FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 55 



invested in the fisheries of Ashland in 1885 was $10,200. In 1884 about 

 100,000 pounds of fresh fish were shipped from Ashland, in addition to 

 a considerable quantity from Bayfield, where the firm located for a few 

 months in the fall. In 1885 the product amounted to 327,000 pounds, 

 of which considerably over one-third was fresh trout, and nearly one- 

 third fresh whitefish, and their value was $11,350. 



The settlement of Odonah. — Odonah is an Indian reservation, of 800 to 

 1,000 souls, located 16 miles to the eastward of Ashland, near the mouth 

 of Bad River. It contains a settlement of thirty or forty families, the 

 remaining population being scattered over the reservation aud engaged 

 in farming on a small scale. Formerly some of them went to Bayfield 

 and worked for wages in the fisheries from that place, others occasion- 

 ally fished a little for home supply near the mouth of the river, and five 

 or six crews went to the Apostle Islands to fish for a week or two, 

 each man salting 2 or 3 half- barrels of fish before returning home. Dur- 

 ing the past few years the Indians have been less interested in fishing, 

 and in 1885 not more than 2,000 or 3,000 pounds in all were taken by 

 them. 



22. ONTONAGON AND VICINITY, ONTONAGON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. 



Description of the coast. — The stretch of coast between Chaquamegon 

 Bay and Houghton, though about 130 miles in exteat, contains only 

 the single village of Ontonagon, and elsewhere, with the exception of 

 two families at Iron River and one family at Nonesuch, is wholly un- 

 inhabited. It is similar in character to the coast farther west, having 

 shores of red sandstone, interrupted by small sandy bays and reaches 

 near the mouths of the larger rivers, the principal ones of which are the 

 Montreal, the Presque Isle, and the Ontonagon. The immediate vicin- 

 ity of the shore is covered with small trees of various species, and the 

 land farther back is heavily timbered with large pines. The soil is 

 said to be quite fertile and when once cleared the land is capable of 

 supporting a fair population. 



The fishing along the uninhabited portion. — Fish are abundant along 

 the shores, but the fishing is wholly limited to pound-nets and gill-nets 

 owned and operated by fishermen of Bayfield, who build shanties in 

 the bays aud sheltered coves, and remain there during a great part of 

 the spring and summer, selling their catch to the collecting steamers 

 belonging to the fish dealers of Bayfield. In the summer of 1885 there 

 were between Bad River and Ontonagon thirty-seven pound-nets 

 owned by Bayfield parties, and 17 miles further on, at the mouth of 

 Sleeping River, was one pound-net owned by Ontonagon fishermen. 



Ontonagon and its fisheries.— Ontonagon itself has about 1,500 inhab- 

 itants, and is situated at the mouth of Ontonagon River, about 75 miles 

 from Bayfield. It formerly had extensive mining interests, and its lum- 

 bering business is now important. It has no railroad facilities, being 

 50 miles by stage road from L'Anse, the nearest railroad station. Its 



