CHAPTER LII

EXPLORATIONS-THE FIRST STATE CAPITOL

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N May 26, 1820, the following item appeared in the
Detroit Gazette:

"Last Wednesday Gov. Cass left Detroit on his exploring tour to Lake Superior and vicinity. He is accompanied by Capt. David B. Douglas, of the corps of U. S. engineers, Lieut. Aeneas Mackay of the artillery, Dr. Alexander Wolcott of the Indian Department, Henry R. Schoolcraft, mineralogist, and four young gentlemen of Detroit. These four were: James D. Doty, Robert A. Forsyth, Charles C. Trowbridge and Alexander R. Chase. The canoes, three in number, are propelled by 27 men with paddles, of whom 10 are Chippewa Indians, 10 are voyageurs, or Frenchmen accustomed to the Indian trade, and seven are United States soldiers. A handsome U. S. flag was carried at the stern of each canoe. The canoes are about 30 feet long and made of excellent birch bark."

This expedition made remarkable time in covering the long route, as there was a keen rivalry between the Indians and the Frenchmen as to which were the best paddlers, and both were anxious to show their quality to the soldiers. Mr. Schoolcraft, in his report of the expedition, wrote:

"The specific objects of this journey were to obtain a more correct knowledge of the names, numbers, customs, history, condition, modes of subsistence and dispositions of the various Indian tribes; to survey the topography of the country and collect data for a correct map; to locate a site for a garrison at the foot of Lake Superior and purchase the ground; to investigate the copper prospects, look for lead mines and gypsum quarries, and to purchase from the Indians such tracts as might be necessary to secure to the United States the ultimate advantages to be derived from them."

SCHOOLCRAFT'S MAP, SHOWING THE ROUTE OF THE EXPEDITION UNDER GOV. CASS, IN 1820

James D. Doty went as secretary, Robert A. Forsyth as the Governor's secretary, Charles C. Trowbridge as assistant topographer, and Alexander R. Chase (brother of Salmon P. Chase, afterward Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court) was a member of the party.

This was one of several notable canoe voyages conducted by Gen. Cass. He made one four-months' trip which covered 4,500 miles; a three-months' trip covering 1,500 miles and another of two months which covered 1,000 miles. On the way the Governor carried a few books and part of the time was passed by having his secretary or some other passenger read aloud. The French voyageurs sang their boat songs and the Indians their wild chants, timed to the stroke of their paddles as they drove the canoes through the water at racing speed. For stretches of two to three hours the canoes would be hard driven. Then the party would land to stretch their legs and smoke. The canoemen estimated distances by the number of pipes smoked.

The expedition arrived at Mackinac June 6, and proceeded to Sault Ste. Marie, where the site was selected for a fort which is now known as Fort Brady.

Here they found a large assembly of Indians in a camp over which floated a British flag. The Indian chiefs were dressed in cast-off uniforms of British officers. The Indians at first refused to treat with the Americans, but Gen. Cass went unarmed into their camp, hauled down the British flag and trampled it under foot. He informed the Indians that this was now American soil. This bold act assured the Indians that the expedition had authority back of it and presently they made terms for ceding a fort site.

From this point the expedition entered Lake Superior and skirted the southern shore to the head of the lake. Thence by way of Fond du Lac River and several portages they reached the Mississippi River. After exploring for a time the region of the head waters of the great river they crossed Wisconsin to Green Bay and returned to Detroit by the lakes.

Some time later a large expedition of Chippewa Indians came to Detroit to receive gratuities for their land cession and their good behavior toward the expedition.

A short time after the Governor and Judges assumed control of Michigan Territory they were given authority by the Government to erect a courthouse. They had planned the erection of the building on Grand Circus Park, but the town did not grow as rapidly as they had expected so they waited for the city's extension to catch up with their original plan. After waiting 17 years they decided to build the courthouse and territorial capitol nearer the town and chose a site at the head of Griswold Street just north of the present State Street. The site is now commemorated by Capitol Square.

The contract for the building was let to David C. McKinstry, Thomas Palmer and DeGarmo Jones, July 25, 1823, at $21,000, and the corner stone was laid September 22. The building cost was paid out of the sale of lands of the 10,000-acre grant. Land sales must have been slow for the building was not ready for occupancy until May 5, 1828. In its time the old capitol was an imposing structure dominating the entire town. On the ground it measured 60 by 90 feet. Across the front was a rude Greek portico with six ionic columns and above it towered a cupola of the ancient pepper-box pattern, 140 feet high. This the country folk and visitors usually climbed to obtain a view of the river and surrounding country, which was mostly forest north of the town. The building was paid for by the sale of 6,500 acres of the 10,000-acre tract at $2.12 an acre and of 144 city lots at $50 a lot. One may well ask what would be the price of 6,500 acres just north of the Grand Boulevard and 144 lots in any part of the city today.

On August 5, 1824, the old governing board of trustees was superseded by the creation of a common council, but in the lack of a city hall the council met at various places by appointment. Sometimes it was at the house of an alderman, sometimes at Woodworth's Hotel, which was always a political center, and occasionally in the old Council House. As soon as the city came into possession of the Military Reserve the council took possession of an old building known as Military Hall just west of Fort Shelby and not far from the present corner of Cass and Fort streets.

In a steadily growing city buildings have their ups and downs. Some will stand on the same spot for a century or more. Some are destined to be torn down a few years after they are erected but now and then a building, after serving many different uses on its original site, takes up a migratory