Louise (Niganigijigok) Towab

Louise (Niganigijigok) Towab. . , Louise Towab and her husband William Teddy are memorialized in Wawa's history books as discovering gold on Wawa Lake and forever changing the rugged landscape of this corner of Lake Superior country. , Born in 1857, Louise represents the virtually unknown stories of the local Ojibway women who played integral roles in the daily lives and accomplishments of Wawa's earliest residents. Louise was 21 when she married William Teddy in Michipicoten River during a catholic wedding on July 28, 1878. Her last name was recorded as Niganigijigok and it is believed that she was a member of the Ojibway families who lived along the east shores of Lake Superior north of Sault Ste. Marie. , At the time of her marriage, Louise had just given birth to the first of 7 children, born between 1878 and 1895. Between August 1895 and June of 1896, all seven children had succumbed to European diseases which devastated the fragile native populations living in Northern Ontario. , In the fall of 1897, Louise and William uncovered a gold vein during a picnic on the shores of Wawa Lake. William showed samples to some local prospectors and was subsequently paid $500. An incredible flurry of prospectors and claim stakers rushed to the region. Although many left disappointed, the shovels and dynamite uncovered a landscape rich in a variety of veins holding mineral wealth if one had enough knowledge and financial backing to see it through. , Louise apparently received a barrel of molasses and a brand new woodstove as result of their find. William enjoyed his earnings during a pilgrimage to Montreal and was known to light his pipe with $5 bills until he ran out. , Not many years after the gold find, records show that William and Louise were blessed with a daughter, Nanette. Louise remained at Michipicoten even after her husband's death in April 1930. She lived to the wise age of 87 before she passed away in May of 1944. , Story written by Johanna Rowe www.wawahistory.com