Manistee Mission House

Trading Post

A surprising historical fact is that stores along the Manistee River in this area actually pre-date settlement by white or European settlers which commenced in 1841 with the arrival of the Stronach family.

 

The adjoining map lists an “Old Mission House” at this location in 1847.  Historians have searched for years for clues as to the origin and use of the building.  We know the Ottawa Chief Kewaygoshkum and his people were in the area as early as the 1820’s.  Pascatush Sams, who recalled the area from his youth in the 1830’s spoke of the building as Father “Marquette’s Mission;” yet it seems unlikely a building would have survived with little care from 1673 to the 1830’s.

 

In 1992 Bob Adams, a local historian, published the results of several decades of research into the origins of the “Old Mission House.”  In looking through the letters, diaries, and records of Fathers Pere Charlevoix, Gabriel Richard, and Frederic Baraga and the Reverends Peter Dougherty, George Nelson Smith, and Salmon S. Steel, all missionaries to local Indians, Adams found no one who had built a mission house at Manistee.  Dougherty, however, visited Manistee on August 8, 1838, and the following day reported: “After breakfast we went across the river to look at a house which is empty at present and could be occupied with a little fixture.”  This verifies the existence of the structure in 1838 but gives no clue as to its origin. 

 

Finally, U.S. Lake Survey notes from 1842 and 1843 identified the building as “Mr. Robinson’s House.”  This would refer to Rix Robinson, for many years local agent to the American Fur Company.  In 1827 he is known to have operated “no less than twenty” trading posts along the east shore of Lake Michigan.  Several other Ottawa references refer to Robinson trading in the area.  Thus we have this first building on the Manistee River identified as an American Fur Company trading post already in existence in 1827.

 

For more on the history of Manistee, visit the museum at 425 River Street.

 

Historic Manistee, the Victorian Port City

 

Submitted by

Bryan Arnold

@nanowhiskers