The Treaty of Greenville & Bois Blanc Island | August 3

Today in 1795, Chippewa Chief Matchekewis ceded Bois Blanc Island to the U.S. as part of the Treaty of Greenville, calling it "an extra and voluntary gift of the Chippewa nation." Following the Battle of Fallen Timbers, indigenous people ceded most of Ohio, part of Indiana, sixteen strategic sites on Michigan waterways, and Mackinac Island. In return, they were promised goods worth around $20,000. Over time, the island's pronunciation shifted to Bois Blanc, but locals still call it "Bob-lo." The island is twelve miles long, six miles wide, and has six lakes.