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Highways of the Past
Change is the best word to describe the Bailly Homestead since 1822. In the 1820's when the Potawatomi Indians brought their beaver pelts by canoe to trade with Joseph Bailly, the main house was yet to be built. Made of white oak logs with weatherboard siding, it was under construction in 1835 when Joseph Bailly died. The structure was completed after his death and has been altered on a number of occasions by the Bailly heirs. The exterior of the house has been restored to look as it did in 1917, the earliest year for which an accurate appearance could be documented. The brick house, built for Bailly's granddaughter, Rose Howe, was constructed in the late 1870's.
As you walk these grounds, imagine the scenes, the people and changes that have occurred here. Picture Joseph Bailly greeting the Indians as they delivered their beaver pelts to trade. Hear the sound of the Indian and Bailly children playing while their parents bartered for trade goods. These people and the lives they led played a significant role in the history and development of the Calumet Region. |