Changes in Wakazooville

 

The 5th article in this series focused on NAHA exhibits, tells the story behind two Village Plats: The Village of Wakazooville (platted by Reverend Smith and Peter Wakazoo in 1850) and the Village of Northport – north of and adjacent to Wakazooville (platted by Joseph and Eusebius Dame in 1854). The following dates and anecdotes give structure to the story. 

 

1854

January:

• Peter Wakazoo begins selling lots in Wakazooville for $2 a lot.

May:

• Joseph and Eusebius Dame plat the Village of Northport and begin to sell lots in June for $5 a lot. Joseph Dame and family move into their new home on 2nd St. in Northport.

• Nagonabe’s band sells their interest in Wakazooville to Peter Wakazoo and move to Canada.

June: 

• The government farmer, J.J. Merrill, leaves Northport. Before his departure all five Native bands had met in Council and petitioned for his removal.

• Smith’s diary: “Scarcely a day goes by without boats in the harbor…The Yankees and the Indians had a great dance at Masona’s on the lake shore. Mr. Putnam fiddled.”

October:

• Smith’s diary: “October 7 – Peter has been drinking…it has been said that he bargained away the rest of the Village that has not already been sold…I am most suspicious the liquor has been furnished to induce him to trade.”

• Conflicts between settlers increase. Reverend Smith’s diary: “soon Plimpton came in and said I must give an account of myself…he struck me to the floor by a blow of his fist to the temple…I had no meeting on account of the condition of my head and face.” This was not the first argument between Smith and Plimpton. Some conflicts involved Smith’s concern for the Natives and problems with liquor.

• 1854 saw the little Mission of Wakazooville overshadowed by non-Native settlers.

 

December:

• Peter Wakazoo sells all the unsold land in his 60 acres, including the unsold lots in Wakazooville, for $300 in goods. 

• This transaction ended Peter Wakazoo’ s association with Reverend Smith’s Mission.

 

The story behind the plats of Wakazooville and Northport tells of a collision between hopes. Reverend Smith and Peter Wakazoo travel to the Leelanau Peninsula hoping to establish a home in Native lands where Natives could own land. Non-Native settlers travel to the Leelanau Peninsula hoping to establish a home in a new land. Tensions between cultures and the fear of removal caused many members of the Native bands who bought lots in Wakazooville to follow Nagonabe’s band – to sell their lots in Wakazooville and relocate to less populated areas. The next article will tell the story of how Wakazooville became Northport.

 

Excerpts from:

A History of Leelanau Township

Smith, Reverand G.N. Unpublished Diaries – 1849-1879

Wyckoff, Larry. “Wakazooville, Michigan.” Omena Historical Society, 2021.

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