The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-11-20
A Bit of Michigan History.
Where the Title to tho site OF Detroit
Icas Obtained.

AT recent meeting Ol tne ioheoie
Society of Detroit, Levi Bishop pre-
sented to the Society the following
documents, which will explain them
selves. So far as known, this is the
first private conveyance of lands in
Michigan. 1t appears that the site of
the city of Detroit was originally sold
for ten thousand dollars, and that the ven.
dors were swiudled out of the purchase
money. 1t will be noticed that the
deed is also a Mortgage, by which the
property was encountered to secure the
payment of the purchase money. The
deed, it will be seen, was executed one
hundred and thirty-two years ago. The
following is the account, as given by
Mr.. Bishop, followed by translation
of the deed, and also of letter accom-
panying it, from Gregoire, Grand
daughter of Lamotte Cadillac, who it is
alleged, was the founder of Detroit:
November %, 1873. received from
the Rev. j. G. A. Desnoyers, of St.
Pie, Province of Quebec, deed from
the widow and heirs of Antoine De
Lamotte Cadillac, the founder of De-
troit, by which they conveyed the site
of Detroit with all rights and property
thereto belonging, to one Bernard
Maichens, a merchant OF the city OF
Marseilles Some of the words on this
paper have become obscured, and others
it is difficult to make out, partly on ac-
count of the language in use at the date
thereof, and partly on account of alb
breviations and technical words which
it contains; and yet, with the assistance
of our brother pioneer, Mr.. j. A,
Giradin, have attempted the following
free translation of the same.
With this deed | also received a
letter, free translation of which is also
herewith presented, bearing date Boston
August 20, 1748, purporting to be from
a granddaughter of the founder of De.
troit, and the only surviving heir and
representative of the family.
presume these papers do not in any
way affect the legal title to property il
Detroit, and yet they are curious and
interesting as part of the ancient
history of this locality, and as exhibiting
the forms of conveyances of real estate
in use in France, and of land in this
country, as a colony of France in the
reign of Louis XIV.
The title mentions two tribes of In
dians, which do not seem to be familiar
in modern history, and even if they are
correctly named they must have beer
obscure tribes, in the latter part of tht
last century, when the letter bears date
| apprehend. also, that the intimatior
in the letter to the effect that tn,
Iroquois were subjects of Cadillac viii
be regarded as erroneous
The grant by the French government
to Cadillac of l707 contained l5 arpent
square of ground, at any point he nigh
select for his proposed settlement on th,
Detroit river He selected the presen
site of this city, and his stockade fort
the old Fort Pontchartrain, thus named
after the French Minister, under who's,
immediate direction Cadillac acted, in
closed the ground at and about wher,
stands at the present time the Board o
Trade building, on Woodbridge street
1t would seem from this deed that il
those old times they were troubled il
Europe with deprecated paper currency
for the deed provides that payment ma,
be required in the current, ringin,
silver coin of the kingdom.
A French livre of those days wa
about 20 cents of our present money
or about 10a pence sterling, money o
England so that, in 1888, the whole o
Detroit and its appurtenances were sol,
for about $4,000 If we take into con
Sideration the changes in the value o
money between that time and this, tn
purchase price would probably amour
to between 100000 and 100000.
It is uncertain from these original
whether Castelsarrasy, or Castelsarrasi
as the word is spelt IN the letter, was
city or village, though 1 am inclinec
TO think, from a clause in the letter
that it was an incorporated city. | hav
translated the word city, but if it wa
such, it must have been small one.
1t will be noticed that in the deed
Detroit is described as upon Lake Erie
This locality is described in thi
way in several historical works of al
early date, which no doubt resultc,
, from confoundiDg the village, or post o
} settlement of Detroit with the Strait O
, River Detroit
Before reading may further remarl
,, that since these papers came into m
} hands, have been in correspondence
with persons in France, the object o
, which has been to trace out the famil
of Cadillac, and if possible to find
.. portrait of him from which a copy ma
be taken. Thus far l have not bee
, successful, but | shall not vet cease m
! efforts; and hope still to see, some day
n likeness of the founder ne Datro,