The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-08-19
SETTLEMENT OF DETROIT.
rhe First Permanent Settlers of a Now
Prosperous American City.

| The First Permanent Settlers of a Now
Prosperous American City.
1t was sweltering day in July, 1701
when Cadillac. with his little fleet oil
birch-baril canoes. turned southwest
from Lake St. Clair and entered the
broad, clear, beautiful river now known
IS the Detroit Had some native OF
the forest stood then upon its banks, he
must have been lost in wonder ut the
unwonted spectacle OF the strange
fotilia. Twenty-Five birchen boats
some measuring six feet wide and thirty
five feet lOng-gaudily decorated with
Indian symbols and waving gaily the
flags of France, glided gracefully down
the stream to the exhilarating sounds
of the fife and drum, and the joyful
shout that long Journey was over. The
boats were manned by fifty soldiers in
bright blue coats and white facings;"
and carried four officers and fifty emf
grants, with an abundant store OF pro-
visions and all the tools and utensils
needed III the building and settling of
a new town in the wilderness. Besides,
bA-AS "CIC Oil IhO
Catholic priests, for. ike all good
Frenchmen, Cadillac had a tender con-
Germ for the souls of his people. He
intended they should not neglect the
mass, or forget their pater-noSter.
They had come weary journey OF
fOrty-nine days, in those .cail boats,
over rough wares, the men bearing
them on their shoulders on the long
portage between the Ottawa river and
Lake Huron, and it was but natural
they should rejoice ut the end of their
voyage.
Where the river leaves Lake Huron
it is more than half league in width
and broken by picturesque islands;
but as it flows southwestward it con-
tracts into a single channel, and grad
ually narrows till at about ten miles
distance it has Il breadth of only half Il
mile. This is the STRAIT which was to
give its name-Detroit-to both the
river and the city to be built upon its
northern bank. Here, at sudden
bend in the stream, the canoes Were
drawn up on the beach, and landing.
the voyagers assembled to Il level plateau
which rose by successive terraces to
height of about fifty feet above the bed
Of the river. From this elevation they
mad view of the whole broad water
As it flows southwark, shut in at first
by steep bluffs, but then broadening
out. dotted with beautiful islands, till
at the distance of about twenty miles
its clear green current is lost in the
deep blue waves of Lake Erie. The
river here is three miles wide, discharg-
ing greater volume of water than
any other in the world, excepting only
the Niagara and st. Lawrence, which
receives its flow Cadillac was man
of broad, forecasting intellect, but it
may be questioned if even he would
have credited prediction that within
two hundred years that river, frost
bound Is it is nearly four months in
the year, would give passage to Il
greater annual tonnage than would
enter London-the largest seaport in
the world. And yet such is the fact.
as shown by the maritime tables for the
year 1884.
Cadillac formed a temporary en-
under the great spreading
trees. and. within two days, laid the
of church in which to
God after the manner of his
fathers. Then he staked out the ground |
for Il fort and stockade, and set at |
work to get the settlers housed before !
the winter, which he knew from eXpe- |
ricnce to be sometimes severe in this |
latitude. The stOckade is supposed to |
have included about twenty acres. 1t
was located on the first rise of ground |
near the rivec-in what is now the |
business part of the city-that the guns
Of the fort might command the strait |
and the opposite shore; and was made
thus roomv to allow each settler space
for Il dwelling inside the picketS, safety
being the thing to be first thought of
BY the new settlement. The settlers
were but Il handful. AMI they knew
themselves surrounded by at least forty
thousand savagcS, friendly then. but
liable ut any moment to become hostile
Ipon occasion OF sOme real or fancied
injury. The a"ea within the st2ckqIe
vas laid out into lJtS al streets, and
by 4 lane twelve feet in
width. to allow the garrison. in the
VIM VI tlAltNNN. IL u SlINSoo ~ IhNlI
'art OF the enclosure. Thus Cadillac
vas soon in command of walled CITY,
,uilt. it is true, of rough logs, and not
n the latest style of European accni-
ccture, but reasonably secure. if
'ravely defended, against attacks from
uch desultory warriors rs the Indians.
81 means of this fort the French
ecured control of the Great Lakes and
he fur trade of the Northwest: and
Icrc the traders and soldiers of that
atiOn congregated. and proclaimed
1ouis XIV. lord paramount of all the
asst region that stretches away to the
citing sun.
The adventurous Frenchman had now
uilt capital and assumed the COY
rnOrship of a vast territory. His next
tep was to people his settlement. and
btain the permanent goodwill OF the
ativeS of the lake region. To these
ndS he reSorted t. the novel eXpedient
t settling the Indians about him. and
ncouragIng his soldiers to marry their
Dung women. IN this way he hoped
, augment his population, and attach
ne aborigineS 10 him by ties of kinship.
NC htIiNC> IeSciNtu MS ONeTIureS
indy. and before long four different
'ibeS had established settlements with
l cannon-ShOt of the fOrt-the Miamis
nd Pottawatamies within half a mile
n its either side, and the Hurons and
ttawas on the opposite side of the
yer, near tho present town of Wind
Or. His scheme for intermingling the
-hite and red races was equally SHE
essful, for the Indian maiden soon
armed to prefer Johnny Crapeau for T
husband. He did not require her to 1