tr

operation in the United States,
and served as a member of its
merchandising committee.
Both Arent Schuyler De
Peyster and Patrick Sinclair
had found Lyon useful as an
aid to the government Indian
Department.
Like Ezekiel Solomon, Lyon
made a generous, contribution
of 50 livres in 1778 to a Mac-
kinac fund for the support of
a missionary priest to serve the
Catholic community, as a ges-
ture of good will.
Active in the Canadian Jew-
ish community, Lyon was a
member • of Congregation
Shearith Israel, Canada's first
Jewish congregation, founded in
Montreal in 1768. In 1779, he
contributed toward the cost of
a Scroll of the Law to be pur-
chased in London. The Scroll
was brought to the colony by
Joseph Pines, a member of one
of Canadian Jewry's earliest
pioneer families.
His name appears in a 1787
merchants' petition to Captain
Thomas Scott, Mackinac Corn-
mandant. As late as July 28,

Thrilling Story of Benjamin Lyon

Michigan Jewish Pioneer
,!) One of Signers of Deed
for Mackinac 's Purchase

.

1800, Lyon is recorded as a
witness in the Mackinac Regis-
ter of Marriages.
It is not known how long
Lyon lived after 1800, nor the
place of his burial.

`Eternal Light' Series
Wins OSU 'First Award'

The Eternal Light radio
series, presented by the Jewish
resident of Detroit, who came
Theological Seminary in coop-
here in 1762; Levi Solomons;
eration with the National
and Gershon Levi. They were
Broadcasting Company, has re-
engaged as commissaries of the
ceived a "First Award" from
British armies during the
the. 21st Institute for Education
French and Indian War (1755-
by Radio and Television at Ohio
1763), the final contest between
State University.
England and France for supre-
The program, heard at 10:30
macy on the American contin-
p.m., each Sunday, over radio
ent, and the subsequent Indian
War of 1763, led by Chief
station WWJ, was given the
Pontiac.
award in the special interest
category.
They probably came together
directly from England with
the troops, themselves, and may
have learned their trade as
supplymen to the armies of
Europe. Quartermaster work
CLEANED and HAND FINISHED
was a common Jewish occupa-
tion on the European continent
- Ambassador Cleaners
in the Eighteenth Century. The
12813 Linwood TO 8-8044-45
partners had their own limited
resources, some financial sup-
port back in England, and pos-
sibly the help of Hayman Levy,
the well known colonian trader
B N o D ok
of New York. After the con-
quest of Canada by the British
in 1760, the partners branched
out into the expanding fur
trade, which included present-
day Mackinac and Detroit.
Present for Your Listening Pleasure
During the Indian uprising of
1763, known as "the Pontiac
A New Release of
Conspiracy," Benjamin Lyon
was the only member of the
five-man partnership who was
fortunate to elude capture by
the Indians. He may possibly
'Sings HEBREW
have been the same Lyon who
managed to escape Gen. Mont-
MELODIES'
calm's Indian cohorts in the
Many Favorite Melodies.
1757 Fort William Henry mas-
LP 331/2
$3:98
sacre, at the head of Lake
arfd
George, New York.
'A PASSOVER SEDER'
As early as 1770, Lyon is
A new orthophonic Hi-
Fidelity recording by JAN
mentioned as a member of the
PEERCE of a complete
Mackinac settlement, where he
Passover Seder Service.
apparently established his per-
manent residence. A merchant
GEMS OF THE SYNAGOGUE
and trader, he was active in
civic Jewish community affairs
CANTOR JOSEPH y ROSENBLATT
both in Mackinac and Montreal
This record offers four sacred gems, all part of the Jewish tradi-
throughout the next 30 years.
tional services, sung by Cantor Rosenblat, who possessed one
He was a correspondent for
of the most remarkable voices ever heard ... LP 331/2
$2.98
Aaron Lopez, the well-known
merchant-shipper in Newport,
FESTIVAL GEMS
R.I. In 1770, Lyon sent a letter
Sung By
to this businessman to be de-
CANTOR MOSHE KUSEVITSKY
livered by Hyam Myers, who
Esso Einai El Hehorim — Korutz M'Chomer — Ad Heino Asorunu
was making a trip to the south
Rachmono D'Onei Lanniyei Aneino — L'Dor Vodor — Ma Godlu
and had scheduled a personal
Maasecho Adoshem — Umipnei Chatoeinu — Sheiboneh Beis
visit with Lopez in Rhode
$3.98
Hamikdosh — Akavyo Ben Mahalalel ... LP 33 1 /s
Island: For a time, Lyon was a
GOLDEN
VOICES
OF
ISRAEL
Photostat of deed for purchase of Mackinac Island. Signa- partner of the well known John
Featuring
Askin at Mackinac; in 1780 the
ture of Benjamin Lyon third from bottom, left.
Cantors Leib Glantz, Kapov-Kagan, Sewel Kwartin, Pierre Pinchik,
firm name was cited as Askin,
N
$3.98
Joseph Rosenblatt, Samuel Vigoda ... LP 33 1 /2
at Mackinaw City, decided it few months ago this deed was Lyon and Bostwick. In 1779 he
ALL SIDOR BELARSKY RECORDINGS IN ALL
was time to move his Fort from discovered in Scotland by an participated in the formation of
the mainland to Mackinac English book dealer and pur- the co-operative Mackinac Com-
3 SPEEDS and MANY, MANY MORE.
Island. The Chippe was had chased by James Shearer, II, of pany, claimed to be the first
maintained a fishing camp there Bay City and Chicago, a mem- example of a department store
for many years. With 5,000 ber of the board of the Clem-
pounds of New York currency ents Library Associates. Shearer
NORTHLAND
provided by Sir Frederic Hal- donated the deed to the world
2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU
DRIVER
TRAINING
famous
William
L.
Clements
Li-
dimand, Governor of the Prov-
12066
DEXTER, cor. Monterey TO 6-9504
SAUL
H.
SINKOFF
ince of Quebec and Commander- brary of the University of
Professional Certified Teacher
in-Chief of the British forces Michigan in Ann Arbor.
• NW Detroit and Suburbs
DI 1-0569
12915 W. 7 MILE RD.
The deed, measuring 18 by
• Dual Control Car
• in Canada, Sinclair had two
(Bet. Steel & Sorrento)
LI 5-2969
copies of the deed drawn up 25 inches, is signed by five
and went over to talk to the Chippewa chiefs; Patrick Sin-
Indians. Their five chiefs signed clair; John Mompesson, R. B.
and the Island became a British Brooke, John Robert Mc-
Dougall, Captain, Lieutenant
possession.
and Ensign, respectively, of the
It is significant to record that King's or Eighth Regiment; and
Michael Gratz, American pa- the following witnesses who
triot and famous Jewish mer- were residents of Mackinac:
chant and communal leader in Matthew Lessey, David Rankin,
Henry Bostwick, Benjamin
Lyon, Etienne Campion and P.
Antoine Tabeau. A photostatic
Spring Special!
copy of the parchment deed, re-
produced here, was obtained by
Leonard N. Simons, vice-presi-
KOSHER HEN
dent of the Detroit Historical
ENROLLMENT NOW TAKIN G PLACE FOR FALL TERM
Commission, from Dr. Howard
Peckham, director of the Clem-
Location of Branches
ents Library.
Rose Sitting Cohen — 13226 Lawton
The discovery of the deed is
Adas Shalom — 7045 Curtis
an important historical find for
Beth Aaron — 18000 Wyoming
Esther Berman — 18977 Schaefer
the archives of Michigan, but it
Beth Abraham — 8110 W. 7 Mile
Oak Park — 15110 W. Ten Mile
also has great significance for
B'nai Moshe — 11401 Dexter
the Jews of Michigan, for one
of the witnesses t _ o the deed is
Affiliated Schools
Benjamin Lyon, who was one
Workmen's Circle — 11529 Linwood
Sholem Aleichem — 18495 Wyoming
of the earliest resident Jews in
Michigan. Lyon was a business
2735 W. DAVISON partner
FACILITIES ARE LIMITED—REGISTER EARLY
of Ezekiel Solomon, the
first known Jewish resident of .
Free
Transportation Provided by UHS Fleet of 22 Buses
Michigan, who came to Macki-
Delivery I O..8 -4281
nac in 1761; Chapman Abra'
FOR FURTHER' INFORMATION CALL ',DI* .13407
ham;; . ; ,/he A.
cgv.ntJ.TheAv.AIL

By IRVING I. KATZ
executive Secretary of
Temple Beth El
On May 12, 1781, 176 years
ago, when the area now occu-
pied by modern Michigan was
physically and politically in
British hands as part of a
sprawling Canadian wilderness,
the British purchased Mackinac
Island from the Chippewa In-
dians. •
History was being made when
the deed was signed for Mack-
inac Island. Col. George Rogers
Clark and his American forces
had captured Fort Vincennes,
Indiana, -early in 1779, and were
a constant threat to the British
f o r c e s in Michilimackinac
(Mackinaw City) and Detroit.
Patrick Sinclair, Commandant

Philadelphia in colonial times
and father of Rebecca- ..Gratz,
the Rebecca of Scott's "Ivan-
hoe," helped Col. Clark to plan
and outfit a proposed expedi-.
tion against the British in De-
troit in 1781, which did not
materialize, however.
One of the copies of the deed
for Mackinac Island was for-
warded to Sir Haldimand at
Ottawa, where it is now in the
Dominion Archives, and the
other was kept at Mackinac,
where John Coates, a notary
public, wrote on it: "Registered
in the Deed Register of Michi-
gan. By Me."
The deed kept in Mackinac
disappeared, however, shortly
after May 12, 1781, and had
been missing all these years. A

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