i k a d d 5 6G24P bg fifik e u s P O N A U

P E L E E LA N

. H i sto r i c al S ke tch of an d an A c c ou n t

of th e M c c o rm ic k Fam il wh o y,

we re th e First White O wn e rs

o n h l t e I s an d .

A M H ER STB U R G TH E E C H P R I N TI N O G C OMP A N ! , LI MI TE D . 1 899 .

D E D I C A T E D

CH ARLES W. McCORMICK,

CLE! ELAND OH IO , ,

GRANDSON OF TH E

FIRST OWNER

POINT AU PELEE ISLAND.

ERRATTA .

1 3 — “ h — “ h . b Page 2, C ap II . th line As implements s ould e as no

&c . implements ,

— “ “ 3r d Page 3 . line from bottom Monetta should be Marietta , Ohio ‘ ’ ‘ & i lle c . Maj or sv Maysville ,

— “ " “ 9 22n d W t d &c . Page , line ould no seem should be oes not

Page 10 13th line— After “ each other should be a “ period ,

1 9 h — “ A ” “ Page 1 . t line bush should be ambush

25 h —“ k “ Page 1 7 , t line To loo him should be , to look upon him

“ “ 1 1 — a Page 2 , 7th line Aquatic g rapes should be aquatic gr ss

23 2o h — “ “ ” Page , t line Three rebels should be these rebels .

“

25 , ! ! l st 1 854 1 864 Page , Chap , line should be

“ “ 26 — n o Page , next to last line Have w should be had now

“ ” 2 r 2m — 9 3 d d . Page , parag raph , line One before Thos . S Williams

should not be there .

“ - 33 . ! I 4th & Page , Chap ! , line Wild rice , grapes , c . , should be ”

& . grass , c

“ “ 34 9th — a Page , line Ballart Isl nd should be Ballast Island

35 th — “ “ Page , 7 line Dieting flies should be biting flies

“ “ ” 38 4th 2n d 3r d — I n Page . paragraph , and line that and is are

superfluous .

“ “ 40 5th a — l Pag e , paragr ph Where Island occurs should be Is ands

“ " 41 5th — e n Page , line Deep r worn should be deep wor

— “ ” Seventh line in Preface B u t little printed as manuscript should be “ ” or manuscript .

P R F E A C E .

Th e follow i n g Ske tch e s h ave be e n pu t i n th e pre se n t form si m ply to pu t on r e cord th e facts r e lati n g to th e

m t m atte r tr e ate d. for an y w h o ay fe e l an i n e re st i n

th e m , an d for fu tu re r e fe re n ce .

Th e m ate ri al for th e m h as be e n g ath e re d u n de r m an y diffi cu lti e s ; as th e re ar e n o publi c arch i ve s from wh i ch

tai n re ords n th e be t an to ob c o su i c , d bu t little pri n te d as

r i n ri vate h an ds o tai n a e th e w r m an u scr ipt m atte p b bl , o k

m e r e r t t e ar i e r i i s n e ce ssari ly i pe rf ct i n g a d o h e l h story .

Such facts ' as h ave be e n h an de d dow n by tradi ti on an d

e w ri te r from som e of th e e ar i e r a t rs obtai n e d by th , l c o

r r of a ce n tur a o ar e u se d. on th e sce n e . ove r a q u a te y g ,

ork i s n e e de d an d th a th e Be li e vi n g th at such a w , t lon g e r i t i s pu t off th e m or e di ffi cu lt i t wi ll be to g e t at

Sk s t l w th e facts, th e se e tch e s are pre e n te d o a l h o fe e l an i n te re st i n th e past h i story an d pre se n t an d futu re

w e lfare of P oi n t Au P e le e Islan d.

With th e Com pli m e n ts of

TH E WRITER .

A H istor ical Ske tch of P oin t au P e le e Islan d

an d i ts

Ear ly In h abitants .

CH AP TER I.

Location an d For m ation .

“

au . Point Pelee Island , now generally known simply as Pelee Island , t t t and also as he Township of Pelee , in he Coun y of Essex , Ontario , is one k of that group of Islands in the Western end of La e Erie , composed of Pelee

- i h - Island , Kelleys Island , Put Bay Island , the Bass Islands and other smaller ones . Pelee is the most northern island and the largest one of the group . It lies just across the international boundary line between Canada i and the Un ted States and consequently belongs , nationally , to the Do m ni of 41 36 i on Canada . It is in latitude degrees minutes , and is the i most southern land in Canada , w th the exception of a small island just south of it , known as Middle Island . It is separated from the mai n shore of Ontario by a channel of the Lake from 1 0 to 1 5 miles wide ; and is

- i n - about the same di stance from Kelleys Island , Put Bay and the Bass Islands that are on the United States side of the international boundary line, and is 5 m i about 2 les from the main land of the United States , and the northern border of the state of Ohio .

When , and whether or not , these islands were ever connected together , n au e or whether Poi t Pelee Island was ever attach d to the main land , must ever remain a subject of conjecture . But it seems probable that when the main out - let of the waters of the north west was through the

Mississippi Valley , as some scientists tell us that it once was , that these islands now in western Lake Erie were connected together and with the main land to the south : and possi bly Point au Pelee Island may have been connected l with the main shore to the north , or more probably , on y separated from the hi r main shore by a narrow stream or river . The pre sto ic conditions and inhabitants of the Island can only be surmised or read in its geological formation and the numerous ancient burial mounds found upon i t

Evidences of the great glacial period , when the face of this part of the earth ’ s surface was covered with moving masses of ice hundreds of feet f n t h e th e l thick , are to be ou d in marks upon rock of the Is and . The m rock for ation is a soft limestone , and when the soil is removed from the

th e n . surface of rock , grooves can be plai ly seen that were cut by the a ice as it pushed its w y over the surface . These grooves are

' so evident and distinct that they are said by ge ologists to be a remarkable h s evidence of t e glacial period . The solid lime tone strata crop ou t m ri upon the surface on so e of the few dg es of land and on the lake shore , but the rock is usually covered by a soil of rich loam and disintegrated limestone m from six inches to a foot or ore in depth . The lower land is formed of a rich calcareous clay from four to forty feet deep , covered with a la vegetable mould . All the nd is very fertile .

CH APTER II .

’ r n n Ea ly I habita ts of Th e Islan d .

Th ere are indisputable evidences that the Island was inh abited long before i t was known to the white m an . There are to be found upon the Island

u ni m numero s burial mounds of prehistoric origin , contai ng hu an bones , and er se r vati on human skeletons , in good p , have been found where burial had been

made . in the clefts of the rock . These numerous graves would indi cat e that the

Island was once . thickly populated , or that these ancient inhabitants had made n m their home here for a lo g time . Upon some of these burial ounds large ' ‘ h u r an r wn trees ave been fo nd growing , that had evidently taken oot d g o u p d w years after the mounds were ma e , and some of these trees indicate a gro th t of hundreds of years . Some suppose hat these burial places were made by a

' n n as th e a people k ow ncient mound builders , or Aztecs , before their migration

south to Mexico and Central America . But there is but little evidence to

of n . substantiate this theory , as implements of war or domestic use have bee A found in the graves . few pieces of broken pottery , broken stone pipes and flint arrow heads are all that is known to have been found with the bones in the m un n m o ds , but many flint arrow he ads a d stone hatchets or ham ers have been i n found the fields and roadways . These stone hatchets , made of the hardest r flint stones have a remarkably sm ooth surface and sha p edge , but for what as u se they were intended is uncertain . They may have been used instruments of war or for killin g g ame ; but it is supposed by some that the sharp smooth n ones were more probably used for dr essing skins for clothi g .

We have no record or tradition of the time the first white man ever

put his foot upon the Island . There can be but little doubt that the first m white men to visit it , were sc e of the se hardy French Canadian adventurers , who paddled their canoes from Montreal through the lakes to the extreme ’ western French settlement of L A ssu m p ti on on the Detroit river . They “ certainly gave the Island its name of Point au Pelee whi ch is of French

r origin . When paddling their canoes th ough the lake they had to follow

h e . t shores , and stop on land during the night and in case of storms When they arrived at the long point of land juttin g out from the north _3_

h a o shore into t e north western end of L ke Erie , they no d ubt pulled their canoes out upon the sand beach to camp for the night or wait until a i r i pass ng storm was over . The long d eary sand point was anyth ng but au inviting or cheering and they called it Point Pelee , which means either F hi an a rocky , or barren point . rom t s desolate point they could see

s a 10 ff i l nd some 8 or miles o , and to this they gave the same name . h i It is quite probable t at some of these French d scoverers of the Island , or some of their adventurous successors , visited the place and stopped to hunt

r d . o tra e with the indians , who then lived here , for furs But as to whether any of them ever made a settlement here or lived here with the indians , or not , l ' ‘ both tradi tion and history are sil ent . U n dou btéd y bft the time when the first white man saw the Island and as far back before this as there is ah r i l y t ad tional or other evidence , the Is and was inhabited by the native

n R e d di . America In an , in considerable numbers There were bands of the Chippawa and Ottawa Indian Nations and probably of the Oj i be w as and

e di e an d h som other tribes , who were the un sturbed own rs occupants of t e nd u i h Isla p to w thin a few years of t e closing of the last centu ry .

di These In ans led their usual roving life , going from the Island to the main land, hunting and fishing . They were in bands ruled by the ir Chiefs and Sachem s and were peaceably inclined and at peace with the

i r wh te settlers both French and English . In the wars of the Am e ican a revolution they were the friends an d allies of the British . About the ye r 1 780 t e di th e h In ans upon the Island had greatly decreased in numbers , scarcity of game , their isolation from their tribes on the main land , and the di fficulty of communicating with their friends across the water in thei r light canoes , caused a great many to permanently leave the Island . On i th e the ma n land , especially in white settlements on the Detroi t river ,

di hi ar d many of the in ans and half breeds fraternized with the w te people , were becoming somewhat civi lized .

It is not known that any white squatters lived an d fraternized with rhe indians on the Island up to this time . But there is a leg end , handed i di down through the trad tions of the In ans , that prior to this time a young l Eng ishman , of good birth and education , came to the Island and lived wt i di i n i h the n ans for some years , an account of which wi ll be g iven c another hapter .

CH APTER III.

Th e Islan d Be com e s th e P r op er ty of Thom as M cKe e

In dian Half/Br e e d an d Chie f.

The first official record we have of Point au Pelee Island was made i n M a 1 788 i s a r ‘ y , , and reco d of a deed or lease made by the Indian Chiefs and Sachems of the Island con veyi ng all their right to the Island to one T M K homas c e e . Thomas M cK e e was an Indian half - breed and a Chief in some of the t . ribes He was popular both with the whites and Indians , and had great influence with the latter . He built himself a mansion 9 n the p r op er ty_ad a s joining where the S ndwich Fish Hatchery now tands . H ere he lived in state , keeping his hounds after the mander of an English gentleman and was one of hi s M the greatest entertainers of day . cK e e was well educated and was appointed by the Canadian Govern ment a Deputy - Agent f o r Indi an aff airs in the _ . He was an ally of the Bri tish in the w ar of 1 8 12 West . and led his Indi an braves at the battle of the River Thames against the wi army of _the United States , but suffered defeat th the rest of the

. di 1 British force He ed soon after , in the year 815.

I n consideration of the hi gh esteem in whi ch M cK e e was held by i the Sachems and Ch efs , both of the main land and the whole Island they o ffered to give him the entire Island for his sole indi vi dual benefit and r i c an t ol . m That the gift , or bargain , ght be legal and binding , a lease

dr r i n was awn up in due fo m , conveying the Island , for a nom al sum , to M cK ee for a term of 999 years which lease was duly recorded in a registry book .

As this lease forms an important , as well as a curious document i n i the h story of the Island . A cop y of it is here given .

COPY OF INDIAN LEASE .

Thi s Indenture made and made between the Chiefs and Sachems of hi a the C ppewa and Ottawa N tions of Indians , on the one part ; and M cK e Thomas e , of Detroit , of the other part , witnessed , that the said chiefs and Sachems of the Chippewa and Ottawa Nations , for and in consideration of the rent and covenant hereinafter mentioned and con t ai n e d h l M cK e e , w ich on the part and beha f of said Thomas , his heirs ,

ni executors , admi strators , are and ought to be paid and performed , hath m i de sed , and to form letters granted , and by these presents do demise , M cK e e hi s r grant , and to form let unto the said Thomas hei s , executors , i ni adm strators and assigns , all that Island known by the name of Point

k : Pelee Island , near Point Pelee in La e Erie To have and to hold the a M cK e e a m i ni said Isl nd unto the said Thomas , his executors , d strators , 999 a or assigns , for and during the term of ye rs and fully to be complete and ma ended . To parcel out the said Island into such lots and parcels as he y k thin proper , and tenant the same with whatsoever and whomsoever they please to put thereon . Yieldi ng and paying therefor , yearly and every year during the said term , unto the said Chiefs and Sachems of the Chippewa and di Ottawa Nations their heirs and assigns , three bushels of In an corn or the an d value thereof , if demanded , annually , to and for the use of said Chiefs an d Sachems , their nations , heirs and assigns for and in full satisfaction

: A n d hi e p ayment of all manner of rents whatsoever the C fs , for themselves their nations , heirs and assigns do hereby covenant that the said Thomas ’ M cK e e s t , heirs executors , adminis rators or assigns may demise grant or sell

any part or parcel of the said Island for the term herein specified . . In witness whereof etc at Detroit the first day of May , in the year etc

1 788 executed by seven Chiefs and Sachems who attach their Totems .

Signed sealed an d delivered in the presence of

JAMES ALLAN , ! Sig ned! F . BABY

of We have no knowledge or information what disposition , or what use M cK e e made of the Island for fifteen years after he became the owner of it . 1 804— In sixteen years after he bought it , he leased it to John Askins, of d Amherstburg , who was also a Sub Agent for In ian Affair s in the West under the Canadian Government . Askins sent some settlers and employees to the Island

among whom was Justus Allen and Robert Little and Buttler , the first

white settlers known to have live d upon the Island . He sent over with them at r t o e horses , c tle and hogs , but whether these were the fi s d m stic animals intro d — du ce to the Island is not known they were the first we have any record of . It

. o M K is not known how long Mr . Askins occupied the Island Th mas c e e died M cK e e in 1 8 15 and his only son and heir , Alexander , came to be the owner of 1 815 M cC orm i ck th e Island . In the same year , William , of Colchester , leased M cK e e the Island from Alexander and is said to have taken possession of it . M cC or m i ck i h In 1 823 Wm . bought in fee s mple all the right and title to t e M cK e e five Island held by Alexander for the sum of hundred dollars , and the I n 1 4 M transfer was duly made by deed and recorded . 83 cC orm i ck moved his

‘ M c r m i ck large f am i i y on to the Island . As the C o family is so intimately wn e r s conn ected with the Point Pelee Island , as q and occupants for many years it is proposed to trace their family history as far back as we have any , k date . In the history of the first nown members of the family many “ romantic incidents and scenes in their lives will be found , where truth is ” ’ n w stranger than fiction , that would be i teresting ithout regard to their

connection with the Island , but the association of their history with that of

the Island makes it of still more importance to be given .

Before entering upon this fam i ly history it is proposed to give some account

of the Indian Legend heretofore mentioned .

CH APTER IV.

In dian Le g e n ds. There is a legend of romance connected with Point Pelee Island

e handed down by Indi an tradition through several g nerations , that has

nl . b een gathered up and e arged , and published , both in prose and in verse

At the north west corner of the Island facing towards the main land , is a

‘‘ ’ ’ large rock that is known to sailors and settlers as Hulda s Rock , but which bore ,

a more euphonious French or Indi an name in earlier times . The position of

thi s rock shows that it evidently was once connected with the land , from which it is now separated by a few yards , it shows also that the tOp of it ’ i e . k was smooth , and projected over the water s dge From th s roc , it is said , an indi an maid on account of unrequited love cast herself into the lake

and was drowned .

It was customary in the early days of the French occupancy of C an ada for indi an chiefs or prominent men of the tribes living in the great Western ui t District to make voyages to Montreal for trade or pleasure . It was q e common for the i ndi ans to take whi tes captive and carry them off into their i t secluded fastnesses , both male and female , as w ll be seen from fac s n arrated further on i n thi s history . It is related that a chief and hi s band from the far west thus visited Montreal and whi le there captured a young

‘ French woman who was of good birth and e du cati ofi s an d great beauty and brought h e r away with him To be more secure of his prize he brought r her to Point Pelee Island as one of the most secluded spots in the count y . The young captive was treated ki ndly and adopted by the tribe as a

“

t . ad e a o ow o l , daugh er Time de ens or s rs over s rr s , and this pris ner could on y m sub it to her fate with as much patience as possible . On the Island was a a young Chief who pleaded with the Captive to becom e his wife an d mak e the hi m i best of her imprisonment . T s Chief won the respect and ad ration of the hi l captive maid by his gallant bearing , s bravery and his man y beauty of person and after years of waiting and seeing no hope of esc api ng from her

prison , she consented to become his wi fe . To them was borne a daughter in

whom the mother found great consolation . As she grew up she taught her to 1 7 1 speak French and to read and write . About the time that she was or 8 years hi s old a young Englishman unexpectedly made appearance on the Island . Thi s Englishman had come to Montreal and being fond of adventure and

m e u hunting he joined an Indi an band and ca e west , and the sam advent rous

spirit brought him to Point Pelee Island . He was greatly surprised to find t here a French woman of intelligence and her beautiful half breed daughter ,

and he lingered on the Island much longer than he had intended . But the rest of his conduct has been told i n verse in a more condensed form wi and ll be given here instead of t h e more leng thy prose narr ative . The lin es were written by a young girl of the Island whi l e she was away attendi ng a boarding school as a contribution to a school paper published by pupils of the s chool .

Once there lived on Point au Pelee An In d ian Maiden blythe and gay Who often f rom her birch canoe r Would spear the spotted salm cn th ough .

Pride of her Chieftai n father ’ s heart h She oft would throug the wild wood dart , And with her bow and ar row raised l z Would pierce the deer that calm y gra ed .

Joy of her mother ’ s loving eyes Thi s dusky maid was a household prize an d Whose beauty , grace gentle arts

Won her a place i n manly hearts . A pale face to the Island came l To catch the fish and kil the game , o w And when this l vely maid he kne , — hi m She won his heart She loved too .

“ m i Be ne dear m ai den then he cried , “ L i n et me but w thee for my bride , ’ An d on this Isle I ll gladly stay

Th e maiden did not say h i m nay .

Happy they lived from year to year .

m r Then tidings ca e of a mother dea , la Who dying , y on a distant shore An d longed to see her son once more .

Then with the pledge to come again h Before another moon s ould wane , The pale face parted from hi s bride ’ hi s car s And o er the waves he plied .

. w ax But many moons did and wane , i ’ ai The young w fe s heart grew sick with p n , And all her life g rew dark an d chill us n a ll Her recreant h ba d t rried sti .

a At length a boat appro ched the shore , Her heart beat hi g h with hope once more ‘‘ B u t i ah ! for her that small white yawl — Bore a letter brief that was all .

A letter that broug ht a withering blight And broke a faithful heart that night That told a tale of broken trus t r n . And hu led bright ho es down to the dust.

Hark ! Hark ! a wail of dark desp air Floats out upon the m i dnight air

’ A splash is heard , and Pelee s pride ’ Floats out upon blue Erie s tide .

o of Upon the n rth Pelee Isle , There stranger linger but a while ; w “ a’ ” — R a . Vie Huld s ock the m riners guide ,

That marks the fate of the Indian bride .

“ I t m r s a a h - e a k th t de t l ap into the sea , ’ a k wh e r fid And m r s a ite man s p y .

‘ Th e waves that gainst it foam an d surge ’ e m c a n e er f u S e h nti g a neral dirge . —8

CH APTER V.

— Ale xan der Mccor m ick of Ir e lan d H e Com e s to Am e r ica — to Live A Ske tch of h i s Life an d Tim e s .

In the closing years of the 1 7th century in the rei gn o f James II of

1688 c m Scotland , about the year , the Duke of S o bu r g was sent on a m i litary expedition to Ireland . With his army were many Scotchmen who remained — and settled in the north of Ireland the progeni tors of that sturdy ,

e w co I ri acti ve and intelligent p ople kno n as the S tch sh . With the Duke of S combu r c M cC or m i ck g ame one , who settled in the county of D own in Ireland an fl e r e e a e d m i o f si x i dre n —b u r n an d th r r a fa ly ch l so s two daughters . The A youngest son was named Alexander . Young lexander M cC or m i ck had such r i rn ar a p y education as the times and country afforded , but which was mostly of a commercial character . He had a restless , speculative disposition and

‘ ‘ before he re ached his majori ty had determined to leave the land of his birth , and an older brother agreeing with him , they made their arrangements r to come to the new English Colony in America . They probably eached 1 61 America about the year 7 . After their arrival in the English Colonies , they se p ar ate dn th e elder brother going south to th e Car olinas an d was not heard of afterwards by any of the family , and has no further part in this narrative .

Alexander M cC orm i ck secured a position in busi ness with a merchant in

Philadelphia and remained i n the eastern states for several years . But following the bent of his restless and roving di sposition and hi s desir e for adventure he joined a company of traders to go i nto the western wi lderness across the Alleghany Mountains to trade with the Indi ans for pelts and fur s . 1 This was probably between the years 1 768 and 770 . The whole of the western il h country was then an almost unexplored w derness , in abited only by tribes of a i hi s vage , roam ng Indi ans . There were few w te settlements west of the

A lle h ani s e g e . One of the oldest of thes was at the junction of the Alleghany and Monongahela rivers where they unite to form the Ohi o river “ L B l ” a e le . Rivi ere of the early French settlers Here , probably as early as the 1 7 l di close of the th century , was estab ished a fort by French Cana an settlers , which they called Fort Duquesne , and a trading station . In the war between

1 - i ri 1763 England and France , 755 1 763 , the British were v cto ous , and in , France In ceded to England her Canadi an and all her other American possessions . this 1 war old Fort D u quesne w as captured and demolished in 758 . But afterwards under the British a new fort was built called Fort Pitt , and around 1 769 it was established a small but important trading station about the year ,

t r called Pit sburg . The site is now occupied by the g eat manufacturing

. was City of Pittsburg and its twin city , Alleghany City There another

settlement still further west that was older , larger and of more importance , made by the Can adi an French at Detroit and along the Detroit River on both hi —at sides . There were some smaller settlements further down the O o river

LM r K Monetta , Ohio and e ston e or Majo ville , y . , and in central Kentucky at and near Lexi ngton there was a more extensive settlement of Virginians an d Marylanders who had f ollowed the f ootsteps of the pioneer huntsman and

’ In M c C or m i ck s wanderings an d tradi ng among the diff erent tribes h e , m et t s n often white men , rader and trappers , or captives a d others adoptm g the I Indian life . n a b and of the Chippawa tribe visiting the Maumee country h e

e c m . dis overed a white squaw , and fro his intim at knowledge of the I ndians h e kn ew that sh e w as s om e wh ite girl Wh o h ad b een c aptu re d an d adopted by the Th e tribe . girl from all app e aran ces had n o doubt been with the Indi ans a on m e h ad om e m l g ti , and bec co pletely identified with them . M cC or m i ck soon

e m e c t w t u a b co very mu h in erested in the hi e sq w , an d when he fou n d an o ni to ea h e r opp rtu ty sp k to her and learn history , he asc ertained that she h ad e e th e n abo h sh e b n with I dians ut t ree years , that was taken captive at Pittsburg ,

and that her name was Elizabeth Turner .

“ It was but natural that the se tw o exi les from civi lization shoul d find some interest in each other ; since the captive maid in ti m e became intimately c onnected with the subject of thi s history we sh all now look back to her early f and th e m s i n Sh li e to ti e Which e lived .

CHAPTER VI.

' n n De r e at on v n I dia p d i s; Capti e s a d Har dships.

It is hard for us at this date to reali ze the hardships and dang ers that beset 100 hi the pioneers of years ago in settling up t s country , C oming into a wilderness of vast forest filled wi th wild and vicious animals and wild Indian s a h ad still more vicious and sav ge , they ever to be upon the alert . It was h a e e ni h h i t rough h rd w k and great self de al t at t ey built a log cab n , cleared an d r d n c a f up a little ground , procu e the e ess ries c life . Besides the natur al i fi e to at r and phys cal dif culties incid nt their situ ion , they were ever in dange of t f a s heir lives rom the savage and tre cherou Indians , who Would lay in wait o h m r ready to sh ot t em down from behind so e tree o rock. When these pioneers

e r u l S W nt into their fields to plant O c tivat e their cauty crops , they would carry h f r an h s their trusty rifles wit them o protection . M y lost t eir live ; others wer e a d t k ff r a h r h c pture and a en away as pri soners to su e gre t a dship s , w ile some

were cruelly tortured and burned at the stake .

i ’ I n th e case of Alexander M cCorm ck s captivi ty an d life among th e Indian s

‘ r f 1 r he eto ore given , there s no evidence of c uelty practiced by his captors . But from m any other sources we learn of much cru elty practiced by th e indians hi n a u m an d a s . m as bo t t s ti e , even m ny year later A pro ine t historical case w h r i n l m hi e b C o . r f S a t u n g of C awford o the U nited t tes ar y , near Sandusky , O o , i n h 1 r n ot r n be en t e year 782 o 1783. A ice has ece tly given in a leading

a a of ld k h i n 182 e C J m g zine , an o boo publis ed 7, writt n by one harles ohnson , of ni W n of hi s ur ndi Virgi a , in hich he gives an accou t capt e by I ans and their ’ C treatment of himself and his com panion s i n captivity. Johnson s apture was 1 A M r m i k n i n 90 n h h h o d . cCo c a d 7 , seme t e years after t e t e t at We f un lex E n i A s u d lizabeth Tur er n the hands of the Indi ans . it ill strates the angers of h r n f ’ ti m e o d n t e pe iod a d the condition o the country at that , a c ndense accou t ’ h f n ar i n m a e r . o Mr . Johnson s at ve of his experie ce y appropriately be giv n e e m a s M 1 790 . o o In ay , Chas Johns n in c p ny with John May and Jacob Skyle i o left E astern Virgini a for Kentucky , go ng by the way of the Kanawa and Ohi

. rivers . When they reached the Ohio river , they were joined by a Mr Flinn and

e an d o . t wo girls , P g g y D lly Fleming , from Pittsburg All started down e the river together in a flat b oat . They kn w the dangers from the Indians and m i were on the lookout and kept well to the ddle of the river . On the way h a e down the river they were il d by two white men on the shore , who made signals that they wished t o be taken on b oard the boat . But these white di men were only dec oys of the In ans and as soon as the boat neared the shore ,

' 1 n the latter , who were a bush , appeared and began shooting at those on the l m i ki lle d an d e boat . John May and Dolly F e ng were Sky l s was wounded in i i n n the shoulder and taken prisoner w th Johnson , Fl and Peggy Fleming . Another boat with six men in it soon followed Johnson ’ s party who were less all k cautious and kept near the shore and were illed . Johnson found that the Indians were of several tribes and they divi ded the captured goods and prisoners o alotte d among the di fferent tribes . Johns n and Skyles were to the Shawnees m i t Peggy Fle ng o the Cherokees , and Flinn fell to the more savage Wyandottes . When Johnson and Skyles were taken to the In dian camps they were horrified m i r to see the scalps of John May and Dolly Fle ng stretched before the fi e to dry .

w as k an d The Indians of the Shawnee tribe with hom Johnson w , bro e up camp

r started on a long tramp north , to the Sandusky and Maumee count y , now in

Nor thern Ohio . Johnson and Skyles were tied together and closely guarded fl r i . sn e e d every n ght They terribly , especially Skyles , who was wounded . Johnson finally became separated from Skyles and after many months of suffering , eventually made his escape with some traders to Detroit , But it fared worse with poor Flinn with the cruel Wyandottes . He was tortured with all the ingenuity the savages could employ and burned at the stake .

di Johnson while at an In an village upon the upper Sandusky , visited the

. u place where Col Crawford had been b rned to death , and a tree was pointed out to him , said to be the one to which Col . Crawfordwas bound . While there m ni he heard of his for er compa on Peggy Fleming , that she had su fie r e d greatly and at one time was tied to a tree to be burned but was rescued by a d frien ly band , and from the information that Johnson obtained he believed a th t she at last reached her home at Pittsburg .

Such was the condition of the Indi an country and of the temper of the savages in 1 790 some 8 or 10 years after the incidents to be related here ni concer ng the capture of Elizabeth Turner at Fort Pitt or Pittsbu rg . CHAP TER VII .

— E t H r h n n s . liz abe h Tu r n e r . e Captur e by t e I dia

Pittsburg about the year 1 780 was a straggling village and trading post ,

t m . hat had already gone through any changes , as has been noted heretofore I t d was still an isolated settlement surrounded by a wilderness , with the In ians

' i - a t s ou t ski r t . lurking round j s Fort Pitt and a few block houses and stockades , answered as a kind of protection an d place of refuge in case of an attack from “ t the hostile Indians . At this ti me there lived in Pit sburg a family by name of T a M K ar . urner who were from Maryland . They had neighbor named c e v In order to add to their scanty provisions many of these early settlers were in h e t habit of making maple sugar in the spring , to do which they would Open a camp in a near by sugar bush , using common open kettles to boil the sap down .

Th e M K r Turners and c e va s joined together and made a sugar camp , on the s a f l lope of hill not far rom their dwel i ngs . It consisted of a rude shed made by putti ng forked posts in th e groun d with polesi n the forks to hold the cover of ot s un on rough boards , or boughs . Kettles an d p were h g a pole which was a k n i n u s lso supported by sta es drive the gro nd , and under the e was kept up a

‘ “ ” m of dr n d sa blazi g fire y limbs a faggots . To gather the p or sugar water and k o n an d th e sa t r eep the kettles b ili g and full , at me ime to p event them from ‘ ’ s n n boiling over required the con tant atte tion of some one all day , a d sometimes all night . This work was intrusted their sons , two lads nearly grown . In early March 1 780 youn g Turner and M cK evar were at work in the

an d a sm a ll r sugar camp , and the parents s ent their two daughters e lad out “ ” to th e sugar bush to take the boys some needed provision and to assist them s as a sun omewh at in th eir work . It w the bre ki ng up of winter and the shone brightly ; the robins were twittering and h Oppi n g about i n t h e dr y leaves to s a r ecure meal of a g ub or worm , and the blue birds , those bright harbingers of

S i - i s pr ng t me , were whistling from an old dead tree full of hole made by the

i n . woodpeckers, which they were seeking to make their nest The girls were en joyin g their outing and lingered on through the afternoon , assisting their b t an d i n ro hers , drinking warm maple syrup , fun and frolic around the camp

w a th u h t fire , ithout o g of danger ; but the declining sun warned them that it was time to return home Just then the dog was heard to bark , which th e wa indicated the approach of strangers and boded evil . The bark of dog s th e quickly followed by the crack of rifles , and two young men fell pierced by Th e the fatal bullet from the unerring ai m of the savage Indians . girls found th emselve s in th e pres enc e of hide ously pai nted savag e s with uplif ted tomahawks and before they could collect their thoughts , were seized and carried away i r di d into the thick dark woods as was also the younger lad . As the g ls not , , return to their homes at night the parents went to the camp in search , there to

find their sons dead and the girls carried ofi . An alarm was g iven in the

settlement of the attack upon the sugar camp , but it was impossible to attempt th S a rescue . Should e few men who could be pared from the settlement pursue the Indians into the woods in the darkness they would be liable to be shot from

W . t ambush , or tomahawked by the ily foe When morning came i was evident a that the Indians would be too far away to be overt ken easily , and there were

not men enough to be spared from the settlement for an expedi tion . The f riends of the young girls were exceedingly anxious as to their fate , knowing

t h e character of the Indians and their manner of treating prisoners . Sometimes

they might be treated kindly enough , though roughly , and adopted as members o f the tribe or band they were with ; but should they become sick or faint and u a ve ! t t t nable to t , hey would ru hlessly rid hemselves of them by the use of the E e d eadly hatchet . One of these captured girls , lizabeth Turner , liv d to be rescued from the Indi ans after being wi th them over three years , and to tell the

e . h r de ff e , story of h er capture , of e wan rings , su ring s and adventur s among them \ — S h e lived to a good old age to atell these true stories the truth of which is ” “ - stranger than ficti on to her children , and to a large circle of grandchildren .

CHAPTER VIII.

' n Eliz abe th Tu rn er s Life Am on g th e In dia s,

r Soon after the capture Elizabeth was sepa ated from her companion , Miss

K r a W an s M cK e ve r M c e ve , as she fell to the lot of a b nd of y dotte and Miss to

. some other tribe . They never met again . The young lad who was captured along with them soon became sick and unable t o travel and was slain by the

e u i way . The Wyandottes , with Elizab th T rner , immediately left the vicin ty of P i ttsburg and slowly made their way to the Indian vi llages on the lower and k upper Sandus y rivers , and on the b orders of Lake Erie , dwelling during the f les summer at some one o these plac es . Elizabeth appears to have been b sed wi th good health ; she was not only physically well equipped to stand the hard e life she was compelled to endure , though but a small woman , but she had g r at m i h moral courage and an indo table spirit . She use d t o say t e Indians would “ ” “ as o ften praise her for acts which they called brave ; but , said she , It w not ” a bravery ; it was simply desperation . Her heroic conduct , or as prob bly she

u t 0 would have p it , her stoic behaviour , and general good conduct caused her to '

find favor with her captors , and they formally adopted her into their band as a sister , and treated her kindly , after the Indian fashion . She had to take part in — most of the work and dr udgery that usually falls to the lot of the squaws the “ ” white squaw had to do her part . On one occasion while working the corn patch , her squaw companions quit work and retired to the shade , but told her — — she must work on r th at she was their slave but Elizabeth also promptly left th e the corn patch for shade . The squaws remonstrated and threatened to force k her to wor , but with hoe uplifted she let them know that she would use it upon them and threatened with . so much show of determination that the squaws fled to the camp and reported her to the Chief . Their story however only amused the Chief and his companions , who praised Elizabe th for her show of A bravery . _ t another time she had a quarrel and fight with a squaw from whom she tore the clothes and put her to flight . This also amused the braves , who

. i applauded her for the act Her spirited d sposition , her readiness to resent any di t k in gni ies and to ta e care of herself and stand up for her rights , showed itself in many other incidents ; and on account of these qualities she was given an

Indian name that meant a Chesnut Burr . She would sting they said like a burr ’ whenever molested . With all of Elizabeth Turner s spirit and fortitude she , “ 14_

was f ni n not exempt rom feeling the horror of her terrible situation , or from pi g r h for home and kind ed , and the hope against hope for her delivery . Nor was s e exempt from fatigue and sickness . At one time she was sent to w atch the corn n n h field to keep the birds from eating the cor just as the grai s began to fill . S e was sick and weary and almost desperate as to her fate and went to the field s alone . Her sickne s grew worse and she became delirious and u n con ci ou s.

She could not tell by days nor weeks , how long she remained in th is condition ; n but when she began to recover she fou d that the young corn , that was just w coming into the milk state hen she was taken ill , was now well glazed and f getting hard . She could remember o only once being visited by a squaw dur in g her sickness .

Months an d years were passing without Elizabeth Tur ner heari ng from her m n people and without any prospect of her aki g her escape . They were now in the Indian settlement of the upper Sandusky in the northern part of wh atzi s now h a of d m i a wi lder n e ss t e . St te Ohio , hun reds of les through _ , from Pittsburg She a m e t n occasion lly a white trader or priso er , but they knew nothing of her

. n th people or her country The war of the revolutio was not yet ended in e West . The Indians were the allies of the British and were em plope d by them in bands

n nk m m y and companies and si gly to fight the rebellious Ya ees , either co anded b

B . ritish officers , or under their own Chief The cruelties and atrocities that the British officers allowed their Indi an alli es to inflict upon prisoners and

- x i non combatants , is a blot upon our prided Anglo Sa on civ lization , that can s never be erased so long as history record the facts .

i i n Elizabeth Turner was , at t mes , an unwill g witness to tortur es inflicted upon prisoners . Col . Crawford of the patriot army of the revolution was a pri soner of the Indi ans at the upper Sandusky villages while Eliz abeth was there She sought a personal i u te rvi e w with him and war ned him of his impendi ng hi s fate and urged him to try to make escape . Crawford told her that he did as n d not think it possible to escape and said he w too old a feeble to attempt it . H an d n di e told her that Simon Girty , a noted hunter pioneer amo g the In ans an th e f hi m m i d. an ally of British had o fered to assist to escape , pro sing to

hi m Bu furnish a horse and guide . t he said it was of no use and seemed hi n resigned to s fate . When the day arri ved and preparations were bei g made m to bur n Crawford at the stake , Elizabeth ade an excuse that she ought to go out early in the morning to bring in a horse , fled to the woods and remained

r completely concealed until the ter ible business was over . The Indians had intended that she should be a witness to the execution . For the first time they

h r accused e of cowardice , and told her that they believed Crawford was her fath er an d that f or that reason she had hidde n away . CHAP TER IX.

—— Eliz abe th Tu r n e r Me e ts Ale xan der Mccorm i ck e Cou r tship an d arr a e M i g .

th e i 1 782 w In fall or w nter of the band of Indians with whom Elizabeth as. left the Sandusky villages and went north to the Maumee country 1n th e neighbourhood of where the city of Toledo now is . They there met with the

Shawnee tribe , among whom was a white man who , in dress and general appearanc e seemed to be comple t ely identified with the—S hawnees ; in fact he appeared to be one of them and one of some prominence and authority , thoug h

- d he was white . He was later foun to be an Indian trader , who had been

! - adopted by the tribe , and had been with them some eight or nine years, M c orm i Alexander C ck by name .

M cC orm i ck was greatly surprised to see among the Wyandottes a white ’ e squaw and soon made her acquaintance . Elizabeth s hop s were buoyed up

n n with the expectation of heari g somethi g from her friends , and possibly

- n M r m i k making her escape through the new fou d acquaintance . cC o c could not w give her any news from her friends in Pittsburg , but he sho ed g reat interest

’ an d h e r h in her welfare , it was a relief to to ave some white person s ’ n M r m i k s companio ship . As a few months passed cC o c interest in the white

di n squaw increased , and as his In an wife had died some time before this , he ow thought of trying to win her for his wife . Elizabeth was g lad to make a n e w di d friend under the circumstances she was in , and not discourage his attentions a r o osal He was not long in making p p of marriage , but she was not prepared to ff h accept his o er then . Before she was captured she ad a lover in Pittsburg

an d h ! h r to whom she was betrothed , felt t at she ought to be true to e lover

” an d as . and her vows , that a separation of three years ought not to rele e her

‘ M r m i k cC o c ; s u . H from them . But pled with her to overcome these cr ples e told her that there was no probability of her ever seeing the young man ! again h ad n d that doubtless he co si ered her dead and had married some one else , or he — a i might be dead himself prob bly killed by hostile Ind ans , and finally h i m succeeded in getting her consent to marry .

But there was another di fficulty in the way . The Wyandottes refused to M r M cC orm i ck . cC o allow Elizabeth to leave their tribe , or to give her up to mick thought to overcome this difficulty by paying a liberal ransom for her ; bu t when he went to take her away they refused to let her go , having regretted ’ M r m i their bargain . cC o ck s Scotch blood was now roused , and he determined w to have her , even if he had to steal her and run away ith her to Detroit ; and hi s he laid his plans with this intention . Circumstance favored project . He was , that Spring , engaged in collecting furs and skins to be loaded in row boatsat Maumee City , of which he was to have charg e to take them to

Detroit , as he had frequently done before . When all was ready , by previous arrangement with Elizabeth , he got her into one of the boats , secreted her in the bottom and completely covered h er with the skins . When the Wyandottes missed their white squaw they immediately suspected M cC or m i ck of spiri ting her away , and went to search his boats for her . They removed nearly all the t skins from the boat that she was in , seemed satisfied tha she was not there - 16

n f a d left a e w skins in the bottom ; but these few completely concealed her . t r d n a When the Wyando tes withd ew without fin i g Eliz beth , they both felt g reatly relieved , for when once on their way in the boats there would be no

- . b danger of rescue The voyage yrow boats was a slow one . First down the m r ak Mau ee river into Lake E ie , thence up the l e keeping along the shore and an h camping on land at night , d t e same way up the Detroit river against the r c ur ent , they at last reached Detroit safely .

M cCor m i ck took Elizabeth to the house of one of the friends he had made — n l in Detroit on former visits o e C o . Allen . There he bountifully provided her

i r . w th the dress of civilization , to which she had been a stranger for th ee years He also provided her with the best weddi ng dr ess an d outfit that could be i n f bought in the town and they were married the house o Col . Allen in May , 1 mi i M cC orm i ck h er 783 , by an English Church n ster . Mrs . often described to childr en and grand childr en her wedding outfit in detail and it would now be

a curious costume .

CHAP TER X .

' Ale xan de r Mccor m ick s Marr ie d Li fe .

' After the marriage of Ale xan d er M cC or m i ck to Elizabeth Turner they soon began to make preparation to return to the India n se ttlem ent in the Mau mee country from which he had lately come ; and with his young wife and some

u necessary articles that wo ld be needed , he left Detroit and embarked upon

r M cC or m i ck thei frail boats in the same way that they had come . It seems that

preferred to live among the Indi ans and keep up hi s f u r trade . With his o Sc tch thrift he had made money , and proposed to take up land and establi sh a more permanent home than he had h ad with the Indians They i hi were both familiar wi th the Indian life , nured to its hards ps , and a app rently were quite satisfied with it , so it was no great sacrifice to them

to live thus .

30 h 1 4 . On May t , 78 , a child was born to them , whom they named William k The veil of the future of this child has been opened to us , and we now his future career : but at that time the most sanguine opti mi st could not have predi cted that a child born in such unfavorable circumstances would become a — prominent man in his sphere a member of the Canadi an Parliament , and the

first white owner of Point Au Pelee Island .

M r m i k A very natural desire came to Mrs . cCo c to visit her old home at f Pittsburg to see her relatives and riends , and to let them know that she was

. i still alive But it would be a difficult undertaking . P ttsburg was some 200 or more miles distant and the whole route was through a wilderness without i ‘ f roads and w thout inhabitants , save some roving bands o Indians . It was not o ni hi n c nve ent for her husband to leave s busi ess and go with her . But that same i ndom i table will and spirit that had enabled her to go through so many n o trials , w came to her aid , and she devised a plan to accomplish her desire and

executed it . She selected a trusty squaw to be her only companion on the

McC r m i k * o c ca me to Canada . Some place the date about the year 17 87 or 1 788 are h a — , while there other evidences t t it was four or five years later some w i M cC or m i ck here in the early n neties When was married to El izabeth. u was s 40 l sh T rner he at lea t years old , whi e e was but 21 . Th ere were born

m - 8 i all 4 s s an d 4 h : l t s . Al x to the ch ldren in , on daug er viz , Wil iam , e ander , M z a atthew , John , Eli abeth (Betsy , ) Mary , N ncy and Sar ah Mary married — o s a m a ll . J hn Ferris , N ncy rried S tockwe , Sarah married Price ;

d e sce n d e n t s b t se ar e s n co m and their y he names till know in that m unity , “ ” Betsy remained unmar ri e d f The sons all m arr ied an d settl ed in the ' e ou n t an d he a e d a y , some of t m lived to an old g and raise l rge families , wh o

‘ t e m i n s ill perp tuate the na e the neig hborhood . The particular branch of t a i l we w sh o l o w i s a a v i s . r m he f m y i t fo l in th n rr ti e th ough Willia , the eldest — ab wa n : ild the one that s bor am ong the Indians, and was carried from the

; Maumees to Pittsburg and back on h or seback by his m oth er ; and th e one who ! m e P au: l beca the first white owner of oint Pe ee Island .

‘ In 1 802Alexan der McCorm i ck mad e a trip to I reland an d vi sited his:

“ a . e . t ur n an d a rel tions ther He re ed lived to a good old g e , but died many r r El Fu rn r M 9 ‘ s f hi . be e cCorm i yea be ore s wife. Mrs iza th ck d ied i n 1 83

' “ h se i about 77 years old . S e lived to e all her childr en raised t o m an h ood and nh a at a h e r i re n v woma ood , in f ct her de th ch ld were well ad anced in years . She lived to se e m any gr and children - to tell the m of the wonderful inci f A dents and adventures o her early lif e amo ng the Indians . few of these n s n a b h r but f e i cident have bee g t hered y t e w iter , are only ebly told in this di a sh e at ve . v se e t narr i She li ed to tha child born among the In ns, that carried m s h n t in her ar w en a babe hu ndr eds of m iles o horseback , become a prominen man u i an d ee c m in the comm nity in which he l ved , to s him be o e a member of the Canadi an Parliament ; and when he came to P elee I sland to live she came h m a e r - she di th e n hi of with i , and lived there sever l y a s but ed in Tow s p 1 st a i n 839 . Colche er , while there on visit , as before stated ,

CH APTER ! I .

- William McCorm i ck : A Ske tch of H i s Life .

We have seen the unfavorable circumstances in which William M cCor m i ck

a e n began life . He m ay have been six , or he may h ve be n ten years old whe t e his f ather brought him to live in Canada. The record of his age at hat tim m H s i is m i ss g . e may have had ome elementary teach ng by his father and h hi t o mother be f ore he le ft t e Indi an coun try . After t s he may have been sent x a Malden or Sandwi ch , to such schools as e isted there , s there was probably I n m ai n h e as d b hi s none n earer to hi s home . the w in e ted to own energ y and ambition for such learning and knowledge of books , and of business that he m u se v r ni r l acquired . H e ade good of e ery oppo tu ty to imp ove himse f , but had e un to depend upon h i s OWn resou rces . The Eng lish sp aking settlers aro d him were mostly composed of that sturdy intelligent New England stock who were K n C loyal t_o the ing and left the New England States to settle i anada , and “ their de scendants , who became known as the United Empire Loyalists , ow n whom many Canadians are now proud to as their ancestors . The se

g . formed a nucleus of ood society to which the young man had .access From them he no doubt learned much , and was indebted to them for what proved to be of much more importance to him in after life than any knowledge he might w have obtained from them , a good ife in the person of Mary Cornwall , the daughter of John Cornwall , who left Connecticut after the Revolution t o “ ’ ’ make a home in the King s Dominion .

w - five M cC or m i ck It was at the age of t enty , William was married to

. 29th 1 Mary Cornwall , who was then seventeen This was on January 809 . ,

They settled on the old homestead farm , already enlarged by pur chased e ni E Lo addition . B sides the society of the U ted mpire yalists , there was a military station at Fort Malden where there were army offi cers and governm ent

ffi M cC or m i ck n t o cials and their families , a society to which had e r ee . But the greater part of the inhabitan ts of the county were Canadian French half , breeds and Indians .

-an In such a community intelligent , energetic young man like M cC or m i ck o was b und to come to the front and hold a position of respect and of influence .

fin h e d i d . This , we d , His first official position was that of p ostm aste r f or the

f - di Post O fice of Colchester , which was established in an out buil ng in his yard .

Later he was appointed a magistrate for that district . In addition to the ’ di i t of magistrate s duty of hol ng court , committing v ola ors the law , and settling disputes , it was his duty under certain circumstances to perform the c marriage ceremony on ac ount of scarcity of ministers , and distance of the M cC orm i ck t churches had frequen applications at his house , from young people who wished to be united , but could not wait until the quarterly visit of i i minister and he became quite a popular adm n strator of this rite . Nor was la his popularity confined to his particu r neighborhood , but extended all over the county .

’ The name of the old French village L A ssu m pti on had been changed to

Sandwich , and this became the county seat . Along wi th Malden now ,

Amherstburg , these were the two principal settlements , Windsor then

f M - being only a e w scattering shanties . cC orm i ck made frequen t visits

to these towns and was well known throughout the county . In 1 8 he received nomination , and was elected a member of the Canadi an Parliament 1 for the count y of Essex . In 823 he made a trip t_o Ireland to see and become ’ mi acquainted with his father s brothers and their fa lies . It was a trip that he

greatly enjoyed and often talked of in after life .

’ William M cC or m i ck s attention was first called to Point au Pelee Island — 1 n 1 8 1 5 or the first record of his taking any personal interest in it was soon M K ’ t . c e e s C l af er it had come into possession of Alex only son heir of o . Thos , .

M cK e e - Ch i e f * an d , half breed Indian , first personal owner of the Island under a , 999 lease from several Indian tribes for years , which lease has already been — . 1 815 M cC or m i ck referred to in these pages At this time , leased the Island M cK e e h from , but w at use he made of it , or of what profit it was to him we t are not informed . The Island seems to have had grea attraction for him and he must have had great faith in its possibilities of development for in ,eight , _ 20_

’ f e years after he had leased it , he bought the whole o M cK e e s inter st for the r ‘ i b was 1823 h sum of $500 . is in , but he did not remove to t e Island with his 1 34 d family until 8 . It oes not appear that he made much use of the island , or received any benefit from it during these eleven years that he owned it

i . h an d before mov ng to it Some tenants , both w ite Indian , were sent over , who cleared up some small patches of land and built a few cedar log houses .

Cattle , horses and hogs were also sent over to the Island . Some cedar timber was cut and shipped : some of it w as sold to the Government for repairing the

r 1833 fort at Amherstbu g . In the lighthouse that is still upon the island , was

ui r M cC or m i ck . erected , and the stone with which it was b lt was procu ed from

When William M cC orm i ck moved his family to the Island in 183 1 he had — — eleven childr en eight sons and three daughters two other childr en had — died in infancy Along with the fam i ly was his aged mother she who was a captive among the Indians , and a maiden sister . His children were Alexander ,

23 21 . 1 9 1 7 s the eldest , who was, then years old , John , David ; William , ; Thoma 1 3 1 2 C . 8 6 , ; Lucinda , ; Charles , ; Mary , ; Sarah Ann 5; Peregrine , 3 ; and

Arthur M . an infant a few months old .

The north end of the Island was selected for the homestead . Here were a two ced r log houses , connected by a frame apartment built between , which as formed the family residence . It w only a few yards from the bluff at l the beach , facing that beautifu sheet of water , the north bay of Pelee Island .

“ Here the main land was in full view across the n0 1 th chann el of the lake ; and as nearly all the shipping and commerce of the lake i n sail or steam vessels n passes through this cha nel , it was in plain sight from the house . Almost in k s front of the house was a good location for a doc , which was afterward b ff di - —a i uilt , a ording a lan ng place and safe harbor for boats very mportant consideration , as all intercourse with the main shore and the rest of the world was by boats .

Other log houses had been bui lt in di fferent parts of the Island and were

n n . occupied by tena ts . The names of only a few of these te ants are obtainable li The Allens and Butlers , and John and George Fox were s ome of the ear er i l settlers . The Foxes and their ch dr en remained on the island several years , : George Fox was dr owned in the north bay , across from Colchester The f am i le s finally moved to North Bass Island and became the owners of

i n . u nearly the whole of that island , and pioneers the grape business S bsequent l y , when there was a boom in the price of all island land for the purpose of growing grapes , they sold some of the island at g reat profit . Peter and Simon

Fox and their sister Mrs . George Wir es , who spent their earlier years on ce n dan t s Point Pelee Island , are still living with their d e , on North Bass

I s f a . land , well to do and highly respected and in luential citizens of that pl ce CHAP TER XII .

Con dition of th e Islan d Whe n th e Mccor m icks Fir st

o I Re m ove d t t.

When William M c C or m i ck and family went to the Island th e y found it nl almost in its primeval state , with o y here and there a few log houses and k small clearings made by tenants under Mr . As in , when he , Askin , held the M r M c or m i ck lease and by the tenants sent over by . C before he came over , hi mself . The Island contained , as was ascertained by a survey made some

k . as ti me after this an d nown as the Salter survey , an area of acres It w thi computed that acres of s was marsh land , but little above the level of the lake ; and about acres was low wet timbered land that was sometimes

u - covered with water ; leaving about acres of p land , some of which was

a e too rocky for cultivation . There were three m rshes , two small on s , and x i m s one of over acres e tending entirely across the Island , making it p o s ible to pass from north to south excep t on a narr ow san dy strip along th e

k w s . w as f edge of the la e , thro n up by the wave This marsh often over lowed by water runni ng into it from the lake ; at other times the flo w would be t from the m arsh into the lake . It was always covered with wa er from a av foot to five feet deep , but was overrun with a he y growth of aquatic grapes and other vegetation . There were no trees upon it . The upland was heavily timbered with larg e trees of hickory , elm and basswood , and a limited

u . a amo nt of very large oak The lower l nds had a growth of soft maple , elm basswood , and other varieties of trees , while the rocky ridges were covered with hard maple , ash and oak . There was a quantity of red cedar

e trees in groves , and scattered about among the oth r timber , most of them

e entirely dead but perfectly sound . They had be n in this condition beyond

— ' f o i the recollection of the oldest visitors to the Island perhaps generations . s an d i There were some grove of live cedar , however , some indiv dual trees scattered through the forest . There were also dead and nearly dead mulberry trees scattered over the island almost as valuable as cedar for fence posts .

There was a time when elk and deer roamed the Island , as is evident d from deer horns and numerous immense antlers of the elk found in the woo s , and more recently in the marshes since these have boen reclaimed . But these animals had both disappeared . There is no evidence that any of the large fer oci ou s animals such as wolves , bears and catamounts were ever on the island ;

n foxes and raccoons were plentiful and muskrats umerous , their houses dot ting the marshes , giving the appearance in the Fall of a prairie meadow covered with hay cocks . They were trapped and speared by both white — and Indian hunters sometimes to the number of or a year . No mink or ott er was found ; no rabbits or squirrels ; no moles or skunks ; no u q ail or grouse . The wild duck made this both a breeding and a feeding place .

' The mallard and wood duck and other varieties used to breed i n the woods an d marshes , and great numbers of ducks and wild geese stopped here in the Spring and Fall , in their migration north and south , to feed upon the wild rice and

O . i n n u m er a le ther food abounding Snakes were a and of many kinds , including _ 22_

- - - h e a . fli e s fli e s an d t poisonous rattle sn ke Myriads of mosquitos , deer , horse t h r m t t other bi ing flies , were there t oughout the su mer , to orment bo h man

u and beast . S ch was the condition of the island when this family first went 1 34 upon it in 8 , and it remained nearly in th esame condi tion for the next

- twenty five years .

M cC or m i ck s The engaged in general farming , but chiefly in stock raising . Horses and cattle could live in the bush for n ine months in the year : in fact

horses lived out of doors the whole season and became quite wild . Hogs fed upon

hickory nuts , acorns and roots and were fat by the time Winter set in . It w as great sport at the first snow to g o out with dog and gun and lay in the year ’ s k supply of por and lard . But they turned their attention largely to gettin g t ou cedar and oak timber for shipment and to selling firewood , as these were 1 36 s a m i cash articles . In 8 a w ll was erected at the south east end of the island to cut red cedar railroad ties for shipment to Cleveland and other M . c C orm i cks United States ports The older of the , Alexander , John an d th William , had the management of getting out 3 timber and other work on the ‘ ” e n a e d " ke t di ff island , and while so g g p shanty at erent places on the island . a di d They prob bly this sometimes before the family moved over permanently . di i Cana an French lumbermen , experts in hew ng square timber , were brought over to the island , and the huge oak trees were felled and hewn into sticks the length of the body of the trees and as large as the ti mber would adm i t sometimes more than two feet square . These were dragged out to the beach k when there was snow , by several yo e of oxen ; thence floated out to vessels lying at anchor , taken aboard by horse power , and finally shipped to Europe for ship buildi ng purposes .

CHAP TER XIII .

“ A Battle Fou g ht on th e I slan d - Th e Re be llion of

Their work and peaceful possession of the island by the M cC or m i cks was “ ” i nterrupted in 1838 by the Patriot R ebellion , as the uprising against the C anadian Governm ent by a rough lot of Feni ans and scalawags in 1 837 and 1 “ ” m 838 was called , when a number of these rebels invaded the island fro M cC orm i cks Sandusky , Ohio , to seek for plunder and to capture the .

The greatest activi ty of these so - called rebels was in the eastern part of the

Province of Ontario , in the Niagara District ; but some of the invaders came over from Detroit and made an attack upon Windsor also from the rear . A few

n British regulars under Col . Prince were at Wi dsor and met the invaders ,

r d al easily defeating them . Another party in a vessel appea e ong the coast of Colchester and committed some depredation , continuing on until Opposite Am h erstburg when a short sharp battle took place and t h e boat with all th e crew were captured or killed by the Canadi an volunteers . In March 450 1 838 a party of these worthless fellows said to have numbered , came from i Sandusky on the ice to Pelee Island . As there was no British m litary B r i t sh di th e establishment here , nor any g sol ers , y could have no other object but plunder and theft from the M cC or m i ck s ; and possiblya desire to take some of them prisoners f or ransom .

The M c Cor m i cks got notice in some way of the approaching trouble and

e . m o preferred to retreat rather than fall into the hands of an irresponsibl b. They th e gathered up the family and crossed to main land on the ice , and made haste to inform the military authorities at Fort Malden of the invasion of the island . m i . t t Col Maitland , wi h hree companies of regulars and one company of litia

n u volunteers were sent to the isla d , g ided by young William and David

M cCor m i ck .

There is a pri n ted record and description of the battle fought on Pelee

Island , or more properly on the ice near the south end of the island , on March “ r 1 838 — 3 d , , which will be quoted here from the book containing it Col . Maitland sent men over to exami ne the ice to see if it was safe to send cannons over . They reported it safe ; and one company of volunteers and three of regulars , one under Capt . Brown and the others under Col . Maitland , came with t wo brass v pieces . The rebels belie ed them to be all volunteers , and not being afraid of these prepared to fi g ht ; bu t when the regulars drew off their overcoats and

s n displayed their uniforms , consternation eized them . Runni g to th e

a e south end of the island , where C pt . Brown had b en stationed , a battle ensued between them and him . Five men were killed and fifteen prison ers

h ad w - were taken . The British one killed and t enty eight wounded . Three rebels

h a an d att e m ot e d t retreated t o t e e st side o get away on the ice . About one a hundred bro ke through and were drowned ; the re st m de their escape .

n di o M c or m i k s This accou t ffers s mewhat from that given by the C c , who were here on the ground ; especially that p art saying one hundred of th e rebels

b . were dr owned , which is no dou t a mistake

CHAP TER XIV. W De ath of illiam Mccor m ick.

1 When Pelee Island was invaded by the rebel mob , in March 838 , the Mc di d n n m 1 8 39 . Cormicks left it , and not retur permane tly until the su mer of This disaster had a depressin g influence upon William M cC or m i ck an d h i s di Febu r ar 1 8th 1 840 b e . health egan to d cline He ed , y , , fifty six years of age , leaving a widow and eleven children . Five of these children were then

- a e . young men from eighteen to twenty nine years of g His aged mother , who was formerly Elizabeth Turner , the captive among the Indians , died about a vi son year before him . She had been li ng with her on the island , but had left i with the fam ly at the time of the invasion , and died in Colchester at her old

- si x . home , aged about seventy years

A prominent idea with William M cC or m i ck in buyin g Pelee Islan d was to dr of establish homes for his chil en by giving each them a good , farm , and so settle them on the island as a family colony . His health failed quite rapidly , " hi and i n 1839 he made a will devising the island to his eleven childr en . In t s will he specially designated certain points on the island where each child was a d di t o have 300 acres of land llotted to him . The residue of the lan , inclu ng

n r h e th e the o t , was to be divided equally , as nearly as possible , betw en children , excepting 100 acres which was to be set aside for the purpose of m an tai n i n g a — S chool on the island the rents an d profits therefrom to go to support the 10 a school . He also left acres at the north end of the isl nd for a village plot

E c hi s 300 an d church . a h one of the heirs selected homestead of acres , as th e p rovi ded in the will , and took possession . But no division of island by u was 1 847 legal s rvey made until , seven years after the death of William

M rm i k . r v cC o c P . H . Salter , a provincial land su eyor , was then employed to

su rvey the island and make the divi sion as required by the will , so that each

a , m ember of the fam i ly could know the boundaries of his or her l nd . Alexander d being the eldest of the heirs , was allowe by the others to act as their agent

di n i n the management of the survey . But instead of divi g the land as the will di ff directed he had it vided di erently , and in a way that was not at all

‘ t h e s atisfactory to the other heirs , who refused to accept survey or to

r ecognize the divi sion made by Salter .

This led to family diss ensions and an i rn osi ti e s that retarded th e prosper ity

r m i k th e a o f th e island for the next 20 years . Alexander M cC o c held to l nd

e i e an d 1 48 he claim d , reta ning poss ssion by tenants , in 8 built the stone cottage

" v u t at the north end , which still stands in good preser ation . He not only p

" tenants upon the land , but sold large tracts of it to outside parties who took

i n hi . t . p ossession of _ A company in Clevela d , Ohio , of w ch a Mr Whipple was a a member , boug ht land of Alexander . Mr . Whipple c me to the island with w as tenants and had erected several frame houses , the material for which b to . n rought from Cleveland all ready put up These engaged in cleari g land ,

. M cC orm i ck 1854 shipping cedar and other timber and wood Alexander died in , “ i f leav ng matters in this u nsettled condition . The other members o the family di would not admit the vali ty of the sales made by Alexander , but Whipple and ot hers held possession of a large part of the island and the M cC or m i ck s could ff r not get them o . They still held possession some ten years afte the death of

M cC r m i ck Alexander o , continuing to clear the land of its cedar and hi n saleable timber , and s pping quantities of wood . Feeli g so sure of their hold on

the island , one of them , Henry Price , planted a vineyard of two or three acres ,

the first vineyard ever planted on the island , which was afterwards to be com

famous for its many vineyards and fine grapes .

The M cC or m i cks had heretofore rested satisfied with their title to the u M K sland obtained from the Indians through Chief Thomas c ee , from whose

r M cC or m i k hei s the late William c had bought it , the deed thereof being i fli ce duly reg stered in the county registry o . But when it was desired to sell

any of the land , or to raise money _by mortgage , it was found that this could

not be done , because there had never been a patent issued by the Governmen t for the island to any one and parties would not invest “ where the title was

defective and in dispute .

1 This condition of the title led them to consult lawyer John Pri nce in 859 . m Mr . Prince advised them to have the Govern ent bring suit for intrusion , and

- s f f twenty even years had made but little change upon the ace o the island .

Clearings had been extended somewhat around each of the half dozen home s a established and more land brought into cultiv tion . Nearly all the red cedar , an d - all the square timber oak had been cut and disposed of . Otherwi se i t . d e B . remaine pr tty much in the same condition as heretofore described . u t

t t - an M cC orm i ck hese wenty seven years had made m y changes in the family .

At this time ( 1867) there were living upon the island William David Thomas , , , Ar M . n C . , Pereg rine , and thur , Luci da , Sarah Ann and their aged mother . Alexander died in 1 854 le avi n g a widow an d two childr en John died in 1 856 i f n and his w e soon after , leavi g five children to be taken care of by their 1 44 . 8 1 6 grandmother Charles died in and Mary in 8 1 . William Peregri ne an d , M ri Arthur . were mar ed and had several children each . David and Thoma s a L C . or , had remained b chelors , nor had ucinda Sarah Ann ever married .

. t t Thomas C and his two sisters lived on the old homestead with heir mo her . i Capt . David also made that his head quarters when not sail ng .

Only a f e w other p e rsons beside s the families of the late William ; i k M cC or m c were on the island before this time , and we may not be able t o ! n . . 0 t h e . record names of all of these Capt e as Quick was here , engaged i n:

a . sailing , fishing and tr pping He bought a farm and became a perman ent

e . i of citizen , r aring a numerous family He , w th one his sons , was drowned by the capsizing of his pound - boat in I 8 C aptain James C u mmin s was on th e island as lighthouse keeper as early as 1 834 or 1 835 He held the position , wi i th an interm ssion of a few years , until he was retired on a pension . He n d was then bought a farm on the isla and one of the best citizen s . He died i n

w n r 1 8 leaving a young wido , but no childre . Jer y Mahony came to the 1859 i island in , reared a large fam ly , and is still here , one of the old settlers . M C or m i ck i L . c e Thomas . and Robert W , n phews of the late Will am

M r m i k cC o c , were and are still here with grown families . Angus Huffman

r n r i n did some fishi ng and ca oe te g . He also bought a small lot of land an d n r planted grape vi es , but did not emain long on the island . Robert Little was 1867 er m an an on the island before , and remained a p t resident . He built and i s la — “ still the proprietor of , the only licensed hotel upon the is nd The Island ” ’ - M r m i k H . cC o c s ome , near the west side dock John four sons , now grown , had left the island to seek positions in commercial or professional pursuits . h n w Three of them however , Burrel , Herbert , and C arles , have o returned t o a i n a lo ok after their p trimon al estate and assist in developi g the isl nd . _ 27_

CHAP TER XVI.

McCor m i ck W Mar y Cor n w all , idow of th e Late Wi lliam

Mccorm ick.

M cC or m i ck t A short reference has been made to Mary Cornwall , bu her

a . remark ble life , her long residence upon the island and identification with its

a history for more than fifty years , deserve more extended notice . A sketch of her life and tribute to her memory should be given here, even at the ri sk of some repetition .

M r m i ck as Mrs . cC o w the daughter of John Cornwall and was born in the

22 1 92. county of Essex , July , 7 Her father was a United Empire Loyalist who came from Connecticut to Western Canada after the American Revolution and i 1 w as W settled near Sandwich n 777 . He a native of ales who had come t o 1 772 an d the American colonies about , was very loyal to King George . He

nn an d as left his wife and child in Co ecticut , it w twenty years before they n joi ed him in Canada , the son by that time a grown man . He became a man ; of prominence and influence in the county of Essex a n d was the first re presentative from the county in the Canadian Parliament .

M ary Cornwall M cC or m i ck began her married life upon the old M cC or m i ck

r “ farm in the Township of Colchester , near the shores of Lake E ie . There she

- “ lived for twenty seven years and there her thirteen children were born . Her e i n husband was ngag ed business , public and private , that required him to be m away fro home much of the time . The care and responsibility of family f r n a fairs devolved therefore la gely upon her , u der trying circumstances and a amid the disadvant ges of her surroundings . It was with much toil and

a : hardshi p that she man ged to bring up so large a family . But she was a remarkable woman in many respects and proved to be equal to the imposed a k t s . She had a splendid physical constitution , a strong and active mind with , k a very retentive memory , see ing and retaining all the information within her

. t t reach She had great streng h of charac er , and a cheerful disposition under g the most trying conditions . Her removal to the island brou ght more cares and

. di work In six years her husband ed , and her cares were greatly increased . But her previous experience in the hardships of life had prepared her somewhat

for the added responsibility that devolved upon her during a long widowhood .

Her industry , good judgment and frugality enabled her to successfully manage and guide the aff airs of her household . Her cheerful and happy disposition cheered and stimulated those about her . She had good executive .

o . ability , and great influence for good up n those she came in contact with Her mind was a wonderful storehouse of knowledge of the incidents and history

m . of the early times , uch of which was within her personal experience At the ’ - l time of her husband s death she was forty eight years o d . She lived a widow for more than half a century - lived to see many changes in the county , fif t - especially upon the island where had been her home for y seven years .

- 1 9 1 a n i . She died in 8 , ne rly inety n ne years of age —28

CHAPTER ! VII .

— A Ne w Er a . for P e le e Islan d 18 67 .

e r a i A new for Pelee Island was now about to dawn . Prev ous to the

M cC orm i ck s getting their patents for the land little had been done to develop r the natu al resources of the island . Only a small amount of land had be en cleared and put un der cultivation . The greater part of the arable land was i still covered with a dense forest . The occupants had made their liv ng i i principally from sell ng cedar , oak t mber and firewood , and by raising stock . Cattle an d horses would live and thrive well upon the natur al grasses and undergrowth with very little attention . Hogs fattened upon nuts . The

ul o soil was rich , and when properly c tivated produced go d crops of wheat , corn ul and potatoes and other vegetables ; and the c tivated grasses , timothy and clover , grew luxuriantly . A few apple orchards had been planted by early fin u i settlers which bore e fr t .

The question of title was now settled ; but there were some other thi ngs to prevent settlers from coming to the island . There was no steamboat ru nning hi i f to the island and no regular line of sailboats , w ch made it d ficult for Th e wa a s trang ers t o reach here . only y heretofore by which the inh bitants

o off d an d n i n o wn r ow oa c uld get the islan o to it was their private sail or b ts ,

r h t o s and any st anger wis ing to get to the island , would have take his chance e a M cC orm i cks and com by some of these boats . It was but n tural that the e should b come good boatmen and sailors . They were all expert in handling

i M cC or m i ck e i both sail and row boats . Captain Dav d adopt d sail ng as a e s o profession , and was known as one of the most exp rt handl ers of ailb ats

on the lakes . He became master of both sailing vessels and steamboats .

. ffi e d There was no post o ce on the island as yet . All mail was obtain from

Ki ngsvi lle and was brought over only when someone hap pened to be passing .

r o In winter the pe ople were s ometime s th e e or four m onths with ut mail .

n hi There were no schools an d o churches . The t ck , damp forests and stagnant

water in the marshes produced malaria , and were a breeding place for untold mi llions of mosquitoes and deer - fli es that were a terror to both man and beas t bei n a i on e er i n in the Summer season . To come here to live was like g p a

n l wilder ess , away from most of the advantages of civi ization , and to endure

many hardships and privations .

i c Fortunately , however , for Po nt au Pelee Island , it had been dis overed a ’ nl w as few years before this that Kelley s Island , o y twelve miles south ,

- a i . peculiarly dapted to grape g row ng . The Messrs Kelley and Charles Carpenter , ul r i an exp ert hortic tu ist , had demonstrated by the plant ng of vineyards that the Catawba and other varieties of native grapes could be grown and ripened o r to great perfection on that island , and that a fine wine c uld be made f om ’ o r i al them . The cultivati n of g ap es was extend ng over Kelley s Island and so

- - P u t i n an d th e a . over Bay B ss Islands , and proving profitable The demand for

- island grape land became very great and the price of land advanced . These — islands were bei n g rapidl y settled up and improved vineyar ds planted and wine _ 29_

o cellars built . A daily steamb at connected them wi th Sandusky ; hotels were built to accommodate the visitors who came to seek investment , or for the sport of fishing , or the pleasure of being upon the water . The price of land on i n the islands , favorably located , went up to fabulous figures . This great boom n e island land should aturally have extended to Pelee Island , as it had the sam favorable soil and climate for grape growing that the other islands had . The boom did bring to Pelee Island a few prospectors—those who had the courage to come over in sailboats ; but they did not seem favorably impressed . Probably the unfavorable contrast with t h e thrift and business appearance of the islands on the United States side of the international line discouraged them from buying land on Pelee Island .

During the war of the rebellion in the United States , D . J . Williams of k k a m Kentuc y , being a rebel sympathiser , though he had never ta en up r s , ’ s thought it would be more agreeable and safe for him in the Queen s Dominion , i lli m h i 1 1 M r . W a s He therefore came to Windsor with s family in 863 or 865. had

- an d ' i n e - a as a been a g rape grower w m ker in Kentucky , w well posted as to wh t ’ d as v y was being one in that line on Kelley s Island , and w er much interested

M r m i k . . i cC o c in it In Windsor he met Capt Dav d , of Pelee Island , and had

- n w n - n many pleasant talks with him about the island , grape growi g , i e maki g ,

h M cC or m i ck W l am i n ! s th e a etc . In company wit Cap t , il i s , i ited B ss ’ - i n - an d th e o Islands , Put Bay and Kelley s Island , Captain brought him ver to

Pelee Island .

M r m s k a After this . Willia visite d his old Kentuc y home and t lked up

i th e n on e grape grow ng on islands with his old eighbors , and arranged with b Thomas S . Williams and Thaddeus Smith to visit Pelee Island with the o ject

r h l of making an investment if e ve yt i n g proved sat isfactory . The three men 1 e a i n 65. visited all the isl nds on a tour of insp ection , August , 8 Th y found the prices of land on the United S tates islands exorbitant , and also that the M cC orm i ck s were holding their land much higher than its real value for any

M r m i ck x. . h . cC o purpose , considering the co di ti on s of the island T omas C f t o o fered Williams his choice of a location on the north end of the island , and 4 th e sell him 0 a cres upon terms which the parties finally accepted , as it was

- a y . . . ch oices t lo c tion for a vi n e a rd an d w i n e cellar on the island D J Williams ,

o - e Thomas S . Williams and Thadd eus S m ith formed a c partn rship under the of firm name Smith , Williams , 85 C o. , to buy land on Pelee Island , to plant a

- w a e 40 . s vin yard and es tablish a wine cellar . The acres of land chosen as

- afior di n g a good location on high g round for dwellings and a wine cellar . In 1 866 25 , acres of grapes were planted , and in the course of three years the

- vineyard was extended to 33 acres . A wine cellar was dug through solid strata 40 60 n of rock to the depth of twelve feet , feet wide and feet lo g and n completely arched over with stone . Above it was a basement and a sto e

- - - a . house one and half stories high . Other buildings were already built The cellar and house was completed in 1 868 ready for th e first cr0 p of

& C c . . 4 grapes This 0 acres bought by Smith , Williams. , was the first land on

Pelee Island ever sold by the M cC or m i ck family . But the way was opened for the sale of other land ; and this was the begin ning of the settling up and 1 6 m i improvement of the island . In 8 7 Thaddeus S th moved his family to

- n i the island and took control , as manager , of the grape growi g and w ne m “ a an S t 85 C c . a i n m king pl t of i h , Williams , which they c lled the ! Villa ” e n Vineyards . Mr . Smith b came a perma ent resident of the island and a

ur n . nat alized Ca adian citizen The Messrs Williams never lived on the island , but frequently visited it . They both died some years ag o and Thaddeus

Smith became the sole owner of the Vin Villa Vineyards .

d War dr o er o 1866 t E ward and John p als came to the island , in , and bough M cC or m i ck fifteen acres of land from William at the west side , which they

ar dr o r improved and planted with grapes . The W p e brothers were Englishmen

e m B u who ha d lived in the South rn states so e years . t the w ar of the rebellion an d had unsettled everything in the south and they were ready for a change , ’ u i r r d glad to get back to the Q een s domin ons . Their attention was fi st di ecte W a to Pelee Island by D . J . illi ms whom they met in Kentucky . Edward

r r h 1 War d op e came with Williams to t e island in the fall of 865. Like most m War dr o er s n hi En glish en , the p were fond of the sport of hu ting and fis ng , and were probably favorably impressed with the island on account of the splendid

k u duc shooting on the marshes , and the fine black bass fishing aro nd its shores

and . and reefs . The red fox was numerous they greatly enjoyed the chase

r These men we e confirmed bachelors , having never married ; but they brought

- - to their island home their widowed sister i n law and her two childr en . They

n th e s n w still live upo i la d but are ell advanced in years , considerably beyond “ the alot te d thr e e scor e and ten .

CHAP TER XVIII .

P r o r e ss of th e s an g I l d .

When the M cC or m i ck s were assured that their title to the island would be confirmed they endeavoure d to improve th e condi tion of things by getting a , small steamboat in and putting her on the route from the main shore to k a the island and to Sandus y . While this dded greatly to the convenience of get ting to and from the island it w as not a paying investment and was

a . discontinued . S ilboats again became the only means of communication i Two short dock s h ad by th s time been built , one at the north end and one at the west side at which boats of light dr aft could land . The division of the island and issuing of patents to the heirs by the Canadian Government enabled each indi vidual to dispose of his land in any u way he chose . Money could now be borrowed by mortgage and sed to develop r k M c C or m i ck M cCo m i c , the land . F . Burrell , eldest son of the late John returned to the island and settled on his inherited estate at the south end .

H e had great faith in th e future possibilities of the island and entered with n energy into the work of developing i t s latent resources . He engaged in cutti g wood buildin g docks encouraged a line of steamers from Cleveland to stop , , here for their supply of wood , and in various ways called attention to the island to induce settlers to locate . His brother Charles also returned and joined him in his work . They opened a small general store at the south end

— , h the first store on the island . But this was a premature venture as t ere was not sufficient population to sustain it . 8 a e 3 >r m i ck I n 1 B rr ll M C and his brother Charles succe e ded in getting M th e r . a friend of latter , a Abbot , of Wheeling , West Virgin ia interested in , utti n p g up a large building for a summer hotel . The building was finished ff “ ” su iciently to be occupied and was named Breeze Place Hotel . B u t it was a M c C r m i never completed . Ch rles o ck and William Abbot becoming , “ ” , discouraged , withdrew from the concern and left the island . Breeze Place

has never been a success as a summer resort , though many parties of anglers o t have been , and s me are s ill , entertained there .

The younger M cC or m i cks built a large dock at the south end bu t ,

unfo rtunately it was washed away . It was rebuilt and washed away th e ’ M r m i sec ond tim e . F . Burrell cC o ck s perseverance in trying to develop th e

n nl isla d under difficulties certai y merited g reater success . But such is often the fortune of pioneers in a new enterpr ise ; seldom do they reap the fruit of

their labo r .

Th w as w n n e population slo ly but steadily i creasi g . James Sr i g le y an d n a an w t t am John Fi l y , both Canadi s . came i h heir f ilies . They did much e an d de ve lo i n towards cl aring up p g the land , and both went extensively into

- Li ll e . . dw e grap growing Thomas J and his son Albert , with their large families ,

e . cam early and were permanent settlers Others followed . But from th e

co e i st e e e n m a be s p of th s hi ory the nam s of the pion rs o ly y given .

CH AP TER ! I! .

G r a e / G r ow i n an d Wi n e /Maki n p g g .

85 . ar dr r a W o e . Smith , Willi ms Co and p Bros were pioneers in grape culture an d t t t , . he manufac ure of na ive wine not only on Pelee Island , but in Canada They were the first to plant vineyards of any extent in the P rovince of Ontario , and the wines of ! i n Villa Vineyards were the first pure native wines ever

g ff th e . o ere d to Canadian public The writer , in makin thi s assertion is aware , th e f e w c g n k t of a res of inferior grapes row at Coo sville , near Toron o , and that s ome wine w as made from them ; but it could not be termed a pure grape wine . Th er e were als o a f e w in f erior grapes grown along the D e troit River where ,

t t . n t af er the success of Smi h , Williams and Co on Pelee Isla d , the produc was ff ' increased . But this does not a ect the truthfulness of the statement made . The s oil an d climatic condi tions of the isl ands in Lake Erie and the lon g warm autumn induced by the surrounding water , render them peculiarly adapted for growing and ri pening to perfection the Catawba and other fine varieties e s a o t d of grap th t cann t be perfec ly ripene on the main shore , nor in any e od locality where the influence of a larg b y of water is lacking . Hence it is t t h e tha grapes grown on Pelee Island make best of wine .

- i The adaptability of the island to grape grow ng , by the year 1 871 had been , thoroughly and practically established by the immense crops of four and five w tons to the acre of the finest Catawba , Dela are and other choice varieties of

m i 85 C o . g rapes , grown by S th , Williams , and by the wines of the Vin Villa ,

Vineyards . _ 32_

I n 1 5 87 Thaddeus Smith , in visiting the towns of Ontario to introduce t hese wines , went to Brantford and called upon Hamilton and Dunlop , whole

. e . s . ale and retail liquor merchants Here he mad the acquaintance of Mr J S .

Hamilton , the head of the firm , from whom he received an order . Mr . H e o s amilton was pleased with the win and s on repeated his order , becoming o m uch interested that the following year he made a visit to Pelee Island to see t h e place where such wine could be made , and to enter into a business h t e . a rrangement with manufacturers A young man of fine business ability ,

“ full of energy and enterprise , he succeeded in arranging with bo th Smi th and

War dr o er s i r the p to handle the wnes they might produce , an a rangement that c ontinued for twenty years . Mr . Hamilton was energetic in introducing Pelee i an d Island w nes , especially the Vin Villa brand . He advertise d extensively j udiciously and lost no opportunity of calling the attention of the public t o the i i sland and its products through the press and in other ways . He v sited the m l island annually and see ed to take a persona interest in its welfare , independently of the wine business .

The style of the firm was changed to J . S . Hamilton 85 C c . , and the business

n 1 in island wines increased to such an exte t that in 890 Mr . Hamilton determined to build a wine - house and cellar on the island that the manufacture o might be conducted on a m re extensive scale . He organized a new company ,

i n . C c . the Pelee Island Wine and V neyard , limited , of which he is preside t

w - n ow Thi s company proceeded to build the projected in e house at the west side , one of the most ce m ple t e wi n e making establishments in Canada and capable

n of using several hundred te s of grapes annually .

Henr y Rehburg and John Finlay are also extensive grape - growers and i a make w ne on smaller scale .

CHAPTER ! ! .

S oo an Ot er atter s M u n icipal , ch l d h M .

Pelee Island nominally belonged to the township of Mersea ; but its i ncreasing population , and isolation from the rest of the county , demanded that it sh ould be made a separate township . The Ontario Legislature was therefore applied to for a charter and passed a bill in 1 868 making Pelee Island a separate municipality , to be known as the Township of Pelee . Full corporate n and municipal po wers were granted except that , on accou t of isolation from the rest of the county and sparseness of p opulation , it was separated from the county in the same way that towns and cities are ; the township council to be e e n composed of three m mb rs , two councillors and a reeve , the reeve ot to have o a seat in the County C uncil . The first tow n ship council of Pelee was duly

. . M k cC or m i ck t ! . 0 . elected with A M , reeve , Wal er Grubb and Quic , .

. M r . cC m i councillors , and Chas W o ck , clerk .

A Public Scho ol Board was elected and organized and two school houses 1 erected in 870 . h i an d r m e n - h as th e i story of Pelee Island dese ves a pro in t notice ere , to orig n 1 7 . . . 8 8 and completion of the undertaking In , Mr Lemuel S Brown , formerly of 625 Cleveland , Ohio , became interested in Pelee Island and bought acres of “ n a t sa l kn land o the east side , being that p r of the i l nd loca ly own as Middle ” Island , entirely separated from the other upland by marshes , and containing f “ within its centre a marsh o several hundred acres . Mr . Brown had already

f r b een the prom oter o va ious enterprises on other neighboring islands . He had

l an d n m as n f a long lease upon Middle Is and prop erty , at o e ti e w the ow er o — Ballart Island that be autiful little island th at lies at the entrance to th e H e harbor of Putin Bay , and was also engaged in dock building at Putin Bay .

an d came to Pelee Island made the purchase already mentioned , p urposing to

“ p th e eng ag e in g e neral farming , aying special attention to stock raising and f vi n p lanting o neyards , and inducing a umber of Germans to settle on the land for that purpose . It so happened shortly after Mr . Brown came that there were

n c n h th two or three unusually dry seaso s in suc essio , drying u p t e water in e s i t g . marshes , leav ng ome of the marsh land qui e hi h and dry Brown had some n o f this plowed and sowed in tame grasses . The next spring , the season havi g

f on n d d the usual amount of rain fall , he his cultivate fields two feet under water ; w w e n and it contin ued to be cove red ith ater for some years . But the xperime t

me d of t: l t an d m h ad c onvi . o e him the g rea ferti i y of the soil of its im ense

h l d i I t s n p ossibilities if it cou ld be t oroug h y ra n e d . drai ag e became a hobby with him . During his visits to Putin Bay he had met Dr . John M . Scudder , of

m h s a i n t e . C i n ci n n att , Ohio , who , with his fa ily , spe t ummer v cation at the Bay d o s of Dr . Scu der was the founder , wner and pre ident the Eclectic Medical ti f n i n n at o h . College of C i c and was a man wealt . Mr Brown soon a la communicated to him his hobby of dr ining the Pelee Is nd marsh , and as the doctor had travelled in Europe and w as particular ly interested in the drain ag e w ’ syst e m of Holland , he soon became interested in Bro n s project also and made

a visit with him to Pelee Island . This visit of Dr . Scudder resulted in h i s determination to bu y th e m ar sh land an d u n dertake th e enterprise of

reclaimi ng it for agricultural purposes by an artificial system of drainage . Dr . “ ”

. Scudder and Mr Brown bought, the whole of the Big Marsh with the wet as an d a n all timbered land adjoining it per survey pl n of the isla d , in over 4000 h M cC or m i ck s er 1 8 acres for which t ey paid the two dollars p acre . In 88 , steam dredges were put to work cutting canals through the marsh to th e a extent of twelve miles in length . These c nals conducted the water all to one w p oi n t where a steam pumping plant as erected that lifted it several feet and k fi a . o emp tied it into the la e The water thus taken , the l nd was left dry and w a w . s i ready for th e plo The plowing not done , however , w thout much

e u ss - difficulty owing to the heavy growth of w eds and rushes . t oc grass and , h ro ot s but ent e rprise and capital can acc omplish much . Those w o saw th e marsh before it was reclaimed now look upo n its cultivated fields with Th e i astonishment . soil of this reclaimed land is very rich, a clay subsoil w th

. o from one to two feet of vegetable mould It is very productive f hay , corn

o t an d . and p tatoes , and where not oo rich yields good wheat oats On parts of

it ar e growing vineyards and good peach orchards . , The draining of the Big Marsh and the Middle Island marsh was followed 470 by the draining of the South marsh of acres , by Messrs D welle and Lewis 300 of Sandusky , Ohio , who bought it along with a farm of acres of upland . The drainage of this marsh la n d h as proven a matter of th e great est I t o a i mp ortan ce to the island . has m re than doubled the amount of arable l nd , t hus more than doubling the agricultural products and making room for a larger

i n e l ease s an d n i p opulation . This trade the volume of busi ess , wh ch in turn brings boats and better facilities for communication with th e outside world .

d a . I t has greatly improved the sanitary conditions , rying up the malari l area

I t di (if d e has destroyed the bree ng places mosquitoes , ieting fli s and snakes , Th e m d until there are but few rem ai ning . e embankm nts a e by the earth t hrown out of the canals fu r nish excellent r oadbe d s a n d have be com e a p art of t h n a y e public road system of the mu icip lit .

While thi s great enterprise has been of so much benefit to the island in ’

h a . . g eneral , it s not been a financial success to the promoters Mr Brown s e nthusi asm led him to go more extensively into the enterprise than he could

o . w ell afford and the m st of his i nterest h a s passed into other hands . Dr S cu dde r was well advan ced in ye ars and o n ly lived a few years after com pleting

t h e w n o i n u l e l . o e a ork , t h vi g f ly carri d out his origina design S m of the l nd ’

e o bu t a e a . d has b en s ld , the l rg r p rt of it is controlled by the later Dr Scu der s

a n Dr i n i n n a i e . . c C c tt heirs , under the man gem t of W Byrd S udder of , who has h i u s s mme r c ottage on the island .

h d The w ole marsh rainage system , was afterwards put in charge of the

w ffi z i als u n l r t i e u i i a r e t . t o n sh i p o , e M n c p l D ainag Act of On ario The M u n icipality b orrowed on deb e n tu r e and h ad the canals r e - dredged a a w m uch deeper th n originally . Two addition l pumping stations ere also

Th w of n t . e e rec ed hole the annual expe se , including payment of principal and interest on debentures an d the cost of ru nn in g the pum ps and all incident e ad be n e fit te d xpenses , is charged to the lands and public ro s thereby , and c a ollected nnually as taxes upon said lands .

CHAP TER ! XII . h T e Fishin g In te r e st s of th e Islan d .

Som e matters of importance have not been m e n ti on e d i n tn e i r chronological o rder ; among them the island fisheries . In the seventies and early eighties , pound fishing was engaged in quite extensively and very profitably . At one time there were more that twenty pound nets set around the shores of the island . The fish taken were sold in Sandusky , Ohio , the business developing to such an extent that the fish packing company of Post 85 Co . sent a steam hi boat regularly to the island during the spring and fall fis ng , and a good part of the summer as well . This not only benefited the fishermen , but was of ff general benefit , a ording convenient facilities for getting back and forth . The t e quan ity of fish tak n out by thes e pounds gradually diminished , and this fact , along wi th the r estrictions of license fees an d close season imposed by the C anadian Government , has rendered the fishing unprofitable . But few pounds ar e - now set and these only at the south end . Some gill netting is done at the m north end and is quite re unerative , but only herring are taken . The shores and reefs of the island have long been known for their fine

a . black bass fishing with rod and line , and have been a f vorite resort for anglers -36

P arties from Ohio and Kentucky frequently cam e" to enjoy the sport spring

and fall . The usual stopping place of the anglers from Ohio is Dr . F . B .

’ M cC or m i ck s t e . t n , a Breez Place An organized fishing club from Day o , Ohio o called the Dayton Club made this their head quarters als , bringing with them

n attendants and provisio . They came twice a year for several years , but have K i n u ki of late ceased to visit the island . The t c an s and some others frequented the north end stopping with Thaddeus Smith . Still ot hers vi sited the w est

t e e i accom odati on n side . O h rs again mor fastid ous as to , would stop at Puti

Bay and hire a boat to bring them over daily to fish .

‘ th e 1879 a party of yo u n g men from Sandusky and C i n ci n n atti In fall of ,

n . com posing a fishi g party , encamped at the north end A severe storm came

m u . u w t t o t . u s p , blew do n heir ten s and flooded the They came to Mrs Thadde

Smith and begged to be taken in out of the storm , being sick of tenting it .

Am ong the se was Charles L . Mills of Sandusky , who continued to put up with

. . Mrs . Smith for four or five years , spring and fall Mr Mills met a fellow

\ M a i n i s r . l I r . t t of fisherman , John g J , of New York Ci y , who , wi h a party k ’ M r m i s . M i n cC o c . a i s friends was stopping at Dr Mr g told Mr . Mills that th e y wished to organi ze a fishing clu bwith a p erma nent location of their own

Th e n and invited him to join them . club was orga ized , and the site for the

. W . th e house select e d at the extreme N end , very place where Mills and his ar f n 1 young friends had carn p e d ye s b e ore . I 8 33 the Club House was erected w a Th e an d th eir first meeting s held that fall . number of members of the club

M i n i 25. o a s r l is limited to J hn g Jr was made P esident and Charles L . Mi ls ’ r vice preside n t and gene al manag er of the club s busi ness . The membershi p is m e n composed mostly of Chicago and New York of wealth , with a few from

‘ k o m e n f Cleveland and Sandus y , s me of them o national reputation in the

a . e army and the st te , as well as in commerce and finance Among the chart r

t . t . members are the names of he late Gen Anson Stager , he late Gen Phil ,

G r h m th e u . e s a Se cr e tar Sheridan , late J dge Walter Q , y of State under President e l - i Cleveland ; the late B nj Campbe l , ex marshall of the State of Ill nois ; J . R .

- h n . . Jones of C icago , ex mi ister to Brussels ; Col V C . Turner , Chicago ; Robt . T .

n - E i i Li coln , ex Minister to ngland ; Marshall Fields , mult m llionaire merchant , di k 1 0 an d others of note . The club buil ngs occupy a par of acres and have been added to at various times , until they form an extensive group , the main building having over forty rooms , with bowling ally , billiard room , boat houses , as r ia etc . , all lighted with g and fu nished with water and all the appl nces of a

m e . first class s um er hot l The club uses this house only twice a year , during

fishing season , two weeks in May and two weeks in October . Its members leave annually a considerable amount of money upon the island : they employ

' from t wenty to thirty oarsmen on liberal pay , buy what provisions they can

u a u i obtain on the island , and have contrib ted liberally tow rds b ild ng churches r and for other charitable pu poses . _ 37_

CHAPTER XXIV.

— Th e P r e sen t on t on of P e e e Islan A D 1899 C di i l d . . . .

I n sketching the most prominent events and improvements of the island 1 6 e since 8 7 , some of these have not been m ntioned in the order in which they

c . oc urred , and others have only been alluded to It is now proposed to sum up as — 1 in a recapitulation the condition of the island it is found at this writing 89 9 .

Pelee Island is oblong in shape running north and south , and is of an

‘

“ ah alf m e average of eight miles in length and three and il s wide , though its greatest length is twelve miles . It contains according to the survey and plan

l k . 1 6 bv . 8 7 made A exander Wil inson , P L S in , a total of acres . The assessme n t f or 1 898 sho w s acres of assessed land and 10 7 acres more b e longing to schools and churches an d not taxed . The balance is taken up in l d 1 898 pub ic roa s . The same assessment roll , , shows a total population of 753 ,

285 - with a school population of between the ages of five and twenty one years . There are four school houses in which free public schools are maintained ten

a e months in e ch y ar . There are now four church buildings ; one each of the

o a li u English and R m n Catho c ch rches , and two Methodist churches . There are f four post o fices , three of them located in private houses ; but three fourths of m a ffi i n M ’ the mail atter is delivered at the old centr l o ce A . M . cC or m i ck s store The government has th e mail delivered on the island twice a week in Summer , a an d or during open n vig ation , once a week in the four months of Winter , w t a t - provided al ays h t he mail carriers are able to cross from the main shore .

The postal facilities are not what they ought to be , nor what the Canadian Government should furnish ; for there is not another commu n ity of like population and volume of business in the Dominion that has not a better postal

e s rvice . The island should be given three mails a week during th e business season and two in the Winter months .

The Government maintains , in connection with its lighthouse signal w station and eather bureau service , and the lifesaving department established on the island , a telephone cable to the lighthouse on the main shore , about ten mile across , and thence a wire to the town of Leamington where connection is made with the telephone and tel e graph system of the whole h as country . It also stretched wires the length of the island , with some five or six telephone station s . The public may have the benefit of the cable and telephone by paying the usual fees ; and , by having the messages repeated at di Leamington , may have direct and imme ate communication by telegraph to any point where there is a telegraph office .

There are three general stores , the largest one at the central part of the

d . islan , and the two smaller ones at the north end Near the west dock is located the old town hall , a modest stone building , erected in th e infancy of the township , but which still answers the purpose of municipal and other gatherings . A commodious two story frame hall built by the Society of

Maccabees is also located at the west side , serviceable for concerts and other ’ . . i entertainments Mr Robert L ttle s hotel , The Island Home , is here ; all h toget er giving the place the appearance of a village , the most conspicuous

’ building being the Pelee Island Wine Company s large wine house and cellars . _3g _

‘ lDocks t or steamboat landings have been built and extended The re are now f our docks two at the west side and two at the north bay . A steam boat runs , regularly three times a week to Amherstburg an d Windsor and sailing craft

ply between the island and Kingsville and Leamington .

The clearing off of the thick woods and underbrush and the drainage of w the marsh have removed all causes of malaria , as ell as the breeding places

o f mosquitoes and d e e r fii e s. Consequently these have almost disappeared , and

" l with them have gone the thousands of snakes that used to infest the is and .

Pelee Island has not been boomed as a summer resort nor have summer

h ot e ls been buil t for tha t purpose but every season there are parties coming h ere in search of a quiet cool retreat at whi ch to spend their midsummer

i on i f ac con i odat . vacation , and more would come they could find suitable

‘ There are man y picturesque views that have often bee n sketched and

n e m k p hotog raph e d by visiti g artists . Good roads have be n ade along the la e

s shore and o n the dike of the canals which afford pleasant dr iving an d wheeli ng . There are about 200 acre s of land under g rapes and over 100 acres p lanted with

f ruit trees . Last year there were 10 0 a cre s in t obac c ) wh ilst the cultivation of

r i . p otatoes i s becoming a p o table specialty on the reclaimed m arsh land .

The clay soil and limestone bottom and the peculiar climatic condition s

i di n a k o f prevail ng , due to the surroun g w ter , ma e it that the situation the island isothermally is much more favorable than its la titude w ould indicate

‘ ’ — The seve r e wi n t e r of 98 99 that h as unfortunately proven so disastrous to th e

n di d peach trees on the main shore Opposite the isla d , no damage to the

peaches here .

d m n A very fine quality of building stone is foun on the island , a agnesia

d t w o r e k . limestone eposit , in which quar i s have been wor ed for many years

e - w One of these is owned by parti s non resident and is not orked of late , owing

d n doubtless to distance from the market , the limited emand for block sto e , and in p art to the exclusive import duty imposed by the United States

e f e n s Government . But large quantiti s o stone have b e hipped from here from f t ime to time , a considerable amount o the block stone being used in the th e a o construction of locks on the Welland canal . Pal e ntologists have their

a s i hearts m de glad by the fossil specimens of unu ual size conta ned in the rock ,

s and ometimes found finely weathe red out .

Mention m ay be made also of the Indi an mounds that still remai n on

parts of the island . The Ontario Government archaeologist , Mr . David Boyle ,

t i r a inves igated these dur ng the past summer but found that , apa t from the f ct

e i i a a . of th r being Ind n mounds , they are l rgely devoid of interest Oil and a a as a a d t a t t n tur l g h ve been found upon the Isl n , but not in sufficien qu n i y for a u a commerci l p rp oses . Thirte en wells have been bored within the l st five

a . ye rs . The first well went down to a depth of 840 feet but was not a success O ther wells were bored i n the south central part of the island to the depth of 40 760 7 to feet and both oil and g as were found i n several of them . Three of th e these were pumped and produced from 2 to 6 barrels a day , but supply was

a an d n a a very irregul r did not i cre se . Nat ural gas w s found in the same boring

“ a W a a with the oil just before the oil str ta were reached . ith the oil c me also s lt

a n l n w ter stro g y impreg ated with sulphur and other minerals . Th e oil is of th e best quality an d about 1 000 barrels have been pumped an d

a n a as n shipp ed to the refi n ing w orks at S r i . The g flowed in sufficient qua tity to fur nish fuel for an engine used to work the drills in borin g several other

as ls . wells n ear by . I t w a o used for pumping oil , and is now used by Mr

an d n John Fi n lay whose house is near the well , for heating lighti g ,

pur poses . There is probably gas enough now to furnish fuel for all the south

i e e n d of the island bu t the great cost of pipi n g p events its use . It do s n ot , a n appear to diminish in quantity or force . The oil wells have been bando ed h d for the present by the companies that a them drilled , but it is believed by experts and geologists that if the wells were sunk several hun dred feet deeper

i n d m a n obt a e . i n to the Trenton formation , oil might be p yi g quantities But this requires m ore capital than is at command .

CHAPTER XXV.

What Som e N e w sp ap e r Cor r e sp on de n ts Have Said Abou t

P e le e Islan d .

“ I n far away California in the Los Angeles Sunday Times of January I t m 1 899 appeared a letter about Pelee Island . see s that the writer had been a r al 1 898 an d gu est of some membe of the Pelee Club in the f l of , felt that he ought to write som ething complimentary of the members . The article is

- A illustrated with pictures of the club house , inside and outside . part of the “ article is q u oted as follows -I t is headed - Where Statesm en an d Millionaires ” s t go Fishing . About ten years ago a half dozen enthusiastic por smen held a r significant meeting in Chicago , the esult of which was the formation of the

n d wealthiest an d most aristocratic a exclusive fishing club in the world . That

n h as e n org anizatio , about which little ever b e written or published , is the

. Pelee Island Club , and its membership list bears the names of m ost brilliant statesmen and distingui shed citizens men wh o helped to make the history of this glorious republic , and whose names will ever adorn its pages ; warriors and t i n m diplomatis s , k gs of commerce and agnates in the realms of finance , many “ - i . a of them multi millionaires , w th money to burn The he dquarters of the a t m k E r club is on Pelee Isl nd , the largest of he fa ous La e ie archipelago , and is di situated in Cana an waters , being embraced in the Province of Ontario . It is

a li t e r e a pl ce which is but tle known generally sp aking , but t he g e n w at e i s h m w whic lap its sandy beach are , at certain ti es , fairly alive ith the g amy v a nd and pretty black bass , the fa orite fish of many anglers ; this is the M e cca k a to which the members ma e swift pilgrim ges two , and sometimes three times ’ o w k a year ; some of them going a thousand miles or m re for a. ee s s ort and p , temporarily leaving in the care of others business interests so ex t ensive that

ln ' they themselves cannot tell their value . The c b o wns 1 5 acr e s on the we st t t n m m o t t nor h end of he isla d and has elegant and co dious quar ers , he fine a and ’ n club house , bo t houses keeper s dwelli g , representing an outlay of

n . one hu dred thousand dollars This, however , is a. trifling item when the aggregate wealth of the membership , said to be not far from a hundred k i millions of dollars , is ta en into cons deration

i tse lf i t As to the island , may truly be said that it is a remarkable place

‘ for , though only nine miles long and six miles wide , its interior is one of the

t m n wildest jungles in America , never trod by the fee of white e and inhabited

n only by monstrous s akes , fierce panthers , catamounts and myriads of mosquitoes , reputed along the lakes to be of extremely large size and able to h e r t e i l s e . m s n crack hickory nut with t i eth In sum r the island a live y sp ot , a d th e scene its beauties p rese n t u nder the shimmering lig ht of a mellow autum n

n e v e r to be f or ott e n sun , is one of grandeur g when once beheld . Now , however , the driven snows and wint e r winds which sweep over the frozen lakes with

i t a ble ak n d s unrelenting fury , lend and forbiddi g aspect , and the few e olate.

ar d w e ff fishermen who have the h iness to d ell ther , are shut o from the rest of ” the world ,

W n u h i s a c u n th e P l The riter conti es co t of elee C ub at some length , giving

n r e s n t a n a n the ames of both the p e d dece sed members , with his comments upo

t , them and upon their sp o r . The account in a general w ay is correct t t t e xa g e a an d z th e t t s co h ai l bu he par iculars _are g r ted , whole s yle tha of a y p n i sh d Th a h d rather than of o e wh o w e to give facts . t part of t e article quote

sc r be a n - n here which pretends to de i Pelee Island , is such a gl ri g misrepresentatio

a y r i d of the facts , th t it is sim pl iculous and needs no comment . The name

d a r t c B signed to th e ab ove qu ote i le is John L . Von lon .

! uite different from t h e f ore- going is another newspaper article th at will

u i s m a n u nk on e . e i be q oted here It fro nown corresp ond nt , but ev dently from who made a mor e thoroug h an d intelligent investi gation of his subject than

Mr . Von Blon did .

s o f t h e th e Sketches and Storie Lake Eri e Islands , is title of a book of

ze e m t and some pretensions to si , bellishmen literary merit , by Theresa

' n om de 7t m u o f - s Thorndale , the p a well known new paper correspondent and ‘ t y w n - i n - B a v sl h a r e ce n t u bli cati on be ar i n li erar oma of Put I and , O io , and is p , g

9 Th e o k“ a e ar r n 1 8 3 . o d a the date b pp s to be ma e up , m inly , of articles w itte

ff f n n at di erent t i mes or for w hich she was a corresponde t , a d

t h c a s 400 a e s, w n ont in nearly p g i umerous illustrations , pictures of persons and p laces .

“ Th e u i n I n t r o d m a thor . her uction , says that it is made up of atters , “ m n lt _ o w m a e a of historical re i iscent , c mbined ith story and ro nc , t les

‘ advent ure an d matt e r d c s t z r i m i v e ot the picturesque and stri kin g scenes in l which th e islan d aboun r C n m par ati ve ly bu t a small part of the boo k i s “ e v n - f —a n s historical or descriptive . e of t h e past or present matter o f ct co dition

n h t t le a n n s y of the isla d , but , as t e i d i troduction indicates , it is mo tl given to

n s a n d a in stories , fancy descriptio the pictur esque but it m kes quite teresting readin g .

Th e w u a r e m n w h as part to hich att i is o especially called , is what the author

e l n l y n said abou t Pele Is and . O one short cha pter is give to Pelee , and over

' - hal f of tha t is give n to tlu sm i p ti on s of her voya g e and matters i r r e le v n i t to th e island proper ; yet in t h a t s h ort space great inj u stice h as be e n done to “ ’ h e r i s i R l e e Island . The c ap t h e ade d : Adventures in Queen Victor a s ” —“ ’ Dom ain and says in p ar t z Here we first set foot upon Queen Victoria s

‘ s h a tl t tws domain . Twilight were thickly falling over the dark forest of

“ Th e s l . Point an Pelee wh en at la t W , m ade fast our lines at the od south dock

e m t party were received and t n t s ai n e d beneath the hospitable roof of friends , and wearied from tossing on t h e billows and the nausea occasioned , we went

e e m o s early to bed . But the Pel quito ! We had been informed concerning this

sa i d n s specialty . To learn that i sect , or animal , cracked hickory nut with its

' t t h e m W t , teeth , and tha many of eighed a pound was no so much of a surprise h t s however , as the onslaug there on the borders of the Pelee marshland ’ “ ” h t w as th e it made upon us . The nig filled with music , but cares tha “ n l v u di th e in f ested the day stu bbor re f sed to fold their tents . In ad tion to

“ ' “ - Se a- ation for that story of Wild cats and . Serpe nt s an d that old che stnut " k o h I of M os q uito es able to crack hic ry nuts with their teet . anr a war e from h an d i t s n e t e o . the title of bo k the nature of co t nts , that it was not the i n t e n — ' h . . o t o s p a a t s a . tion of the auth r deal wit im le pros ic f c th t she. preferred to

an d look u p on the picturesque , the poetical fanciful side of her sub ect and j ,

i al n e n * to u se a p oe t c lice s to i dulge her imagination . But with all d u e : allow n . n n ance for these , I am co vi ced that a stra g er , reading thi s account in a .

f h a r . book o suc recent date , would h ve a very w ong im pression in regard to

Pelee Island as it i s now .

m ad a on d to s The author e se c visit. Pelee I land at a m e re recent date

i s. an acco u nt of which . mostly devoted to the Pelee club house and the per so n n e l of the members of that club . Incidentally the great work of draini ng a d th e as and reclaimi ng acres of. m rsh lan on Island w mentioned nothing more .

I a . th e t would h ve gi ven a much truer impression of Island , if the author h a d devo t ed a f e w lines to tell of the general condition of the Island at her “ Sh e s e r last visit . might have said that the thick wood and thick r unde ”

h ad . an d n r growth of her former visit all been cleared up , vi eva ds and t t t t h e t orchards , and fields of grain occupied he ground ; ha mosqui o had

n e . di sappeared ; that s akes were s ldom seen This , of course , is about all we d ul could expect in such a book ; bu t justice, req uire that we sho d have been ” given that little .

Kindly permit me to briefly state a few facts as to th e present condi tion

a s . h as of Pelee Island . The Island contains about cre of land It now 0 a population of nearly 70 . Nearly all the timbered land has been cleared up of and is now under cultivation . Hundreds of acres vineyards , peach , pear

fi . and plum orchards , grain elds and meadows , now occup y the ground where

w as a those forests once grew . The part that formerly marsh now produces - a as thou san ds of bushels of the finest pot toes annually , as well corn , wheat 1 00 a was n l and m eadows . Over acres of tob cco grow ast season

There ar e four good school houses of modern construction ; four church house s ; four p ost office s ; three g eneral st ores ; one very large wine m an u f ac

a s two u . s turi n g establishment and three sm ller one ; p blic hall , and miles of excellent tu r n pi ke d and gravelled roads up on whi ch th ere is good drivin g and bicy cling .

Pelee Islan d is not noted as a sum m er resort ; yet people come here an d every summer , from various places in the States Canada , to spend a a om quiet sum mer v cation , and more would c e if they could get accommoda “ m e . ti ons . They co here for quiet and rest ; out of the way of the maddening

th e a a i i n crowd to enjoy cool breezes , good b thing , bo t ng, wheel g and driving .

: The Island is not wanting in the picturesque . Many points of natural beauty have been sketched and painted and photographed by artists . There are pleasant drives alon g roads bordered with trees covered with wild grape o f i v s vines , hanging in a profusion graceful pendants ; Dr es upon the dyk t “ ” of the can als in our Little Holland that have reminded the visitors of th e beauty of the canals in old Holland . The scientist , in search of pre

. al histori c data , will find here fine specimens of glaci marks upon the out croppin g limestone formation ; and in the stone he can find f ossels of fish and shells or he may delve into many of the ancient burial moun ds f or m i prehistoric human . bones and i plements . And it s not devoid of legendary at a at a a at at at stories of romance , either _ 43_

The following is the newspaper article referred to on page 40 . The article was also issued i n an Ontario Government pamphlet distributed in

Great Britain .

n i a One of the most unique mu icipalit es of Ont rio , and indeed of Canada , is t h n f m i D w n sh i i al e Isla d o Pelee . It is no nally a p mun cip ity of the County of

t Essex , but is not represented in the coun y council , and beyond the f r ad ministration of justice o which it contributes to the county f unds , is not in any way conne cted with county government .

i n o The isla n d is situated Lake Erie , about seven miles__fr m Kingsville , the

n nearest port o the mainland , from which mails are received three times a 6 di week . The population numbers 77 the greatest mensions of the island are n seven miles long , three miles in breadth , comprisi g , according to the last returns of the Ontario Bureau of Statistics , acres of assessed land .

An interesting feature of Pelee Island arises from the fact that , except for 100 Middle Island , a small adjoining island of about acres , it is the most southerly part of Can ada .

m n Fishi ng point . which is the south extre ity of Pelee Isla d , is in latitude

41 degrees 36 minutes . A line east and west through Pelee Islan d passes

o n through Pennsylvania , Ohi , Indiana and Califor ia ; through Northern

Portugal and Southern Turkey .

- i - r One third of Spa n , three fourths of Italy , and almost the entire Ad iatic

Sea lie north of Pelee . Fishing Point is fifty miles nearer the equator than the southernmost verge of France . Due east of the vi neyards of Pelee are the vineyards of Old Castle of the

Apulian Valley in Southern Italy , and the orange grove of Barcelona .

i n The Island of Pelee , as has been ntimated , is famous for its vi eyards , and w for the wines hich these produce . The best variety of grapes can be grown abundantly and of magnificent size . The failure of the grape crop is almost n a a unk own on the isl nd , whereas in E stern France , famous in Europe for its grapes and wines , there is a failure about once in three years , while in only one year of the three does the crop reach perfection . Vineyards of from w twenty to thirty acres every here dot the island , yielding from f our to five

t tons of fruit to the ac e .

c Tobac o g rows luxuriantly , and this year nearly every farm h as its sheds

'

t . and outhouses filled wi h the profitable , if filthy , weed

The soil is for the most part a deep vegetable mould; Much of the lan d in the interior is lo w lying and has been reclaimed by extensive drainage works i costing The removal of water requires a pumping plant wh ch , however , is operated at a small annual cost . The land thus reclai med is di l excee ng y rich and productive .

t , t . Fig and almond rees with a little winter protec ion , bear abundantly

o - C tton seed has been ripened , water melons weighing 50 pounds are grown .

- Maize . sugar cane , peanuts , sweet potatoes the pawpaw white mulberry , , , e ot e a i an d p ach , apric , n ct r ne quince will flourish and bear abundantly . t m And what is true of he cli ate and products of Pelee Island is , in the ” , n e ar e st n e i h bor n main true of the County of Essex , its g on the mai land .