288 



the State obtains its sobriquet, is all but unknown in the southern Pe- 

 ninsula. 



This company finally disposed of its interest to the American Fur 

 Company, organized by John Jacob Astor. 



In IV 72 a mass of native silver, now deposited in the British Museum, 

 was found on the shore of Lake Huron, and in 1*773 a company, for 

 the purpose of working the mines, headed by the Duke of Gloucester, 

 was chartered by the British government; but after considerable expen- 

 diture of means, the adventure was found unprofitable and abandoned. 

 By the treaty of 1783 the territory ways virtually ceded to the United 

 States, but was still withheld, by England, from actual possession, until 

 1796. At this period great ignorance regarding Michigan prevailed in 

 the east, the fur companies probably considering it to be their interest 

 to keep out the American population as long as possible. It has been 

 stated that the Virginian soldiers' claims, afterwards located in the Sciota 

 valley in Ohio, were at first settled in Michigan, but changed from the 

 current belief that this State was one vast swamp, with merely a belt 

 of harder land around it. Less than forty years ago a map of the ter- 

 ritory was published in New York describing it as such. There were 

 no roads into the interior, the only means of travel being by Indian 

 trails, and the French population were settled upon the Detroit and St. 

 Clair rivers, and the small streams entering into them. On the llth of 

 January, 1 805, Michigan was erected into a separate territory by act of 

 Congress. During 1812-13, it was again, in consequence of General 

 Hull's surrender, for a short time once more in possession of the British. 

 At this time cultivation was conducted to a very limited extent, and in 

 the most antiquated modes ;' schools were almost unknown; commerce 

 was limited to the immediate wants of the people; and, at this day, no 

 perceptible influence for good remains from the early settlements. By 

 degrees, as early as 1 820, enterprising Americans began to find their 

 way further into the interior; but it was not until about 1834 that any 

 general immigration commenced, and from 1836 to 1840, the great 

 bulk of the American population entered the State. They were chiefly 

 young persons, or newly married couples, from Vermont, New Hamp- 

 shire, and other New England States, and New York, principally the 

 western portion of it. In 1830 the Territory was erected into a State. 

 The energy, intelligence, education, and spirit of the earlier American 



