Faded Memories

Early 19th Century History of Hillsdale County, Michigan... Following the War of 1812, pioneer settlement of the Northwest Territories began. The U.S. government encouraged the westward movement by offering newcomers cheap land at $1.25 per acre. The government purchased vast tracts of unencumbered land through numerous negotiated treaties with several Indian tribes, or it was taken by cheating or force. Tens of thousands of inhabitants from mostly New England states, and Europe, migrated to these new lands for an opportunity to begin new lives on the frontier. One of the more popular routes traveled by pioneers began in upstate New York along the Erie Canal to Buffalo and then across Lake Erie by steamship to Detroit. A family could buy wagons, beasts of burden, tools and whatever they needed in the future motor city to clear land, build a log cabin and start farming. A steady stream of covered wagons left Detroit along the old Sauk Trail called the Chicago Pike. Faded Memories: Examination & Profiles of Hillsdale County's Pioneer Period offers readers a glimpse of the lives and events experienced by original settlers and Native Americans. Although not the complete history of Hillsdale County and the tri-state area, 36 chapters plus the introduction and selected poems illuminate the beginnings of civilization upon these hills and dales. It's important to remember your own culture and heritage, and who you are and where you came from. Faded Memories will hopefully add to your knowledge about your own family history.