The L'Anse sentinel., 1922-08-25
! RecOllectiOns of E
! a Pioneer {
u fs
ASSININS AND ZEBA
The Two Oldest Permanent Settle
ments on Keweenaw Bay
(Continued from Last Week)

The most conspicuous objects OF
this little village spread out over the
top of rocky hill, are the closely
interviewer edifices of the church,
convent schools, and priests house,
built of solid rocks extracted on the
very spot. The well cultivated ground
surrounding it has been turned into a
large garden, its walks bordered by
a SPLENDID orchard. There are two
watermills supplying the necessary
moisture to this naturally rich soil.
One of the windmills in the center of
the garden, the other one, now sell
dom used, is on a lower level, right
where the ground shears off abruptly,
meeting the sand beach of the lake
shore. There are barns, stables and
woodsheds, all the inhabited parts
are provided with modern heating ap-
paratus and electric lights. The own
ers and their wards keep everything
in the place trim.
Fifty years ago this member boast
ed of church built of logs by Faith
er Baraga, beginning to show signs
of decay. A small goat school and a
little farm house was just in process
Of erection for the priests quarters,
who himself was the architest, car
penter, and mason, with another of
the Indians helping him. There were
about twenty log houses Father Bar
aga had built partly on his own ex-
pense and with his own hands, the
population being perhaps $50 souls
at that time (1343). They lived al.
most exclusively on fish and various
game, keeping neither cows nor hors-
es, dops and chickens being their on.
iy company. The fur of the game
which they killed and the berries they
picked when the time (season) came
around and what sugar they made
out of the maple sap, all helped tt
make ends meet, although all or mos
Of these articles were plentiful, es
pecially the trout and white fish
there was no market for it. They hat
to dry their berries, and smoke theil
fish and venison for their own, which
was good thing, for there came per
iods during the year when the condi
ti'n Of the weather prohibits fishing
when game is scarce or hard to catcl
and seasons when the huckleberry
crap is failing, due to frost or othe
causes. Yet if they were improvi
dent, (Which is their wild, unciivil
lied state) starvation might-no
would have never threatened them
There was food enough for dweller
near the lake spread out so thinly-
enough to carry them through fror
one season to the other,f they onl
provided for the future in time o
plenty. Of course, being so plenti
full, fish was cheap, and it was no
easy, especially in the winter time
to dispose of it to the nearest settlers
of whom there were not many. TIL
country was in its primeval state un
til the mines began to develor
There was no other way to travel bu
from shoe paths in the winter tim
CT canoe trip. Fifty years ago,
settler along the Keweenaw Bay wa
practically as far away from mark
ct as Chicago is today from Me-
York. Their nearest to it, the cor
per mines, just growing into lif'
were "a miles distant-the only roa
leading thither consisted of snow
shoe trail through the never endin
woods or moccasin path when tn
snow was gone. The ice on the lax
was not always available for trav,
on account Of the assures opening /;
times and in closing again, threw u
masses Of heavy ice, hard to pas
But when the ice both in Keweena
Bay and Portage Lake was in fir
condition, travelling with dogs an
sleighs was fine. The nearest habi
alton on their way to Houghton, wa
a shanty two miles south of Hougl
ton, in summer of course. These ne
towns would be easily reached wit
bark canoe, which few LAnse Ir
dams still possessed and but few wer
able to yet construct. The winter
journeys after heavy fall Of sno'
and every track wiped out were a
but demoralizing, dogs and driver, tn
load Of barrel Of flour on their tc
boggan as they toddled along throug
the silent woods, stripping on thei
way unawares, the overhanging bush
es of their load of snow, the pack
on their sleigh being shaken from sid
to side, loosening the bonds and ne
cessitating adjustment and It is un