ANN ARBOR, Mich. – It’s been 54 years since the inception of the vision for Detroit was sold at Sotheby’s.
Now, the original treasure will shine bright for all to see as it will be part of the University of Michigan’s William L. Clements Library collection. The whereabouts of whom it belonged and or sold to during its infancy stages are unknown.
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Still, former Clements curator Brian Dunnigan, who studied the photo, wrote about this hand-drawn map for his book titled “Frontier Metropolis: Picturing Early Detroit.”
“This map was executed by noted surveyor and map draftsman William Brasier for General Jeffery Amherst in 1761,” said Dunnigan. “Comparing maps helps to understand the growth and changes taking place in Detroit. This map was drawn just months after Detroit was ceded from New France to Great Britain and depicts the fort that was later attacked by Pontiac and his warriors during the summer of 1763.”
He continued, “This map was drawn just months after Detroit was ceded from New France to Great Britain and depicts the fort that Pontiac and his warriors later attacked during the summer of 1763.”
While controlled by the British, before the end of the French and the Indian war, the Great Lakes region was not customary to the Commonwealth of Nations.
The French commander handed over his most recent plan of the fort when officers of the British heritage acquired Detroit.
“Brasier’s plan highlights significant features, such as named streets, the location of gunpowder magazines, property lots within the fort, and the commanding officer’s extensive garden,” said Mary Pedley, the adjunct assistant curator of maps. “Most striking, however, is the inclusion of a small view of the fort from the west. This image of the fort sited on a gentle rise of land overlooking the river vividly captures what the British saw when they approached the fort for the first time to accept the French surrender and to begin negotiations with residents of the Ottawa (Odawa), Potawatomi, Ojibwa and Huron (Wendot) villages located around the fort.”
Pedley indicated that the surrounding points of interest served as a gathering place for those of native heritage and colonial powers, which is noteworthy due to both sides’ engagement in the fur trade.
Detroit’s early markings are inside the Braiser map, a gap filler of the city’s plans inside the Clements Library, further complementing Detroit’s rich history.
The Clements have one of the most historic collections of all the land. Their maps give you a step-by-step approach to the city’s growth as it continues to flourish to this very day.
For more information on the Clements Library at the University of Michigan, visit the website here: clements.umich.edu
