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Upon August 12, 1824, I was married at our home on Mackinac Island to Henry S. Baird, and the following month we left for Green Bay, upon the schooner "Jackson," Capt. John Burnham. She was eight days coming the two hundred miles.

As the vessel entered Fox River, Fort Howard did not present so much the appearance of a fortress as did my beloved Fort Mackinac, for it stood on low ground. It looked

1 Mrs. Elizabeth Thérèse (Fisher) Baird was born at Prairie du Chien, Wis., April 24, 1810. Her youth was spent upon Mackinac Island, where, in 1824, when but fourteen years of age, she married Henry S. Baird, a young lawyer, and at once accompanied her husband to their new home in Green Bay. Mrs. Baird remained a resident of Green Bay until her death, November 5, 1890. A brief biographical sketch of this remarkable pioneer woman will be found in Wis. Hist. Colls., xiv, pp. 17, 18, and a portrait facing p. 17 of that volume. In the Green Bay State Gazette, between December 4, 1886, and November 19, 1887, Mrs. Baird published her reminiscences in a series of articles. In Wis. Hist. Colls., xiv, pp.1764, we reproduced, in condensed form, and with annotations, such part of these reminiscences as related to her life upon Mackinac Island and the particulars of her return trip thereto in 1825; herewith, we present the remainder of this very interesting series, condensed at a few points, and otherwise edited in accordance with an agreement between Mrs. Baird and the Editor, the former contributing some information which did not appear in the articles as originally published in the State Gazette. See Mrs. Baird's "Indian Customs and Early Recollections," in Wis. Hist. Colls., ix, pp. 303-326.- ED.

2 Baird was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1800, but came with his family to Pennsylvania in 1805. He studied law at Pittsburg and Cleveland, and

strong, but it had a lonely appearance; all that gave it life was the handsome large garden which lay to the north. This, however, was the external appearance. There was life enough about it, no doubt; a military life is always lively.

Gen. Edmund P. Gaines, who had been on a tour of inspection, was on board, hence our vessel cast anchor in front of the fort, from which a salute was fired. There were also on board two ladies, who belonged to the families of some of the military officers. Soon the fort barge, manned by soldiers and an officer in full uniform, came to the vessel, the officer coming aboard. Altogether there was a fine display.

But the detention was not quite agreeable to us, and we were glad to leave our distinguished passenger at the fort, and sail on about a mile up this beautiful river. We cast anchor opposite John Lawe's residence, which was the stopping place for all travelers. We were rowed ashore in the schooner's yawl, as there were then no wharves or docks. The river looked clean and broad. The wild rice, a patch several yards in width growing along its borders, was a novel sight.

As there were no hotels or even private boarding houses here, all travelers had to depend upon the hospitality of its citizens. A houseless couple, we were invited to dine in 1822 went to Mackinac, where he practiced his profession and taught school. Visiting Green Bay in June, 1824, he was favorably impressed with that then frontier post, and upon returning to the island induced his young fiancée, Miss Fisher, to marry him at once and commence life upon the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan. It is at this point that Mrs. Baird takes up the story. Mr. Baird died at Green Bay, April 30, 1875. A biographical sketch of him will be found in Wis. Hist. Colls., vii, pp. 426443.-ED..

1 Lawe, whose father was an officer in the English army, came to Green Bay in 1797, when but sixteen years old, as assistant to his uncle, Jacob Franks, an English Jew who represented at Green Bay the fur trade firm of Ogilvie, Gillespie & Co., of Montreal. On the outbreak of the War of 1812-15, Franks returned to Montreal, turning over his large business to Lawe. For an estimate of Lawe's career, see Wis. Hist. Colls., vii, pp. 247-250.- ED.

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at the Lawes. All the family (six daughters and two sons) were extremely polite, and for the eldest daughter I formed a strong and lasting friendship.

Judge Lawe was hospitable and generous to a fault. His home was a large one-story building with many additions. The ceilings were low, and the windows so small that when the Indians came peering in, the room would be almost darkened. The house had a sort of dreamy appearance; it stood near the water, with only a path through the grass leading down to the river. All around the house and store trade off their peltries. Mrs.

stood Indians waiting to

Lawe was one of the best of women, and as she wore the Indian dress, that at once endeared her to me.'

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spend the night at his There being no streets, Every house was built

Louis Grignon invited us to house, and come to an early tea. there were, of course, no vehicles. near the road. We took the foot-path which led along the river's shore, and from which pathways diverged to each home along the way. The old Grignon homestead stood a little north-west of the present residence of Miss Ursule Grig. non. It was a roomy, low house, with very low ceilings. and small windows; yet it looked very cheerful with its rustic furniture. Indian mats were used instead of carpets, as with all French families at this time. Mr. Grignon had a houseful of handsome daughters, who made his home attractive. He was a gentleman of the old school. He spoke little English, but his French was excellent, and his manners delightful. Madam Grignon used neither the French nor English, but spoke the Chippewa.

The morning following our arrival, we set out to seek what was to be our home. The foot-path from the house

1 Mrs. Baird's grandmother was Migisan, the daughter of an Ottawa chief, Kewinaquot (Returning Cloud); the other elements in her blood were French, German, and Scotch.- ED.

2 Louis Grignon was a leading fur-trader at Green Bay; he had been a lieutenant in the English Indian department during the War of 1812-15. Numerous letters by and references to him appear in almost every volume of Wis. Hist. Colls.-- ED.

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