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    Monroe:: The Early Years
    Monroe:: The Early Years
    Monroe:: The Early Years
    Ebook240 pages1 hour

    Monroe:: The Early Years

    By Craig E. Hutchison and Kimberly A. Hutchison

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    About this ebook

    One of the oldest settlements in Michigan, Monroe is a treasure trove of American history. Legacies of Native American cultures, French settlement, the War of 1812, the Civil War, and 19th-century progress still echo through its beautiful streets and structures. The Monroe area is nationally known as the site of the Battles and Massacre of the River Raisin, among the largest engagements of the War of 1812. But perhaps it is better known as the home of General George Armstrong Custer, the great Civil War hero who valiantly led Union troops to victory, only to perish at the Battle of Little Bighorn.This book uses rare images and historical insights to document and celebrate Monroe's early development, military legacy, legendary figures, and architectural splendor.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateSep 18, 2012
    ISBN9781439631553
    Monroe:: The Early Years
    Author

    Craig E. Hutchison

    Craig Hutchison is a historian, researcher and author. He has worked in history-related positions for such institutions as the Henry Ford Estate, the Henry Ford Museum, Wayne County Parks and the Dearborn Historical Museum. A lifelong resident of the hometown of Henry Ford, Dearborn, Michigan, Craig earned a BA in history at the University of Michigan. The study of history has always been his major passion, as has the opportunity to write and be published. While at the Wayne County Parks, he served on the National Heritage Area project, which resulted in the Detroit Metropolitan area being named the MotorCities National Heritage Area. Craig has never been far away from the history of Henry Ford and while at the Henry Ford Estate, he worked on projects related to the interpretation of history, including the improvement of tours and reenactment activities. Working as a historical interpreter at Greenfield Village, guiding the public as to what life was really like in the past provided an interesting perspective compared to writing about historical topics. The Dearborn Historical Museum opened up a whole new world to Craig as he served as communications specialist. Having a great desire to continue training in this amazing field, Craig is presently pursuing an MA in public history from Arizona State University. But truly, there is no greater thrill for Craig than to be able to share fascinating history with the public via the publishing of the written word and his hope is that his fourth book opens eyes and provides some thrilling moments for readers.

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      Book preview

      Monroe: - Craig E. Hutchison

      www.wanderingwolverine.com

      INTRODUCTION

      Monroe is one of the oldest settlements in Michigan. The history of Monroe, as that of many areas that were on the frontier, is closely connected to the presence of a river. Waterways have served as a means of survival for human beings throughout history. Rivers and lakes have determined the location of numerous settlements, and this is certainly true with the Monroe area. Flowing along with the River Raisin is a rich and interesting historic timeline that details the different eras of Monroe’s past.

      Years before the first European settlers came to the area, Native Americans reached it via Lake Erie in their birch bark canoes, paddling up the river they called Nummasepee or River of Sturgeon. Everything needed to sustain life was either in or around the river: fish, birds, and other animals filled the marshes and creeks. Trees were filled with various nuts, berries, and syrup. The Native Americans lived a nomadic life and the Monroe area was a popular camping site because of its abundance. French missionaries visited the area as early as 1634 and named the river Riviere aux Raisins because of the numerous grapevines that lined the banks. The first permanent white settler was Francois Navarre, who moved to the area from Detroit in 1780. Navarre built a cabin on the south side of the Riviere aux Raisins on land that was deeded to him by local tribes. Within a few years, close to 100 French families followed him and set up farms along the river. This first settlement became known as Frenchtown.

      When Americans started to make their way west to settle in the Michigan territory, the British were determined to continue to control the area because of the lucrative fur trade and because control of the Great Lakes was strategically advantageous. When the War of 1812 broke out, Frenchtown found itself in the middle of a very important region. The Battle of the River Raisin was the single most deadly battle for the United States during the entire war. To make matters worse, over 60 unarmed American wounded were massacred by Native Americans after the battle. Remember the River Raisin became the battle cry during the rest of the war. The destruction was so severe that the settlement around the River Raisin remained impoverished for five years.

      After the Americans proved victorious in the War of 1812, the settlement grew slowly. In 1817, the area became known as Monroe in honor of President James Monroe, who had served as both Secretary of State and Secretary of War, as well as the first President to visit the Northwest Territory. With the completion of the Erie Canal, settlement increased and Monroe became Lake Erie’s only commercial port. Monroe became even more connected to outer regions when the Michigan Southern Railroad was completed in 1841, linking Monroe to New Buffalo (on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan). As more settlers traveled west, the talented people needed to develop the area arrived: farmers, storekeepers, lawyers, physicians, school teachers, preachers, blacksmiths, mill operators, and more.

      Monroe’s most famous son, George Armstrong Custer, went to school and met his future bride, Elizabeth Libbie Bacon, here. During the Civil War, Custer fought as a cavalry officer in many of the major battles, including Bull Run, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, and he was also present at Appomattox. He rose to the rank of brevet Major General during the war. He rose to national fame due to his Civil War exploits. At the close of the war he was mustered out of the service as Lieutenant Colonel of the Seventh Calvary and went with his command to Texas. Thus began his long service on the western plains, extending from Texas to the Black Hills and the northern boundary, where he won fame as an Indian fighter and met his tragic death at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876.

      The rest of Monroe’s sons also served valiantly in the Civil War. No county in the country had a higher number of volunteers, proportionately, than Monroe County. Monroe men were mustered in the Fourth, Seventh, Fifteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth Michigan Regiments. A number of Monroe men earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. Monroe, just like the rest of the nation, cheered and celebrated when the Confederate army surrendered to end the war. The celebration turned to mourning, however, when just a few days later, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

      In addition to these historical eras, other arenas of life have figured prominently in Monroe’s history, including the formation of its churches and the architecture of its dwellings. These topics provide very interesting stories, many of which are shared in the following pages. The intention in the development of this book was to share as much of the rich heritage of the Monroe area as possible within the constraints of time and space. Please bear in mind that everything that has ever happened during the history of Monroe could not, unfortunately, be covered because of the considerations stated above. What is covered in the following pages are topics that the writer felt would be interesting and that share as much of the wonderful heritage of the Monroe area as possible. The time period covered is basically from the Native Americans and the early settlers to the late 1800s. This leaves open the possibility of a second book in the future.

      It is hoped that the reader will find this work informative, insightful, and interesting. The Monroe area has much to be proud of in its heritage and this book is intended to be a tribute to the region. There is something that exists in human beings that yearns to make a connection with the past: He is lifted beyond and above himself into higher worlds where he talks with all his great ancestors, one of an illustrious group whose blood is in his veins and whose domain and reputation he proudly bears. If the reader can identify with this statement after spending time with this book, it will have served the purpose with which the authors started out. Enjoy the images, the text, the people, places, and stories of Monroe.

      One

      EARLY INHABITANTS AND FRANCOIS NAVARRE

      French missionaries visited the River Raisin as early as 1634. There they found Native Americans, specifically, the Potawatomi tribe, which had been attracted to the area for the abundance of food and resources that existed in and around the river. They could travel freely along the shores of Lake Erie in their birch bark canoes and then up the meandering river which provided them with easy access to the interior of the land. The river was full of huge sturgeon, black bass, and whitefish. Ducks, geese, swans, and muskrat filled the marshes. Beaver, mink, and otter were in and around the creeks. Berries and walnut, hickory, and chestnut trees provided fine delicacies. In the spring, maple trees flowed with sap, from which the Native Americans made syrup and sugar. The fall was harvest time for wild rice in the marshes. The squaws paddled through the marshes, beating the rice plants over the edge of the canoe in order to fill the bottom of the craft with grain. The Potawatomi were a nomadic people who lived off the land. Their villages were only winter campsites. Other than the abundance of food, the Monroe area was a popular camping place because it was on the Saginaw Trail, one of the main trails in the area. The trail (today known as US-25) led south from Saginaw Bay through the area now known as Monroe and connected with the Great Trail that ran from Chicago through present day Toledo.

      The Native American villages were a collection of crude buildings that served their purpose well as groups came and went. Fish was the mainstay of their diet. Corn was made into cornmeal, bread, and soup. Corn silk and pumpkin blossoms were used for flavoring or thickening broth. Wild plants were gathered for food and milkweed flowers were stewed for preserves. Moss on white pine was used to freshen up the water. Tea was made from tree bark.

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