Lost In Michigan
  • HOME
  • Books
  • the Images
  • The Artist
  • The Journey
  • Shop
  • Cart

The Michigan Legend of Indian Dave

Posted on January 11, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Uncategorized .
If you like this post click on the buttons to share with your friends

If you travel along M-25 near Unionville you will pass by an old Historical Marker standing in front of the Wisner Township Cemetery. It tells the story of a remarkable and enigmatic man known as Indian Dave.

It is unclear exactly when and where he was born but he was given the name Ishdonquit or, Crossing Cloud. He claimed to be the son of Chief Nipmup of the Chippewa tribe but he was considered an outcast by the tribe. He is officially recorded as David Stocker but most people in the area called him Indian Dave.

He witnesses the beginning of Michigan and was at the signing by the tribal chiefs for the Treaty of Saginaw. He lived off the land in the Tuscola County area making baskets, arrows and carving wooden toys for children. He would travel into the different towns around the thumb selling his trinkets and telling stories of days gone by to the local children.

Indian Daves’s most notable contribution to Tuscola County came when he transported the county records by canoe to the new courthouse in Caro. At the beginning of the county’s history, Vassar was the county seat. It was decided to move the county seat in 1866 to Caro which was more centrally located in the county. Local businessman Peter D. Bush donated the land for the courthouse. Vasser was not willing to transfer the county records to the new county seat. As legend has it, Mr. Bush and Indian Dave snuck into the Vassar building holding the records. After retrieving the records they went by canoe down the Cass River and promptly secured the records in the new courthouse in Caro.

He was believed to be 106 when he died and is buried in an unmarked grave in the Wisner Township Cemetery. The historical marker stands as a reminder of the man who was an important part of the Thumbs history so long ago.

Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this weekend at Amazon to learn more click HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did. 

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

Related

« The Ruins in the Upper Peninsula
Lost In Michigan Calendar Giveaway »

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment

Subscribe to Blog

Enter your Email to receive new posts notifications

Categories

  • autumn
  • Barns and Farms
  • Bars and Restaurants
  • Benchmarks
  • Bridges
  • calendars
  • castles
  • Cemetery
  • Churches
  • cities
  • courthouses
  • Dam
  • Detroit
  • Fire Houses
  • Forgotten Places
  • General Store
  • Ghost Murals
  • Ghost towns
  • Giveaways
  • Grain Elevators
  • Haunted Places
  • Historic Places
  • Houses
  • Iconic Buildings
  • island
  • Landscapes
  • Library
  • Lighthouses
  • Michigan Historical Markers
  • Michigan State Parks
  • Mills
  • Murders
  • Nature
  • Parks
  • people
  • Photography Tips
  • presentations
  • Restaurants
  • Schools
  • Ships and Boats
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes
  • small towns
  • SP March Madness
  • State Parks
  • Thumb
  • Train Depots
  • Uncategorized
  • upper peninsula
  • Water Tower
  • Waterfalls
  • Winter Wonderland

Archives

Pages

  • Books
  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • My Account
  • Shop
  • Shopping Cart
  • Store
  • the Images
  • The Journey
  • The Artist

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013

Categories

  • autumn (55)
  • Barns and Farms (72)
  • Bars and Restaurants (5)
  • Benchmarks (1)
  • Bridges (14)
  • calendars (9)
  • castles (8)
  • Cemetery (41)
  • Churches (87)
  • cities (8)
  • courthouses (19)
  • Dam (15)
  • Detroit (19)
  • Fire Houses (21)
  • Forgotten Places (167)
  • General Store (13)
  • Ghost Murals (3)
  • Ghost towns (47)
  • Giveaways (21)
  • Grain Elevators (20)
  • Haunted Places (59)
  • Historic Places (107)
  • Houses (185)
  • Iconic Buildings (22)
  • island (1)
  • Landscapes (7)
  • Library (22)
  • Lighthouses (88)
  • Michigan Historical Markers (96)
  • Michigan State Parks (17)
  • Mills (3)
  • Murders (15)
  • Nature (17)
  • Parks (6)
  • people (18)
  • Photography Tips (4)
  • presentations (9)
  • Restaurants (13)
  • Schools (69)
  • Ships and Boats (11)
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes (2)
  • small towns (62)
  • SP March Madness (5)
  • State Parks (6)
  • Thumb (43)
  • Train Depots (49)
  • Uncategorized (147)
  • upper peninsula (111)
  • Water Tower (8)
  • Waterfalls (25)
  • Winter Wonderland (19)

WordPress

  • Log in
  • WordPress

CyberChimps WordPress Themes

© Lost In Michigan