Negaunee Township in Marquette County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Laughing Whitefish

Michigan Legal Milestone

Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 3, 2024

1. Laughing Whitefish Marker

Inscription. Marji-Gesick a Chippewa chief was hired in 1845 to locate a valuable iron ore deposit about three miles from here. He was paid with a Certificate of Interest entitling him to stock in the company. That action led to a landmark Michigan supreme court decision acknowledging that tribal laws and customs govern the legal affairs of Native American families.

After Marji-Gesick’s death, his daughter, Charlotte Kawbawgam found the certificate. When the Jackson Iron Company refused to recognize her ownership interest, she took the company to court.

the Michigan Supreme Court considered the company’s claim that Charlotte Kawbawgam should not be recognized as Marji-Gesick’s lawful heir because she had been born to one of three women to whom her father had been married simultaneously. Polygamy was prohibited under Michigan law but permitted under tribal laws and customs.

The court concluded that since the marriage was valid under Chippewa law, it must be recognized by Michigan’s courts. Charlotte Kawbawgam was declared Marji-Gesick’s lawful heir, inheriting his ownership interest in the Jackson Iron Company.

The

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

story of Marji-Gesick, Charlotte Kawbawgam and the Jackson iron company was immortalized in Laughing Whitefish, a book authored by former Michigan Supreme Court justice John Voelker under his pen name, Robert Traver.

Erected 1992 by the State Bar of Michigan and the Marquette County Bar Association. (Marker Number 16.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Notable Events. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Legal Milestones series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1845.

Location. 46° 31.298′ N, 87° 33.858′ W. Marker is in Negaunee, Michigan, in Marquette County. It is in Negaunee Township. It can be reached from Jackson Trace Parkway just north of Forge Road. It is just outside the main door to the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, on the left. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 73 Forge Rd, Negaunee MI 49866, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and on Lake Superior’s South

Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 3, 2024

2. Laughing Whitefish Marker

Shore Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Great North Woods,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Tragedy Underground (approx. ¼ mile away); Jackson Mine (approx. 1.9 miles away); Marquette Iron Range (approx. 1.9 miles away); 1921 CR 510 Bridge (approx. 2.7 miles away); 2010 CR 510 Bridge (approx. 2.7 miles away); Ishpeming: Historic Ski Center (approx. 5 miles away); Swedes on the Iron Range (approx. 5.7 miles away); Italians on the Marquette Iron Range (approx. 5.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Negaunee.

Charlotte Kawbawgam image. Click for full size.

via FindAgrave.com (Public Domain), 1900

3. Charlotte Kawbawgam

Photograph is dated 1900.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 12, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 12, 2024, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 473 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 12, 2024, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.