A Journey by Canoe in the 1750s — Marie-Catherine Caron

B. 23 Apr 1738 in Detroit, New France
M. 29 Jan 1758 in Post Vincennes, New France
Husband: Antoine Bordeleau
D. between 1779 and 1793 in (probably) Vincennes, Northwest Territory

This is the story of an 18th century girl born in a remote French outpost, who as a teen, moved to another outpost that was even more remote. Marie-Catherine Caron was born at Detroit on April 23, 1738 to Vital Caron and Madeleine Pruneau. She was the second of seven children, one of whom died as an infant. Marie-Catherine’s father was a merchant in Detroit, and he died when she was about 8-years-old. The family lived on a farm in a house near the present-day corner of Lafayette and 6th Street in downtown Detroit.

During the early 1750s, Marie-Catherine’s mother died, leaving the teenaged girl with younger siblings to look after. The decision was made to relocate to Vincennes, and along with her brother Jean Baptiste (b.1746), her sister Louise (b. 1741), she joined a group of relatives and friends to make the journey. Since Marie-Catherine was under age, presumably there were adults among the group, and one of them may have been Charles-Louis Oliver Santier, who was a cousin.

To get from Detroit to Vincennes, the only mode of travel was by canoe. During that time, canoes were made of birch bark and varied in size; the largest ones could hold up to 3,000 lb. Each canoe would need at least 4 voyageurs to row it. The exact number of people who traveled with Marie-Catherine when she made the trip to Vincennes is unknown, but there were probably two or more canoes.

It was said that a canoe could go 50 miles per day. Each night of Marie-Catherine’s journey, the canoes were brought up on shore and unloaded at the place where they camped overnight. The route they took began on the Detroit River, continuing on into Lake Erie. Then they entered the Maumee River, traveling down its length until they reached the point that wasn't navigable, at present-day Fort Wayne, Indiana. From there, the canoes had to be carried nine miles to the Wabash River, with the passengers, including Marie-Catherine and her young siblings, on foot carrying their possessions. Once they were on the Wabash, it was a journey of several more days to reach Vincennes.

The route of Marie-Catherine's canoe trip.

Men carrying a canoe.

The earliest record of Marie-Catherine in Vincennes is as a godmother at a baptism on October 2, 1755. Three years later, she married Antoine Bordeleau, with the wedding taking place on January 29, 1758 at St. Francis Xavier church. Between 1759 and 1777, Marie-Catherine gave birth to ten children, all at Vincennes. She attended her daughter Marie-Magdeleine’s wedding on July 9, 1779, and after that, there is no further record of her. Her husband died on October 29, 1793 and it is believed she died around that time.

Children:
1. Catherine Bordeleau — B. 23 Dec 1759, Post Vincennes, New France; M. Antoine Mallet (~1742-?)

2. Marie-Madeleine Bordeleau — B. 23 Oct 1761, Post Vincennes, New France; D. 21 Feb 1819, Vincennes, Indiana; M. Jean-Baptiste Renaud dit Deslauriers (1754-1834), 9 Jul 1779, Vincennes, Virginia Territory

3. Antoine Bordeleau — B. 22 Sep 1763, Post Vincennes, New France

4. Michel Bordeleau — B. about Nov 1765, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; M. Ursula Le Cointe, 3 Jul 1786

5. Archange Bordeleau — B. Jun 1767, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; M. Alexander Sanson (~1765-1803), 3 Oct 1785, Vincennes, Virginia Territory

6. Therese Bordeleau — B. 3 Jun 1769, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory

7. Jean-Baptiste Bordeleau — B. 30 Apr 1770, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory

8. Charles Bordeleau — B. 10 Jun 1772, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory

9. Pierre Bordeleau — B. 16 Jul 1774, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory; M. Julie Potvine, 7 Oct 1827, Vincennes, Indiana

10. Angelique Bordeleau — B. 16 Apr 1777, (probably) Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory

Sources:
Genealogy of the French Families of the Detroit River Region, 1701-1936, Christian Dennison, 1987

History of Knox and Daviess Counties, Indiana, 1886“Records of the Parish of St. Francis Xavier,” Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, Vol. 12, 1901
Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, dar.org
Wabash Valley Visions & Voices Memory Project, Sullivan County Public Library, Scrapbook no. 19, visions.indstate.edu
Corktown History (blog), Paul Sewick