The matter of prehistoric occupation of the Valley of Lake Champlain has
received considerable attention during the last twenty-five years.
Before that time, historians would refer to Champlain’s vague statements
concerning the enemies of his Algonquin allies residing around the
mountains in the east and south, and then state that but few vestiges
remained of ancient occupation. But later researches have revealed the
fact that this valley was once quite thickly populated. I know of at
least forty-five dwelling sites, the greater portion of which I have
located and visited. The larger part of these are on, or near, the Lake
itself; but there are, also, many on the rivers and smaller streams and
lakes; and some at a distance from any even moderately large body of
water. The evidence of former dwelling sites consists of stone
implements and weapons, and chippings scattered over small areas—say of
half an acre or more. One such site exists on the River Richelieu, in
the Parish of St. Valentine, near Isle aux Noix, twelve miles below
Rouses Point. From this place alone I have obtained several hundred
stone implements and weapons, some of them very fine.
Another is at the mouth of the Big Chazy River, near Point au Fer. It
was October 5, 1881, that I first discovered this dwelling site, and in
two hours I picked up about thirty stone axes and many chipped flints;
and had not the night come on, I should have obtained at least twice as
many at that visit. To an ardent collector, so many things almost
beseeching to be gathered furnished an experience not readily forgotten.
I presume that any of you would have done as I did. You would have taken
off your shoes and stockings, and found with your feet, stone axes in
the clay mud of the bottom, and picked them out with your hands; and
would have wished the sun to stand still at least an hour, in order that
you might obtain more.
Another place is on a high sand plain in the town of Ausable, New York.
Here the ground is white with quartzite chippings over many acres,
though this locality has furnished but few perfect implements.
From Colchester Point upon the Ouinooski river, certainly as far as
Williston, the soil abounds in celts, chippings and wrought flints. But
to locate and describe all the known sites would require far too much
time, and I presume the half of them have not been discovered.
However, in many particulars, the most important prehistoric dwelling
place in our Valley is that on the shore of Cumberland Bay, partly
within the present limits of the city of Plattsburgh. Here was a sand
ridge a mile long, from twenty to forty rods wide, fifteen to
twenty-five feet high, having a sluggish stream abounding in fish on its
landward side, and the wide bay opening out into the broad lake, on the
other. The greyish white sand between the pines on the ridge and the
waters of the bay, was a conspicuous object for miles out on the lake.
About thirty-five years ago some of the pines were cut off, and the wind
made openings through and through the ridge at right angles to the axis
of its length. Then it was seen that here was once a great village,
covering the whole ridge. Below the old surfaces were vast quantities of
flint chippings, arrow and spear points, axes, pottery, fire-places,
kitchen middens, and other evidences of ancient occupation. From this
site alone, I have secured fragments of hundreds of edge pieces of
different jars of pottery, and thousands of wrought implements of stone.
In our early researches, where the sand had not been blown out down to
the level of the lake, there were seen heaps of cobble stones, arranged
in some order, each perhaps consisting of a bushel or more of sand
stones that had been heated by fire. These heaps rested in sand and
ashes blackened by charcoal, but never, in a single instance did they
contain flints, wrought stones or pottery. In other words, these were
not kitchen middens.
For years, I supposed this place to have been prehistoric, as it mostly
was. But in 1885, the Prince Society of Boston, in its invaluable series
of historical publications, printed “Radisson’s Voyages.” Now, Peter
Esprit Radisson was a Frenchman of roving disposition, who came from
France to Canada in 1651. He made several “voyages,” as he calls them,
going through Lake Champlain to the Iroquois country; and again to Lake
Huron and Lake Superior; and, I believe, overland to Hudson’s Bay, in
his various journeyings. But he did what we wish more of those early
adventurers had done. He left a written account of his experiences. This
record was made partly in French and partly in English and is very full
of interest. In the year 1652, he was out hunting on the St. Lawrence
River, one day, was made prisoner and taken up the Richelieu, through
Lake Champlain and thence to the country of the Iroquois. I quote from
his “Relation of My Voyage being in Bondage in the hands of the
Irokoits.” After being captured (and his captivity seems to have been a
pleasant one from beginning to end), he says: “Midday wee came to the
River of Richelieu, where we weare not farr gone, but met a new gang of
their people in cottages” (village No. 1). After a day and a night, he
continues: “Our journey was indifferent good without any delay, w’ch
caused us to arrive in a good and pleasant harbour. It was on the side
of the sand where our people had any paine scarce to errect their
cottages, being that it was a place they had sejourned at before.”
(Village No. 2). The next day, he says: “At 3 of the clock in the
afternoon we came to a rappid streame, where we were forced to land and
carry our Equipages and boats through a dangerous place. Wee had not any
encounter that day. Att night where we found cottages ready made
(village No. 3), there I cutt wood with all dilligence. The morning
early following, we marched wth making great noise, or singing as
accustomed. Sejourning awhile, we came to a lake 6 leagues wide, about
it a very pleasant country, imbellished with great forests. * * * * We
arrived to a fine sandy bancke, where not long before Cabbanes weare
errected and places made where Prisoners weare tyed.” (Village No. 4.)
“In this place our wild people sweated after the maner following: first
heated stones till they were redd as fire, then they made a lantherne
with small sticks, then stoaring the place with deale trees, saving a
place in the middle, whereinto they put the stoanes, and covered the
place with small covers, then striped themselves naked, went into it.
They made a noise as if ye devil weare there; after they being there for
an hour they came out of the watter. I thought veryly they weare
incensed. It is their usual custom. * * * * In the night they heard some
shooting, which made them embark themselves speedily. In the meanwhile
they made me lay downe whilst they rowed very hard. I slept securely
till morning, when I found meselfe in high rushes. There they stayed
without noise.”
Now, this “rappid streame” was the Chambly Rapids.
This 3d village, in my opinion, was that site below Isle Aux Noix, in
the parish of St. Valentine, which I have spoken of. Villages No. 1 and
No. 2 I have never visited. The lake “imbellished with great forests,”
was Champlain. The “fine sandy bancke, where not long before cabbanes
weare errected,” was, I feel certain, this great dwelling place on
Cumberland Bay. The heaps of fire stones that I have mentioned could
easily have been those made use of by “our wild people” when they
“sweated after the maner following:” and where Radisson found himself in
“high rushes” the morning after, may have been at the mouth of the
Ausable; or of the Lamoille, or of the Ouinooski.[3]