The L'Anse sentinel., 1898-04-23
FREDERICK BARAGA.
Interesting Biography of the
Great Indian Mis-
siOnary.
AMONG INDIANS AT L'ANSE.
Peter CrebaSSa-The Methodist
MissiOn-ReV. John ii.
Pitezell's Letter.
AMONG INDIANS AT L'ANSE.

Ia writing an outline of such ;
history as is that of Father Baraga
the scenes of which are laid princi
pally in our own state of Michigan
it is exceedingly agreeable to bt
, able to introduce some contempory
witnesses whose reliable testimony
might confirm what | may write
This is all the more satisfactory, fol
the subject is one which might tempt
any writer to eXaggerate the known
facts of such history
But SO many pass out of existence
during consecutive term of half a
century, that but few contemporaries
remain whose intelligence and whose
memories would render them quail
fled to testify in regard to events
in Father Baraga's career during
the ''forties'' and "fifties, while
documentary or printed detail is al
most entirely unavailable. 1t is, un-
fortunately, my own experience
that most of the commercial and
professional correspondents who
knew the venerable missionary, and
who were witnesses of his works
during the decades under considera-
ton, and whose intelligence and
veracity might throw additional
lightupon uncertain events, have
passed from this life. And the man
of all others who was best qualified
to testify as to his ecclesiastical
chief, the Very Rev. Edward Jacker,
has long since been called to his
eternal reward, leaving but brief
outline of the history needed, which
would require volumes to elaborate
were the materials available.
In the fall of iS43 Father Baraga
returned from LaPoint to L'Anse.
Peter Crebassa offered q building
which stood on the sight of the
American Fur company's old place,
a mile and "a half above L'Anse vii
lage. to the venerable missionary.
Father Baraga's old friend, Peter
Crcbassa, was born in the Red River
country, Canada, August 10, 1906.
When five years old, he accompanied
his parents to Montreal He was
brought up in that city and received
a liberal education. In 1929 he went
to Mackinac as an agent of the
American Fur company. In the
discharge of his duties he coasted
Lake Superior from the Sault to
Fond du Lac. At that early day
an occasional trading post was all
there was to suggest the approach
of civilization. The wild scenes he
must have passed through, the
perilous voyages that he was Obliged
to make in the frail craft of that
period were all fraught with danger
and adventure. The details of such
a life would furnish material for an
interesting story. For twenty-five
for the fur company, during which
time he was stationed at different
intervals at L'Anse, LaPoint. Fond
du Lac and Rainy Lake, on the line
of the British possessions. He was
first located at L'Anse in 1897.
After severing his connection with
the fur company, he purchased u
stock Of goods and established
trading post for himself at l. 'Anse,
now the Methodist Mission. He
was appointed postmaster in 1852,
aud held that position for number
of years.
When Father Baraga came to
in 1S43 he found "a Methodist
mission which had but a feeble ex-
istence, as has been stated before.
1t will be OF interest for the reader
to get acquainted with the history
of this mission. After the exit of
Mr.. Dingle, an agent of the Ameri-
cln Fur company, John Sunday,
native preacher of the Wesleyan de-
came to Kewawenan.
The same year, Rev. John Clark
visited Fort Brady, and subsequent
ly made stay at Kewawenan, where
he continued the mission work be-
gun there by John Sunday. To him
is due the credit of erecting the old
log mission house, school house, and
many lof the Indian houses which
lined the shore of L'Anse Bay. In
1897, ID. NJ Chandler, the first
regularly appointed Methodist
preacher to the Sault and Kewa
wenan missions, arrived. In 1888,
w. n. Brockway, a blacksmith, was
Methodist minister at the
Sault, and in 1899 superintendent OF
missions. The Indians named him