Mishicot Historical Museum

These are undated photos of Chief Abraham Meshigaud, the grandson of old Chief Mishicott.

Chief Abraham Meshigaud was born in 1821 at Mink River in Door County and died in 1916 at Hannahville Indian Mission, Harris, Upper Michigan. The family name Mishicott is often spelled “Meshigaud” today.

This story of the old chief was compiled by Jim Sustman:

The Village and Township of Mishicot as well as the East Twin River were all originally named after the “old’ Chief Mishicott, aka Naya tu Shingh, who was born in 1748 at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. He was the main chief of the entire area.

Being a Potawatomie, his tribe occupied the entire Lake Michigan west shore from the tip of Door County down to the Milwaukee River.

In 1840, Chief Mishicott and his grandson, who he helped raise and who was also named Mishicott, went to Canada in search of land to relocate the tribe to avoid going to Kansas where there were no sugar maples, forests and rivers. Not finding any, they sought the help of Andrew Vieau to purchase some of the Black Earth Village in the town of Carlton.

In 1847, Daniel Smith, the founder of the village, named the village after his Indian friend prior to the chief’s passing. In 1848, the old chief died and was buried at Mink River in Door County.

The tribe continued at Black Earth Village till 1862 when they were driven off their land for not paying taxes. Years later the tribe that survived settled in Harris, Michigan and today are called the Hannahville Potawatomie Indian Community.

For more on the story of Chief Mishicott, visit this article published by the Manitowoc County Historical Society.