A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the Mormons
This edition of A Child of the Sea is being printed under the auspices of the Beaver Island Historical Society, to give our friends some of the history and legend of the Island. The story begins in the early 1800's, discussing particularly the occupancy by the Mormons, over a century ago, and continuing through the resettlement of the Island by the Irish, whose descendants still live there.
Copyrighted 1905.
Elizabeth Whitney Williams.
Having lived all my life beside the water, with my brothers and many dear friends sailing on the lakes, and with the loss of many of my people by drowning, connected with the many years of my life as a Light Keeper, I affectionately dedicate this little book, with fragments of my life history, to the sailor men in whose welfare I have always felt a deep interest.
Elizabeth Whitney Williams.
At the earnest request of many friends I have written this book with some incidents of my early life before coming to Beaver Island.
What I have written about the Mormons are my own personal experiences and what I knew about them by living constantly near them for four years of my life; our leaving the island and settling at Charlevoix for safety then our being driven from there. After the fight then my life in Traverse City and finally returning to Beaver Island again. After the Mormons were expelled my twenty-seven years' residence at that time with the four first years gives thirty-one years of Beaver Island life with as much knowledge of Mormon life as any one outside of their teachings could possibly have. In this little history I have only touched lightly upon the reality, writing what my memory contained that might be interesting, telling the stories as near as possible as they were told to me by the people themselves that had lived and suffered by the Mormon doctrine; some things my parents told me when I was too young to remember, during the first part of my residence on Beaver Island.
My father, Walter Whitney, was born in Genesee County, New York State. At the breaking out of the Blackhawk and Florida war, enlisted, served his time, was honorably discharged, came to Fort Brady, Sault Ste. Marie, from there to Mackinac Island, there married my mother, who was a widow with three sons, myself being the only child born of that marriage.
Elizabeth Whitney Williams
Transcriber's Note
Elizabeth Whitney Williams.
EARLY MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD DAYS.
ISLAND OF ST. HELENA.
COMING OF COUSIN MITCHELL
PROMISES TO GO THE NEXT YEAR TO GREEN BAY.
A LETTER FROM COUSIN MITCHELL, WITH PRESENTS.
THE OLD RED CRADLE.
SAVED BY MY BROTHER FROM DROWNING.
LAUNCHING OF THE SHIP ELIZA CAROLINE.
FAREWELL TO ST. HELENA.
DEATH OF MR. MCWILLIAMS.
AGAIN IN OUR BOAT ON LAKE MICHIGAN.
ARRIVING AT MANISTIQUE.
THE OLD GRANDPA AND BOB COMING TO LIVE WITH US.
OLD DOG BOB.
BOB'S NEW MASTER.
DEATH OF MRS. MCWILLIAMS.
STARTING ON THEIR PERILOUS TRIP.
THEIR STORY OF THEIR JOURNEY AS THEY TOLD IT TO ME IN AFTER YEARS.
BROTHER ANTHONY LOST IN THE WOODS.
MOTHER'S STORY.
FATHER AND MOTHER COMING HOME.
JOHN'S STORY.
FIRST VISIT TO THE BIG WHITE HOUSE.
REMINDERS OF HOME FAR AWAY.
A LONGING FOR HOME.
HAPPY HOME LIFE.
BOB'S SYMPATHY.
INDIAN VILLAGE AND CHIEF OSSAWINAMAKEE.
THE LAKE OF ENCHANTMENT.
THE CHIEF'S DAUGHTER, "STAR OF THE MORNING."
THE CHIEF AND HIS DAUGHTER VISITING US.
THE CHIEF'S DEPARTURE.
RETURN OF THE CHIEF OSSAWINAMAKEE.
INVITED TO THE FEAST.
THE BEAUTIFUL LAKE AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE.
THE INDIAN MAIDEN IN HER WIGWAM.
THE SOUNDING OF THE DRUM.
CHIEF OSSAWINAMAKEE'S SPEECH.
ALL ENJOYMENT.
ENDING OF THE FEAST AND SAD ENDING OF A YOUNG LIFE.
BURIAL OF SHA-WAN-NIB-IN-ASSE.
ON BOARD THE ELIZA CAROLINE.
BEAVER ISLAND.
BEAVER ISLAND CHOSEN AS A KINGDOM.
STRANG'S FIRST COMING TO THE ISLAND WITH HIS PEOPLE.
PAYMENT TIME FOR THE INDIANS.
THE INDIANS AND THEIR ISLANDS.
STRANG CALLING ON US.
FIRST SETTLERS.
PREPARING FOR WINTER.
GOING OVER TO THE POINT TO DINNER WITH THE MCKINLEYS.
KIND NEIGHBORS.
BOB'S NEW FRIEND.
SUFFERING OF THE PEOPLE.
CARING FOR THE SICK AND DYING.
RETURN OF SPRING AND COMING OF STRANG.
JAMES CABLE SETTLING AT THE HEAD OF BEAVER ISLAND.
STRANG'S REVELATIONS.
ROBBING THE GENTILES.
WHIPPING OF THOMAS BEDFORD.
BUILDING TEMPLE AND PRINTING OFFICE.
STRANG'S REVELATION OF POLYGAMY.
"CHARLES DOUGLAS."
A MAN WITH SEVERAL WIVES.
BOB'S DEATH.
THE COUNTY SEAT OF SAINT JAMES.
MOUNT PISGAH AND INLAND LAKES.
WILD ANIMALS AND BIRDS.
MRS. BENNETT STARTING TO CROSS THE LAKE.
THE KING'S RESIDENCE.
THE KING'S JOKES.
THE KING'S LAWS.
OUR MORMON NEIGHBORS.
STRANG AND HIS FAVORITE WIFE.
THE KILLING OF BENNETT.
TO BE BROUGHT DEAD OR ALIVE.
STRANG HAVING DINNER WITH US.
JOHN GOEING AND HIS DEAR OLD IRISH HOME.
MY BROTHER CHARLEY GOING TO OHIO.
BROTHER LEWIS AND I WERE GOING TO OHIO WITH MR. CRANE.
BROTHER CHARLEY GONE.
ON BOARD STEAMER MICHIGAN.
AT MACKINAC ISLAND.
ON LAKE HURON.
CROSSING SAGINAW BAY.
PRAYING FOR THE STORM TO CEASE.
AT PRESQUE ISLE DOCK.
AT DETROIT AND CLEVELAND.
TRYING TO BE HAPPY.
ON THE HEADLANDS.
IN MY NEW HOME.
MR. MILTON A. SHEPARD.
HOMESICK.
GOING TO SCHOOL IN THE LITTLE RED SCHOOL HOUSE.
MEETING BROTHER CHARLEY.
A CHILD'S PRAYER.
A CHILD'S PRAYER ANSWERED.
HOMEWARD BOUND ON STEAMBOAT MICHIGAN.
AT MACKINAC ISLAND.
HOME AGAIN.
A MOTHER'S LONGING TO SEE HER BOY.
MENOMINEE INDIAN FAMILY.
THE ROBBERS' DEN.
WAKING AND SEEING INDIANS IN MY ROOM.
DEPARTURE OF THE INDIANS.
THE APOSTLE AND HIS FAMILY AMONG THE INDIANS.
THE APOSTLE'S WIFE'S STORY.
CHOLERA AT THE ISLAND.
LEAVING THE ISLAND.
THE LITTLE VILLAGE OF CHARLEVOIX.
WILLIAM DAVENPORT OUR MAIL CARRIER.
OPENING OF NAVIGATION.
COMING OF THE MORMONS.
TO BRING THEM DEAD OR ALIVE.
THE BATTLE AT CHARLEVOIX.
GIVING CHASE TO THE MORMONS.
MORMONS SAVED BY "BARK MORGAN."
LEAVING CHARLEVOIX.
TRAVERSE CITY.
HAPPY SCHOOL DAYS IN TRAVERSE CITY.
EARLY DAYS OF TRAVERSE CITY.
MY FATHER ADOPTING A LITTLE BOY.
THE KILLING OF "KING STRANG."
THE STORY MRS. H—— TOLD ME.
MY BROTHER LEWIS VISITING US AND HIS STORY.
TEACHINGS OF MORMONISM.
FATHER AND MOTHER'S VISIT TO BEAVER ISLAND.
A MOTHER LONGING TO SEE HER CHILDREN.
LEAVING TRAVERSE CITY.
LANDING AT THE ISLAND.
HOTELS AT THE HARBOR.
THE FAREWELL RECEPTION TO FRIENDS.
RETURN OF THE MERCHANTS.
DR. McCULLOCH'S RESIDENCE.
THE KING'S HIGHWAY.
HORSEBACK RIDING ABOUT THE ISLAND.
THE HOME WHERE THE WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVEN OUT.
TIGER'S GRAVE.
THE JOHNSON HOUSE.
MRS. CAMPBELL'S STORY.
BURNING OF THE MORMON TEMPLE.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN OR INDIAN POINT.
THE SECRET SOCIETY.
PAGE TOWN.
VISITING THE LIGHT KEEPER AND HIS WIFE.
OUR SCHOOL TEACHERS.
GOING TO MACKINAC ISLAND.
MY RETURN TO BEAVER ISLAND.
THE GIBSON HOUSE.
THE NURSE'S STORY.
MARRIED AND KEEPING HOUSE.
TRAVELLING BY WATER.
OUR INDIAN SCHOOL AT GARDEN ISLAND.
WENTWORTH'S VISIT TO HIS ISLAND HOME.
MY HUSBAND APPOINTED LIGHT-KEEPER.
VESSELS SEEKING SHELTER FROM THE STORMS.
DEATH OF MY HUSBAND, THE LIGHT-KEEPER.
MY APPOINTMENT AS LIGHT-KEEPER.
TRIBUTE TO THE SAILORS.
LIGHT-KEEPERS AND THEIR WORK.
GALES ON OUR LAKES.
STEAMER "BADGER STATE."
CAPT. E. A. BOUCHARD.
OLD NEIGHBORS LEAVING THE ISLAND.
SAD THOUGHTS ON LEAVING MY ISLAND HOME.
IN THE NEW HOME.
VISITING AT TRAVERSE CITY.
RESORTS AROUND LITTLE TRAVERSE BAY
