlers then in the valley were all there as spectators. The fearful outrage so near their own doors had absorbed and engrossed the attention of all. -

While the solemn Indian rite Avas in progress over the remains of their favorite warrior, Neh-way-go was seen approaching from his camping ground. He was dressed in full and careful costume, tomahawk and knife in his girdle and a small canteen of whisky at his side, his whole appearance imposing and gallant. He made his way with a lofty and majestic step to the center of the mourning group. Walking with a measured step to the side of the coffin, he placed upon it his tomahawk and knife. He filled his calumet with kinakanick, composedly and with dignity. After smoking from it himself first, he passed it to the chief mourner, who decHned it. He passed it to the next, and the next, with the same result. He passed his canteen of whisky with the same formahty, and with the same result. They declined to partake.

He then undid the collar of his hunting shirt, and bared his bosom, seating himself with calm dignity upon the foot of the coffin. He turned his face full upon the chief mourners, and addressed them : "You refuse my pipe of peace. You refuse to drink with me. Strike not in the back. Strike not and miss. The man that does dies when I meet him on our hunting ground."

Not a hand was raised. Upon the dark and stoical faces of that cloud of enemies by whom he was surrounded, no feeling found expression except that of awe; no muscle moved.

He rose from his seat on the foot of the coffin, and towering to his full, fine height, exclaimed, "Cowards! Cowards! Cowards!" As composedly as he had taken them out, he restored, unmolested, the tomahawk and knife to his girdle, and, with his canteen at his side, walked away from the strange scene as lordly as he came. He had awed his enemies, and was evidently master of the situation » Removing soon after to tlie bay shore, away from the scene of his early feuds and fearful exploits, he fell ultimately upon the hunting ground in a personal encounter with a relative of one of his victims.

1792, a grandfather of Joseph Trombley, of West Bay City, and Medor Trombley, of South Bay City, was a trader along these shores, and became a victim at the hands of the Indians. He was a goldsmith by trade, and made silver medals and ornaments for ihem, and also worked at various other trades. He built two small vessels for coasting in, as he carried a smaU stock of goods which he bartered for furs and game. He is said to have perished under the following circumstances : - Having made a muskrat spear for an Indian, who thought it was not quite as good as one previously made for another Indian, a quarrel ensued, during which the spearmaker was stabbed in the back, and had to take to one of his boats, in which he set sail for Detroit. On his way there he fell or was knocked overboard, being wounded and weak, and was drowned. After he was gone the Indians destroyed his remaining vesse], which was on the stocks uncompleted, and made way with his - effects.

Gassette Trombley, an uncle of Joseph and Medor Trombley, was also a trader here, about the same time, and was at one time "Indian farmer." An Indian farmer was one employed by the government to teach Indians how to cultivate their land. This was m-ore than fifty years ago, and yet, even to this day, Indians as a class are but indifferent farmers.

Jacob Graverot, sometimes called "Old Grave-rod," was another trader in the valley. Some have named him as being the first white settler in Bay County, but the statement is not correct. His wife was said to be a daughter of a chief called Kish-kan-ko. They roamed over the valley, planting their wigwam wherever there was a favorable place for hunting, fishing or trading with the Indians. He was a well known character to every one who came into the valley while He Hved. During the latter portion of his hfe he had charge of an Indian trading post at the " Forks," estabhshed by the American Fur Company. He was then a very old man and claimed to have been a trader for John Jacob Astor, in the early days of Astor's business as a fur trader. He was of Dutch descent, and many amusing stories used to be told of his sayings in broken Enghsh. One is related of his being in a court of justice, where information was desired from a letter he had formerly written. The lawyers tried in vain to decipher its contents, and passed it to him to read. " Me read it," he said, '' how do you suppose I can read it if you learned lawyers can't make it out?" At another time he was railing against the half-breeds, in the presence of two respectable persons of that class, and not wishing to be personal in his remarks, attempted to explain by saying, "I don't mean you, Charley, nor you, Pete, but I mean de whole lot of you." That, of course, made plain the rule of exception that applies to *' present company." This last anecdote has been harnessed to nearly every eccentric individual who has lived in this region during the past fifty years, but Graverot was the real author of it. Upon this fact we have the testimony of Judge Miller, who was present and heard him

In 1829 Joseph Trombley was along the Saginaw River from Saginaw City to the bay, in pursuit of land, but being told that he could not locate any land near the mouth of the river, as it was an Indian reservation, he went away, but returned again a few years

One Masho, a Frenchman, who had married a lass of the forest, had a log cabin where the Wooden Ware Works now stand in South Bay City, along in 1831 -'32. He was also a trader.

Early Traders And First Residents

EARLY TRADERS AND FIRST RESIDENTS. The Saginaw River was visited by white men, long before any lodgment was made within the present Hmits of Bay County. In

Who the first settler of any given locahty may have been, is not of itself a matter of material or historic value, that the question should be determined with exactness. But there is a natural curii) 'y osity, not to be despised, - a fondness for reminiscence and things associated with early days - that causes characters and events to be rescued out of the past and transmitted to posterity.

Divesting history of its romance, we have revealed the procession of events, headed by the missionaries who have penetrated the waste places upon some errand that is designed to result in benefit to the world, whether it be to humanize the savage, or to discover some new field for the advantageous exercise of human industry or genius. Then follow the elements that combine to develop and utilize resources hitherto untouched, and to plant centers of business. It is of no credit to any man that he was a pioneer, unless his axe was laid at the root of some tree, or his shoulder put to some wheel to aid the labored movements of struggling progress.

The first person to settle and reside permanently within the present Hmits of Bay County, was Leon Trombley, an uncle of Joseph and Medor Trombley, and father of Mrs. P. J. Perrott and Louis Leon Trombley, of Bay City. He came early in 1831 and erected a small log house on the bank of the river at a point now about the middle of Water Street, and just south of Fourth Street. About half an acre of ground was cleared for an Lidian camp ground, and for a garden. Mr. Trombley was the professional agriculturist employed by the government to instruct the Indians in the practical science of raising corn instead of scalps, and of becoming ** horny-handed sons of toil." After he had built his house and cleared his half acre he planted a patch of potatoes in order to have some for his next Winter's supply at hand. On leaving for Detroit, where his family hved, he made arrangements with an Indian and his squaw to hoe and take care of his potatoes through the Summer of 1881. In the Fall, on arriving at his house with his family, Mr. Trombley discovered, to his astonishment and great disappointment, that the potatoes had not been hoed or cultivated at all, and mourned over the instability of character of the red man and his want of the expected supply of potatoes, and paid but little attention to them for some time. After getting well settled in his home it occurred to him that there mir/?d be a few small potatoes that would do to plant the next year, and he proceeded to secure them ; but on digging them found to his great astonishment and happy disappointment, that he had an abundant supply of nice large potatoes, the first crop of potatoes raised in the limits of Bay County. Mr. Trombley interspersed his lessons in agriculture with fur trading, thus making his stay one of usefulness and profit. He coQtinued to occupy that house until after the town of Lower Saginaw was laid out by the Saginaw Bay Company. Mr. Trombley, however, did not come here with any intention of permanent settlement. Soon after coming here he was offered a section of land upon which Bay City now stands in exchange for a horse he owned which he considered worth three hundred dollars; but he wouldn't trade. As he afterwards said, who would then have thought that a city would one day stand where there was nothing but swamp, with long grass, in which a man could stand and be hid - ^where there was scarcely an opening in the woods around it, in which wolves howled continually?

In 1834, John B. Trudell, who married a daughter of Benoit Trombley, built a log house at a point near where the late James Watson lived, in the Fifth Ward. Mr. Trudell continued to live there until about 1850, when he removed to the west side of the river.

Some time during 1834 Benjamin Cushway arrived, having been sent here by the United States government as blacksmith for the Indians. It may be presumed from this that agriculture had by this time reached such an advanced stage as to render the introduction of skilled labor an imperative necessity. Mr. Cushway built a log house and blacksmith shop on the west side of the river, not far from where the Twenty-third Street bridge now is, and for many years did the Indian blacksmithing, and assisted traders in their traffic with the Indians.

Joseph And Medob Tkombley

The name of Trombley has been associated with that portion of the Saginaw Valley now included in Bay County for more than threequarters of a century, and while none of those yet mentioned came here expecting to locate permanently, yet the two named above and several other Trombleys became permanent settlers, and are now the oldest residents of this part of the valley, having resided here continuously since 1835.

In the Spring of 1835 Joseph Trombley left the employ of the American Fur Company and turned his attention to some land he had previously entered in what was afterwards the township of Portsmouth. He and Medor, his brother, were to open a store here for the purpose of trading with the Indians. After selecting a stock of goods, to be shipped on board the. "Savage," he started for his new location, and Medor was to follow with some cattle. Joseph arrived here in July and erected a log store near what is now the corner of Water and Twenty-fourth Streets, in Bay City. This spot was selected as being the most advantageous point for the purpose intended. The land lay high and dry, and was sheltered by trees which grew not too thickly to spoil the picturesque, and yet dense enough for shade. It was a romantic looking spot, and a choice camping ground for the Indians, who had their place of burial near by. It commanded a good view of the river and the arrival and departure of canoes. His experience in building a store was illustrative of pioneer life. It was built of pine logs flattened on two sides. The foundation was made of oak, and the lumber with which it was finished was brought by boat from Detroit, the freight upon it being $4 per thousand. The lumber was clear stuff, and was manufactured at Black Eiver, now one of the exhausted pine streams. The price paid for the lumber was |16 per thousand. Then the timber had to be hewn, shingles spHt, and part of the lumber whip-sawed. The building was 25x30 feet in size. It is still standing in the rear of the Center House, on Water Street, Bay City.

About September Medor Trombley arrived with the cattle. The goods had been shipped to Saginaw, as there was no place here to take care of them before the store was finished. The flour and pork that were shipped had been confiscated at Saginaw, as there was great scarcity of provisions. They got their store open in time to attend the Indian payment in the Fall. They continued in trade for some time, and did a prosperous business, deahng in fur and pioneer experiences.

First Frame House

In 1837 the twm infants, Portsmouth and Lower Saginaw, were batthng for places upon the map and in history. The Trombleys had prospered, and were inclined to have a more pretentious habitation, and commenced the erection of a frame building. It took the carpenter, a Mr. Case, one year to do the inside work. For a long time it was known as the "Big House," and when built was considered the finest residence in the Saginaw Valley. For many years it has been know^n as the "Center House." This was the first frame building erected in what is now Bay County, and for several years was the home of James McCormick. A very correct view of this building is given in this work.

Joseph Trombley was born in the city of Detroit in the year 1809, where he remained until his tw^entieth year. His uncle. Cassette Trombley, who had been an Indian trader, as well as what was known as an "Indian farmer," had in his travels been in this part of the state, and he advised young Joseph to go up to the Sag- inaw country and buy some land, and if he was not suited there to go to Sebewaing, on the east shore of the bay. Taking his uncle's advice, he accordingly made a trip up here in the year 1829. At that time there was a turnpike road only as far as Eoyal Oak, about fourteen miles from Detroit, and from there to Pontiac a sort of an unfinished wagon road. From Pontiac to Saginaw he had to make his way on foot through an unbroken wilderness, following an Indian trail. Saginaw at that time was the site of a government fort, or block house, being the point at which the Indians received their annual payments and had their supplies given out to them. At Saginaw he hired two Indians as guides - their names were Wash-wa and Be-chance - who accompanied him to Sebewaing and back, the trip being made in a canoe. At what is now Bay City, he learned that there was no land to be had, it being an Indian reservation - at least, he was so told. On arriving at Sebewaing, he found what is now called the Sebewaing Eiver to be a river without any water in it. Like all other Frenchmen of that day, in locating a home he wanted ifc on the banks of a running stream. So he returned to Detroit. On this trip, with the exception of a few vegetables purchased from a man named Ensign, w^ho had a small farm near what is now called CarroUton, he and his guides had to depend for food upon what he shot. Game was plenty, however, in those days, and with an old gun he borrowed from one of the Indians, he managed to supply their larder. The house in which the man Ensign lived was built by Gassette Trombley in 1819, - the year that the "Saginaw Treaty" was made with the Indians living in this part of Michigan.

On his return to Detroit he learned at the United States land office that there was a piece of land with about a mile front on the river, which he could enter. Some two or three years after he entered the lands, Maj. Causley being United States land agent at that time. Michigan was then a territory, and Gen. Lewis Cass the governor. This land was afterwards a part of the township of Portsmouth, and is now within the corporate limits of Bay City.

From 1830 to 1835 he was in the employ of the American Fur I Company, as a fur buyer, and in the prosecution of which business he had to travel, mostly on foot, to various parts of the territory, "^ the greater portion of which was then a wilderness.

When he left the employ of the Fur Company, he turned his attention to the land he had purchased on the Saginaw River. His operations for the next ten years have already been given.

In 1844 or 1845 he removed to the west side of the river, where he had purchased two thousand acres of land, and has remained there until the present. On some of this land he commenced making a farm, and his mode of plowing and dragging the land, planting and hoeing his corn, produced so much larger crops than his Indian neighbors did in their crude style of cultivating the soil, that they used to say, "It takes a white man to make corn grow." In addition to farming, he was also engaged in the fishing business, continuing in it until a few years ago. His sons Joseph and Theodore succeeded him in the business, and are known as successful fishermen.

In 1837 he was married to Miss Sophia Chapaton, daughter of Eustache Chapaton, of Detroit. They have a family of four boys and one girl, all grown up and now living in the First Ward of West Bay City. That part of Mr. Trombley' s land which lies in the First Ward of West Bay City has been divided up into building lots, and the rapid increase in the value of real estate for the past few years has made him what might be called a very well-to-do man. He has earned it, however, for in the early days the "pioneers" had many privations to endure and much hard labor to make a hving.

Medor Trombley was born in Detroit, November 16, 1813. His father was Thomas Trombley and his mother was a daughter of the trader "Tebo," already mentioned in this work. He remained on the farm until 1835, when he came to what was afterwards Portsmouth, and engaged in trade with Indians, as already narrated. He had entered a tract of land which he afterwards sold to the Portsmouth Company; also another tract south of that, and also fronting on the river. In 1845 he built a frame house upon his last purchase, which is still standing near the Wooden Ware Works in South Bay City. August 26, 1847, he married Miss Sarah Mc- Cormick, daughter of James McCormick, a well known pioneer. They were married according to the simple style of those days, and their wedding tour was the journey of life, which they are still continuing. They commenced keeping house in the home Mr. Trombley had built two years previous. After Mr. Trombley had taken possession of his land, he proceeded to look it over, and found it mostly swamp, and, as it looked to him then, just about w^orthless. After going out of trade he turned his attention to hunting and fishing, more especially the latter. Subsequently he gave some attention to farming, and as the settlements began to thicken, his land came to have a value which has been increasing ever since. For many years he has devoted his attention to the management of his real estate interests, which are still large. Mr. Trombley has been one of the hardy pioneers. In his younger days few men would care to compete with him in physical exertion, and even now, though seventy years of age, the recollection of younger days will sometimes quicken his step, and he will walk a half mile at a rate of speed that would leave many younger men far in the rear. For the last fifty-five years he has never been sick enough at any time to prevent his going about his business. Mr. and Mrs. Trombley now live in a commodious home on South Center Street. Of their seven children, two daughters are married, one to John Greening, and the other to L. F. Kose, both of Bay City.

Incidents Of Joseph Trombley

W. R. McCormick relates the following incidents of Joseph Trombley's early life. He says : - "Mr. Trombley was the finest specimen of a man, when I first became acquainted with him, fortyfive years ago, that I ever saw. He was about six feet, weighing about 190 pounds, and at that time was considered one of the most athletic men in northern Michigan.

"Among the Indians at this time athletic sports were held in high esteem, and he who could travel the greatest distance in a day, was considered a great man. Mr. Trombley had been brought up with the Indians and had followed the life of an Indian trader from boyhood. There was not an Indian in the tribe that he could not out-run, out-jump, or throw, and he could travel further in a day than any Indian or white man in the country. On his first visit to Saginaw, in 1828, then a young man, he started from his home eight miles above Detroit, with a pack on his back and with moccasins on his feet, and arrived at Flint at four o'clock of the same day, with no road after leaving Pontiac but an Indian trail, - a distance of seventy miles. The next day he arrived at his uncle's at Crow Island, just as the family were sitting down to dinner - a distance of thirty- six miles on an Indian trail.

"Here is another incident in Mr. Trombley's life: - Mr. Thomas Simpson, who in his after life was called by the early settlers, Lexa-bo-ga, had been editor, printer and lawyer, was first editor of the Westerii Emigrant, published at Ann Arbor, in 1829, afterwards editor of the Oakland Chronicle^ published at Pontiac, in 1830. Mr. Simpson was one of the most athletic men I ever saw.

He used to boast that he was never put on his back in his hfe. He had the name of being the smartest man in northern Michigan, in athletic sports in those early days. Soon after coming to Saginaw he said he would like to meet that man Trombley, he had heard so much about. An opportunity soon occurred. Joseph Trombley came up to Saginaw one day, to do some business with the American Fur Company. It was soon noised around the little hamlet that Joseph Trombley was in town, and that there would be some fim. Mr. Simpson, ahas Lexaboga, was informed, and soon made his appearance at the American Fur Compay's store, to meet the man he had heard so much about. He was introduced to Mr. Trombley, whom he challenged to a trial of strength and skill in wrestHng. Mr. Trombley said he was no wrestler, but would try him running either for one mile or fifty, for flOO. Mr. Simpson weighed about two hundred pounds, was six feet two inches high, without an inch of waste flesh about him - all sinew and muscle, - while Trombley only weighed one hundred and ninety pounds,and stood about six feet high. Trombley was afraid to take hold of so powerful a man. By this time most all the inhabitants had come to see the fun. 'But if I did not wrestle with him the people would laugh at me,' said Trombley. 'I took hold of him and I might as well have taken hold of an ox, he was so strong, but after a long while, by a dexterous effort I threw him on his back. This did rot suit the crowd, as they had bet heavily on their favorite. He appeared to be much chagrined, but to retreive his character he said he would try me back hold, a favorite way of Indian wrestling, which I had been accustomed to from boyhood, with the Indians, - which pleased me much, for I was afraid he would challenge me again at arms length. I readily consented to take him back hold. We took hold and I threw him four times before he gave up.' Thus ended Mr. Simpson's (Lexaboga's) wrestling; for, said he, 'I will never wrestle again,' and he never did. This is to show the wonderful endurance and strength the man possessed in his young days, who could go from Lower Saginaw, now Bay City, to Fhnt, and return the same day, on an Indian trail and afoot, a distance of ninety miles, beating his opponent on horseback over thirty-four miles - a feat thafc very few men in America could accompHsh. I have seen Mr. Trombley when a young man take a large wolf out of the trap, put a crotched stick over his neck, tie his mouth and legs, put him on his shoulders and bring him home alive."

First Symptoms Of Towns The Fever Of Speculation

By 18B6 the spirit of land speculation, that had been rising for some time in the country, had reached its highest pitch. After Gen. Jackson, in 1833, caused the deposit of the surplus revenue of the United States to be withheld from the old United States Bai^k and deposited with the state banks, large amounts accumulated in the vaults of the latter, which President Jackson encouraged the banks to loan to individuals by saying that it was by means of the trade of the merchants in paying the import duties on their merchandise into the treasury that the money had accumulated, and it was no more than right that they should have the use of the money to facihtate the operations of their business. But by this hint to the banks they were not particular as to the business which the parties were engaged in who desired loans, and almost anyone who was thought shrewd enough to make a good speculation by investing money could obtain loans. After the money was borrowed the point was to make a profitable investment of it, and nothing looked more attractive than the virgin soil of the West, where Uncle Sam possessed millions of broad acres which he would dispose of in parcels of forty acres or in other subdivisions of sections* at the rate of f 1.25 per acre. Michigan was then, in 1836, considered the El Dorado of the West. A heavy emigration from New York and the New England States had for three or four years previously directed its course to the beautiful peninsula, so that at the time above mentioned parties having money to invest thought it beyond a doubt that if they should forestall those immigrants and purchase the land from the United States, they would receive a large advance on their purchases, from those who wished to make actual settlements. In view of the above mentioned facts it was not likely that those speculators, in casting their eyes over the map of Michigan, seeking a point within its borders for a place to make their investments, would overlook the Saginaw country, where the deep indentation of the Saginaw Bay penetrates the heart of the peninsula and the branches of the broad river spread out in every direction like the branches of an enormous tree, the base of which is the medium through which the sap flows, as the outlet of the river is for the trade and commerce of a large portion of Northern Michigan.

Incidents Of The Land Craze

During the Spring and Summer of 1836 the land in this region was subject to sale at the Detroit land office. The office was removed to Fhnt in September or October of the same year. The office of the Eegister was situated on Jefferson Avenue, just above the Biddle House, and so great was the rush for land in business, that parties wishing to locate lands formed themselves into a line and awaited their turn to present their minutes ; but a favored few found access by way of the back door or through a window, and would get their locations secured ahead of the crowd. Looking land and furnishing minutes was a lucrative business and furnished employment to many of the early settlers. The description of the land selected was usually kept a secret until it was located at the office, but some parties coming from the East were not so cautious.

"A gentleman largely interested in the purchase of government lands told me of an occurrence, some years after it happened, in which he was interested. He said he was staying at one of the hotels at Detroit when a man came in from the country, very much elated with his good luck in finding some excellent land for a farm, which he intended the next morning to locate for that purpose. The speculator said that in a friendly conversation he got him to describe the land he intended to purchase. In the morning the man was very much disappointed to find the land he wanted had just been located, but not being discouraged he started again to select more land, and after ft few days returned and met his friend the speculator, and disclosed to him the fact that he had selected other land, that so far exceeded the first selection in value that he was amply paid for his first disappointment. He incautiously gave him the description of his second intended purchase, and when he went to the land office the result was the same as on the first appHcation, - the land had just been taken. He left Detroit this time, probably, somewhat wiser than before, and on returning with his third set of minutes met his old friend, as usual, and disclosed to him the fact that this time he had found some land so much superior to either of the other selections that he should purchase double the quantity that he first intended to, and confidentially disclosed the location of it and the fact that it was surrounded by a large tract of vacant land of equal value with his selection. When he met the speculator after his third appHcation at the land office it was not with the disappointed appearance of former occasions, but with a pleased and satisfied expression said to him, 'Well, old fellow, I guess you have got swamped this time.' The sequel proved that the last minutes described lands in the center of an extensive swamp, stid the specl^.

ulator had purchased a large tract of land that was entirely worthless. The name of the narrator of the incidents related above has passed from my memory. I knew him about twenty-three years ago. He said he was operating with money furnished by a bank, in which his uncle was an officer. When he got through with his purchxses he turned all the land over to the bank and took up his paper and saved himself from bankruptcy. "

After the land office was removed to Flint that place was thronged with land speculators. Purchases of government lands were then made with gold and silver. "Bill Gifford" kept a small hotel at Flint, and during the Autumn of that year there were nights when, it is said, more than $40,000 in specie was laying in different parts of the house, which had been brought by guests who were waiting their turn to do business at the land office.

About this time an incident occurred that illustrates the will of men intent upon securing a prize. The facts as gathered are related by Gen. Partridge, of Bay City, as follows: - Joseph Trombley and Dr. D. H. Fitzhugh took a fancy for the same piece of land at the same time, neither knowing that the other wanted the land. At noon Joseph Trombley learned that Dr. Fitzhugh was to start for Flint from Baginaw to purchase the said land, which was on the west- side of the river. On the next morning early, Trombley being then at Portsmouth, collected his gold and started in his canoe, and rapidly sped his way to Flint, expecting to overtake Fitzhugh on the road, who was to start on horseback, but found nothing of him. Arriving at Fhnt on a good smart run, he entered his land, took dinner and started on his return to the Saginaws. On his way back he met Mr. Fitzhugh, who was greatly astonished to meet him going toward Saginaw, and suggested that he, Trombley, had bought certain land, when Trombley showed his certificate of purchase. Dr. Fitzhugh, seeing there was no use in going further, returned. Trombley kept company awhile, but finding that the Doctor was too slow even with his horse, left him and arrived at Saginaw City, at a store owned by one named McDonald, where he had left his canoe. Trombley told his story about his getting the start of Fitzhugh, but McDonald disbelieved him even after seeing his certificate, and bet a gallon of wine that Trombley had not been to Flint that day. Now the mail- carrier » was on his way from Flint to Saginaw on horseback, and Trombley met him before arriving at Flint, and then overtook and passed him on his way back. So they waited a few minutes for the mail-carrier, who verified Trombley' s statement. Trombley treated out his gallon and took his canoe for home, arriving there before 10 o'clock at night of the same day. Mr. Trombley says no man, not having an iron frame and constitution, could stand the strain to run that distance as he had to run.

Poetsmouth And Its Peojector

A large trade in village property had also sprung up. Parties would select land with some advantages of location that would commend it to the public, lay out a town, and go into the market to sell either interests in the whole tract, or lots in the village. Owing to difficulty of access, Saginaw had but a small population . at the commencement of the year 1836, but it had attained some notoriety. Saginaw City had been platted four or five years previously, and was supposed by many to be the only point on the river where a town was likely to be built. But others who were aware of the difficulties of ascending the river with heavy laden craft, and anticipating the vast commerce which the products of the valley must eventually Induce, conceived the idea of starting a town nearer the mouth of the river. With this in view, Judge Albert Miller, who had become familiar witk this entire region, purchased a tract of land of the

Trombley' s in July, 1886, and in the same month had the village of Portsmouth surveyed and platted. This was the first attempt to start a town ' within the present boundaries of Bay County. This whole region was then in Saginaw County. Judge Miller, the first to project a town near the mouth of the Saginaw River, is now a resident of Bay City, and still engaged in active pursuits. We append a brief biographical sketch of him as follows :

Albert Miller was born in Hartland, Windsor Co., Vt., May 10, 1810. His father, Jeremy Miller, was a native of Middletown, Conn. His mother, Sarah Miller, was a native of Hartland.

The ancestors of Judge Miller on his mother's side were among those who landed at Plymouth Rock, in 1620. A plate, now in the possession of the family, was brought over in the "Mayflower," by Sarah Clark, whose name it bears. It is to this woman that Judge Miller traces his ancestry.

His father belonged to an old English family that settled in Massachusetts in 1640. Judge Miller is the youngest of a family of four children, three of whom are sfcill living. When he was seven years of age his father died; his mother living until 1863, when she died at the advanced age of eighty-four. At a very early age Judge Miller was obliged to provide for himself, his mother having but limited means. At the age of ten he engaged with his uncle, who gave him his board and a pair of boots, in return for his Summer's work.

From the time he was eleven years old until he was fourteen he lived with another uncle, who gave him his board and clothing and allowed him the privilege of attending the district school during the Winter.

The next year and a half were spent at home on the farm ; the following three Summers in farm labor; and the Winters, until he was eighteen, were spent in school. After that, two Winters were passed in teaching a district school in his native town.

About this time Mr. Miller resolved to fit himself for Dartmouth College, and entered Kimball and Union Academy, at Meridcn, N. H., in 1830, with this 'intention.

. Shortly after entering the academy, he was prostrated by a severe illness, which compelled him to change his plans; and in the Fall of 1830 he started for the West.

He went by stage and canal to Buffalo, at which place he took boat for Detroit. The latter city, at the time Judge Miller passed through it, contained two thousand two hundred and twenty-two inhabitants. In the Spring of 1831, his mother and sisters having arrived from Vermont, he settled with them at Grand Blanc, Genesee Co., Mich. Here he remained until the Fall of 1832, when he visited Saginaw, and purchased a tract of land at the junction of the Shiawassee and Tittabawassee Rivers, to which he removed February, 1833. Judge Miller, during his stay at Grand Blanc, taught school, and finished the second term that was ever taught in Genesee County. During the Winter of 1834-'35, he taught in a building which was occupied by the United States troops in 1823. This was the first school taught in the Saginaw Valley. In the Spring of 1833 Mr. Miller was elected to an office that constituted him one of the inspectors of elections for his township; during his residence there of fifteen years he was a constant member of the board of inspectors, and was never absent from an election. Upon the organization of Saginaw County, in 1835, he was appointed judge of the Probate Court, by Stevens T. Mason, then acting governor of the territory; this office he held for nine years. He was a justice of the peace for the township of Saginaw for thirteen years.

Legislature ; at this session the capital was removed from Detroit to Lansing. In 1836 Judge Miller purchased a tract of land near the mouth of the Saginaw Kiver, and laid out the town of Portsmouth, which now constitutes the Sixth and a part of the Fifth and Seventh Wards of Bay City. This was the first effort made in building a town in that vicinity. In 1836-'37 he with two partners erected a steam saw-mill on said tract, which was the second saw-mill put in operation on the Saginaw Eiver. He was a stockholder and director in the company that put in operation the second salt manufactory. Judge Miller was influential in securing to Bay City the first railroad. He takes a great interest in all matters relating to the early history of Michigan, and is an active member of the State Pioneer Society, having been its first president. He is now president of the Saginaw Pioneer Society. He was the first postmaster of Portsmouth, having received the appointment, in 1837, from Amos Kendall, postmaster-general under Jackson. Judge Miller married, at Detroit, on the 6th of February, 1838, Miss Mary A. DagHsh, a young lady who had recently emigrated wdth her parents from London, Eng. They united with the Presbyterian Church the same year. He has been an elder in the church at Bay City for more than twenty years, and has three times been a delegate from the Presbytery of Saginaw to the General Assembly. He was a Jackson Democrat until the Eepublican party was formed, since which time he has given it his hearty support. Judge Miller has bravely endured the hardships of pioneer life, and is at present strong and active. He is well acquainted with the history of the valley, and his fine memory, combined with great originality of expression, renders his narration of early experiences very entertaining. He has contributed interesting and important information to this publication, and in various ways aided in the work of gathering various material for its contents.

Bloom And Blight Of Lower Saginaw

At this time the whole of the west bank of the river, from the mouth of the Kawkawlin to Willow Island, was an Indian reservation. John Riley's reserve was the only other eligible point on the east side of the river, near its mouth, for a town. The late James Eraser, who had become oce of the most noted land speculators of this region, was living at Saginaw; or, rather his family were, while his home was in the saddle. He was quick to find out ]3roperty f rom which money could be made, and after the Portsmouth project was started he matured a plan for purchasing the Riley Reservation, upon which to lay out a town. His plan was to purchase the reservation , and organize a stock company which should lay out and build a town. John Riley, who was then living near Port Huron, was applied to for the purchase. His father had always advised him not to sell until he could get a large price for his land , and he refused to make sale upon any terms without the advice and consent o! his father, who was then, and had been for many years, postmaster at Schenectady, N. Y. The elder Mr. Riley was sent for, and late in the Summer of 1836 he met John at Detroit and advised him to sell. Mr. Riley at this time was over seventy years of age. The purchase was made by several prominent men in Detroit, the consideration being $30,000. Subsequently, the stock company was organized, as first contemplated, and was known as the "Sagina Bay Company." The agreements and members of this company are set forth in the following instruments, which we copy in the belief that they should be given in this connection, especially as the history of this company has frequently been incorrectly told :

Akticles Of Association

Wheeeas, The lands and premises in the deed hereunto annexed, are held by Frederick H. Stevens, Electus Backus and John Hulbert, as trustees for the use and benefit of the following owners of ^'aid lands in the shares and proportions mentioned in said deed, viz.: - Stevens T.Mason, Frederick H. Stevens, Andrew T. Mc- Reynolds, James Eraser, Horace Hallock, Electus Backus, Henry R. Schoolcraft, John Hulbert, Henry K. Sanger and Phineas Davis, and, whereas, it is the object, design, desire and intention of the said parties named to form a joint stock company in reference to said real estate, to improve the same, and lay out the town upon said land, and to dispose of lots therein. Now, therefore, be it known, in order more efl'ectually to carry into successful operation the object and intention of said owners, to secure to each his just rights and privileges, and to promote harmony and facihtate the general operations of said company, we do hereby adopt the following articles of association for the government of said company, hereby mutually binding and pledging ourselves, our heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, to the faithful performance thereof, as follows :

Article 2. The entire business, management and control " of said company shall be, and the same is hereby entrusted and submitted to the management and direction of a board of seven directors, one of whom they shall elect president, who shaU be stockholders in this company, and shaU be elected by the stockholders as hereinafter provided; who shaU hold their offices for one year, and until their successors be chosen ; four of whom shall form a quorum for the transaction of business; who shall have power to survey and lay out a town on said lands, and to cause the survey to be signed and acknowledged and recorded by the trustees, and to make such improvements on said real estate, or any part, as to them may seem advisable, and to sell lots in said town when so laid out; also for us and in our name, to call upon the trustees aforesaid to convey all or any of said premises in such divisions or subdivisions, and at such times and to such persons and with such covenants and agreements as^^they maythink proper and may direct; also to appoint an agent or attorney who shall at all times act under the immediate directions and control of said directors, and at their pleasure to revoke said power or agency and appoint another in his stead; said directors shall also appoint a treasurer, who shall be under their immediate control and direction, who shall give bond with approved security in the penal sum of f 25,000. Conditions, that said treasurer shall keep a faithful and accurate account of all receipts and disbursements and pay over all moneys when required to do so for the purpose of distribution or expenditure. It shall be their duty, and they are hereby authorized, empowered and required to employ some suitable person as secretary, whose duty it shall be to record in a book provided for that purpose, all acts and doings of said directors, or the stockholders of said company, and all transfers of shares in the joint stock, which said book shall be preserved and be open to the examination of all persons interested. Said directors shall also have power to fill any vacancy that may occur in their board by death or otherwise, which appointment shall continue until another shall be elected to fill the vacancy by the stockholders.

Article 3. The said trustees and their successors shall act in all respects according to the direction of said board of directors. In case any one or more trustees shall' decline or omit to act in conformity with such directors he shall be deemed to have resigned, and all vacancies occurring by death, resignation to act, otherwise, shall be filled by the board of directors at their next regular meeting or at any special meeting for the purpose called.

stock of said company, shall be divided into two hundred and forty shares, and the evidence shall be a certificate, particularly describing the shares of the holder and the manner in which the same shall be transferable, which certificate shall be registered in a book kept for the purpose, signed by the president and countersigned by the secretary, and shall be assignable by an endorsement, and bear date and time when the same shall be made. After being registered by the secretary, it shall entitle the holder thereof to the shares of stock therein mentioned, and the benefit and profit to result therefrom ; and each and every stockholder shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock, which he may own, on all business relating to said company.

Article 5. The first regular meeting of the stockholders of this company shall be holden on the first Tuesday of January, 1837, for the election of directors to serve one year, and shall annually thereafter meet on the first Tuesday of January for the election of directors, and to transact such other business as may be necessary to be done, and until the election for 1838, Stevens T. Mason, Frederick H. Stevens, Andrew T. McReynolds, Horace Hallock, Electus Backus, Henry R. Schoolcraft and John Hulbert shall be, and are hereby constituted directors. At all meetings each owner may appear and vote, in person or by proxy, with written authority. Should any cause prevent a meeting on the day above specified, or should a special meeting for that or any other purpose be requisite, it may be called by any pprson or persons owning or representing fifty shares of the capital stock of said company, by giving notice for ten days previous in any paper printed in the city of Detroit.

Article 9. Two-thirds of the stockholders shall have power at any time to restrain, enlarge, or entirely abohsh the power thereby given to said directors or trustees.

x\rticle 10. That as soon as there shall be in the treasury of said association a surplus of f 6,000 or upwards, after payment of all claims and liabilities against, incurred by or made by said company by reason of the premises, and half-yearly afterwards the said board of directors shall declare and make a dividend among the stockholders thereof in proportion to their respective shares and interest therein, until said trust is wound up, which dividends shall be made payable at the Michigan State Bank, in the city of Detroit, of which they shall give notice from time to time.

Article 11. And it is hereby further declared that for the more convenient transaction of business, Frederick H. Stevens is, and shall be, the acting trustee of said company, having full power to sign, siBal, dehver and acknowledge all deeds for the use and benefit of said company, and the said John Hulbert and Electus Backus are declared to be co- trustees to act in case of the death, inability, or refusal of the said Frederick H. Stevens to sign, seal and deliver and acknowledge the said deeds aforesaid, provided that the said co-trustees shall first execute to the said Frederick H. Stevens a power of attorney authorizing him to act as sole trustee for the purpose aforesaid. In witness thereof and of the faithful performance and observance of the foregoing articles of association, as well by the said parties whose names are herein inserted as by their legal representatives or assigns they have severally afiixed their seals and set their hands, the day and year first above written.