Show old indian mission in michigan built from timber dragged to site by oxen greensky hill indian mission one ot of northern most important historic spots will be preserved as a perpetual exhibit if plans by the charlevoix board of com commerce merce and the county board ot of supervisors are successful states a correspondent in the detroit free pre press ss originally greensky hill was a council place ot of the indians who planted a council ring ot of trees to mark the site ol of their powwows to prevent the trees from being cut for timber by the encroaching white men the indians bent them to the ground and tied them with basswood thongs rendering them unfit for lumber the symbolic purpose ot of the planting ot of the trees was to demonstrate the pledge that as long as the trees grew and bore leaves the tribes would remain at peace with one another in 1839 it it response to a request by indians who had embraced christianity ti peter greensky was sent there by the methodist church the first church building was a wag nog any constructed of saplings and covered with elm bark with only a dirt floor in 1861 this became too small for the increasing congregation and a log church was built the indians tolled felled the trees and squared the logs the huge timbers were dragged into place by peter oxen the only pieces used in construction which were brought from another place were the windows doors and trim which were brought from traverse city by dugout canoes and transported up the steep hills on the backs ot of the indians no bell was available so a huge conch shell was blown to call the indians to worship between the church and susan lake is an old indian burying ground where the graves face the east as has always been the custom |