The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Volume 1, 1917-1918Various
History
The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Volume 1, 1917-1918
Various
Wisconsin -- History -- Periodicals
With regard to the several names of the separate islands: We have
above accounted for York and Michigan. Outer Island explains itself,
as do Ironwood, Oak, Basswood, Sand, Rocky, North and South Twin,
Bear, Cat (Wild Cat, no doubt), and Otter. Raspberry Island takes its
name from Raspberry River. This name was used in its French form
_Rivière à la Framboise_ as early as 1804 (probably earlier). See
_Wisconsin Historical Collections_, XIX, 174. Devil Island and Manitou
Island are both the same name. That is, the Indians called all
supernatural beings “manitous.” Hermit Island and Stockton Island have
probably some local significance from dwellers upon their area. We are
not informed concerning them. Madelaine Island has been known by many
names. Its present name is that of the wife of an early trader, Michel
Cadotte. She was an Indian woman whose father was a local chief.
Madelaine was the name she received when baptized. The island was
frequently known as St. Michel, or St. Michael’s, from the given name
of Cadotte, who was the principal trader on the island for many years.
Its Indian name was Moningwanekaning, supposed to mean the Place of
the Golden-breasted Woodpecker (hence, sometimes, Woodpecker Island).
However, Father Chrysostom Verwyst, a Catholic missionary, now our
best authority on Chippewa place names, defines it recently in _Acta
et Dicta_ (July, 1916), published by the Catholic Historical Society
of St. Paul, as “the place where there are many lapwings.” This island
has also been called La Ronde, for a French commandant of the
eighteenth century; La Pointe Island, from the name of the region La
Pointe du Chequamegon; and Saint Esprit Island from the early Mission
du St. Esprit mentioned above. It was also sometimes called Middle
Island as lying midway between Sault Ste. Marie and Fort William, the
fur-trade post on the northwest of Lake Superior. Sometimes it appears
on maps as Montreal Island; the reason for this we do not know;
perhaps it was the terminus of the trip from Montreal, Canada, or was
so named because some of its inhabitants had been educated at
Montreal.
To recapitulate: the largest island of the Apostle Group was first
known as Moningwanekaning or Woodpecker or Lapwing; in the eighteenth
century as La Ronde, La Pointe, and St. Esprit; was known to the fur
traders as Middle and Montreal; was christened by Schoolcraft,
Virginia; has been known since about 1800 as Cadotte’s, St. Michael’s,
or Madelaine from its early inhabitants, and the baptismal name of the
Indian woman has persisted.
THE SERVICES OF THE MENOMINEE IN THE BLACK HAWK WAR
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