Collected & edited by Amorin Mello

The below image from the Wisconsin Historical Society is a storymap showing La Pointe in 1834 as abstract squiggles on an oversized Madeline Island surrounded by random other Apostle Islands, Bayfield Peninsula, Houghton Point, Chequamegon Bay, Long Island, Bad River, Saxon Harbor, and Montreal River.

My original (ongoing) goal for publishing this post is to find an image of the original 1834 map by Lyman Marcus Warren at the New York Historical Society to explore what all of his squiggles at La Pointe represented in 1834.  Instead of immediately achieving my original goal, this post has become the first of a series exploring letters in the American Fur Company Papers by/to/about Warren at La Pointe.

 

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New York Historical Society

American Fur Company Papers: 1831-1849

America’s First Business Monopoly

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#16,582

 

 

 

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#36

 

Lapointe Lake Superior
September 20th ’34

 

Ramsey Crooks Esqr

Dear Sir

on My Way In as Mr Warren was was detained So Long at Mackinac I did not Wait for him at this Place as time was of So Much Consequence to me to Get my People Into the County that I Proceeded Immediately to Fond Du Lac with the Intention with the Intention of Returning to this Place When I Had Sent the Outfit off but When I Got There I Had News from the Interior Which Required me to Go In and Settle the Business there; the [appearance?] In the Interior for [????] is tolerable.  Good Provision there is [none?] Whatever I [have?] Seen the [Country?] [So?] Destitute.  The Indians at [Fort?] [?????] Disposed to give me Some trouble when they found they have to Get no Debts and buy their amunition and tobacco and not Get it For Nothing as usual but at Length quieted down [?????] and have all gone off to their Haunts as usual.

I Received your Instructions contained in your Circular and will be very Particular In Following them.  The outfits were all off when I Received them but the men’s acts and the Invoices of the Goods Had all been Settled according to your Wishes and Every Care Will be taken not to allow the men to get In Debt the Clerks Have Strict orders on the Subject and it is made known to them that they will be Held for any of the Debts the men may Incur.

I Enclose to you the Bonds Signed and all the Funds we Received from Mr Johnston Excepting those Which Had been given to the Clerks and I could not Get them Back In time to Send them on at Present.

Mr Warren And myself Have Committed on What is to be done at this Place and I am certain all that Can be done Will be done by him.  I leave here tomorrow For the Interior of Fond Du Lac Where I must be as Soon as possible.

I have written to Mr Schoolcraft as he Inquested me.  Mr Brewster’s men would not Give up their [??????] and [???] [????] is [??] [?????] [????] [????] [to?] [???????] [?????] [to?] [persuade?] [more?] People for Keeping [his?] [property?] [Back?] [and] [then?] [???] by some [???] ought to be sent out of the Country [??] they are [under?] [the?] [???] [?] and [Have?] [no?] [Right?] to be [????] [????] they are trouble [????] [???] [their?] [tongues?].

The Site Selected Here For the Buildings by Mr Warren is the Best there is the Harbour is good and I believe the work will go on well.

as For the Fishing we Will make Every Inquiry on the Subject and I Have no Doubt on My Mind of Fairly present that it will be more valuable than the Fur trade.

In the Month of January I will Write you Every particular How our affairs stand from St Peters.  Bailly Still Continues to Give our Indians Credits and they Bring Liquor from that Place which they Say they Get from Him.

Please let Me know as Early as possible with Regard to the Price of Furs as it will Help me In the trade.  the Clerks all appear anxious to do their Duty this year as the wind is now Falling and I am In Haste I Will Write you Every particular of our Business In January.

Wishing that God may Long Prosper you and your family.
In health and happiness.

I remain most truly,
and respectfully
yours $$

William A. Aitken

 

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#42

 

Lake Superior
LaPointe Oct 16 1834

 

Ramsey Crooks Esqr
Agent American Fur Co

Honoured Sir

Your letter dated Mackinac Sept [??] reached me by Mr Chapman’s boat today.-

I will endeavour to answer it in such a manner as will give you my full and unreserved opinion on the different subjects mentioned in it.

I feel sorry to see friend Holiday health so poor, and am glad that you have provided him a comfortable place at the Sault.  As you remark it is a fortunate circumstance that we have no opposition this year or we would certainly have made a poor resistance.  I can see no way on which matters would be better arranged under existing circumstances than the way in which you have arranged it.  If Chaboillez, and George will act in unison and according to your instructions, they will do well, but I am somewhat affeared, that this will not be the case, as I think George might perhaps from jealously refuse to obey Chaboillez or give him the proper help.  Our building business prevents me from going there myself.  I suppose you have now received my letter of last Sept, in which I mentioned that I had kept the Doctor here.  I shall send him in a few days to see how matters comes on at the Ance.  The Davenports are wanted at present in FDLac should it be necessary to make any alteration.  I shall leave the Doctor at the Ance.

I think we will want about 2 Coopers but as you suggest I if they may be got cheaper than the [????] [????].  The Goods Mr Hall has got is for his own use that is to say to pay his men [??].  The [??] [??????] [has?] to pay for a piece of land they bot from an Indian woman at Leech Lake.  As far as my information goes the Missionaries have never yet interfered with our trade.  Mr Hall’s intention is to have his establishment as much disconnected with regular business as he possibly can and he gets his supplies from us.

[We?] [have?] received the boxes [Angus?] [??] [???].  [You?] mention also a box, but I have not yet received it.  Possible it is at the Ance.

The report about Dubay has no doubt been exaggerated.  When with me at the Ance he mentioned to me that Mr Aitkin told him he had better tell the Indians not to kill their beaver entirely off and thereby ruin their country.  The idea struck me as a good one and as far as I recollect I told him, it would perhaps be good to tell them so.  I have not yet heard from any one, that he has tried to prevent the Indians from paying their old Debts and I should not be astonished to fend the whole is one of those falsehoods which Indians are want to use to free themselves from paying old Debts.  I consider Dubay a pretty active man, but the last years extravagancies have made it necessary to have an eye upon him to prevent him from squandering.

My health had been somewhat impaired by my voyage from the Sault to this place.  Instead of going to Lac Du Flambeau myself as I intended I sent the Doctor.  He has just now returned and tells me that Dubay gets along pretty well, though there were some small difficulties which toke place, but which the Dr settled.  The prospect are very discouraging, particularly on a/c of provisions.  We have plenty opposition and all of them with liquor in great abundance.  It is provoking to see ourselves restricted by the laws from taking in liquor while our opponents deal in it as largely as ever.  The traders names are as far as could be ascertained Francois Charette and [Chapy?].  The liquor was at Lac du Flambeau while the Doctor was there.  I have furnished Dubay with means to procure provisions, as there is actually not 1 Sack of Corn or Rice to be got.

The same is the case on Lac Courtoreilie and Folleavoigne no provisions and a Mr Demarais on the Chippeway River gives liquor to the Indians.

You want my ideas upon the fishing business.  If reliance can be put in Mr Aitkin’s assertions we will at least want the quantity of Net thread mentioned in our order.  Besides this we will want for our fishing business 200 Barrels Flour,  [??] Barrels Pork, 10 Kegs Butter, 1000 Bushels Corn, [??] Barrels Lard, 10 or 11 Barrels Tallow.

Besides this we want over and above the years supply an extra supply for our summer Establishments. say about 80 Barrels Flour, 30 Barrels Pork, 1500 # Butter, 400 Bushels Corn, 5 Barrels Lard, 5 Barrels Tallow.  This will is partly to sell. be sold.

Mr Roussain will be as good as any if not better in my opinion for our business than Holiday.  Ambrose Davenport might take the charge of the Ance but Roussain will be more able on account of his knowledge in fishing.  I would recommend to take him as a partner.  say take Holidays share if he could not be got for less.

I have not done much yet toward building.  The greatest part of my men have been in the exterior to assist our people to get in.  But they have now all arrived.  We have got about 4 acres of land cleared, a wintering house put up and a considerable quantity of boards sawed.  Mr Aitkin did not supply me with two Carpenters as he promised at Mackinac.  I will try to get along as well as I can without them.  I engaged Jos Dufault and Mr Aitkin brot me one of Abbott’s men, who he engaged.  But I will still be under the necessity of hiring Mr Campbell of the mission to make our windows sashes and to superintend The framing of the buildings.  Mr Aitkins have done us considerable damage by not fulfilling his promise in this respect.  I told you in Mackinac that Mr Aitkin was far from being exact in business.  Your letter to him I will forward by the first opportunity.  I think it will have a good effect and you do right in being thus plain in stating your views.  His contract deserves censure, and I will hope that your plain dealing with him will not be lost upon him.  Shall I beg you to be as faithfull to me by giving me the earliest information whenever you might disapprove of any transaction of mine.

I have received a supply of provisions from Mr Chapmann which will enable me to get through this season.  The [?] [of?] [???] [next?], the time you have set for the arrival of the Schooner, will be sufficient, early for our business.  The Glass and other materials for finishing of the buildings would be required to be sent up in the first trip but if [we?] [are?] [??] better to have them earlier.  If these articles could be sent to the Sault early in the Spring a boat load might be formed of [Some?] and Provisions and sent to the Ance.  From there men could be spared at that season of the year to bring the load to this place.  In that way there would be no heavy expense incurred and I would be able to have the buildings in greater forwardness.

If the plan should meet your approbation please let me know by the winter express.  While Mr Aitkin was here we planned out our buildings.  The House will be 86 feet by 26 feet in the clear, the two stores will be put up agreeable to your Draft.  We do not consider them to large.

I am afraid I shall not be able to build a wharf in season, but shall do my best to accomplish all that can be done with the means I have.

I would wish to call your attention towards a few of the articles in our trade.  I do not know how you have been accustomed to buy the Powder whether by the Keg or pound.  If a keg is estimated at 50#, there is a great deception for some of our kegs do not contain more than 37 or 40 #s.

Our Guns are very bad particularly the barrels.  They splint in the inside after been fired once or twice.

Our Holland twine is better this year than it has been for Years.  One dz makes about 20 fathoms, more than last year.  But it would be better if it was bleached.  The NW Company and old Mr Ermantinger’s Net Thread was always bleached.  It nits better and does not twist up when put into the water.  Our maitre [??] [???] are some years five strand.  Those are too large we have to untwist them and take 2 strands out. Our maitre this year are three strand they are rather coarse but will answer.  They are not durable nor will they last as long as the nets of course they have to be [renewed?].  The best maitres are those we make of Sturgeon twine.  We [?????] the twine and twist it a little.  They last twice as long as our imported maitres.  The great object to be gained is to have the maitres as small as possible if they be strong enough.  Three coarse strands of twisted together is bulky and soon nits.

Our coarse Shoes are not worth bringing into the country.  Strong sewed shoes would cost a little more but they would last longer.  The [Booties?] and fine Shoes are not much better.

Our Teakettles used to have round bottoms.  This year they are flat.  They Indians always prefer the round bottom.

In regard to the observations you have made concerning the Doctor’s deviating from the instructions I gave him on leaving Mackinac, I must in justice to him say that I am now fully convinced in my own mind that he misunderstood me entirely, merely by an expression of mine which was intended by me in regard to his voyage from Mackinac to the Sault but by him was mistaken for the route through Lake Superior.  The circumstances has hurt his feelings much and as he at all times does his best for the Interest of the Outfit I ought to have mentioned in my last letter, but it did not strike my mind at that time.

When Mr Aitkin was here he mentioned to me some information he had obtained from somebody in Fond du Lac who had been in the NW Co service relating to a remarkable good white fish fishery on the “Milleau” or “Millons” Islands (do not know exactly the proper name).  They lay right opposite to Point Quiwinau.  a vessel which passes between the island and the point can see both.  Among Mr Chapmann’s crew here there is an old man who tells me that he knew the place well, he says the island is large, say 50 or 60 miles.  The Indian used to make their hunts there on account of the great quantity of Beaver and Reindeer.  It is he says where the NWest Co used to make their fishing for Fort William.  There is an excellent harbour for the vessel it is there where the largest white fish are caught in Lake Superior.  Furthermore the old man says the island is nearer the American shore than the English.  Some information might be obtained from Capt. McCargo.  If it proves that we can occupy the grounds I have the most sanguine hopes that we shall succeed in the fisheries upon a large scale.

I hope you will gather all the information you can on the subject.  Particular where the line runs.  If it belongs to the Americans we must make a permanent post on the Island next year under the charge of an active person to conduct the fisheries upon a large scale.

Jh Chevallier one of the men I got in Mackinac is a useless man, he has always been sick since he left Sault.  Mr Aitkin advised me to send him back in Chapman’s Boat.  I have therefore send him out to the care of Mr Franchere.

By the Winter Express I will to give you all the informations that I may be able to give.  I will close by wishing you great health and prosperity.  Please present my Respects to Mr Clapp.

I remain Dear Sir.

Very Respectfully Yours
Most Obedient Servant

Lyman M. Warren

 

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To be Continued in 1835…