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Adam's Street Burials(1)From Portage paper, May 6, 1909: "A skeleton was exhumed this afternoon near the Baptist parsonage on Adams Street. A tombstone found near the remains has the name Solomon E. and date of 1851 inscribed upon it." (2)From next day's paper, May 7, 1909 under locals: "The remains which were exhumed near the rear of the Baptist parsonage on Thursday afternoon while Rev. H. R. McMillan was making a garden were that of a child and, judging from the marble headstone which was unearthed, were that of a child by the name of Brisbois. The inscription is: Solomon E., son of M. J. and T. Brisbois. Died June 21, 1851; aged 1 year, 5 months, 8 days." Note: Solomon E. Brisbois name is on Pierre Pauquette's grave stone at St.Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Portage. One would assume that the body was moved to that cemetery.
Cook Street BurialsThe Native American burial was first reported in the May 4, 1909 issue of the Portage Daily Democrat under the heading "Skeleton of Indian Brought to Light". The following is my shortened version of the article -- A Verne Coapman was helping Mr. and Mrs. Robert Edwards making a garden at 309 East Conant Street when they uncovered the grave of what was evidently an Indian woman believed to be the wife of one of the historic Indian chieftains of the area. Engraved silver bracelets were found on both arm bones in addition to other artifacts. The article stated that the remains probably had been interned prior to 1849 (the residence at the site had been built by John Ginder in 1855). The site was remembered by older residents of Portage as an Indian burial ground. Interestingly, "Pierre Pauquette's remains were found about 300 feet from here". A follow-up report in the May 7, 1909 edition of the Portage paper indicated that "the silver bracelets at the Edwards home were kept by Mrs. Edwards and Verne Coapman, who made the discovery".
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