THE WAY IT WAS…
...visiting the great White Rock
by Al Eicher

A few years ago, my son, David, and I decided to visit the great White Rock in Lake Huron just south and east of Harbor Beach. To be more accurate it is due east of the old village of White Rock on M-25. This small settlement was formed in the 1830s by pioneer families such as Lucius Lyon, Charles and William Carroll and John Smith Titus.

Ten years ago, if you were near the old village and standing on the high ridge, you could look out to the area of the “Rock” and see nothing but water. Now, with the low water level in Lake Huron, the great White Rock is most visible.

It was a warm summer day in July, when in our bathing suits, we ventured out to the big rock. We didn’t have a boat; we walked with our television cameras and tripods over our heads. We started out barefoot, but walking on the small, sharp and slippery rocks was too painful so we put on our sneakers. The rubber and canvas shoes were somewhat more comfortable. The green vegetation growing on these rocks created a balancing act several times especially when the rocks underwater were a foot or two in diameter. Eventually, traveling the near half mile, walking on these slippery rocks with our camera gear, we reached our goal. Getting up on the great White Rock was the next challenge, as the base around the rock was very slippery and covered with all that green, slimy vegetation.

We decided it might be better to photograph the rock from several angles before going up on the big rock. Due to the depth of water at nearly a half mile from shore, it was not easy to walk beyond the big white rock. We are now in water that is armpit deep, and slipping on the rocks into the water could ruin our cameras. Fortunately we did not slip and were able to get our video scenes.

Now we try getting up on the great White Rock, to deposit our camera gear and give our arms some relief. Have you ever tried holding your arms above your head with 10 pounds of weight added…not easy! Once up on the rock we could see markings on the flat surface dating back to the 1870s. We also noticed this rock was much larger many years ago. Standing on the rock and looking down into the clear water you could see large pieces of the rock that had broken off due to freezing ice and the storms of thousands of years. We do know that during World War II military aircraft from Selfridge Field used the great White Rock for target practice. The Air Force tested 50-caliber guns mounted on the wings of various aircraft. We could see the bullet holes in some areas of the rock.

What is the historical value of the great White Rock? In the Indian Treaty of 1807, called the Treaty of Detroit, Governor Cass needed to buy land from the Chippewa Tribe, who owned all the land in the Michigan Territory. Governor Cass organized a meeting with the chiefs for several days, using much persuasion and lots of whiskey to reach his goal. More than a hundred gallons of whiskey was requisitioned from the quartermaster, thus convincing the chiefs to sell a pie shaped section of their land. The most eastern marker was the great White Rock. Indian Legends indicate the great White Rock was a ceremonial place for meetings of the chiefs. Governor Cass established the northern boundary line from the rock to Fort Defiance. This section of land taking in many counties was purchased for $10,000.

Governor Cass needed more land in 1819 and established the Treaty of Saginaw. The week-long meeting was held on the banks of the Saginaw River. Chippewa men, women and children, about 2,000 in number, attended the gathering held by Governor Cass and Indian Agent Schoolcraft. Many Indians, especially the women, were opposed to the treaty. Governor Cass, knowing it would be a lengthy negotiation, ordered from the storekeeper of the Detroit Military District, 200 barrels of flour, 662 gallons of whiskey and 51 barrels of pork plus quantities of candles, salt and soap. Six million acres of land were acquired for 1 thousand dollars per year. The great White Rock was again used as an eastern marker establishing the southern boundary line for the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. Now you know the rest of the story and that’s The Way It Was at the great White Rock…

Al and Dave Eicher provide television production services to corporations, ad agencies and nonprofit organizations.  They also create Michigan town histories and offer lecture services on a variety of Michigan History Events. You may contact them at  248-333-2010;  E-mail: info@program-source.com; Web site:  www.program-source.com.