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EARLY SETTLEMENT OF SOUTHWESTERN
MICHIGAN BY A. B. COPLEY.
June 7, 1882.
Concessions were made and permission was given the party to settle ten miles south of the mouth of the river, where they built a trading house in which to pass the winter.
Finding the. surrounding country filled with every variety of game, they made good use of their trained hunting dogs, and met with great success. This naturally created much jealousy among the Indians, who endeavored by
every means to frighten the white intruders away, but by showing a bold front and then appeasing them with a feast, no further trouble was experienced, and they remained undisturbed through the winter. At this time there were but two buildings at Saginaw—the trading house of Antoine Campau and the ruins of Peter Reilly's house, one of the earlier Indian traders.
In April, 1820, the party prepared to return to Ohio, and as young Daniel, by learning the Indian language and making himself familiar with their ways and customs, had attracted the favorable notice of one of the Indian leaders who was childless, they came in a body and requested of the father, Jeremiah, that his boy be left with them until the return of the party in the fall, which request it was- not deemed prudent to accede to.
MICHIGAN
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