Voyageur Canoes...
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Monday, February 6, 2017
Ripples from La Prairie Voyageur Canoes
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1797, engagement for Gabriel Pinsonneau
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Ripples from La Prairie Voyageur Canoes
I have been putting together a collection of essays and family histories about the voyageur ancestors of Lucy Pinsonneau (1836 - 1917), my 2nd great grandmother.
The collection titled, Ripples from La Prairie Voyageur Canoes, covers well over 100 of Lucy's ancestors, from more than 25 families, that were engaged in the fur trade between the 1620s and 1840s in New France and later Canada.
Ripples from La Prairie Voyageur Canoes, is available here...
Here are the links to individual chapters:
Introduction, Contents and Chapter One - La Prairie de la Magdeleine
Chapter Two - Our Earliest Fur Trade Ancestors
http://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/ripples-from-la-prairie-voyageur-canoes_3.html
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Barrette Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Bourassa Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Boyer Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Deneau Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Diel Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Dupuis Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Duquet Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Gagne Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Leber Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Lemieux Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Migner dit Lagacé Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Perras Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Pinsonneau Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Poupart Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Vielle Family
Chapter Four, Voyageur Families of Trois-Rivières and Quebec
Chapter Four, Quebec's Amiot Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Beauchamp Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Cloutier Family & Jean Mignault dit Chatillon
Chapter Four, Quebec's Cusson Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Dardenne Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Desroches Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Godefroy Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Godet Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Miville Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Moreau Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Nepveu Family & Denise Sevestre
Chapter Four, Quebec's Picard Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Rivet Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Sedilot Family
Chapter Five, Miscellaneous Fur Trade Ancestors
Chapter Six - Ancestors in 1600s Fur Trade Timeline
Chapter Six - Ancestors 1700s Fur Trade Timeline
Chapter Seven, French Canadian Heritage of Lucy Pinsonneau
Appendix One - French Era Fur Trade Forts, Posts and Depots
About the Author
Bibliography
Endnotes
I have been putting together a collection of essays and family histories about the voyageur ancestors of Lucy Pinsonneau (1836 - 1917), my 2nd great grandmother.
The collection titled, Ripples from La Prairie Voyageur Canoes, covers well over 100 of Lucy's ancestors, from more than 25 families, that were engaged in the fur trade between the 1620s and 1840s in New France and later Canada.
Ripples from La Prairie Voyageur Canoes, is available here...
Here are the links to individual chapters:
Introduction, Contents and Chapter One - La Prairie de la Magdeleine
Chapter Two - Our Earliest Fur Trade Ancestors
http://laprairie-voyageur-canoes.blogspot.com/2017/03/ripples-from-la-prairie-voyageur-canoes_3.html
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Barrette Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Bourassa Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Boyer Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Deneau Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Diel Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Dupuis Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Duquet Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Gagne Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Leber Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Lemieux Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Migner dit Lagacé Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Perras Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Pinsonneau Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Poupart Family
Chapter Three - La Prairie's Vielle Family
Chapter Four, Voyageur Families of Trois-Rivières and Quebec
Chapter Four, Quebec's Amiot Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Beauchamp Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Cloutier Family & Jean Mignault dit Chatillon
Chapter Four, Quebec's Cusson Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Dardenne Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Desroches Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Godefroy Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Godet Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Miville Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Moreau Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Nepveu Family & Denise Sevestre
Chapter Four, Quebec's Picard Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Rivet Family
Chapter Four, Quebec's Sedilot Family
Chapter Five, Miscellaneous Fur Trade Ancestors
Chapter Six - Ancestors in 1600s Fur Trade Timeline
Chapter Six - Ancestors 1700s Fur Trade Timeline
Chapter Seven, French Canadian Heritage of Lucy Pinsonneau
Appendix One - French Era Fur Trade Forts, Posts and Depots
About the Author
Bibliography
Endnotes
Index - Ripples from La Prairie Voyageur Canoes
Monday, January 23, 2017
Great Grandfather Canoes to Lac la Pluie (Rainy Lake)
Jean Baptiste Meunier (Mignier) said Lagassé (Lagacé) (1776–1835), my 4th great-grandfather, was born 24 Apr 1776 in Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada. He died before 1835 in St-Laurent, Québec, Canada. He married Marie Angelique Baret (Barette) dit Courville (1779 - 1815) 21 Oct 1799 in Laprairie, Quebec, Canada.
Jean Baptiste's Voyageur Contracts
(1800, Feb 14 - James & Andrew McGill hired Jean-Baptiste Meunier voyageur de Chambly to go to Mississippi, and spend the winter, notary Louis Chaboillez). From the Archives of Quebec, M620/1200.
(1803, Oct 6 - McTavish, Frobisher & Co. (North West Company) hired Jean-Baptiste Meunier voyageur de St-André-d’Argenteuil to go to Lac De La Pluie (Rainy Lake), notary Louis Chaboillez). From the Archives of Quebec. Notes: Go through Michilimakinac if required, make two trips from Kamanatiguià Fort to Portage de la Montagne, and give six days of drudgery - and help carry the three canoes in the land.
Lineage
Jean-Baptiste Mignier (Minier) Lagasse (Lagace) (1776 - 1835) -- son of Jean-Baptiste Mignier (Meunier) Lagasse (Lagace)
Marie Emélie (Mary) Meunier Lagassé (1808 - 1883) -- daughter of Jean-Baptiste Mignier (Minier) Lagasse (Lagace)
Lucy Passino (1836 - 1917) -- daughter of Marie Emélie (Mary) Meunier Lagassé -- my 2nd great-grandmother
NOTES:
• His father is: Jean-Baptiste Mignier (Meunier) Lagasse (Lagace) (1749 - 1828) -- my 5th great-grandfather, was also a voyageur.
• By 1800 Rainy Lake and Rainy River were witnessing heavy travel. Here was the main route of the fur trade, the voyageurs' highway that linked the Great Lakes with outposts in the remote interior. Both the Hudson's Bay Co. and its rival, North West Co., had trading posts in Fort Frances. Source: http://www.co.koochiching.mn.us/215/Rise-of-the-Fur-Trade
• Fort Lac la Pluie was a fur trade depot established by the North West Company sometime between 1775 and 1787. It was located on a high bank on the west side of modern Fort Frances, Ontario across from International Falls, Minnesota on the Rainy River downstream (west) of some rapids (Chaudière portage) where the river flows out of Rainy Lake. Upstream at the outlet of the lake was the old French post of Fort Saint Pierre (1731-1758).
The place was a depot rather than a trading post and served two purposes. By this time the trade had reached the rich Lake Athabasca country which was too far to reach from Montreal in one season. Each May, when the ice broke up, boats with trade goods would head west from Montreal and winterers with canoe-loads of fur would head east. They would meet at Grand Portage on Lake Superior, exchange goods and head back before the freezup. To further save time goods and furs would be shuttled between Grand Portage and Lac la Pluie. Second, it was a source of food. The voyageurs had no time to hunt and it was difficult to haul food from Montreal. Rainy Lake produced wild rice and fish. The fort also built kegs and canoes. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Lac_la_Pluie
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| 1825 census Chateauguay, Quebec, Canada |
• On the 1825 census (a few years before his death) Jean-Baptiste Meunier was living in Chateauguay, Huntingdon, Lower Canada. His daughter Marie Emélie Meunier dit Lagassé and her husband Gabriel Pinsonneau, Lucy's parents, are also living in the same neighborhood.
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art in my DNA
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Mom admiring my Pennsylvania Dutch folk art frame (1973)
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Pennsylvania Dutch art is a distinctive folk style transplanted by European immigrants who settled in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Characterized by the bold use of color and motifs that emphasize birds, flowers, and elaborate decoration, Pennsylvania Dutch art was nurtured on the isolated farms where those settlers made their homes.
Beginning in the late seventeenth century, immigrants from Switzerland, the Palatinate, and the Upper Rhine regions of Germany arrived in Pennsylvania.
For the most part, they were peasants, small farmers, and artisans. The Pennsylvania Germans were industrious people; they cleared the heavily wooded lands and tilled the soil to establish a new life in America.
Agriculture was the major industry, but as society became more firmly rooted, farmer-craftsmen turned some of their energies to producing and decorating the many articles of daily life.
By isolating themselves from outside influences, the Pennsylvania Germans were not assimilated into the mainstream of American culture until this century. Thus, for over two hundred years, Pennsylvania German (Dutch) art flourished to become an important element of the American folk art tradition.
Source above: http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/features/slideshows/pennsylvania-german-folk-art-from-the-index-of-american-design.html
When I carved the frame for Joyce's mirror (above) I had no idea that I would ultimately discover my Pennsylvania Dutch roots over two decades later.
Do you think DNA has anything to do for my interest in Pennsylvania Dutch art in the 1970s?
Who are the Pennsylvania Dutch?
The Pennsylvania Dutch are a cultural group formed by early German-speaking immigrants to Pennsylvania.
Many of these immigrants originated in what is today southwestern Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg).
Historically they have spoken the dialect of German known as Pennsylvania German or Pennsylvania Dutch. In this context, the word "Dutch" does not refer to the Dutch people (Nederlanders) or their descendants, but to Deitsch or Deutsch (German).
The Krefeld Germans
We are descended from one of thirteen Mennonite families from Krefeld, Germany who settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1683.
The Krefeld, Germans arrived on board the galleon Concord. The ship is also known as the "German Mayflower". The Concord took sail on July 6, 1683, in Rotterdam under Captain William Jeffries with 57 passengers. The journey took 74 days to reach Philadelphia (Germantown) on October 6, 1683 (which was declared German-American Day in 1983).
Our Krefeld Ancestor Reynier Theissen (Tyson)
Reinert Tisen also known as Reynier Theissen or Tyson, our 8th great-grandfather, was one of the The Krefeld, Germans who arrived on the Concord.
He was the 4th great grandfather to President Theodore Roosevelt. See: http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2012/02/cowboy-legacy-peaceable-folks-and-rough.html
Our Lineage:
Reynier Theissen (Tyson) (1659 - 1745) -- 8th great-grandfather
Mathias Tyson (1686 - 1727) son of Reynier Theissen (Tyson)
Margaret Tyson (1709 - 1752) daughter of Mathias Tyson
Joshua Hallowell (1751 - 1835) son of Margaret Tyson
Joseph Hallowell (1785 - 1872) son of Joshua Hallowell
Lt Rifford Randolph Hallowell (1816 - 1864) son of Joseph Hallowell
Amanda Merrio Hallowell (1842 - 1873) daughter of Lt Rifford Randolph Hallowell
Lillian Amanda Pierce (1867 - 1957) daughter of Amanda Merrio Hallowell
Frank Jackson Bailey (1886 - 1968) son of Lillian Amanda Pierce -- my grandfather
Monday, November 7, 2016
Was granddad descended from William the Conqueror?
The answer is a resounding maybe!
In my opinion all family history gets a bit murky once you are beyond the earliest census records (United States 1790 and England 1841) and parish church records (about 1538 in England, and as far back as 1303 in France).
At some point you have to accept accounts in "history books" written by someone who may have had a bias slant on the stories outcome.
It has been claimed every English monarch who followed William, including Queen Elizabeth II, is considered a descendant of the Norman-born king.
More importantly, many genealogists believe that approximately 25 percent of England's population today is also distantly related to him, as are countless Americans with British ancestry.
All that said, it's fun to consider we might actually be a distant relative of William the Conqueror.
One of the more interesting facts about William the Conqueror is that he spoke no English when he ascended the throne. Like most nobles of his time, he was illiterate.
Thanks to the Norman invasion, French was spoken in England’s courts for centuries and completely transformed the English language, infusing it with new words.
1066 The Battle of Hastings
(excerpts from Wikipedia)
In 1066, England’s childless king, Edward the Confessor, died leaving multiple claimants from across Europe vying to succeed him on the throne.
It was thought that Edward, whose mother was from Normandy, had years earlier promised the throne to his first cousin once removed, William, the Duke of Normandy.
However before he drew his final breath on January 5, 1066, it was claimed that Edward made a deathbed conversion and specified his brother-in-law Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Wessex, was to be his successor.
Harold was crowned king shortly after Edward's death, but faced invasions by William of Normandie, his own brother Tostig and the Norwegian King Harald Hardrada (Harold III of Norway).
Hardrada and Tostig defeated a hastily gathered army of Englishmen at the Battle of Fulford on 20 September 1066, and were in turn defeated by Harold at the Battle of Stamford Bridge five days later.
The deaths of Tostig and Hardrada at Stamford Bridge left William as Harold's only serious opponent. While Harold and his forces were recovering, William landed his invasion forces in the south of England at Pevensey on 28 September 1066 and established a beachhead for his conquest of the kingdom. Harold was forced to march south swiftly, gathering forces as he went.
The English army (7,000 strong) was composed almost entirely of infantry and had few archers, whereas only about half of William's invading force (10,000 strong) was infantry, the rest split equally between cavalry and archers.
Harold appears to have tried to surprise William, but scouts found his army and reported its arrival to William, who marched from Hastings to the battlefield to confront Harold.
The battle lasted from about 9 am to dusk. Early efforts of the invaders to break the English battle lines had little effect; therefore, the Normans adopted the tactic of pretending to flee in panic and then turning on their pursuers. ,
Harold's death, probably near the end of the battle, led to the retreat and defeat of most of his army.
William was crowned as king on Christmas Day 1066.
Our Lineage from William the Conqueror
The following lineage was pieced together with the help of ancestry (dot) com records supplied by many hundreds of researchers:
William the Conqueror (1024 - 1087) -- 27th great-grandfather
King Henry de Normandie I (1068 - 1135) -- son of William the Conqueror
Matilda England (1102 - 1167) -- daughter of King Henry de Normandie I
Henry II Plantagenet (1133 - 1189) -- son of Matilda England
King John Lackland Plantagenet (1167 - 1216) -- son of Henry II Plantagenet
Henry III Plantagenet (1207 - 1272) -- son of King John Lackland Plantagenet
Edmund Crouchback Plantagenet (1245 - 1296) -- son of Henry III Plantagenet
Henry 3rd Earl of Lancaster Plantagenet (1281 - 1345) -- son of Edmund Crouchback Plantagenet
Eleanor Countess of Arundel Plantagenet (1311 - 1372) -- daughter of Henry 3rd Earl of Lancaster Plantagenet
Richard Fitzalan III, Earl of Arundel, Earl of Surrey (1346 - 1397) -- son of Eleanor Countess of Arundel Plantagenet
Elizabeth Duchess Norfolk Baroness of Fitz Alan (1366 - 1425) -- daughter of Richard Fitzalan III, Earl of Arundel, Earl of Surrey
Lady Joan Baroness Stanley Goushill (1401 - 1460) -- daughter of Elizabeth Duchess Norfolk Baroness of Fitz Alan
Katherine Stanley (1430 - 1498) -- daughter of Lady Joan Baroness Stanley Goushill
Christoffer Savage (1473 - 1513) -- son of Katherine Stanley
Richard Savage (1520 - 1551) -- son of Christoffer Savage
Susan Savage (1550 - 1576) -- daughter of Richard Savage
George French (1570 - 1647) -- son of Susan Savage
Ann French (1610 - 1669) -- daughter of George French
George Mason (1629 - 1686) -- son of Ann French
Richard Mason (1670 - 1730) -- son of George Mason (immigrant ancestor)
William Mason (1692 - 1745) -- son of Richard Mason
Margaret Mason (1725 - 1752) -- daughter of William Mason
James Boyd (1757 - 1791) -- son of Margaret Mason
James Boyd (1783 - 1854) -- son of James Boyd (end of my sourced records)
Valentine Boyd (1811 - 1870) -- son of James Boyd
Sophia Boyd (1836 - 1908) -- daughter of Valentine Boyd
David Jackson Bailey (1865 - 1949) -- son of Sophia Boyd
Frank Jackson Bailey (1886 - 1968) -- son of David Jackson Bailey -- our grandfather
The Battle of 1066 as seen in "The Animated Bayeux Tapestry."
The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth nearly 230 feet long and 20 inches tall, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings.
A well done animated account of the Bayeux Tapestry and the history of the Battle of Hastings can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtGoBZ4D4_E
Animated Bayeux Tapestry Credits:
The Animated Bayeux Tapestry was created as a student project while at Goldsmiths College. Just as the historic original embroidery does, the animation depicts the lead up to to the Norman Invasion of Britain in 1066. Starts about halfway through the original work at the appearance of Halley's Comet and concludes at the Battle of Hastings. Marc Sylvan redid the soundtrack to include original music and sound effects.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Gaelic Love on Cape Cod: David, the Irishman, and Jane, the Welsh Maid
Edited from the Dennis Historical (Massachusetts) Society Newsletter, Feb/March 2008, by Burt Derick.
David O'Killia (O'Kelly) and Jane Powell’s (my 11th great-grandparent's) story is one of loneliness and love. In the 1650s, New England Separatists realized they needed to bring in willing (sometimes unwilling) workers, which was easy given the strife in Great Britain from wars, ravages of plague and religious persecution. Nearly all were young and unmarried, at the bottom of the social class.
David and Jane were poor bondservants (sometimes called White Slaves) charged with fornication. They were in their teens, and forced to endure great hardship. Jane was likely originally from Wales. The distance between the homes of the owners of their indentures (Wm. Swift and Edw. Sturgis') is 24 miles, quite a distance in those days. Perhaps they met on the same ship from England to America.
David and Jane were poor, lonely, scared, moving to an uncertain future and they were Gaelic, sharing a common language others on the ship may not have had. They would have been immediately separated and endured a hard life, as Jane's plea in court shows. Many of the colonists were religious fanatics, ruling with an iron hand, punishing people for minor infractions. Somehow, in a time when roads were less than cartways and transportation was slow, David found Jane. Perhaps he had an errand to do for his master, attending the only gristmill in the area to get the corn ground to flour. It is unlikely it was a chance encounter--not a single encounter in the woods of Sagamore, but one of many. There was certainly a background relationship between these people that resulted in the encounter for which they were charged. The fornication charge likely means she was pregnant, rather than caught in the act.
Despite Jane's guilt, the magistrates could not bring themselves to levy the typical punishment of public whipping and they sent her home. They also didn't charge David with seducing the girl. They leave the two to work out the problem. It's also remarkable the Clerk took time to record so many details of Jane's predicament
After securing freedom for both of them, David did the honorable thing and married Jane and they moved to a 100 acre farm that was eventually named Kelley's Point, at the head of Bass River on the banks of what is today called Kelley’s Bay. The area is now called Mayfair in current day South Dennis, Massachusetts.
David's family lived in South Dennis, Massachusetts over 40 years, raising a family of five boys and two girls: Sarah b. ca 1660, Joseph b. ca 1662, +Jeremiah b. ca 1664, John b. ca 1667, David was b. ca 1670, Elizabeth b ca 1672, Benjamin b. ca 1675. All were mentioned in David’s will.
Our lineage is:
David Okille (about 1636 - 1697) -- 11th great-grandfather
Jeremiah OKilley (OKelley) (1664 - 1728) -- son of David Okille
Sarah OKilley (1689 - 1736) -- daughter of Jeremiah OKilley (OKelley)
Solomon Carpenter (1677 - 1750) -- son of Sarah OKilley
Elizabeth Carpenter (1703 - 1740) -- daughter of Solomon Carpenter
Soloman Braman (1723 - 1790) -- son of Elizabeth Carpenter
William Braman (1753 - 1804) -- son of Soloman Braman
Waterman F Brayman (1786 - 1865) -- son of William Braman
Elvira W. Brayman (Pierce) (Corey) (1822 - 1909) -- daughter of Waterman F Brayman
Marcus M Pierce (1842 - 1882) -- son of Elvira W. Brayman (Pierce) (Corey)
Lillian Amanda Pierce (1867 - 1957) -- daughter of Marcus M Pierce
Frank Jackson Bailey (1886 - 1968) -- son of Lillian Amanda Pierce -- our grandfather
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Paddling the Upper Klamath Canoe Trail
Located in the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is a marked, 9.5 mile canoe trail that meanders through a large freshwater marsh.
The canoe trail has four segments: Recreation Creek, Crystal Creek, Wocus cut and Malone Springs. Each section offers a different look at the Upper Klamath Marsh.
You can launch your canoe or kayak at the Rocky Point boat launch or the Malone Springs boat launch.
I can recommend staying at the Rocky Point Resort which offers both tent and RV camping as well as rental cabins. Their restaurant is now open 7 days a week and offers a selection of delightful sandwiches and meals at affordable prices.
Just in case you get skunked at fishing -- as I did -- they have fresh cod and chips.
Rocky Point Resort is located on Pelican Bay and has been in existence since at least 1909 as this old postcard attests too.
Ask about mooring your canoe or kayak at Rocky Point Resort's dock if you plan on staying longer than a day.
For me the canoe trail began at Rocky Point Resort, just north of Pelican Bay, which is aptly named for the American White Pelicans that often inhabit the area. It's great fun to watch pelicans soar with incredible steadiness on a wingspan averaging 9 feet.
Their large heads and huge, heavy bills give them an almost prehistoric look. Gliding on the water surface you'll see them dip their pouched bills to scoop up fish, or tip-up like an oversized dabbling duck. Groups of pelicans can be seen working together to herd fish into the shallows for easy feeding.
A solo White Pelican guided the way as I began my journey up the canoe trail.
There is an abundant variety of waterfowl and other wildlife in the refuge. I am certainly not an authority on birds, so if you want to know what birds you can expect to see, you'll need to do a little homework.
Mammals along the canoe trail include Mink -- like this one I saw on a boat dock -- muskrats, beaver, occasionally otter, deer, coyotes, and rarely -- a newly located family of gray wolves.
Around every bend in the creek you can expect to see ducks and other waterfowl launch themselves as your canoe comes into view.
On my outward bound journey I passed several summer cabins, on the west, that had been grandfathered in when Recreation Creek became part of the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge.
Once past the cabins the forest to the west comes down to the creek while the rushes to the east creates an entirely different view of the marsh.
Wocus lilies -- which flower in the spring -- can be seen throughout the marsh. Wocus is a Native American word for the Rocky Mountain Pond Lily.
The Klamath Tribes, formerly the Klamath Indian Tribe of Oregon once gathered seeds of the wocus lily as an important food staple.
One of the many Shore Birds I encountered wading and feeding in the shallows along the edge of Recreation Creek.
I'll call them Cattail Rushes -- because I'm no expert on rushes -- are full of songbirds like these Red-winged Blackbirds.
It's unlikely that you'd ever get lost -- but just to keep you from wandering into areas of nesting birds -- the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has installed signs that clearly define the canoe trail.
To aid the nesting of the extraordinary bird life in the area the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has installed many of these birdhouses on posts along the water's edge.
About two miles north of Rocky Point an industrious beaver has built a dam across Recreation Creek.
Many canoeists would be undaunted and simply pull their boat over the top, but for me -- with my poor balance it was swim or turn around. The decision was easy because I had seen a number of likely fishing holes that needed to be explored.
As I turned around on my homeward bound journey I noticed this beaver had his home in the bank of the creek.
Of the two creeks -- Recreation Creek and Crystal Creek -- for me the prettiest is by far Recreation Creek because of the forest.
I paddled this creek twice -- once in the morning, and once in the evening. The bird life is far more active in the early morning, but the evening shadows from the forest are both cooling and intriguing.
For me one of the real delights was spotting several Kingfisher birds. In the past I'd only seen them in Montana's Glacier National Park.
As you near Rocky Point the creek widens and you are again greeted by pelicans dipping for fish.
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| Friend Kenny kayaking Pelican Bay |
To the south of Rocky Point Pelican Bay widens again, but is very weedy and shallow except for a channel that skirts the west and southern shoreline.
When I got back to the place where I had been mooring my canoe I was welcomed by this Great Blue Heron who grudgingly consented to share his dock with me.
I would definitely return to visit the area again.
My only displeasure was not hooking one of the huge Redband Rainbow Trout that inhabit the area. Given that the water is crystal clear and the creek holds thousands of small bait fish and perch these 2 to 3 foot trout are not easy to catch.
One fellow fisherman said, "The small fish are so thick you can almost walk across the creek on them."
Call me disappointed.
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