CIVIL HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE.

The name of Michigan is derived from the Indian word Michsawgyegan, the meaning of which is the Lake Country. It is bounded on the north by Lake Superior; on the east by Lakes Huron, St. Clair, and Erie; on the south by Ohio and Indiana; and on the west by Wisconsin and Lake Michigan; and the extent of its dominion is fifty-six thousand two hundred and forty-three square miles.* Along the shores of Lake Erie there stretches a belt of level and heavily-timbered land, bearing a growth of large and noble forest trees upon a low and level soil. The land gradually rises towards the centre of the State, presenting a variegated scenery composed of tracts of dense wilderness, alternated with prairies, natural parks or oak openings, copses of burr-oak, marshes, barrens, and pine groves, each watered by small streams, lakes, or springs. That part of the State which borders Lake Superior is more bold and primitive, and is broken by mountains and plains, hills and valleys. The Porcupine Mountains, which are the dividing ridge, and separate the waters of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, are about two thousand feet high and abound in the charms of Alpine and imposing coast scenery. Many parts of this northern peninsula exhibit a bold, rocky, and sterile prospect, which caused one of the early French travellers-La Honton-to call this region "the fag end of the world." It abounds with forests of white and yellow pine, and will probably never be favorable for agricultural production, although it is a rich mineral region. The northern part of the lower peninsula, generally speaking, is flat and swampy; the central and southern portions are gently rolling, covered with groves of oak, alternated with tracts of heavily-timbered land, are peculiarly favorable for the production of wheat, which is the staple product, and present the most picturesque points of scenery, and resources for even a dense population.

The soil of Michigan is various in its character. It is in general much more level than that of New York and New England, being of alluvial formation, and comparatively free from rocks. The different species of soil consist of heavily-timbered land, oak openings, burr-oak plains, prairies, and pine groves, each of which will be considered.

The heavily-timbered land consists of tracts which are densely wooded with a variety of large forest-trees, the principal of which are the black and

* Additional information on the topography of the State will be found in subsequent pages of this volume.

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white walnut, oaks of different species, maple, ash, elm, linden, sycamore, hackberry, cottonwood, aspen, locust, butternut, box or dogwood, poplar, whitewood, beech, cherry, sassafras, white, yellow, and Norway pine, hemlock, spruce, tamerack, cedar, chestnut, and pawpaw; as well as the smaller trees and shrubs, such as willow, alder, sumach, and honeysuckle, together with the different kinds of undergrowth which are found in the Middle States. This timbered land is often found upon the borders of the streams, upon what are called bottoms, and also upon the ridges which border them. It is discovered along the shores of the lakes from Monroe to Detroit, and thence to Lake Michigan, in a belt varying from five to fifteen miles in breadth. But a small proportion of the peninsular part of the State is, however, densely wooded.

There are various other species of soil which constitute a beautiful variety, and which will be described in their proper order. The heavilytimbered soil is generally composed of a deep vegetable mold, sometimes mingled with clay, and produces a dense and luxuriant vegetation. Compared with the other sections of the State, it is gloomy, being generally more low and level, and it is more difficult to clear from the thick and tangled mass of trees which covers it; but these disadvantages are made up by its fertility, and it yields in great abundance the grasses, oats, buckwheat, potatoes, rye, and large crops of corn. Perhaps it is not so favorable to wheat, being damp, from the fact that it is shut out from the sun, and also cold in its nature.

In advancing into the interior of the State, across the narrow belt before described, we arrive upon a more dry and undulating soil-a species of land which swells into little hills like artificial mounds, and is called oak openings. This land is composed of a sandy loam, mingled sometimes with limestone pebbles, and appears light upon the surface, but, when laid open by the plough, turns black from the intermixture of lime in its composition. The trees, consisting chiefly of whiteoak, scattered over the ground generally from ten to sixty feet apart, and extending for miles like cultivated parks, now sweeping down to a clear stream, a fertile prairie, or the brow of a transparent lake, impress one with the idea that he is travelling through an old, rather than a newly-settled country. These openings constitute a feature which distinguishes this from most of the adjoining States. The land, although not as productive as some other kinds of soil, yields heavy crops of oats and abundant harvests of wheat, besides the ordinary products of the Middle States. Although containing apparently but a thin covering of decomposed vegetable matter, the absence of that material is made up by the admixture of lime in its composition, which is favorable to vegetation; and in summer the surface is almost entirely covered with red, yellow, white, and purple flowers, which, in their richness and beauty, are not known in the older-settled portions of the country, spreading a gorgeous carpet through the forest as far as the eye can reach. The surface of the oak openings also presents a turf of matted grass, which requires three or four yoke of oxen to break it up; and, as you can ride for miles in a carriage under the trees that are thus widely separated, it does not need so great an amount of labor in clearing it as the timbered land. The trees, however, are usually girdled in order to effect their decay. These oak openings extend throughout the greater part of the lower peninsula.

Another species of soil of very great value is found in the State, commencing at the county of Jackson and studding the timbered land and oak openings from the head of the Kalamazoo river to the shores of Lake Michigan. It is called burr-oak plains or openings; a soil which consists

of tracts spread over with groves of trees of a small size, called the burroak, with a rough bark and deep green foliage. They closely resemble cultivated orchards of pear trees, springing from a soil which is composed of a brown loam mingled with clay; yet they are highly productive, and are deemed by the settlers of the greatest value, yielding in abundance the crops of the Middle States-corn, oats, potatoes, buckwheat, rye, and all the products of the other kinds of soil. As the trees, like those of the whiteoak openings, are widely separated, this land requires but little clearing; but four or five yoke of oxen are generally used to break it up for seeding. Corn to the amount of forty, and sometimes eighty, bushels to the acre is produced from these openings, and from forty to fifty bushels of oats. Thirty bushels of wheat to the acre are also frequently obtained from this land; but the average amount may be placed at about twentyfive bushels.

Scattered through the south and southwestern part, particularly upon the borders of the Kalamazoo, the Grand, and St. Joseph rivers are, what are called prairies. These consist of a soil destitute of trees, and covered with a deep surface of black sand and vegetable mold. It is more productive than any other species, yielding very large crops of corn and potatoes, as well as wheat, which is, however, apt not to be as clean as that on the openings. All other crops that are produced in this climate it yields in great profusion. These prairies throughout the State are comparatively small, but in Illinois they stretch out beyond the horizon like a sea. Being comparatively easy to cultivate, and producing so abundantly, they are always selected by the farmers before any other kind of soil. The dry prairies on the banks of the Kalamazoo and St. Joseph rivers furnish a soil equal to any other in the West, and frequently from thirty to fifty bushels of corn have been raised upon them the first season, without being ploughed or hoed; and when the mold has been once subdued, from thirty to eighty bushels of corn, or forty of wheat, have been obtained to the acre; they are also very favorable for grass.

Another species of soil found in the State is called wet prairies or marshes, tracts which are generally in part or in whole covered with water; and they produce a long coarse grass that is only favorable for winter stock, and make a fine ranging ground for horses and cattle in the spring. When drained, these wet prairies may be converted into valuable meadow land.

Another species of soil that we meet with in the interior is termed barrens. They consist of tracts which are sparsely scattered over with stunted oaks or bushes, that would seem to indicate that the land is not favorable to vegetation. It is found, however, that by cultivation it produces well. The kind of soil which is called swamp or marsh land is found in considerable tracts in the greater part of the State. It is in winter covered with water, and has a deep mire, which is dangerous to the traveller, and is sprinkled here and there with a few scattering trees or groves of tamerack, which resemble pine. In many places these marshes are caused by beaverdams.

The mineral productions of the State are various, and some of great value. Although the soil of the lower peninsula is, as has been before remarked, of alluvial formation, yet there are occasionally seen ledges of sandstone, which abounds in parts of the counties of Hillsdale, Jackson, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Livingston, Ingham, Eaton, Barry, Shiawassee, Clinton, and other portions of the State. Gray limestone is also found; and on the immediate shore of Lake Huron a greenish-colored clay has been discovered. Indications of coal are apparent in the counties of Eaton, Ingham,

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On the banks of Grand river, near the Grand Rapids, and Shiawassee. beds of gypsum or plaster occur, which are of considerable importance. used for the manufacture of salt, are scattered throughout a Salt-springs, considerable portion of the interior; and clay, sand, marl, bog-iron ore, with other kinds, and springs tinctured with mineral qualities, especially sulphur, have been discovered in the eastern part of the peninsula, that will be of advantage for medicinal purposes.

The shores of Lake Superior are rich in mineral wealth, especially copper, and a large mass of that metal, near the mouth of the Ontonagon river, of many thousand pounds' weight, excited the interest of travellers Among the rocks on this part of the coast are from the earliest period. to be found iron ore, prase, jaspar, carnelian, agate, sardonyx, and other rare stones of some value.

The greater part of the State is also well watered by numerous rivers and small streams, which variegate the landscape, and flow into the surrounding lakes. The principal of these are the Raisin, Grand river, the propKalamazoo, the St. Joseph, the Huron, the Clinton, the Saginaw, and the Ontonagon. The Detroit, the St. Clair, and the St. Mary's cannot be erly called rivers, as they are only straits which connect the lakes in the eastern and more level portions. Upon the eastern border of the State the rivers are sluggish, but as you advance into the interior they become more clear and rapid. The St. Joseph is a transparent and beautiful, though The shallow stream, which meanders through the western part of the State over a bed of limestone rock and pebbles, and watering counties of great fertility, consisting of oak lands and prairies, flows into Lake Michigan. Kalamazoo is also a clear but narrow river, that runs over a surface of sand, limestone rock, or pebbles, and, watering extensive and productive tracts of the State, empties into the same lake. The Grand river is the largest stream in the interior, and, after furnishing a convenient channel for navigation and large manufacturing advantages, empties into Lake Michigan at Grand Haven. There are various other streams of less importance, which furnish sites for manufacturing establishments, and eligible points for settlement on their banks.

The little lakes scattered over the soil are another peculiar point in the scenery. These are clear, and abound with fish; and in summer, when the vegetation upon their banks is in full bloom, appear like mirrors, where Nature, dressed in green and flowery robes, may admire her own beauty amid the solitude.

But the great lakes which wash its shores are the most prominent feature of the State. These constitute much the largest body of fresh water on the face of the globe. To the eye they appear like oceans, and water the borders of the forest for thousands of miles, from the State of New York to the regions of Canada lying along the shores of Lake Superior, which are now ranged chiefly by tribes of Indians, fur traders, and miners. Their surges roll like those of the sea, and the mariner obliged to navigate them often encounters as dangerous storms as upon the ocean. however, are not, like those of the open sea, of a blue color, but have a tinge of green, from the fact that they are fresh. They were formerly explored only by the bark canoes of the Indians, and were the theatre of the fur trade, which will be described hereafter; but are now crossed by steamboats of large tonnage, as well as vessels and ships of all sizes.

Their waters,

The origin of the names of the great lakes is not wanting in interest. Lake Ontario was formerly called Lake Frontenac, while that of Erie is derived from a nation of Erries, who roamed along the northern borders

of Ohio, and were destroyed by the Iroquois. Lake Huron was termed Karegnondi, and also Lake of Orleans. Lake Michigan was called Lake Michigonong, and also Lake of Puans and Illinese, and Lake of the Dauphin. Lake St. Clair was named by La Salle's expedition, from the day on which he entered the river. The length of Lake Superior is estimated at five hundred miles, and its breadth at one hundred and ninety. This lake is as clear as crystal, and the polished stones upon the bottom, as well as numerous shoals of fish, can be seen at a great depth. Lake Michigan is believed to be three hundred and thirty miles long, and sixty miles broad. Lake Huron is two hundred and sixty miles long, and, coastwise, three hundred and sixty; its breadth is one hundred and sixty miles. Lake Erie is two hundred and eighty miles long, and its widest part is about sixtythree miles. Lake St. Clair is thirty miles long and twenty-eight miles broad. It is thus seen that this chain of lakes must furnish an important channel of navigation in the future commerce of the country.

The wild animals of this as well as the other portions of the Northwest are various. The mammoth or mastodon once roamed through its forests, and its skeletons are now found below the surface.* Herds of buffaloes roved over the prairies upon the borders of Lake Erie as late as 1720, and we have a full account of that fact from the early French travellers; but these have been driven, by the progress of emigration, to the plains which sweep along the base of the Rocky Mountains. The elk and moose and troops of deer formerly fed on the green herbage upon the banks of the Detroit; but these have now retired to the more unsettled portions of the State. The wolverine, the black or brown bear, the wolf, the elk, the deer, moose, lynx, wild-cat, panther, fox, marten, raccoon, porcupine, opossum, weasel, polecat, gopher, the black, red, gray, and striped squirrel, marmot or woodchuck, rabbit, hare, and various other species of animals, are now found in the interior. The beaver, the otter, the muskrat, and the mink inhabit the rivers and small streams, and furnished a valuable article of commerce during the early French, English, and American fur trade. Of birds, the robin, the blackbird, the thrush, the lark, the bluebird, different species of the sparrow, the wren, the woodpecker, the brant, and the loon, the jay, and the cuckoo, are the most common. The forests shelter flocks of the wild turkey and the partridge. The grouse or prairie-hen swarms on the prairies. Pigeons appear in large flocks at particular seasons of the year, and the snipe and the white partridge are not uncommon. The eagle, the brant, the buzzard, and others of the vulture kind, the crow, the raven, the heron, and owls of different species, the most distinguished of which is the great white owl, are among the carnivorous birds. The streams and lakes abound with numerous species of wild ducks, of various and beautiful plumage. They fly in large flocks along the shores of the lakes, and feed in the marshes which fringe them, sometimes blackening the surface by their numbers. The swan may sometimes be seen floating upon the waters; and flocks of wild geese, in the season of summer, collect around the small interior lakes, after their winter migrations, where they obtain their food from the wild rice, which is the peculiar product of this region.

The rivers, interior lakes, and surrounding waters of the country abound with fish. These are of various species and of delicious kinds. In the strait. of St. Mary and Lake Superior they are of a more valuable sort, from the

* In the collection of geological specimens owned by the compiler of this volume is a very large and perfectly-preserved mammoth tooth, which was found near the mouth of the St. Joseph river in Michigan.