History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTfY

dentations in the ground, and from ten to twelve feet across, some of
them two or more feet deep. They followed the line of the ridge, were
from four to six feet apart-perhaps Ioo of them-and were parallel,
showing the appearance of a winter camping-ground where the earth
had been thrown up around their wigwams, as it was afterwards discovered, in digging in them, they contained the debris of ashes and charcoal. On the lot owned by Mr. Simeon P. Hartwell, the same broken
surface appeared, also the corn hills. On the Chipman farm, now occupied
by Mr. Weaver, some eighty or one hundred rods east and north, the
same indications were observable, also an old burial ground. These signs
I never observed north of the river.
QUEER CUSTOMS
'It was a custom with the Indians that when their young arrived at a
proper age they were enclosed in a wigwam and had to remain thus in seclusion by themselves a number of days, or until they would dream of
some animal, bird, or reptile, and be able to number and tell of it in the
morning. Whatever the dream might be that would be an object of worship through life-such as a bear, a deer, a fox, an eagle, hawk, or smaller
animals and birds, and even snakes and lizards. I have often seen trees in
the woods, in this vicinity, with rude representations of this kind worked
on them, which was their habit of doing. I saw two boys in their wigwams
undergoing this ordeal-singing during the day and silent at night. This
happened in front of Mr. William Burbank's residence in the summer of
1825, where Mr. Conrad Taylor now resides. I asked Mrs. Burbank
what was the object of the Indians to be thus engaged on a sultry day?
She said it was one of their religious ceremonies. I have since learned
that such was the case.
"Here is another circumstance, or rather a ceremony of the Indians I
have heard narrated by the old settlers, which will be of interest to all
those living in this vicinity, which took place in 1824. It is this: south
of the Barnes Brothers' paper mill, near the hill, on the land occupied by
Mr. Ezekiel Dewey, the Indians cleared off all the flat, built a large logheap, and set it on fire; in building the heap they left an opening in the
centre. They then brought forth two white dogs which they had fantastically decorated with red flannel around their necks, tied in their ears
and around their legs and tails; and when the pile had fairly become
ignited all through, they threw their canine victims into the aperture left
in the middle of the blazing pile. They then commenced their songs and
dances, which they kept up all night-as the old saying is, 'they made the
welken ring.'
TiiiH PASSING OF WE-SE-GAH
We-se-gah was probably one of the most turbulent of the Indians in
this section. He was large and muscular, and when in liquor was ready
for fight. Most of the settlers were afraid of him. Of his quarrelsome
and pugilistic propensity none perhaps were better acquainted than Alexander and Benjamin Graham. They both had, several times, quarreled