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which settle it attracting those best fitted to enjoy the locality. Thus, tillers of the soil, fishers in inland streams and lovers of scenic beauty sought the banks of the St. Joseph River, whose beautiful scenery places it among the scenic rivers of the world. The river crosses the county almost diagonally and its waters wash the soil of eight of the sixteen townships. I sometimes wonder if it was beauty of scenery that attracted the very first people who lived along its banks, for neither the French nor Indians were its first inhabitants, if we read Time's records correctly, found in the mounds along the river, which hold evidences of a pre-historic people who lived in and around the waters of the river St. Joe. But it is of the French settlers we are to find memory for a few moments-the French who located on banks of the river named and blessed by Father Marquette in 1673, long before our settlers saw its waters.

The Chicago Historical Society Records state that the Récollet Father Hennepin, a companion of La Salle, entered the river from Lake Michigan and came up the stream, as far as where Three Rivers now stands, in 1679 and tradition says that Father Allouez founded a mission near the concrete bridge, which was destroyed and its priests taken prisoners when old Fort St. Joseph was captured, and that Father Hennepin explored the river as far east as the Nottawaseepe reservation and landed on its banks, near where now stands the midway bridge, and held divine worship with the Indians. The Mendon Women's Club has marked the landing place with a pyramid granite boulder, the gift of Mrs. H. L. McClellan, one of its members.

If to-day in looking backward we could see the old trail as it was in the years from 1820 to 1829, we would see numbers of worthy pioneers coming from Detroit to view the land they had heard so much about. They came, admired the river, appreciated the soil but when they saw the Indians they turned their faces towards other fields. Thus it was not until 1829, that the first trading post was established by the Godfroy brothers, who built two log houses on the south side of the river, just where the Marantette manor house now stands; one building was for a store the other for a shop. The views of the river from that point both east and west are very beautiful and far to the south, far as the eye could see lay thousands of acres of fertile prairie soil peopled by the Indians who came to the trading post for their supplies, the braves for hatchets-blankets and tobacco, the maidens for trinkets and beads to decorate their bridal moccasins.

The Nottawaseepe Indians were composed of portions of three great tribes. Potawatomies, Chippewas and Ottawas, noble braves in an earlier time, but degenerated through the influence of a depraved yet brilliant Frenchman, (Pierre Morreau,), the first white man to make

his home in the reservation.

He was an accomplished young man, a descendant of one of the first families of Canada. Possessing a desire for a financial career he embarked in business in Detroit and meeting disaster, made shipwreck. He brought the remnants of his goods to the valley of the St. Joseph and joined the Indians. Forgetting his family, name, race, lineage, he married a squaw and tried to drown himself in drink. His wisdom in council, and his sagacity in war raised him to the place of chief sachem, giving him great influence over the tribes. But alas! He taught them to drink too, depraving them, until they lost all self-control, all habits of industry and were a menace to civilization.

Pierre Morreau was the father of seven half-breeds, four sons and three daughters. Sauquoquette, his eldest son and successor, was a splendid specimen of physical manhood, standing six feet three inches. A man of strong will, inheriting his mother's crafty nature and the many talents of his father, he was well equipped for his place as leader. He was winning and courteous in manner, a gifted orator, gentle and polite when sober, but a fiend when drunk. A white man when drunk is bad, a drunken Indian is worse, but a drunken half-breed is a fiend incarnate. Sauquoquette was a fiend incarnate. Such was the condition of the reservation when the first white settler came to the post in 1831 to make a home in the present township of Mendon and assist the Godfroys in their store.

Monsieur François Mouton was a French gentleman from Monroe where he had served as grand juror in 1805 under Gov. Hull. Court was held at Monroe at the home of Jean Baptiste Jeraume, in the district of Erie. Chief Justice Woodward presided. Michigan had but three judicial districts then, Detroit, Huron and Erie. Madame Mouton, nee Catherine de Navarre,3 was a direct descendant of Robert de Navarre, Royal Notary of Detroit, of the House of de Navarre of France. Madam was a dear little aristocrat, who never laid aside her high heeled, pointed toed slippers, her insignia of royalty, even if her poor little feet did suffer on the rough roads, sometimes she cried out in anguish but kept her slippers on. Madame though petite, possessed great courage. One day, when alone with her children and an old servant, an Indian, somewhat the worse for liquor, came to the house de

Francois or Francis Mouton was the son of Francis Mouton, Sr., who was born in 1832, in the Parish of St. Pierre de Bouillon, diocese of Liège, Belgium, and Charlotte Duroseau. The elder Francis came to Canada in the French Army, married at Montreal and later in 1771 began to trade with the Miami Indians at Detroit. Francis, Jr., and Catherine Navarre were married before a civil magistrate, Feb. 7, 1809, at River Raisin. See Navarre Genealogy by Christian Denissen, Chapter 8.

Catherine Navarre's parents were John Mary Alexis Navarre and Archange Godet dit Marentette. Her father was born Sept. 21, 1763 at Detroit and died at River Raisin, May 22, 1836. See Navarre Genealogy.

manding the warm bread he smelled in passing. Madame refused him saying that she had but enough for her family. She sent the children up the ladder to the loft, the old servant followed with the bread and little Madame with the great iron poker stood at the foot of the ladder saying to the Indian. "Come no further, if you follow me I will strike, and I strike to kill." The Indian looked at her rigid figure, and fearless eyes, then shook his head saying "Little paleface much brave." He went away leaving Madame the victor.

In August, 1833, there came to the trading post one who was to wield a strong influence over the future of the settlement, the Honorable Patrick Marentette. He, too, was of royal blood, a scion of the House of de Navarre, handsome, well built and not more than twentyfive in years. Patrick Marantette was a native of Detroit where he had been most carefully educated under Father Gabriel Richard. This talented young diplomat was well calculated to take charge of the post for he possessed unbounded influence over the Indians as did his father before him. Mr. Marantette pre-empted a section of land, which included the post and Indian village. This land was reserved to him when the Indians sold their claims. From the day of his arrival at the post he was identified with every movement for progress. In September, 1833, he assisted Governor Porter in bringing about the signing of a treaty ceding the reservation to the United States. The first pay day was to be at the post in December, 1833, though the Indians were to hold possession of the land until 1835. Long before the big pay day came they were dissatisfied with the terms and ready to repudiate the treaty. They became suspicious of the rapid encroachments of the white settlers whose aggressiveness aroused Indian jealousy. At last the dreaded pay day arrived bringing Governor Porter and the government agents, Messieurs La Bard and de Navarre from Detroit who were to assist Mr. Marantette in paying the Indians. Just before morning's dawn a settler from an adjoining township unloaded several barrels of whiskey in the Indian village. Governor Porter discovered it and ordered Mr. Marantette to break in the barrel heads and let the liquor on the ground. The Indians were alive to the situation and falling on the ground vied with mother earth in consuming the fiery fluid. Just then Sauquoquette, the chief, who had figured in the sale came riding up dressed in his gayest apparel; blue coat with shining brass buttons, red sash, broad belt and sword; on his head an immense chapeau with waving plumes. His horse was finely caparisoned, and swinging his sword he cried: "I sold the land, and I would sell it again for whiskey." Quansette was standing near and drawing his pistol

'Patrick Marentette was born at Assumption, Sandwich, Canada, March 11, 1807 and died May 21, 1878. Idem.

"Gov. Porter-See volume XXXVII, p. 221, this series.

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