Wabishkee Penas, the guide that led Lewis Cass and Henry Schoolcraft to the Ontonagon Boulder.
In 1820, Territorial Governor Lewis Cass went on an expedition through Lake Superior to the Mississippi River. The Michigan Territory at the time extended to the great river. Accompanied by Henry Schoolcraft and Douglass Houghton, the expedition had determined to discover the validity of the existence of the legendary Ontonagon Boulder, an object sacred to the Ojibwa.
When the Cass expedition arrived at the mouth of the Ontonagon River, they asked the local natives for a guide. The Cass expedition consisted of native guides and interpreters. One agreed to take them to the boulder. His name was Wabishkee Penas (White Pigeon) and he expertly navigated the rugged Ontonagon River for Cass and his men. Arriving at the boulder, Schoolcraft and Houghton were underwhelmed with the two-ton copper mass. They thought it would be bigger.
When they returned, Governor Cass gave Wabishkee Penas a silver medal for guiding them to the boulder. They then packed up and proceeded further with their explorations. When Wabishkee Penas returned to the tribe he was met with derision. He had done something unforgivable. He gave away the location of the great sacred boulder to outsiders. In a final insult, he was sent away, exiled, ostracized from his tribe, shunned by all.
Col. Thomas McKenney
Col. Thomas L. McKenny, Indian Agent in 1826.
Six years later he reappears at the door of Col. Thomas McKenney insisting on seeing Governor Cass. Cass and McKenney was attending a treaty signing in Fond du Lac, (at that time, Fond du Lac referred to the western part of Lake Superior) Minnesota and Mc Kenney was the current Indian agent. McKenny had set up offices in an old hut. Wabishkee Penas was emaciated and appeared to have spent most of his years hungry. Completely friendless, Wabishkee Penas sought the one person that might still greet him with a smile, Governor Cass. Around his neck still hung the silver medal.
Cass met with him. McKenney had his portrait painted. The resulting portrait is the first illustration above where his starvation and silver medal can be seen. McKenny would release a three-volume book called the “History of the Indian Tribes of North America.” Wabishkee Penas portrait as seen above was published within its pages. For better or for worse forever enshrined in history.
For more information on Thomas McKenney, Click here.
A rare photo of the Ropes Gold Mine near Negaunee. This was taken 1860s near its beginning.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve come across some really nice mining pictures. I thought I would post them up for everyone to check out. The picture above is of the Ropes Gold Mine which was located north of Negaunee and Ishpeming. The mine was established in 1881 by Julius Ropes and produced consistent quantities of gold until 1897. It was reopened for a few years in the 1980s. News of the Ropes opening prompted a gold rush to Ishpeming. Suddenly there was no less than 13 gold mines in the surrounding area all producing some gold and silver.
The Ohio Iron Mine
This is a picture of the crew of the Ohio Iron Mine near Michigamme.
The iron range of the Marquette region was full of iron mines. Dozens of them operated west of Marquette nearly the entire distance to L’Anse. The Ohio Mine was one of them and was west of Michigamme. It opened in 1907 and operated for 7 years. It produced low grade ore and wasn’t profitable. The picture shows the mining crew of the Ohio. No shortage of man power here. This has to be close to 1914 when the mine shut down. It was briefly reopened in the 1950s as an open pit mine by Cleveland Cliffs International (CCI).
New York Mine
This is the interior of the New York Iron Mine located near Ishpeming.
The New York Mine was a hematite operation. Beginning in 1864, the New York produced high grade hematite iron ore. Located in Ishpeming, it was part of the iron boom that fueled the entire region. It gave out in 1919. The New York lasted longer than many mining operations and provided the raw materials for the industrial revolution. The picture shows the interior of the New York Mine in its early days of 1870.
Lake Superior Iron Mine
A small iron mining operation. The location and name is unknown.
Iron mining was prevalent throughout the central and western Upper Peninsula. Small companies started up and then crashed as quickly while other companies flourished with the rich deposits iron. This picture shows one of those small operations. Labeled simply as “Lake Superior Iron Mining,” it is an unknown digging probably somewhere around Ishpeming or Negaunee. Though they are hard to see, there are four miners in the background of the photo. Piles of ore and the mine entrance can be clearly seen. Mining was rough, hard and dangerous work.
Victoria Copper Mine
Riding the Rock Skip. The mining company warned men against doing this and taking ladders instead, but it was a common practice anyway.
Victoria is a copper mining ghost town near Rockland. It can still be visited today. The Victoria Mine was notorious for its safety problems, injuries and death were common. The picture, “riding the skip cart,” shows one of the miners going down into the shaft doing something that was against company rules. It was simply quicker and a couple of fatalities resulted from this. Victoria mine operated for nearly 50 years and was a solid copper producer.
Chief Satago and his wife. He is said to have been 108 years old.
Author’s note: The headline above says it all. I found this obituary in a 1911 copy of the Detroit Free Press. I was fascinated by the writeup of his life. I’ve reprinted this in its entirety.
St. Ignace, Mich., Sept. 28 – With the death of Chief Satago, passed away the most noted and historic personage in northern Michigan. From Chief Satago the poet Longfellow gleaned much material for “Hiawatha.” In the lodge of Chief Satago the poet spent much of his time more than a half century ago when in this north country in search of material.
Satago was a devout Roman Catholic, his ancestors being converted by Father Marquette. The most cherished event of his life was the fact that he was present when the remains of the great missionary and discoverer were disinterred from the ruins of the old mission church by Father Jacker. From his chieftain father he often heard of the wonderful cortege of 30 canoes that bore Marquette’s body up Lake Michigan to the mission here.
Author’s Note: About the last paragraph above, It says that Satago was 108 years old in 1911. That makes his birth year 1803. Father Marquette’s bones were returned to St. Ignace in 1677. It was impossible that Satago was an actual witness to this as the obituary implies.
Piracy on the Great Lakes: True Tales of Freshwater Pirates
For over forty years, writer and photographer Mikel Classen has immersed himself in the rich history and culture of Northern Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP). His latest work, Piracy on the Great Lakes: True Tales of Freshwater Pirates, uncovers the fascinating and lesser-known stories of pirates who sailed the vast freshwater seas of the Great Lakes. In this article, we dive into the unique maritime history of the region, explore some notorious pirates, and uncover how piracy shaped this rugged frontier.
You can listen to the interview by clicking on the triangle below
The Unique History and Culture of the Great Lakes Region
Because of the nature of the Great Lakes, a culture was created through the mix of Native Americans, French trappers, miners, loggers, and maritime sailors that can be found nowhere else. Like many places, the Michigan frontier was rough and lawless. It was a perfect mix for piracy to flourish.
Living in the UP, one quickly realizes how deeply rooted this history is, but few realize that piracy was also part of this story. It is a mysterious part of our past, shrouded in secrecy as a pirate’s deeds were those that could get a man hung. Renegade sailors and captains preying on ships and settlements across the lakes were not uncommon.
Freshwater Pirates: Who Were They?
Contrary to the romanticized image of Caribbean pirates in flamboyant costumes, Great Lakes pirates were practical and ruthless, wearing wool and flannel. They were often ordinary men who turned to crime—stealing cargo, raiding ships, and resorting to violence to maintain silence. No witnesses are the best witnesses.
The USS Michigan in its early days of patrolling the Great Lakes.
The USS Michigan was the only law enforcement vessel patrolling the entire Great Lakes region, pirates had plenty of opportunities to strike when it was out of sight. With thousands of miles of waterway to patrol, The USS Michigan had a bigger job than it could handle. Pirates exploited this gap by stealing goods from docks or ships and quickly reselling them at different ports, making piracy a lucrative and low-risk venture during the 19th century.
Notable Pirates and Piracy Stories of the Great Lakes
Dan Seavey: The Escanaba Pirate
Dan Seavey, the Lake Michigan pirate relaxes and poses for a picture after his trial in Chicago.
“Roaring” Dan Seavey stands out as one of the most notorious pirates in Great Lakes history. Originally from Maine, he migrated westward and found the Great Lakes region a perfect place for his illicit activities due to its rugged, lawless frontier. Seavey led a fleet of schooners, raiding ships and shore settlements. He poached and smuggled venison along with women for brothels.
James Jesse Strang and the Beaver Island Pirates
James Jesse Strang was a unique figure—a Mormon leader who declared himself king of his followers on Beaver Island. Strang and his band of pirates, often polygamous and enforcing strict religious laws, raided settlements across northern Lake Michigan, claiming the islands as their own territory. Their tactics included stealing livestock, ships, and supplies, often intimidating locals with public punishments for dissenters.
Strang’s reign ended violently when he was assassinated by his own followers, after which non-Mormon residents banded together to expel the Mormons from the island in what became known as one of the darkest episodes in Michigan history.
The Apostle Islands Pirates
Another intriguing tale comes from the Apostle Islands near Bayfield, Wisconsin. A group of pirates named themselves after the apostles—Mark, Luke, and John—with a leader called “Chief.” They operated during the fur trade era, raiding French shipments and even robbing payrolls. It is told that the Apostle Islands received their name from the Apostle pirates. Piracy during the fur trade years was rampant with wars between the fur trade companies resulted in massacres.
Bully Hayes: From the Great Lakes to the South Seas
The cover for one of the “Bully” Hayes novels about the pirate that began in the Great Lakes.
Bully Hayes began his pirate career on Lake Erie but eventually sailed to the South Seas, where he became a legendary figure featured in dime novels and pulp fiction. While his exploits in the Great Lakes were typical raiding and theft, his South Seas adventures elevated his notoriety far beyond the freshwater seas.
Wreckers, Timber Pirates, and Prohibition-Era Smugglers
Piracy on the Great Lakes wasn’t limited to raiding ships. “Wreckers” deliberately caused shipwrecks by manipulating lighthouse signals or using fake lights to lure vessels onto rocks, then looted the wreckage. Both James Strang’s followers and Dan Seavey employed these tactics, especially in treacherous areas like the Beaver Islands.
Timber piracy was another major problem in the 1800s, with pirates stealing logs and lumber from federal lands. Interestingly, many settlers supported these pirates because they wanted the forests cleared to make way for farming. This led to the “Timber Rebellion” of 1853, where pirates even rammed the USS Michigan in defiance of federal law enforcement.
During Prohibition, piracy took on a new form with bootleggers smuggling vast quantities of alcohol across the Detroit River. One infamous figure known as the “Gray Ghost” wore gray clothing and a mask, running booze between Detroit and Windsor. The sheer volume of alcohol moved—valued at over $200 million in one year along just one stretch of water—made this era a golden age for Great Lakes piracy.
The Legacy and Mysteries of Great Lakes Piracy
A wanted poster for the Great Lakes Pirates
Most Great Lakes pirates were motivated by profit rather than treasure, stealing commodities rather than gold or jewels. However, legends of lost treasures persist, such as the rumored Civil War gold lost near Poverty Island in Lake Michigan and possible hidden riches left behind when the Mormons were expelled from Beaver Island.
These tales, along with the rugged and often brutal reality of piracy on the freshwater seas, paint a vivid picture of a frontier region where lawlessness and survival intertwined. The stories of these freshwater pirates remind us that piracy was not just a Caribbean phenomenon but a part of the American heartland’s history as well.
Continuing the Exploration of Upper Peninsula History
Mikel Classen continues to explore the rich and sometimes dark history of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula through his writing. His upcoming works promise to uncover more wild and surprising stories from this rugged and fascinating region. Keep following for more.
