One Township's Yesterdays Chapter XXXIV  

SOME ROMANTIC TRADITIONS

"More strange than true: I never may believe These antique fables . . ." William Shakespeare

THE RED MAN LEFT ALSO SOME ROMANTIC TRADITIONS. But they cannot very well be listed among the tangible things that live after him. For the greater part, the traditions still circulating hereabouts are exceedingly intangible.

The Indians had traditions about our lakes, in the township and near by Lake Manitau, near Rochester, was "Devil's lake," where the Indians said a huge monster in the shape of a serpent had been seen by them. It defied all human efforts to snare it. It was a tradition of the Potawatomi Indians that such a serpentine monster existed in that lake long before they crossed the "hard waters of the north." Evil spirit, demon it was that dwelt there. Manitau, from whom the lake was later named, dwelt there in subterranean chambers.

Tradition says this, and tradition says that. Among other things, it says that the last of the Indian battles was fought on the site of a native village at Wolf Creek, a bit over the township line. This story at least seems quite plausible, and old-timers say that many years ago some relics were gathered on the ground there that would indicate some sort of a meeting between Indian forces. The evidences pointed to a far from friendly conclave.
There are stories, too, about Indians who returned to their favorite hunting ground in this region after the grand removal of the Potawatomi people to the West. Among those who came back was Pau-koo-shuck, according to tradition. He was a son of Chief Aubeenaubee. government soldiers had to take him away by force on the removal expedition. He got almost to the Mississippi when he escaped and returned to his old haunts in the Maxinkuckee region. Aubeenaubee, the cruel chieftain, the wife-slayer, was avenged by this son. The old man was slain at the Blodgett log shanty, just over the line in Fulton County. Pau-koo-shuck did the deed, thus carrying out an inexorable Indian law.

So runneth tradition!