Michael Dousman (1771–1854) was an American

fur trader The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...

and

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in goods produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated i ...

with business interests in and around

Mackinac Island Mackinac Island ( , ; ; ; ) is an island and resort area, covering in land area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac and "Mitchimakinak" in Ojibwemowin, meaning "Great Turtle". It is located in ...

during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

period.

Biography

Born in 1771 on the British colonial frontier in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, Michael Dousman became a trapper and fur trader. He gradually moved northwest to the area along the border with Upper Canada by the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

. In the years before the War of 1812, he was a prominent trader on Mackinac Island, with connections and interests among the Ojibwe on both sides of the border, and business with British Canadians. He was captured in July 1812 by a British force as part of their operations against Fort Mackinac. Dousman was paroled on condition that he gather all Mackinac Island civilians in a safe place and not provide intelligence to the U.S. Army. Dousman's fulfillment of these conditions resulted in the British and Canadians accepting him as a key ally in their quest to retain control over the

Straits of Mackinac The Straits of Mackinac ( ; ) are the short waterways between the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, traversed by the Mackinac Bridge. The main strait is wide with a maximum depth of , and connects the Great Lakes of Lake M ...

area throughout the war. After the War of 1812, Dousman renewed his loyalty to the United States. He was granted new licenses to trade furs by the government on condition that he affiliate his operations with John Jacob Astor's

American Fur Company The American Fur Company (AFC) was a prominent American company that sold furs, skins, and buffalo robes. It was founded in 1808 by John Jacob Astor, a German Americans, German immigrant to the United States. During its heyday in the early 19th c ...

, which had become dominant in this area and ultimately established a monopoly. Dousman became more successful than ever, especially as British Canadians were prohibited from trading on the United States side of the border between the countries, unlike the open conditions before the war. The trader acquired a large farm on the northern third of Mackinac Island. This was developed in the late 19th century as today's Wawashkamo Golf Club. Among the lower-level traders he employed was John Drew, who later became independent. Dousman also pursued other business interests in the area. He owned and operated a sawmill powered by current through the Straits of Mackinac. This structure has been reconstructed in the late 20th century as the centerpiece of Historic Mill Creek State Park.

Marriage and family

Dousman married and had a family. His son Hercules L. Dousman later became a noted pioneer in what was developed as the state of Wisconsin.

Legacy

The schooner ''Michael Dousman'', which sailed on the upper Great Lakes from 1843–1853, was named after the trader.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dousman, Michael 1771 births 1854 deaths 19th-century American businesspeople American fur traders People from Mackinac Island, Michigan People from Michigan Territory