Waukazoo Woods

In 1833 an Ottawa Indian village of about three hundred was located on Black Lake, now Lake Macatawa. The village was led by Chief Waukazoo, recognized by his followers as a prophet and by local settlers as an orator. The Ottawa adopted many of the customs of their white neighbors, such as dress and the use of oxen, carts, plows, and axes. They built log buildings for storage, but preferred to live in their traditional wigwams. Many of these Indians were converted to Christianity. In 1839 the Protestants in the village established the “Old Wing Mission” southeast of here. The Catholics chose a site on the other side of Black Lake to build their church and consecrated a cemetery there in 1841. On June 1, 1849, the Waukazoo band moved to the Grand Traverse Bay area, founding the village of Waukazooville, which was annexed by Northport in 1852.