Drawing of early Bay City depicted the "town" a few years after the visit of the St. Ignace mail carrier and his party. The drawing actually should be dated 1842 when Birney arrived. Christmas 1833 in Bay City's 3 Log Cabins Recalled by St. Ignace Pioneer
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Christmas hospitality prevailed here from the earliest times, according to Marv Kusmierz, local historian.
Mr. Kusmierz came across the Souvenir Edition of the St. Ignace Enterprise that tells a tale involving Bay City pioneers who were visited in mid-winter by a party of travelers.
The story, related in July 1897 also recounts the perils of travel in Michigan winter and an accident on the bay that nearly ended the lives of the party of three that had visited here.
In 1831 Leon Tromble settled here as a government agricultural agent. "With his commission from the U.S. government, he would build a log cabin on the east bank of the river near what is now Fourth Street in Bay City," wrote Mr. Kusmierz. "His mission was to teach the Indians how to farm and to continue his interest in fur trading."
Two years later Peter Grondin, a voyageur from St. Ignace who had survived many hardships and dangers in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company and Henry Schoolcraft, was contracted for $50 to carry mail between St. Ignace and Detroit. One year he brought the mail south aboard ship but faced a dilemma when the captain decided to lay up the vessel for the winter. Grondin, thus forced to return north afoot with his assistants carrying three large mail sacks, reached Bay City on Christmas Eve.
Grondin later recalled:
"From Detroit a state road extended for 40 miles, from which point the journey was made by following Indian trails (about 60 miles).
"The city at that time consisted of three log shanties; nevertheless there were warm and hospitable hearts within these rude huts, and Christmas cheer abounded."
Mr. Kusmierz wrote: "The time period apparently was around 1833 based on only three log cabins mentioned in Lower Saginaw. Those being the huts of Leon Trombley, Louis Masho and brothers Joseph and Medor Trombley."
Grondin's report continued:
"Our three friends were easily prevailed upon to remain with their kind host and assist in the observance of the day, he promising them that in return he would lend them a boat, with which they could cross the bay, and thus save several days time and the toilsome march through the swamps, which they must otherwise endure in making the circuit of the bay.
Heading for Mackinac Island in the small birch bark craft, the group was caught in a storm and dumped into the icy waters. A huge wave hurled them ashore drenched and freezing. Grondin found a piece of precious punk in his tobacco pouch, made of weasel skin, and luckily was able to strike a flint and make fire.
"Soon a roaring fire was blazing high, about which the wayfarers gathered and dried their wet garments, after which, securing the mail bags which had been washed ashore, the party pressed forward in search of food and shelter."
Another providential incident provided salvation of the exhausted travelers, who had been saved from drowning and freezing but were famished and weak from hunger. They saw a large deer swimming and were able to capture it, spending an entire day in the effort.
"They were now supplied with food, and after resting and recruiting their exhausted strength, the party once more set out for their march to the north, and after thirty days of travel and hardships almost incredible, they reached the site where Cheboygan is now located, and were there met by a party from Mackinac Island, which had been sent out in search of them. The remainder of the journey to Mackinac was accomplished without incident."
The newspaper writer noted that Peter Grondin and his wife, Theresa, both about 90 years old at the time of the publication, had 23 children and an estimated 200 direct descendants into the fourth generation. ###
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