William Alexander Aitken/Aitkin: (abt.1785-1851)
     He was apparently a native of Edinbugh, Scotland and had at least two wives, Madeline Ermatinger (Payshahquodoquay or Striped-Cloud) (daughter of Charles Oakes Ermatinger & Charlotte Kalawabide) and Gingioncumigoke. His children (he was said to have had 25 half-blood children) were: Alfred, John, Matilda, Roger, Nancy, Elizabeth, Ann, Julia E., Salina, Robert, Amanda, Sarah J., Childe, Isabel, Henry & Edgar.
     William apparently first arrived in the Great Lakes area and was employed by John Drew. He later was a American Fur Company clerk in William Morrison's Fond du Lac Department. Eventually he became the Departments chief trader for many years, establishing his headquarters at Sandy Lake with trading post as far to the west as Pembina, to the north as Rainy Lake & to the south below the mouth of the Crow Wing River. He was fired for not turning over to the company, funds received from an Ojibwe Treaty for debts due the Department and set himself up in competition as an independent trader on the Upper Mississippi out of St.Louis, Missouri. He died at his Swan River post (Aitkinville) on the 16th of September in 1851.

The following letter was written by William at a difficult time in his life.

                                                                                                           Sandy Lake  Jan'y 4th 1837
           Lyman Warren Esq.
               Ft. Ramsey
 Dear Sir
     These few lines will acquaint you of the melancholy circumstance that took place in the 6th December last. My son Alfred was treacherously murdered at Red Ceder Lake by an Indian. Two hundred pillagers have kept two months preparing for war with ammunition given against my orders(?). All these things have taken place by you hurrying me away last fall when I could have gone down this winter and settled my business to the same purpose. There is an Indian Agent appointed for Fort Ramsay and is on his way to that place presently. There is one also to be appointed for Crowing River next summer.
     General Dodge granted me a license without hesitation and told me Mr. Schoolcraft had no authority to grant any licenses for this section of the country after the second of July. I laid all the paper from Mr. Schoolcraft before General Dodge but he did not appear to put much weight on them. See the Indian in the Department are starving and you will simply(?) reap the benefit of their carring on of last summer.
     Goverment will for certain take cognisance of William Davenport giving ammunition to the Indians for war, he will not escape them with impunity.
                                                Yours
                             (signed) William A. Aitkin
 
 
 

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