Fifty Years In The Northwest: With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And NotesFolsom, William H. C. (William Henry Carman)
History
Fifty Years In The Northwest: With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And Notes
Folsom, William H. C. (William Henry Carman)
Minnesota -- History; Wisconsin -- History
LOUIS MASSEY came of a long-lived French-Canadian family. His father
lived to the age of one hundred and seven and his mother to one
hundred and five and he himself lived to the age of ninety-nine years.
He was born in Canada, near Montreal, in 1788. In 1805 he left home to
enter the service of the British fur traders at Detroit. In his
eventful life he had many adventures and passed through many perils.
He was once arrested with his employer by the American authorities and
once made prisoner by the Indians. In 1812 he entered the employ of
the notorious Col. Dickson, and, while with him, made a trip from
Detroit by way of Mackinaw, Green Bay, Fox and Wisconsin rivers to
Prairie du Chien in a birch canoe. He made two trips in mackinaw boats
from Prairie du Chien to New Orleans and return. In one trip he was
four months making his way from New Orleans to St. Louis. He made one
voyage in a birch canoe from Montreal via Ottawa river, Georgian bay,
Lake Huron, St. Marie's river and Lake Superior to Fond du Lac, at the
mouth of St. Louis river, via Sandy lake and the Mississippi river to
Lake Winnibagoshish, and another from Fond du Lac to Brule river,
across to St. Croix river, thence to the Mississippi, and by way of
St. Peter's river to Lake Traverse by canoe. In 1818 he entered the
service of the American Fur Company, and lived at Fond du Lac, the
headquarters of the company, for ten years. There he was married to a
sister of Peter Bouchea. In 1828 he settled on the reservation near
Fort Snelling, where he was held in such estimation that, on the
expulsion of the settlers, the officers of the Fort assisted him in
his removal to Willow River, whither he came in 1838 with Peter
Bouchea. Wm. Steets and Joseph Lagroo soon followed them. These four
were the first settlers in Hudson. Mr. Massey lived at his old home
with a son-in-law, Richard Picard, until his death, Oct. 14, 1887. His
only child living is Mrs. Picard.
PETER BOUCHEA was born at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, about 1815. He
spent his early life in the neighborhood of Lake Superior, was married
to a daughter of ---- Bruce, and came to the mouth of Willow river in
1838. Mr. Bouchea had been educated for the Catholic priesthood. He
was a truthful, intelligent, reliable man and filled some positions of
responsibility. He had many stirring adventures and was once wounded
by Indians and cared for by Gov. Cass, of Michigan, at Detroit and
Fort Gratiot. He died in 1875, at Fort Edward, on the north shore of
Lake Superior.
WILLIAM STREETS came to Willow River in 1838, a refugee from the Fort
Snelling reservation. He was frozen to death in the winter of 1851.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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