Michigan in the War of 1812: Part 1

    Since the Treaty of Ghent was signed in December of 1814, I decided to write about what happened in Michigan during the war. When I started my research, I learned there was a lot more to report than I had anticipated, so this month, I will just focus on the Mackinac area during the war of 1812. I will discuss what happened further south in the Detroit area at a later date.

The War of 1812 had more than a few conundrums. Named after one year, it actually lasted from 1812 to 1814. The primary reason for the war, which was impressment of American sailors, ceased to be an issue before the war officially began, and the biggest battle of the war, the Battle of New Orleans, occurred after the peace treaty had been signed on December 24, 1814 in Ghent, Belgium. Unlike other wars in American history, where Michigan played a supporting role with no battles fought on its homeland, during the War of 1812, cities like Detroit and Mackinac Island saw a fair amount of fighting, and unfortunately not much of it was successful on the part of the Americans.

One of the first engagements of the war was the Siege of Fort Michilimackinac on Mackinac Island.  In modern times, this is known as Fort Mackinac. Once learning of the war, the British commander of upper Canada, Major Isaac Brock sent a canoe party to British Captain Charles Roberts.  Roberts was on St. Joseph Island, less than 100 miles away from Michilimackinac, and he left to capture Fort Mackinac as soon as he received his orders.  At the time, Fort Mackinac was a log fort on a limestone ridge overlooking the southeast harbor of the island.  The Americans had 61 artillerymen under Lieutenant Porter Hanks stationed at the fort.  After hearing rumors of unusual activity, Hanks sent scouts to investigate, including fur trader and militiaman Michael Douseman.  This contingent was captured by the British and Captain Roberts learned just how uninformed Lt Hanks was. The British quickly moved towards Mackinac Island.  On the morning of July 17, British forces landed on the north end of the island two miles from the fort. This area is now called ‘British Landing’. The British moved a cannon to the ridge above the fort and fired a single round. Next they sent a message under a flag of truce, demanding immediate surrender.

Since Lieutenant Hanks was caught completely by surprise, he gave up without a fight.  Every soldier in the garrison was taken prisoner, then released on the condition that they would not fight for the remainder of the war. It was a tough, embarrassing blow for the Americans in Michigan. Civilians on the island were given a choice: either take an Oath of Allegiance to Britain or leave the island.

Not much happened in Michilimackinac in late 1812, nor in 1813. The Americans did manage to establish a blockade of goods up to the island which lead to two miserable winters for the British encamped there. A new commander arrived on the island in May of 1814, Robert McDouall. Wanting to strengthen his position on the island, he fortified the defenses of the existing fort and decided to build a stockade and blockhouse at the highest point on the island where the British had fired on the fort 2 years earlier.  He not only used his soldiers to construct this new defensive structure, he also required the villagers to help move rocks and build the facility that was named Fort George. McDouall also trained his soldiers harder than any of the other previous commanders on the island.

Out east, the American forces were holding on against the British. Emboldened by this, Americans in the west tried to go on the offensive, and in July 1814, Americans tried to retake Mackinac Island as a part of a larger campaign to harm the trading alliance between the British and the Natives. Plans were made in Detroit, and on July 3, a squadron of five American ships under Commodore Arthur Sinclair  headed toward the Island. On their way, they stopped at St. Joseph Island, which had been held by the British but was abandoned in 1812 when they left to take Michilimackinac. The Americans arrived off the shores of Mackinac Island on July 26. 

The Americans wanted to have an element of surprise to their attack, but their arrival had been very delayed. Because of this, British Lieutenant Colonel Robert McDouall knew of the attack and made plans to defend the island. Without surprise on their side, the Americans bombarded the island, but were unsuccessful, as their artillery fire fell well short of the fort and into the army gardens below. To further complicate this ill-fated attack, a dense fog fell upon the area and the Americans were forced to retreat.

On August 4, the Americans returned, and Lieutenant Colonel George Croghan decided to land on the island near the same place that the British had landed years earlier. The American gunboats bombarded the island again, trying to chase the Natives out of the woods. Instead of waiting to be attacked, McDouall brought most of his men to meet the Americans. They met on a farm belonging to Michael Douseman, who had pledged his loyalty to the British after he had been captured two years earlier. Once again, the Americans were defeated in embarrassing fashion. Thirteen Americans were killed, including Major Andrew Holmes and Captain Isaac Van Horne.  Fifty one Americans were wounded, and two were captured. The Americans fled to their ships and left the fort and the island to the British until the end of the war.

The Americans didn’t want to completely leave Mackinac to the British, so they continued to block their enemies from getting any supplies. They left two ships, the Tigress and the Scorpion to patrol the water routes used by the British. However, the Americans in the west continued to be outsmarted, and in early September, 1814 a party of Royal Navy sailors and soldiers captured the American gunboats on Lake Huron.  It was another attack the Americans never saw coming, and this defeat now left the British in control of Lake Huron until the end of the war.

Though it may not seem likely, based on what happened in Michilimackinac, the Americans were able to defeat the British in the War of 1812. The Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814, officially ending the war. The treaty, among other things, required the British to return their captured territory to the United States, including Fort Mackinac. The British  withdrew to nearby Drummond Island, where they actually remained until 1828, which is a whole nother story. 

Much more happened in Michigan during the War of 1812.  Be sure to check back next month to learn more about Detroit’s efforts in the war. 

What Woman Wills, Heaven Wills”

The American Civil War was a conflict that affected most American citizens. More than 620,000 soldiers lost their lives to wounds and disease. Unfortunately, civilians were not exempt from dying either. It was a defining moment in American history and Michigan played a significant role as 90,000 Michigan men served in the Union forces. This was about 23 percent of the male population in the state at that time. In addition, Michigan farms helped feed the troops, Michigan forests provided lumber for war materials and Michigan mines produced copper and iron, all essential materials that were  critical for the survival of the Union. Our state also supplied more horses to the Union Cavalry than any other state, and Lincoln himself once said “Thank God for Michigan” in reference to the Wolverine State’s contributions.

However, it wasn’t only Michigan men who helped restore the Union. The women of the state also did much for the cause. Like other women from the country, from all walks of life they were forced to adjust their lives in various ways. Many took over family businesses, some disguised themselves as soldiers and enlisted, and most did everything they could to help in the war effort. During the war, many Soldiers’ Aid Societies were formed to care for the sick and wounded men and our proud women from Michigan were the very first to start one of these societies.

The United States Army Medical Department was totally unprepared for the flood of wounded and ill volunteer men and soldiers. The small staff had a difficult time dealing with this influx. Once civilians realized the burden, efforts to send medical supplies, food, blankets and other comforts to the front were made all over the north. At first, there was very little unity in these efforts to help as individual families, wives and mothers scrounged up whatever supplies they could and sent them to the front. 

Because of the lack of unity, many of these efforts failed. It was soon realized that if the women banded together, more could be done for the men away fighting. The United States Sanitary Commission started on June 18, 1861, in Washington DC even before the first official battle of the war. This was a private relief agency modeled on the British Sanitary Commission, set up during the Crimean War years earlier. It’s main goal was to support the sick and wounded soldiers of the United States Army however they could. The USSC spread across the North, and raised money, medical supplies and other contributions to support the cause. The commission enlisted thousands of volunteers.

Smaller societies began to spring up around the entire country, started by civilians. The first of these societies, the Soldiers’ Aid Society of Detroit was organized in Detroit on November 6, 1861. Its main goal was to support and comfort the soldiers at hospitals, in the camps, and on the battlefields. Women and children prepared food and supplies to give to the soldiers as they marched off to war. It worked closely with the US Sanitary Commission to ensure other items sent arrived undamaged and made it to the soldiers that needed them the most. Local communities provided donations, goods were sorted and sent by steamship and train depots to the battlefields. In later years, they sent packages of food, clothing and other goods.  One mother even sent her son a honeycomb wrapped in a new shirt.

Many citizens opened local-level aid societies, but after the first year, smaller groups funneled all of their donations through the larger organizations. Three other state-wide relief groups worked with the Soldier’s Aid Society: the Michigan Soldier’s Relief Association, the Michigan Soldier’s Relief Committee, and a Michigan branch of the US Christian Commission. All of these groups solicited cash and donated food and supplies from Michigan citizens.  They used word of mouth, leaflets and newspaper advertisements to ask people for help.

Michigan’s organizations were concerned with using new measures to preserve and promote good mental and physical health. In later years, groups solicited for cash over supplies so they could purchase the most necessary supplies at that particular time. Civilians held many fundraisers, including masquerade parties, ice cream parties, a State Sanitary Fair in Kalamazoo, and even a strawberry festival.

Societies also inspected Army camps, trained nurses and were instrumental in establishing a Soldiers’ Home to help traveling and returning soldiers. Michigan was instrumental in all these areas. In fact, in her 1864 report from army camps around Washington D.C., Mrs. E. Brainerd sums up the contributions of all Michigan aid organizations in her description of handing out supplies to soldiers:

“I have seen many turn away, after having their wants supplied, with tears of gratitude streaming down their war-browned cheeks. The friends at home little know what a luxury it is to be enabled, by their generosity, to relieve in a measure the sufferings of the brave defenders of our nation’s honor. Had it not been for the donations tendered by our people at home, we would not have had the means to accomplish the good we did.”

In the disease-ridden camps and hospitals, even something as simple as a new blanket or a kind word could save a life. I, for one, am proud of the Michiganders who gave so much of their time and money to help bring whatever comfort and joy they could to the ailing men of our torn nation and additionally I am thankful for all the materials we supplied to keep our nation united!

Fire Ravages Michigan, Not Just Chicago, in 1871

by Erica Emelander

For most midwestern historians, October 8, 1871, will stick out as the day of the Great Chicago Fire. The blaze in the Windy City killed approximately 300 people, destroyed 3.3 square miles of the city, and left over 100,000 residents homeless. Many people believe the Michigan connection to the Chicago fire is limited to the fact that lumber from Michigan helped rebuild the city. However, the Chicago fire was not the only blaze that destroyed lives in the Midwest that day. In Michigan, fires broke out in Holland, Manistee, Alpena, Glenn Haven and 40 other small settlements. The “Thumb” area of the state was hit especially hard, where 90 % of homes were destroyed.

How did these fires happen? Like the cause of the Great Chicago Fire, the exact reasons are still unknown, though there are theories. It is a certainty that the conditions of the landscape and the weather contributed to the spread of the fires.

In the mid-1830s, logging began in Michigan as a significant industry. Especially harvested was the Eastern White Pine. By 1854, sixteen sawmills were in operation and produced over 13,000 board feet of lumber. This was great for the economy, but it also left behind branches, bark and unused wood. This leftover brush was referred to as slash, and was perfect tinder for the October blaze. Once lumberjacks had cleared the land, the lumber companies then sold the land to farmers, who finished clearing it by blowing up the tree stumps. The farmers began growing sugar beets, corn and navy beans. Combine that dry wood with a long and hot summer, including drought and high winds and it is no surprise that the fires spread far and wide. All season long, farmers watched their crops wither in the dry heat, and many worried about a lean winter because of the cruel summer.

Around midnight, on October 8, 1871 the primary fire started. In A History of Sanilac County, a civilian of Michigan describes the fire as “A sky of flame, of smoke of heavenful, the earth a mass of burning coals, the mighty trees, all works of man between and living things trembling as a child before a demon in the gale. To those who have seen, the picture needs no painting.”        

As the fires spread, dry air was drawn in from inland instead of moist air from over the lakes. This caused a wind that carried chips and fragments to other areas, which in turn, started new fires. The big brush piles that had been left by the lumberjacks added to the fuel. The pine needles and stems that had accumulated on the ground contained resin, which caused the fires to burn very hot. The fires reached such an intensity that it caused hurricane-like winds and the heat made treetops explode into flames. 

Small communities all around the northern Midwest region were hit. Even as far away as Wisconsin, the Great Peshtigo Fire easily leapt the border and destroyed several towns in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, especially Menomonee County. Meanwhile, in Holland, by late afternoon of October 8, winds were at hurricane strength, specifically the southern part of town. The western edge of the city caught fire by the time night fell, and hope of saving the existing town was lost. Holland sacrificed 76 businesses, 243 homes, 5 churches, 3 hotels, 5 warehouses, and 45 other buildings.

East of Holland, embers and dense smoke from other fires started in Manistee, through Grayling and Big Rapids, then through Isabelle, Midland and Bay Counties, but halted in Gratiot County. In this area, the lumbermen had moved on. Unfortunately, burning embers ignited small piles of slashing along the Cass River, then traveled up the Thumb. Residents here jumped into wells, praying this would keep them safe. In Port Huron, at least fifty people died. Fires also broke out in Sanilac, Huron and Tuscola Counties.

In Lake Huron towns like White Rock and Rock Falls, civilians raced to the water in the hopes of survival. In Rock Falls a small boat carried nine children to safety but they drifted for three days across Lake Huron toward Canada. All survived the ordeal except a three-year-old boy.

The sky near Lake Huron was so smoky that would-be rescuers were not able to navigate the waters that evening. This made it difficult for some civilians to be saved. However, ships like the Fesenden, Huron, and Marine City were able to transport burn victims to hospitals and deliver provisions and clothing to the needy. There were many relief stations and contributions came in from all over the nation. In the 1870s, it is worth remembering that there were no official emergency relief teams in the United States.

At the time, news of the fire was inaccurate, mostly passing by word of mouth. This caused tragedy in itself, as some people encountered the fire on Sunday morning, but many victims on outlying farms didn’t know about the fire until they saw it heading toward them. The fire also destroyed telegraph lines that may have warned others.

By October 19, most of the flames were out, but smaller fires burned through until November.

There are many theories as to how the fires started. Many believe it was all caused by the same winds that fanned the Chicago fire. Some believe that lighting or a meteor shower may have started the initial blaze. There is also a theory of a comet hitting the earth. Like the Great Chicago Fire, we may never know the exact spark that started it all. However, it is undeniable that the fire changed the lives of thousands of people.

More than 3,900 square miles of Michigan were destroyed, including thousands of buildings, horses, barns, stores and mills. Hundreds of families were left homeless. Exact human death numbers are unknown. Families reporting members missing put the estimate at less than 500, but there were also hundreds to thousands of lumberjacks and salesmen, along with settlers in remote areas that may not have been accounted for. People were not only killed by the fires but also suffered blindness, hysteria, exhaustion, a lack of food and water, and third degree burns.

Many small towns that were just getting started perished in the blaze and were never rebuilt, such as Center Harbor and Forest Bay in Huron County, New River on the New River Creek, and Elm Creek in Deerfield Township.

Not ten years later, as the lumber era was coming to an end, the Thumb was once again hit hard by fires in August in 1881, but that story will have to wait for a future article.

I must admit that despite living in Michigan my entire life and taking a Michigan History course in college, I had never heard of the Michigan fires of 1871. Chicago receives all the notoriety in the history books with a great loss in a small area, yet Michigan had a great loss over a much larger area. The lumber of Michigan not only rebuilt Chicago, it rebuilt our own great state!  

Michigan's First Mysterious Ship Disappearance

by Erica Emelander

Shipwrecks have been a danger to sailors, merchants and explorers since biblical times. Ships sailing on the Great Lakes are no exception. Over 6,000 have sunk to the bottom of the five lakes costing 30,000 people their lives. The Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in 1971 may be the most famous; however, one of the first recorded shipwrecks in the Great Lakes remains one of the most mysterious.

Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle was a French explorer well known in the land formerly known as French Canada. Back in the late 1770s, he wanted to create a fur trade monopoly in the Great Lakes region by finding the Northwest Passage, which would be an all-water route from the Great Lakes to China and Japan. To do this, among other things, he decided he needed a masted ship to go where only canoes had gone before. He decided to build a large-scale, European-style sailing ship to complete his task. The 17th Century barque would be the first full-sized sailing ship on the Upper Great Lakes.

LaSalle knew that he would have to build his ship above the imposing Niagara Falls. If you have had the opportunity to view these majestic falls, you would easily understand LaSalle’s logic. Le Griffon, named for the mythical creature, was built in the wilderness, unlike most ships of the time that were built in the shipyards on the ocean.

There was much adversity for LaSalle and his workers during this time. The builders suffered from the intense cold and a lack of supplies. LaSalle had many admirers, but also many enemies, some who were envious and sought to ruin him. There was a constant threat of attack from the local tribes, especially the Seneca. There was attempted sabotage, attempted murder and even a plan to burn the ship. Luckily for LaSalle, a local Indian woman, whose name has been lost to history, foiled the plan. Once warned of this last attempted attack, Le Griffon set sail early to escape the dastardly plan.

 

In early August of 1679, Le Griffon was quickly launched near Cayuga Creek on the Niagara River, armed with seven cannons. LaSalle, Fr. Louis Hennepin, who wanted to convert the natives they would encounter, especially the Seneca, and a crew of 32 men were on board. Much of their course was uncharted, especially for sailing ships as opposed to canoe travel. Even after being launched, Le Griffon did not encounter smooth sailing. They arrived at the Detroit River on August 10 and entered the lake north of the river on August 12, the feast day of St. Claire of Assisi. Because of the holy day, the sailors named the lake after St. Claire. Continuing north, the crew needed to tow the ship up the rapids of the St. Clair River. 

 

Once in Lake Huron, Le Griffon and her crew ran into more problems. They were becalmed at Saginaw Bay, unable to move because of a lack of wind. When they were finally able to escape the doldrums, they continued on their way, yet encountered more issues. On August 25, the crew ran into a bad storm, and were lucky to survive. On the third day they finally made it to Mackinac Island where Huron and Ottawa Indians enthusiastically greeted them in over 100 canoes.

 

Eight months before the voyage of Le Griffon, LaSalle had sent 15 men ahead with a large amount of goods to trade with the Natives for furs. When they arrived in the straits area, LaSalle learned that these men had deserted with a share of those goods, heading north. Two of these deserters were rumored to be up at Sault Sainte Marie. LaSalle sent his most trusted crew member, Henri de Tonty, and another six men to chase them down.  

 

Based on the little that is known of him, Tonty could have his own story written. He was an esteemed Italian soldier and adventurer who had a hand blown off by a grenade years before in the Sicilian Wars. He bandaged the appendage himself and continued to lead his soldiers. The injury ended his military career, but Tonty continued his adventures. He had an iron claw made and strapped it to the stump on his arm and continued to live, work hard, and was competent with any weapon. Called “Iron Hand” from then on, he became LaSalle’s most faithful lieutenant.

 

LaSalle and his crew stayed in the straits area until September 12, but then had to leave without Tonty and the men who were going after the deserters. After leaving a message for his friend, LaSalle, and what was left of his crew, left for the Green Bay area. They landed on Rock Island and met up with friendly Pottawatomie natives, where they traded and loaded up Le Griffon with pelts.

 

When it came time to return back to Niagara, LaSalle was torn. He wanted to stay behind and explore Lake Michigan and try to find the mouth of the Mississippi River to claim the land around it for France. However, he did not trust his pilot, Lucas, and without Tonty to help him, he was unsure. Eventually his dream of exploring the Mississippi overcame his worry for his ship, and LaSalle decided to stay behind and send Lucas, his ship and a crew of six ahead to Niagara.

 

This skeleton crew was instructed to stop at Fort Michilimackinac to store most of the cargo where LaSalle planned to pick it up when he headed back east. The crew and Le Griffon left Green Bay on September 18, but were never seen or heard from again. The crew members, ship and furs all vanished. There was no clear consensus as to what happened, only rumors.

 

Some believe the ship was lost in a violent storm, which is possible as there was a storm reported in Lake Huron the day after Le Griffon left, at around the same time the ship would have been in those waters. Some believe it was set upon by fur traders who took the furs and sank the ship. Still others believe that Ottawa or Pottawatomie warriors murdered the crew and burned the ship. La Salle believed the pilot and crew sank the boat and stole the goods.

 

It would be seventy years before another sailing ship arrived on the Great Lakes.To this day, there is no conclusive evidence as to what happened to Le Griffon or where it went down, only legend. Some even claim to see it as a ghost ship. 

 

Two years after the disappearance, LaSalle heard from a native interpreter that his captain and another Frenchman were brought to an Indian village by Sioux warriors. This witness reported that the ship and crew had survived a storm and the crew scuttled the ship and took a small cargo of furs, but were captured by the Sioux while traveling west. This, however, remains an unproven rumor.

 

Fortunately for him, not all was lost for LaSalle. Le Griffon led the way to modern shipping in the area, and he continued exploring the upper Midwest. He is now known for claiming much land for France, including the Mississippi watershed and the land between the Allegheny Mountains, the Rocky Mountains, and the northern part of the Great Lakes.

 

Yet, even to this day, the mystery of his ship’s disappearance intrigues historians and treasure-hunters alike. There have been over twenty claims of Le Griffon’s discovery, but most have been proven wrong or cannot be confirmed. In 2001, Steve Lebert believed he found the vessel in Northern Lake Michigan near Poverty Island. In 2014, Kevin Dykstra and Frederick J. Monroe claimed it was near Frankfurt. Neither of these claims could be proven. Most experts believe the most likely location is still the 1898 discovery of a wreckage by lightkeeper, Albert Cullis, on the western edge of Manitoulin Island in northern Lake Huron. This best fits with the history and what little evidence exists from the sinking.

 

Even after 340 years, the fate of the first sailing ship to enter the Great Lakes is a mystery. Le Griffon went down with only the 7 sailors knowing what its true fate was. Will we ever learn what happened or did all the information sink with the crew to be forever lost? Will it remain one of the many mysteries of history or will an adventurer continue to search for the missing clues? I for one would like to believe that someday the mystery will be solved. 

 

Further information on the topic visit the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Museum in Alpena or the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Paradise.

Meet Detroit's Second Founder

by Erica Emelander

Religion. Morality. Knowledge. These are precepts to which Fr. Gabriel Richard lived throughout his entire life. He is a man not often read about in the Michigan history books, which is quite a shame, as he did much to help the early settlers in Michigan. Father Gabriel is also known by some as the second founder of Detroit. If a story were to be told about the early days of Michigan, he would be a leading character.

Gabriel Richard was born in LaVille de Saintes, France on October 15, 1767 to Francois and Marie Geneviver Richard. His family was close-knit and he grew up very sheltered from the political unrest that was building in France at the time. Gabriel was described as an energetic child who was given a good education.

At the age of 12 or 13, the always curious boy climbed the scaffolding of a chapel that was under construction. He fell and suffered serious injuries, one on his face which left a permanent scar. This event caused Gabriel to become a bit more serious and he settled into his studies. He was so successful in this endeavor that he considered attending the University of Paris, but his father had fallen on hard times and was unable to send him. Gabriel then decided to enter the seminary at Angers in October of 1784, which was a part of the Sulpician Society. He was a committed student and grew both academically and spiritually. During this time, he decided he would like to become a parish priest or a missionary.

The French Revolution was well on its way during this time period. Not only was the nobility in danger, but also the clergy. Many bishops and priests were arrested and imprisoned while some were even executed. Though his future was in doubt, Gabriel was ordained a priest and was sent to America almost immediately to protect him, though he was reportedly ready and willing to suffer martyrdom.

Fr. Gabriel Richard and three other immigrants arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on July 10, 1792. The men purchased a tavern outside the city and used it as classrooms. This would become St. Mary’s Seminary. Other priests joined the group, and it wasn’t long before Bishop John Carrol sent Fr. Gabriel west to minister to the settlers. His first assignment was in Kaskaskia, Illinois, and it was here that he met up with an old friend, Fr. Michael Levadoux. The two had great plans, and quickly built a new church and discussed the possibility of creating an academy that would expand into a seminary.

Fr. Gabriel worked hard at this post and continued to learn a lot. In 1793, Fr. Levadoux was sent to the new American territory in what is now Michigan. He quickly saw that the people needed a good spiritual leader, especially in the settlements of Mackinac, Detroit, River Rasin and Sault Ste. Marie. Fr. Levadoux requested help, and Fr. Gabriel was sent to the territory. He arrived on June 3, 1798.

Frs. Gabriel and Levadoux were in charge of the territory north of the Raisin River. They were determined to Americanize the northwest frontier, as they were developing a deep admiration for the growing United States. On June 20, 1799, Fr. Gabriel was sent to Mackinac. He sailed north and was understandably struck by the beauty of the straits. He spent two months teaching the Indian and American children Catechism, holding evening services, and giving instructions on Christian doctrine. He also visited St. Joseph’s Island and Sault Ste. Marie. He believed that the people of the northern settlements needed a permanent priest and many traders in the area tried persuading him to stay. However, Fr. Levadoux could not spare Fr. Gabriel in Detroit, as he felt his specific talents, such as speaking English as well as French, would be better served in that city.

Overseas, the French Revolution had ended, and French priests were being sent back to their homeland. Because of his now-failing health, Fr. Levadoux was sent back to Baltimore and eventually home to France. This left Fr. Gabriel with more duties in Detroit. His congregation was growing and he made significant efforts to renovate and enlarge St. Anne’s Church in Detroit. This rebuild took about two years.

As time passed, Fr. Gabriel wondered when he would be moved from Detroit or even sent back to France. However, on June 11, 1805, a fire tore through the settlement, destroying all of the buildings except for two. Fr. Gabriel went right to work, ministering to the people. This event solidified his resolve to remain in Southeast Michigan and help rebuild. It was at this time he said, “We hope for better things: it shall arise from the ashes.” To this day, his words are the motto of the city.  

Fr. Gabriel traveled up and down the Detroit River, arranging lodging for the homeless and bringing food and blankets to those who needed them. He quickly took on a leadership position. For a while after the fire, Fr. Gabriel held services in a tent or the open air. Eventually, an old warehouse, one of the two buildings that escaped destruction in the fire, was refitted as the church and services were held there for the next three years.

Plans for a new church building dragged on for years, during which Fr. Gabriel spent some time in Washington and was even granted an audience with President Jefferson. When he returned to Michigan, he became a leader of civic activities as well as a spiritual leader. There was much work to do in the territory, politically and economically. Fr. Gabriel took it upon himself to educate the French in the area so they wouldn’t be taken advantage of by the Americans who would undoubtedly begin moving into the Michigan Territory. Tensions were high between these two groups, heightened by language barriers. Americans were suspicious of the loyalty of the French, and there was much distrust between them. Fr. Gabriel wanted to change this atmosphere. For example, before the fire, on April 20, 1805, he became a chaplain to the first regiment of the militia.

Fr. Gabriel went to Washington again in 1808 to present a petition to Congress. This petition was to help the farmers in the Detroit area. He later inspired a second petition asking Congress to have the laws of the territory be published in French as well as English, to help the French become familiar with American laws and customs.

Fr. Gabriel earned the respect and friendship of English-speaking Protestants in Detroit, which helped establish a better relationship between the Americans and French. He would even hold non-denominational religious services for those who did not have consistent church leadership. He also took a great interest in the relationship between the European settlers and the Indians, and did what he could to help both groups. He was especially concerned with the liquor trade and the government’s acquisition of Indian lands without just compensation.

Fr. Gabriel traveled east again in 1808 and 1809. He brought back an organ and harpsichord, which excited the people of the city. He also arranged for a printing press to be brought to Detroit. On August 31, 1809, Detroit’s first hometown newspaper, The Michigan Essay, was released.

The year 1812 brought war to the United States, and the British and their Indian allies quickly moved on Detroit, capturing it on August 16, 1812. Fr. Gabriel and his followers remained as loyal as they could. When the British allowed the Indians to ransack the town, he spoke up at the risk of his own life. After the British victory at River Rasin, American prisoners were paraded through the streets of Detroit. Fr. Gabriel and other citizens raised money to ransom the men. The plan failed, and many leading citizens were exiled for their views. Surprisingly, Fr. Gabriel was allowed to stay. The British commander insisted that Fr. Gabriel take an oath of allegiance, but the priest refused. He was then placed under arrest and sent across the Detroit River. On June 16, 1813, he was given the opportunity of being released if he signed an agreement to keep his opinions to himself. Thinking of his congregation and the people of Detroit, he signed. One of the reasons the British commanders offered this agreement was at the insistence of the Indian chief, Tecumseh, who greatly admired Fr. Gabriel.

After the war, Fr. Gabriel worked to bring relief to the families that had been affected by the war. He worked with territorial governor, Lewis Cass to get federal aid to help the farmers in the area, then acted as the administrator of the relief. Americans and the French began working together to better the city of Detroit.

Though he did much for the general population of Detroit and eastern Michigan, Fr. Gabriel retained his love of teaching. Even before the War of 1812, he established schools, including Spring Hill School where Indian children learned with white children. He also sent a nun and teacher, Elizabeth Lyons, to New York to learn how to educate the deaf mutes of Detroit. His greatest academic achievements, however, began in 1817, when he and other leaders in Michigan, discussed a plan to build a territorial university. The Catholepistemaid, or University of Michigan, was born, and on September 24, 1817 the cornerstone was laid. Fr. Gabriel then moved on to drafting an order to create an elementary school system and a classical academy. 

In 1823, Fr. Gabriel officially stepped into politics, running as Michigan’s congressional delegate at the encouragement of French-speaking citizens in the state. He saw it as an opportunity to press his plans for better educational facilities and missions for the Indians. Many claimed he had no business in politics and his opponents in the race attacked his credibility reminding all about the fact that Fr. Gabriel was still not an American citizen and thus, ineligible to run. Many of his opponents disapproved of him because of his Catholic faith and the fact that he was a Frenchman. In response, Fr. Gabriel applied for citizenship and was granted it on June 28, 1823. Many French-Americans rallied behind Fr. Gabriel and he was elected and took his seat on December 8.

In Congress, Fr. Gabriel was met with resistance and prejudice, but he worked hard, and attempted to push legislation to aid the deaf. Unfortunately, the bill he introduced died. He also promoted Federal road-building in Michigan and the bill he introduced to accomplish this did pass on March 3, 1825.

When the time came for Fr. Gabriel’s reelection, his opponents again did everything they could to defeat him. They moved the date of the election up to a time where most French trappers, men who would vote for Fr. Gabriel, were in the woods. They denied Fr. Gabriel’s supporters ballots because they failed to pay a head tax, although men who did not support Fr. Gabriel and had not paid the same tax were allowed to vote. Some of Fr. Gabriel’s supporters were forcibly prevented from voting and ballots that had been misplaced in an incorrect ballot box were not counted, although those for his opponents were. The election results were close, but Fr. Gabriel lost. Though he protested, the Congressional committee investigating the matter found no fraud.

From 1825 to 1832, Fr. Gabriel continued to work for the people of his diocese. In early July, a cholera epidemic invaded Detroit, brought by American soldiers moving west. Civilians who were able to help those who had been struck down with the disease did so. Fr. Gabriel worked tirelessly to tend the sick, but at the age of 65, he was already physically weary and in poor health. He contracted cholera, and though many cared for him and prayed for his recovery, he passed away on Thursday, September 13, 1832.

Fr. Gabriel Richard attempted and accomplish many of his goals, including those that played a pivotal role in forming the city of Detroit. He set such an example of living a caring and giving life that even many non-Catholics looked to him with esteem. An exceptional man with exceptional accomplishments Fr. Gabriel will always be remembered as a great man who did much for all the people of Michigan. 

Walking Through 300 Years of History at The Henry Ford

by Erica Emelander

July is the month that we, as a nation, celebrate our birthday and our history. Though Independence Day is usually known for family, cookouts and fireworks, we must always remember the history behind the holiday. One Michigan man, Henry Ford, was often thinking and learning about our nation’s past and he collected many items to help preserve this history, all on his property near Detroit.

Henry Ford is known for many things. He was considered a captain of industry, a business magnate and he founded the Ford Motor Company. He sponsored and perfected the practice of the assembly line used in the mass production of goods. Ford didn’t invent the automobile or the assembly line, rather he used his ideas to develop the first automobile that many middle-class Americans could afford. He was known for providing inexpensive goods while maintaining a high wage for his workers and was committed to lowering costs for everyone. This led to many innovations, both technically and in the business field. Ford quickly became one of the richest and most well-known people in the world. He is also the man to thank for the five-day work week as opposed to the six to seven days per week previously worked in many factories. The Ford Motor Company introduced this well-liked practice in 1926. Cheers for the weekend!

Henry Ford was born and raised in Dearborn, and that is one of the cities he continues to be associated with today. Ford did spend a brief time in nearby Detroit as an apprentice machinist before returning home to work on the family farm.  He studied bookkeeping while working at home as well. In 1891, 28-year-old Henry became an engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit and began devoting attention to his experiments, especially those with gasoline engines.  This led to many other discoveries and inventions that he is known for today.

Ford loved to learn, and was all about education. He especially loved learning about American history. Because of this love, Ford wanted to preserve items of historical interest for others to enjoy, so he began collecting historical memorabilia as well as historic homes and machinery for a museum. He had begun collecting these items as far back as 1906.

This museum is now known as the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. Neighboring Greenfield Village began as a private site for educational purposes, known as the Edison Institute. It was named after Ford’s friend and well-known inventor, Thomas Edison. Because of public interest, both sites quickly opened to the general public. Today, the museum and village are home to 12 acres of antique machinery, pop culture items, locomotives, aircraft and automobiles including an Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. Also of interest at the museum are George Washington’s camp bed, the rocking chair from Ford’s Theater in which Abraham Lincoln was sitting when he was shot, and the bus Rosa Parks rode when she famously took a seat. These museums are a history nerd’s dream.

Greenfield Village is adjacent to the museum and is located outside. It was the first outdoor living history museum and served as a model to many others of its kind. Nearly 100 historical buildings were moved to the property from their original location. Many of these buildings are staffed by costumed interpreters to show how Americans lived and worked from as far back as when our country was first founded.

Two of these buildings were purchased by Ford on July 3, 1836. Ford was happy to add the Wright Brothers Shop and their Dayton, Ohio home to his collection. Orville and Wilbur Wright were aviation pioneers who are credited with building and flying the world’s first successful airplane. Before the brothers took to the sky, however, they rented, built, and sold bikes. They used these skills and ideas to support their aviation experiments. The two buildings were relocated from Dayton and placed right next to one another, though they had been blocks away from each other in Ohio.

A third building in Greenfield Village was dedicated to his friend, the Peanut Man, George Washington Carver. He is known for developing around 300 uses for peanuts including milk, plastics, paints, dyes, cosmetics, medical oils, soap, ink, and wood stains. He also discovered 118 uses for sweet potatoes, including molasses, postage stamp glue, flour, vinegar and synthetic rubber. Carver and Ford became friends because of their mutual interests, especially in the field of chemurgy (the study of agricultural products in industry). The two men first met in 1937 when Carver and his assistant, Austin Curtis, were asked to speak at a meeting in Dearborn for the Farm Chemurgic Council. Carver toured Greenfield Village and was later invited to address the students at the Edison Institute Schools. Ford decided to have a building dedicated to Carver and all of his accomplishments. Builders began work in July of 1942 on a building that resembled the slave cabin that Carver had been born in back in 1864 Missouri.

Henry Ford not only loved learning about and preserving history, he made it. He should be remembered for so much more than just his innovation and inventions, like the opportunities he gave to others to explore, invent and innovate. This July, when we celebrate the birth of our nation, remember all those men and women, both civilian and military, who helped make our country what it is today and remember those who continue to work today to protect us. 

Further information for children or adults may be found in the following resources:

This is America, Charlie Brown: The Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk
This is America, Charlie Brown: The Great InventorsMy Life and Work by Henry Ford
George Washington Carver: A Life by Christina Vella
The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

The Most Unbelievable True Story of Pontiac's Rebellion

by Erica Emelander

Every Memorial Day Weekend, a group of individuals dressed as American Indians from the upper part of Michigan gather in front of Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City to play baggataway, which is an early version of lacrosse. The game is carefully scripted. Many spectators gather, some of whom are dressed as American Indian women and children.The reenactors are not simply playing the game for enjoyment. “The Pageant” is actually depicting a part of Pontiac’s Rebellion, which was an intricate, well-planned attack on many British outposts in the Great Lakes region in 1763.

Tensions had been brewing between the Natives and the British for quite some time. Decades earlier, France and Britain fought in a series of wars throughout the known world, one being the French and Indian War. This was fought on American and Canadian soil between the British with their Native allies and the French with their Native allies. In 1760, British General Jeffrey Amherst captured the last important French settlement, Montreal. In Michilimackinac and Detroit, the passing of power from France to Britain was quite peaceful, and many French families were allowed to stay in these forts and continue trapping and trading furs. However, it wasn’t long before the British began breaking their promises to the Natives of the area.

The Treaty of Easton promised that British civilians in North America wouldn’t settle west of the Allegheny Ridge, leaving that area to the Natives. This part of the agreement was not respected by colonists who saw the immense value of the fertile lands. General Amherst, still in charge of American Indian policies, believed that the Natives would have no other choice than to accept British rule and felt they would be unable to resist the British Army. Amherst began to cut back on giving gifts to the Natives, a practice that previously had been a vital part of the friendly relationship between the British and Native tribes. Amherst also began to restrict the amount of ammunition and gunpowder that was sold to the Natives and he treated them with contempt.

The Native Indian tribes began to come together, fearing that the British were preparing to attack them. The tribes were led by Chief Pontiac of the Ottawas and a plan was set into motion. The Natives assaulted Fort Detroit first, though the soldiers there had been forewarned and were able to resist the initial attack. Pontiac’s confederacy surrounded the fort from May 6 until October 31. More than 900 Indian warriors joined in the siege, and a number of British soldiers and civilians who lived on the land surrounding the fort were killed. French settlers were left alone because of the positive relationships that had been cultivated for decades between the two groups. The British soldiers at Detroit eventually received reinforcements, and Pontiac lifted the siege and traveled South to the Maumee River to rally his warriors. Eight British forts in all were taken in the region during this time by other Native confederacies.

Fort St. Joseph was captured rather quickly by the Potawatomi on May 25, 1763. The warriors killed most of the fifteen-man garrison outright and took commander Ensign Francis Schlosser captive.  He was brought to Detroit to be ransomed, as was the custom of the time for captured officers. He was later exchanged for Indian prisoners held by the English.

What happened at Michilimackinac was much more dramatic than in Detroit or St. Joseph. A group of Native Ojibwe played the most clever of tricks on the British. There were warning signs of an attack many days before, as French settlers like Charles Langlade told British Major George Etherington about the increasing Native activity in the area. Etherington ignored the warnings and got so salty about the rumors that he threatened to send anyone who spoke of it again to Fort Detroit as a prisoner.

On June 4, 1763, the tribes around northern Michigan devised a plan to get inside the walls of the Fort, smuggle in their weapons and catch the British soldiers and settlers by surprise. Many times the soldiers of the fort would watch the native games of baggataway, so the Natives asked the British soldiers if they would like to watch as the Ojibwe took on the Sauks. It is believed that they told the British that the game was in honor of the British King George III. That should have also given the British a clue of deception, as the relationship was so strained between the Natives and the Crown.

The Natives began the game, and at one point, one of the Ojibwe "accidentally" allowed the ball to go over the stockade wall. It was thrown back by a soldier, and the game continued. A bit later, the same thing happened, but this time, a brave was allowed to retrieve it. The game resumed, and once again, the ball flew over the wall. Many of the players ran towards it, as if their hustling was simply part of the game. However, this was the moment they had really been waiting for. The Native women watching, opened their blankets (the fact that they were wearing blankets on a hot June day should have been another sign to Etherington that all was not as it should be) and handed knives and tomahawks off to the athletes, who were now warriors. Etherington and his next-in-command, William Leslye, were immediately taken. Lieutenant Jamet, the only other officer stationed there, was killed.

During the attack, British fur trader, Alexander Henry, was at the fort preparing a canoe for his return trip to Montreal. Henry, whose memoirs give great detail of this event, heard the battle cries and went to investigate what he described later as a massacre. The French settlers of the fort, again, were left unharmed and reportedly did nothing to try and stop the Native attack. Henry managed to escape the attack by hiding in the basement of one of the French settlers' houses outside of the fort, unbeknownst to the homeowner. While he survived the initial attack, he was eventually discovered and taken prisoner. Henry did survive and eventually made his way back to Montreal. You can read of Henry's adventure in more detail in his memoir, a book entitled Attack at Michilimackinac.

Many other forts, both small and large, were attacked by Pontiac and his allies. The total loss of life resulting from the conflict is unknown, but it is estimated that about 400 British soldiers were killed in action and 50 were captured and later killed. It is also believed that 2,000 settlers were killed or captured, and the violence forced about 4,000 settlers from the Pennsylvania and  Virginia colonies to flee their homes. The American Indian losses went mostly unrecorded.

While Pontiac's War was initially called a victory for the British, many historians now consider it a military stalemate. The Native Americans didn’t drive away the British, but the British were unable to conquer the Native Americans. Negotiation and accommodation, not battlefield triumph brought an end to the war. In fact, the American Indians won a victory by persuading the British government to abandon Amherst's policies and create a relationship with the Native Americans that mirrored the French relations.

Pontiac’s Rebellion is an important part of Michigan and United States history. The reenactors of "The Pageant" know this, and bring this history to life every spring. So if you are ever in Northern Michigan during the Memorial Day Weekend, stop at Fort Michilimackinac for an amazing reenactment and be a witness to one of the most clever attacks in Michigan history.