The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1907-01-26
EARLY DAYS IN
UPPER MICHIGAN
"Uncle Jimmy" Stiles Tells of Survey
Of Upper Peninsula Which
Began In 1845.

| WISH m6TqucIGc couiu Oc pu'
back sixty years, for just few
hours, so that the younger genera
tions could see from what the
hourshing little city OF today has
sprung. In 1847 a few fami.
lies arrived and Marquette has
been growing ever since.
Thus spoke James w. Stiles, at bis
home on Arch street recently. says
the Marquette Mining Journal. The
reporter found him in reminiscent
mood, and, when SO disposed. Mr..
Stiles can tell many a tale of T. e
pioneer days in the upper peninsula,
when this now well settled portion
OF the state of Michigan was literally
the 'forest primeval. +" For OF all
the people at present in Marquett.,
''Uncle Jimmy" as he is Familiarity y
called, was the first to see the spot
on which the city Is now built.
Eiyhty-four years OF aye, and weak
ening under the weight OF them,
Uncle Jimmy" sits by the warm
Ere in bis room all dav ever ready to
tell his visitor OF the days which are
gone forever. He has remarkably v
vivid memory and can give the dates
OF nearly all the important happen
ings in Marquette with very little
effort.
Came to Marquette First in 1s45.
M. Stiles first cam to the pres
ent site OF Marquette 10 1845, on the
government survey, in company
with DR.. Douglass Houghton and
William A. Burt. Tue party con-
sisting OF about twenty men, left
Detroit on May 3, 1845, going ia
Sault Ste. Marie by steamboat. and
then to Marquette in small sailing
boats, which they bad brought W ith
lsheDp pespthar rsaessrsT~ Phry hsuSlsd
at the mouth of Dead river and pre-
pared to execute their commissio n
from the government to lay out the
upper peninsula into townships. The
only tracks through the wilderness
were the paths made by the Indians,
who had long trail over land and
water from Marquette to tonagnn
On the site of the present city Of
Marquette there were then only q
few scattered Indian wigwams.
The survey began at point on
the shore of the lake which is now
the north west corner OF Cboco ay
township, going west twelve miles
tn Teal lake, near Negaunee. From
there line was run north eiyh,e n
miles and thence west through
L'Anse 10 Ontonagon, the shore Of
Lake Superior being reached again
about fifteen miles west of the pres
ent villaya Of Ontonayon. Consid-
erable work was accomplished that
year, and before the survey was
completed the entire district west OF
Marquette was laid out in towns, the
boundaries being well defined and
marked. The work was completed
in the fall Of l847, but the subdivis-
ions were not all made until some
years later.
Four Families At L'Anse.
"There we're very few people 10
the upper peninsula at that time, .
said Mr.. Stiles. "At L'Anse there
we're four white men and their
families, sent there by the govern.
ment to teach the Indians. The men
were Beacon, q carpent ter Rat b bone,
q blacksmith; q farmer whose name
/ did not learn. and Mr. Hathaway.
Methodist minister. who bad es-
tablished mission, about three
miles up the bay from L'Anse. The
Catholic priests also bad a mission
on the Baraga side OF the bay at the
present Assinins mission. The little
settlement at L'Anse had one &C.
QUESTION in the fall OF 45, q member
OF our party. The blacksmith was 10
sore need Of u helper and he asked
for volunteer from our party. He
fsemained and settled at L'Anse He
afterwards married squaw, and
though he made one trip below the
straits he returned to his squaw
wife and continued TO reside at
L'Aose until bis death.
There was some excitement atom
tonagon when we arrived there. A
nHn rrA- -~~