A PEEK AT THE PAST...
Pioneer History of Huron County
by Leonard DeFrain

The first white man we have any record of traveling around the shores of Saginaw and Wild Fowl Bay is Edward Petit, whose history is given by Mrs. B. C. Farrand. She states that Edward Petit was the first white child born in what is now called Port Huron, on February 7, 1813, in a log house built by his father near the foot of Court Street.

The chief amusements of Edward’s boyhood days were those of the Indians, hunting and fishing. The Indians were very numerous and from them he learned the language. He was well fitted for his trade among them in later years. He began his work when only 15 years of age.

Mr. Petit had a post on the bend of the Cass River when in the employ of G. and W. Williams. On one occasion, special interest had been awakened by the failure of all the traders to find an encampment of five or six families of Indians who had been gone all winter and must necessarily have great quantities of furs. Party after party went out and returned without finding them. The head of the camp was Tawas, a cunning old fellow. Young Petit resolved to secure this prize if perseverance would accomplish it, and started with provisions on his back for a week, together with article for barter.

He took with him as a guide an Indian with one arm. The two started off and passed over to where Shebeyonk was situated. Here the Williams Company had established an outpost for furs in 1829, under the management of Indian women. Leaving this post, they followed along the shores of bay and lake until they reached the present site of White Rock. Here they camped after building a bark lodge. Before morning, a drenching rain set in. and they had only one loaf of bread left. This, however, did not prevent them from renewing their search, which was rewarded after a tramp of five miles.

Tawas and his family were preparing to make maple sugar when they found them. These Indians had kettles of brass of all sizes, which had been given them by the British government. Undoubtedly, it was one of these kettles that Robert Morse, of Bad Axe, found some years ago under an overturned root of a large tree on his father’s farm in McKinley Township.

These Indians had selected this location where Mr. Petit found them for its fishing facilities. They were in almost a starving condition, having no food other than some moose tallow. Petit divided his loaf with them and purchased 500 martin skins for $1 each, which readily sold for $2. He could only take the best furs, leaving the course ones for some other trader. On returning to the post on the bend of the Cass, Mr. Petit’s employers quadrupled his wages. This incident occurred in 1831.