General History / Nature 1 of 1

Nature

Nature would yield a landscape of dense forests, water prairies and colorful fields. The terrain would be beaming with a wide variety of plant forms, such as:

Trees: white pine, Norway pine, firs, birch, tamarack, spruce, cedar, oak, hickory. elm

Fruit: grape, mulberry, plum, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, blackberry, huckleberry, crab apple

Vegetable: maize, potato, melon, pumpkin, turnips, beans, squash

Flowers: sunflower, wild roses, honeysuckle, trillium, black-eyed Susan, golden rod, blueflag, wild rice, reeds, cat tails.

The town name of Pinconning comes from the Indian word pin (wild potato) because of the natural abundance of them found in that area.

The vegetation and temperate climate was an ideal habitat for animals of most every species found in Michigan at that time:

Fish: white fish, sturgeon, perch, trout, sunfish, bass, bullheads and other bottom feeders

Animals: beaver, raccoon, muskrat, bobcat, rabbit, deer, wood chuck, blackbear, wolverine.

Reptiles: various species of snakes and lizards

Birds: wild turkey, grouse, geese, duck, partridge and various bird species including the passenger pigeon.

Only the rattle snake, bobcat, black bear and wolverine were deadly adversaries to be avoided. When the white settlers arrived there was one other animal found among the Indians, a wolfish like dog. The Indians used this domesticated form of a dog for hunting. They were excellent hunters that would attack and bring down animals as large as a deer. Because of their fierce nature, they were not by any means considered a typical pet to be adopted by the early white folk.

Pictorials

Scenes of what early settlers may have experienced as they wandered through forests in this area. Deer in an open field at sun set, Raccoon eating a meal along a small creek Black bear climbing a larger white birch tree.