Note
Nicolet, Jean (1598-1642), French explorer, born in Cherbourg, France. He went to Canada in
1618 with Samuel de Champlain, another French explorer. Because of Nicolet's aptitude for
languages and his adventurous spirit, he spent two years along the upper Ottawa River among
the Algonquin, learning their language and customs. Later, Nicolet dwelt with the Nipissing,
was made a member of the tribe, and took part in their councils. He remained with the Nipissing
while the English occupied Quebec from 1629 to 1632.
After an absence of 15 years, Nicolet
returned to Quebec, where he became clerk and interpreter of the Company of One Hundred
Associates, the investment association established by King Louis XIII's chief minister,
Cardinal Richelieu. Nicolet explored Lake Michigan in 1634 as far as Green Bay, ascending
the bay and the Fox River to a Native American village west of Lake Winnebago, where he
concluded a treaty of peace with the Winnebago. Returning again to Quebec in 1635, he took
up his residence at Trois-Rivi�res, the chief trading post in the French colony, where he
acted as agent and interpreter for the trading company. By establishing friendly relations
with the Winnebago and Mascouten, he contributed to the establishment of the Nipissing route
for the northwestern fur trade. Nicolet drowned in 1642 while trying to rescue an Iroquois.
Note
... "The first Europeans to travel on the Great Lakes were French missionaries and explorers between the
mid-1500s and mid-1600s, such as Jacques Cartier; �tienne Br�l�; Samuel de Champlain;
Ren�-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle; and Jean Nicolet."
Note
... "French explorer Jean Nicolet was the first European to explore the Straits of
Mackinac in 1634."
Note
... "The first European to describe
Lake Michigan was the French explorer Jean Nicolet
in 1634."
Note
... "Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin is named for the 17th-century French
explorer Jean Nicolet."
Exerpts from
"Nicolet, Jean,"; "Mackinac, Straits of,"; "Michigan, Lake,"; "Wisconsin," & "Great Lakes,"Microsoft� Encarta� Encyclopedia 99.
� 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Return to Jean Nicolet