Transcription and commentary by Mark Smith, OHS secretary
The following letter was written by Reverend Peter Dougherty in March of 1852 to Walter Lowrie, former U.S. Senator and (starting in 1838) the corresponding secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. Lowrie was Reverend Dougherty’s supervisor and Dougherty depended on the organization for funding for his mission. This letter records details of a trip to Little Traverse by Dougherty, made in the dead of winter. At this time the “Old” Mission on Old Mission Peninsula was slowly being moved to the “New” Mission in Omena, where a school would be built for local Anishinaabe children. (See here for the story of Grove Hill School) At the same time, the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions was also attempting to establish a mission in Little Traverse, which would be run by Andrew Porter, uncle of John Porter (see here for the story of John Porter). The site of the Little Traverse mission was on present day Spring Street in Petoskey.
It seems that Andrew Porter’s mother and sister would be staying with a Mr. Whiteside in Old Mission until such time as there was proper accommodation for them in Little Traverse. Mr. Whiteside was a teacher at Old Mission up until the summer of 1852. Interestingly, on Aug. 8th, 1851, Whiteside sold his melodeon (small accordian) to Mr. Joseph Dame of Northport for $60, who then either sold or gave it to Rev. Smith. This is the melodeon Mrs. Smith (Arvilla) would play at church services in the old log cabin/church/meeting house at The Bight, north of present day Northport.
