Michael Dousman

Michael Dousman (1771–1854) was an American fur trader and merchant with business interests in and around Mackinac Island during the War of 1812 period.

Biography Born in 1771 on the British colonial frontier in Pittsburgh, Michael Dousman became a trapper and fur trader. He gradually moved northwest to the area along the border with Upper Canada by the Great Lakes. In the years before the War of 1812, he was a prominent trader on Mackinac Island, with connections and interests among the Ojibwe on both sides of the border, and business with British Canadians.

He was captured in July 1812 by a British force as part of their operations against Fort Mackinac. Dousman was paroled on condition that he gather all Mackinac Island civilians in a safe place and not provide intelligence to the U.S. Army. Dousman's fulfillment of these conditions resulted in the British and Canadians accepting him as a key ally in their quest to retain control over the Straits of Mackinac area throughout the war.

Marriage and family

Dousman married and had a family. His son Hercules L. Dousman later became a noted pioneer in what was developed as the state of Wisconsin.

Michael Dousman died in Milwaukee on August 11, 1854, and was buried at Forest Home Cemetery.

Legacy The schooner Michael Dousman, which sailed on the upper Great Lakes from 1843–1853, was named after the trader.