▁Village , ▁like ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁area ' s ▁small ▁towns , ▁was ▁once ▁a ▁th riv ing ▁center ▁for ▁l umber . ▁Because ▁of ▁its ▁location ▁on ▁the ▁la kes h ore ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁fish ing ▁community . ▁Cross ▁Village ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁settlement s ▁in ▁Michigan ▁and ▁today ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁t ies ▁to ▁the ▁Ott awa ▁people . ▁ ▁Early ▁records ▁say ▁that ▁Father ▁Jacques ▁Mar qu ette , ▁the ▁famous ▁French ▁Jes uit ▁who ▁ende ared ▁himself ▁to ▁the ▁Native ▁American ▁population ▁of ▁northern ▁Michigan , ▁plant ed ▁a ▁huge ▁white ▁cross ▁on ▁the ▁bl uff ▁over looking ▁Lake ▁Michigan ▁before ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 5 . ▁As ▁late ▁as ▁ 1 7 8 7 , ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁twenty ▁tribes ▁populated ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁met ▁here ▁around ▁trib al ▁council ▁fires . ▁To ▁the ▁N atives ▁who ▁populated ▁the ▁numerous ▁historic ▁miss ions ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁Cross ▁Village ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Land ▁of ▁the ▁Cross ". ▁To ▁the ▁French , ▁this ▁region ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁" L ' Ar bre ▁Cro che "; ▁to ▁the ▁Ott aw as , ▁it ▁was ▁called ▁" W au - g aw - na w - ke - ze "; ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁English - spe aking ▁people ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁it ▁was ▁simply ▁known ▁as ▁" Land ▁of ▁the ▁Cro oked ▁Tree ". ▁ ▁Bishop ▁Freder ic ▁Bar aga ▁is ▁another ▁individual ▁with ▁historical ▁t ies ▁to ▁Cross ▁Village