Marshall County, Indiana - The whole text, 1908 (part 1 of 12)

Index

O'Keefe, William, 420. Old Brass Band, 310. Old Forge, 322. Old Mill Dam, The, 70. Old Pierce, the Horse Thief, 313. Old Settlers' Society, 239. Old Time Doctors, 279. Old Time Fiddlers, 324. Old Time Taverns, 59. Olds, John M., 549.' Oratory, 247, 252. Organization of First Religious Societies, 272. Orthography of Maxinkuckee, 97. Osborn, Samuel, 484. Osborn, John, 640.

41. Pesch, M. A., 563. Peter, Martin L., 442. Petit, Father Benjamin Marie, 16. Picked, Jonathan, 581. Pigeons and Pigeon Roosts, 181. Pioneer Ague, 161. Pioneer Exploring Party, A, 61. Pioneer Hogs, 159. Pioneer Log Cabins, 137. Pioneer Mills, 187. Plake, George M., 506. Plank Roads, 151. Plymouth Organized as a Town,

County, 79. Present Infirmary, 344. Presidential Elections, 377. Preston, H. P., 438. Primitive Brick Making, 174. Primitive Saw Mills, 171. Principal Physicians, 281. Probate Court, 197. Probate Judges, 206. Progress of the Public Schools,

Sons of Malta, 229. Soiir, Edwin, 526. Spanish-American War, 396. Speyer, H. JM., 513. Spinning- and Weaving, 142. Spiritual Rappings, 379. Springs and Dug Wells, 152. Staiiford, William, 577. Steinbach, Henry, 624. St. Michael's Academy, 260. State Exchange Bank of Argos,

Thomas, John D., 623. Thompson, Alfred A., 425. Thompson, Erastus J., 430. Tippecanoe Postofifice, 366. Tippecanoe Town, 136. Tippecanoe Town Station, 137. Totally Deaf Operator, A, 327. Township Library, 233. Township Schools, 260. Towns and Villages, 100. Treasurer's Office, 217. Trennel, John, 631. Tribbey, Thomas, 524. Troup, William H., 546. Troyer, Percy J., 424. Two of the Earliest Pioneers, 192. Tyner, 131.

Editor'S Introduction

When the writer entered into an agreement with the pubhshers of this work that he would write a History of Marshall County, he was fully aware of the herculean task that loomed up before him. He had had considerable experience along the lines of historic writing, and knew that to gather the data and compile and write such a history as would be satisfactory to the patrons of the work, and creditable to the writer and to the publishers as well, would be a laborious work not easy of accomplishment.

The writer was the author of the first history of Marshall county ever written, and for nearly thirty years was the editor of the Plymouth Democrat, during which time he gathered much data and wrote many articles on historical subjects, expecting at some future time to write another history of the county, greatly revised and improved. That time has come in the writing of the present history. The facts contained in the first history written by him in 1881 and in the sketches written for his paper from time to time, will be used in this work as occasion may require, as facts never change and history cannot be written without them.

The writer came to Marshall county with his parents in 1836, when a mere child ; when the county was also in its infancy, and almost a wilderness, with few log cabins, no churches or schoolhouses and no public buildings ; and as he has grown to manhood and age he has seen it developed from year to year, from a population of a few hundred to more than 25,000. with churches and schoolhouses on every hand, magnificent county buildings, five lines of railroads, telegraphs and telephones, and everything that can be desired to make life comfortable and enjoyable.

Time is swiftly passing away. Already three-quarters of a century has gone since the first white settlement was made, and the few now living who were here then must soon depart to "that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns." While they yet remain it is deemed advisable to obtain the facts within their knowledge and place them upon permanent record for the benefit of those who come after they are gone.

In the preparation of the matter for this work, the writer has not the remotest idea that perfection will be attained ; on the contrary, he is absolutely certain it will not ; therefore the reader must not expect it. His experience in gathering statistics from various sources has already convinced him that the correct data in all cases cannot be obtained. During the period of the organization of the county, and for many years afterwards the records, especially as to dates, are very unreliable. The files of the countv ])apcrs have been found to be deficient in regard to the very things it was desirable to know, \^'^eeks and weeks would come and go, and either nothing worthy of note transpired, or the editor did not think it worth while to bother his head about such trivial matters as local news. If reference was made to anything of a local nature, it seems to have been stated in the briefest manner possible, without any regard whatever to details. The oldest inhabitant, too, cannot call to mind dates with any degree of certainty, and so, upon the whole, the sources from which information must be derived are not sufficiently numerous and reliable to enable the historian to insure the reader that he will in all cases demonstrate to a mathematical certainty every proposition that may be touched upon as the work progresses. When the work shall be completed, there will, undoubtedly, be found many omissions. Among the many scenes and incidents that go to make up the history of the county, it will be a miracle should nothing escape the historian's notice. Each reader will undoubtedly peruse the work with a view of finding something with which he was familiar, and, if he fails to find it, will probably make up his mind that the historian purposely omitted it. Unfavorable criticisms of this kind are expected, but the consciousness of knowing that every effort has been made to gather everything worthy of insertion shall stimulate the historian to bear up under these afflictions until the storm shall have passed.

In the beginning of this work it has been deemed advisable to incorporate in the first pages a brief sketch of the pre-historic age when the mastodon flourished in this part of the country, coming on down to the IMound Builders, and especially to give a complete and truthful history of the Pottawattomie Indians, the first owners and inhabitants of all this part of the country, who were here in peaceable possession of the lands when the first white settlers made their appearance in this county, which has never before been presented i'n consecutive order, and is now for the first time placed on permanent record in the present History of Marshall County.

Hoping that the arrangement of the matter found in the following pages will meet the approval of the people of Marshall county, for whom it is intended, the work, with all its imperfections, is respectfully submitted.

I. Pre-Historic Age

Indications of the beginning of the first animal life in the territory now composing Marshall county is found in the discovery of numerous bones of the mastodon. In June, 1874, Mr. Oscar L. Bland, while bathing in a pool in Deep creek, on the farm of his father, Alexander Bland, in the northeast corner of Walnut township, Marshall county, Ind., found a very large tooth, whose weight at that time, including the debris connected with it, was about eight pounds. Further search was made, and within a few feet another tooth, about the same size, was found. Further examination of the banks of the stream was made, and, some 200 feet farther up, several very fine specimens of the remains of what must have been a very large animal, were found. The "find" naturally created quite an excitement in the neighborhood, which extended all over the country, and many exaggerated descriptions of the relics and the supposed size of the animal were made by newspaper correspondents and others. In December, 1874, a correspondent of the Warsaw Northern Indianian had the following in relation to it :

"Mr. Alexander Bland has discovered on his farm near Bourbon a great number of large bones of an unknown animal, that, according to careful measurement, was certainly a huge old monster, the largest ever known. Several of the teeth are in a partial state of preservation and weigh over eight pounds each, and several of the ribs are almost like the ribs of a mammoth man-of-war ship in size, the other bones being proportionately large. One of the officers of the Academy of Sciences of Chicago came here to investigate the remains, and pronounced the animal to have been over sixty feet tall and of proportionate length ! The bones are to be carefully collected and sent to the Academy Aluseum in the city, as of rare value to antiquarians."

Of course the above statement was exaggerated beyond all reason, as neither sacred nor profane history gives any account of any living thing one-fifth the height or length indicated. But it had the effect of calling the attention of the people to it, and hundreds visited the residence of Mr. Bland and made an examination of the relics and locality where they were found, and numerous letters were received making inquiry in regard to them.

The specimens found consisted of two teeth almost exactly alike, each weighing six pounds. They were eight inches long, seven inches high from point of root to upper surface, and four inches wide, and contained five divisions or separate grinders. The preservation was perfect, both as to the teeth and the enamel. The enamel was composed of a mixture of black, white and brownish gray. The third tooth was four and a half inches long, three and a half inches wide, three inches high, the roots having been broken oft. Its weight was about two pounds. There were four sections of the vertebrse, all in a perfect state of preservation. Their measurement was about thirteen inches across at bottom part, eight inches at upper part, two and a half inches thick, twelve inches from top to bottom, and weighed four and three-fourths pounds each. The section of the skull measured twentyone inches in length by thirteen inches in width, was about one inch thick and had about loo brain cells. It was a grayish color, having much the appearance of the first coat of plaster on a building. One tusk was found in a splendid state of preservation. Since it came in contact with the air, portions of it have dissolved and fallen oiif. It was about nine feet long and about twenty inches in circumference where it joined the head. A section of the shoulder blade was also found. It measured eight inches in thickness and fourteen inches in width, and weighed thirty-six pounds. The outer extremity had been broken off, so that it was impossible to say what its length originally was. Two ribs were also found, one of which measured two and three-fourths feet in length ; the other, somewhat smaller. About lOO pieces of various sizes were found, a description of which is impossible. The place where they were found is low, marshy ground, on the east bank of Deep creek. All the specimens, except two of the teeth, were found in a wet place, where a branch had run into the creek, and about four feet under ground, near and under the roots of a beech tree four and a half feet in circumference. The earth under and surrounding the tree is made entirely of drift, and has undoubtedly accumulated and the tree has grown since the animal mired down and died. There is no doubt but the remains are those of a mastodon, probably about eleven feet high, seventeen feet long and about sixteen feet in circumference. They inhabited this country so long ago that the memory of man runneth not to the contrary^ - certainly long prior to the Christian era.

The geological position of the remains of the mastodon has long been and still is a siibject of dispute among geologists ; in a few instances they are said to have been found below the drift in the pliocene, and even in the miocene ; but they have generally been obtained from the post-pliocene or alluvial formations, at a depth of from five to ten feet in lacustrine deposits, bogs and beds of infusorial earth. Some have thought that the mastodons became extinct since the advent of man upon the earth, like the dinornis and the dodo ; according to Lyell, the period of their destruction, though geologically modern, must have been many thousand years ago. The same causes probably acted in their extinction as in the case of the fossil elephant - perhaps partly climatic changes, but more probably some great convulsion on the surface of the globe at an epoch anterior to man. According to Owen, the mastodons were elephants with molars less complex in structure and adapted for coarser vegetable food, ranging in time from the miocene to the upper pliocene, and in space throughout the tropical and temperate latitudes. The transition from the mastodon to the elephant type of dentition is very gradual.

Since the days of the mastodon there are traces of the jNIound Builders, who are supposed to antedate the American Indian. Several years ago the writer examined two mounds situated close together, located on what was called the "Burr Oak Flats," a short distance north from Maxinkuckee lake. Digging a considerable distance into them, nothing unusual was found. The tops of the mounds arose to a height of about six feet above the surface of the ground on which they were situated, which was a level country all about, showing plainly that the mounds had been built for some purpose by human hands, But as they were composed of solid earth with nothing in them to indicate the object of their building it is difficult to conjecture what they were for. A mile or so farther west from these mounds there was also quite a large mound which seemed from the digging that had been done in and about it to have been the subject of investigation. But in that, so far as is known, nothing that would indicate what it was built for has been discovered. On the west side of ^laxinkuckee lake, on what is known as "Long Point," was in the early days quite a large sized mound, which many curious investigators had dug into from time to time.

Whether these mounds were the work of the Mound Builders or not is not known only as a matter of conjecture. They were here, however, long before the Indians came to this part of the country, as trees and shrubbery grew on some of them and were of considerable size when they came. These mounds were supposed to have been intended as burial places for the dead, as, in excavating in some of them, human bones were found as well as tools and implements of stone, pottery, iron and copper. In digging into the mound on Long Point, Lake Maxinkuckee, a quarter of a century ago, human bones were found, also charcoal, stone arrow points and other Indian trinkets, indicating beyond a doubt that it was the burial place of Mound Builders or of Indians of a later period who made use of it for that purpose.

When most of the Indians found their way here is not positively known - probably not until after the passage of the ordinance of 1787, establishing the Northwest Territory. At that time and prior thereto the face of the country was quite different from what it is at present. A great deal of country now covered with timber was then open prairie. A few miles west of this' county was the beginning of a boundless prairie that extended westward to the Rocky mountains. Buffalo were numerous on the prairies of the Kankakee, and frequently many of them strayed over into this region, and occasionally still farther east. As they lived on wild grass they preferred a prairie country, and therefore their regular runways were on the prairies farther west.

"When we came to this country we settled on the prairie. There were the remains of beaver dams from a hundred yards to almost a mile long, and one over that length at Beaver lake. There were also round holes in the prairie covered with grass, that the Indians said were onoe buffalo wallows. Deep paths were worn in the solid prairies, the Indians said were made by the tramp of the buffalo. We found some remains of the heads and horns of buffalo, and the Indians then here said there were plenty of buffalo in their fathers' time many years before that."

A little paper published in the region of the Wabash seventy years ago contained an account of the killing of the last buffalo that was probably ever in this section of the country. The story was as follows : "A young Miami Indian, who had never seen a buffalo, was riding along on his pony one day at a point between where Huntington and Wabash now stand, when he noticed a huge animal, the like of which he had never seen before. At first he was inclined to be scared, but as the animal moved very slowly he took courage and fired at it with his gun, and after several shots succeeded in bringing it down. He looked in wonder and amazement, not knowing what it was, until he brought some other Indians, who pronounced it an old buffalo, in all probability the last of its kind in the state."

The presence of the buffalo in this region is further proved by adopting him as one of the emblems on the state seal. And that leads to the inquiry, does anybody know why this peculiar design for our state seal was adopted? A rampant and ridiculous buffalo, and tail and hoofs up, is kicking away at a hardy pioneer, who has stood for many weary years with an ax uplifted in front of a towering oak, which seems to have been left alone in its glory, the pioneer never making a cut, the scene illumined by the rays of the rising sun that still keeps hanging on the verge of the horizon ! The picture is well known, but the history of its adoption as a part of the state seal is shrouded in mystery. It was used by the territorial officers, and as the limits of the territory comprised the present states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi river, the design is not so inappropriate as it would appear at first thought, as buft'alo were very numerous at that time in the western portion of the territory.

The meaning of the hieroglyphics on the seal has been freely translated as follows: The scene represents the struggle for the possession of the territory. In the figure of the buffalo, we have the emblem of all the original inhabitants of the forest ; the woodcutter is the type of that hardy race of pioneers who cleared the way for that civilization soon to burst in all its glory and splendor over the land, and which is fitly represented by the rising sun!

Ii. Coming Of The Pottawattomie Indians

II. COMING OF THE POTTAWATTOMIE INDIANS. The Indian Age. In writing the history of Marshall county, it will be of interest to go back to the earliest ownership of the territory of which it is now composed, in order that those now living here, and those who may come hereafter, may be able to trace our genealogy from a state of savagery to our present state of advanced civilization. The territory now included within the boundaries of Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, of which Marshall county is an important factor, was in the early days of the history of America, owned and occupied by the Miami Indians, originally known as the Twightwees. It was claimed by France from the time of the discovery of the mouth of the Mississippi river by LaSalle in 1682, to 1763, when it was rehnquished to the government of England, and held by it until 1779, as a part of her colonial possessions in North America. The state of Virginia extended its jurisdiction over it until 1783, when it came by treaty of peace, and by deed of cession from Virginia the property of the United States. In 1787 an ordinance was passed by congress creating the territory northwest of the river Ohio, which embraced the territory above referred to.

At that time the territory now embraced in Marshall county was held by right of discovery and occupation by the Miami Indians, who permitted the Pottawattomie Indians, which were gradually gaining a foothold in this region, to occupy their lands and hunting grounds, until finally they were recognized as the owners of the territory occupied by them, being the country north of the Wabash river and south of Lake Michigan. After the United States came into possession of the territory through the ordinance of 1787, treaty making began and was kept up until all the lands were secured from the Indians, opened to entry, and the Indians removed to a reservation provided for them by the United States, an account of which will be given in another part of this work.

Prior to the organization of Marshall county, which occurred in 1836, the territory was owned and occupied by the Pottawattomie tribe of Indians, and as they were the first inhabitants here, they are entitled to prominent mention in this connection. Up to 1834 the population was composed entirely of Pottawattomie Indians, of whom there were, as near as could be estimated, about 1,500, located in villages along the lakes and rivers in the county.

The Pottawattomie tribe of Indians belonged to the great Algonquin family, and were related by ties of consanguinity to the Ojibways, Chippewas and Ottawas. The first trace we have of them locates their territory in the Lake Superior region on the islands near the entrance to Green Bay, holding the country from the latter point to the head waters of the great lakes. They migrated southward and finally camped in this region, where they became later permanently located and were recognized as the rightful owners of the territory.

The name of this tribe is said by a writer on Indian lore to be a compound of Put-a-wa, signifying a blowing out or expansion of the cheeks as in blowing a fire; and "Me," a nation, which, being interpreted, means a nation of fire-blowers. The application seems to have originated in the facility with which they produced flame and set burning the ancient council fires of their forefathers beside the waters of the Green Bay country.

The Indians who resided in the territory of Marshall county prior to and at the time the white people began to come, lived in villages of which there were several scattered over the southern half of the county.

^Menominee Village. Four or five miles to the southwest of Plymouth, just north of the Twin lakes, was the Me-no-mi-nee village, containing near one hundred wigwams, cabins, and tepees, scattered promiscuously over several acres of ground. Around and among the wigwams were partly cleared cornfields, from which the Indians raised considerable inferior corn. The village was the largest and most important of those within the county. Here was erected a church, or chapel, as it was called, by the missionaries sent out by the French Catholics to christianize the Indians. Through the influence of these missionaries the larger proportion of the Pottawattomies had embraced this form of religion, and knowing no other, were attentive and sincere worshipers at the altar of that church. This chapel was said to have been erected in 1827, and stood on the north bank of the middle Twin lake, west of the Vandalia railroad about twenty rods. It was quite large for those days, and was considered a very comfortable building for the purposes for which it was intended. It was built of hewed logs and covered with clapboards, its dimensions being about thirty by forty feet, with doors and windows and a room above the west end for the missionary priest to live in. Up to the time of the erection of this chapel the Indians had not known that there was such a day as Sunday, and in none of the villages had an attempt been made by any of the white people to cause it to be observed, for the reason, probably, that they, themselves, hardly knew when Sunday came, and were not, as a rule, very particular about its observance. As soon as it became generally known that on certain days there were gatherings of the people there, the different bands of Indians began to come from far and near, so that it was not long until large congregations assembled when the weather was pleasant, sufficiently numerous to fill the building to overflowing.

At first the services were a great mystery to them, and be it said to their credit, none of them were ever known to create any disturbance during the entire period services were held in that, the first place of worship in the county. The Indians knew nothing about creeds or doctrine. They had a vague idea that there was a Great Spirit that ruled and controlled all things, and that at death the spirit of the Indian was simply translated by some mysterious process from this mundane sphere to a similar, but happier, hunting ground in a far distant country, he knew not where, and that was about the extent of their knowledge on that subject.

Services were held in this chapel until the Indians were driven away in 1838, when it was closed, and never afterwards used for that purpose.' It was an object of curiosity for those who passed that way for many years later, but it finally went to rack, was torn down, and no traces of it now remain.

Next to the Me-no-mi-nee village in importance was the Nees-wau-gee and Ouash-qua village on the eastern shore of Lake Alaxinkuckee, immediately across the road from the present residence of Peter Spangler. All along that bank about 1835-36, when the white settlers began to arrive, there was quite a settlement of Indians, mainly under the supervision of Nees-wau-gee. Quash-qua also had some authority over the band, but delegated it mostly to his brother chief, Nees-wau-gee, who ruled his people with mildness, moderation and decorum.

most delightful place to live this side of the land of Paradise. Fishing and hunting could not have been better; there was an abundance of pure spring water ; and all sorts of berries, and wild fruits in abundance in their season grew in the forests near by. Trails led in every direction to other villages in the region for many miles round about, so that the villagers could visit back and forth whenever they felt inclined to do so. Off to the northwest, west and southwest over the lake was presented a picture unexcelled for beauty and grandeur anywhere in this part of the country. It was indeed

A Dead Indian Chief. Among the very first things the writer of this remembers was going to this village, or near it, to see the temporary burial place of an Indian chief. That region of country was at that time an unbroken wilderness. The Indian had been killed in a fracas with one of his tribe, and before burying him permanently his relatives and associates had fixed him up in his finest clothing, with a headdress gaily ornamented with colored feathers, and his face painted yellow, red and black. He was placed against a large tree in a sitting posture, and around him was built a large pen made of poles, the space between the poles being sufficiently wide to permit a perfect view of the "good Indian" therein ! A great many trinkets of various kinds were placed around him, and he sat there, grim and ghastly, tomahawk in hand, as if waiting the approach of an expected enemy !

The Good Nees-wau-gee. This good old Indian chief, Nees-wau-gee, was the friend of all the early white settlers, and, while he remained, frequently visited and became much attached to many of them. He took a fancy to, and formed a warm attachment for a sprightly young man of the neighborhood, just then in his teens, but long since passed over into, the "happy hunting grounds." The old chief had a charming daughter about the age of the young man, and from his actions it was clear that he would not have objected to a match between them. He took the young man with him on one occasion, introduced him to his daughter, and had his French cook prepare an extra meal in his honor. The table was furnished with dishes made of silver worth many hundred dollars, and the bill of fare was elaborate and delicious. The young man was seated by the side of the charming young squaw, and after saying grace in his peculiar way, the chief, turning to his visitor, said, laughingly: "Maybe so you want a wife?" About that time there was a good deal of blushing, and "hemming and hawing," and it is quite probable, if there had been a hole down through the floor of the cabin sufficiently large, the young man would have suddenly crawled out and run home for dear life I At that time he was inexperienced in the mysteries of courtship

(something which, however, he learned later on), and knowing little about Indian customs, he did not know but the old chief had inveigled him into his tent under the guise of friendship for the purpose of compelling him to marry his daughter, nolens volens. But other topics of conversation were introduced, and the subject dropped, much to the relief of the blushing young couple. When the young man was ready to return home the chief presented him with two sacks containing saddles of venison, squirrels, pheasants, ducks and fish, as an evidence of good will ; and as he mounted his horse, the entire family assembled to bid him goodbye. About a year from that time the good old chief disposed of his reservation to the government, and with his little band started west to the reservation provided for them.

Nees-wau-gee was a quiet, peaceable chief, and made friends with all the white settlers in all the region round about. When the time came to leave he determined to go peaceably, as he had agreed he would. The day before he started he sent word to all the white settlers to come to his village as he wished to bid them farewell. A large number assembled and through an interpreter he said substantially :

"My White Brethren: I have called you here to bid you farewell. Myself and my band start at sunrise tomorrow morning to remove to an tmknown country the government of the United States has provided for us west of the Missouri river. I have sold my lands to the government and we agreed to leave within two years. That time is about to expire and according to the agreement we have made we must leave you and the scenes near and dear to all of us. The government has treated us fairly, and it is our duty to live up to that contract by doing as we agreed, and so we must go. The white settlers here have been good and kind to us, and in leaving them it seems like severing the ties of our own kindred and friends. We go away and may never return, but wherever we may be - - wherever our lot in life may be cast we shall always remember you with sincere respect and esteem."

The old chief was visibly affected, and tears were seen to flow from his eyes. All the people present took him by the hand and bade him a final adieu as well as most of the members of his band. Early the next morning, with their personal effects packed on their ponies, they marched away in single file, following the Indian trail along the east shore to the south end of Maxinkuckee lake, thence southwest to Kewanna, where they joined the other bands and immediately proceeded on their long and wearisome journey.

On the bluft" on the east side of the lake, and south of the Nees-wau-gee village, was an old Indian village or camping ground, and one of the most delightful of the numerous places of that kind around that beautiful sheet of water. Walking over the plowed ground near there a number of years ago, in a short time a dozen or more stone or flint arrow points, some of them very fine, were picked up by the writer. At another time he picked up a fish line sinker smoothly wrought out of stone, with a crease or groove around one end for fastening the sinker to the fish line. It was one of a kind described and illustrated in the Smithsonian collection at Washington, and, of course, is quite rare, as but few were made, and even of these, many were lost, and still fewer found. It is somewhat remarkable that, notwithstanding our advanced civilization, the modern fish sinker is patterned exactly after those stone sinkers of long ago.

There was a village which had been abandoned when the whites began to settle here just north of Wolf creek, where also once stood a primitive saw and grist mill. This territory was originally in possession of the Fox Indians and another friendly tribe. The Pottawattomies, when they found their way here, claimed the right of possession, and as a natural consequence a feud sprang up between them, resulting in many hard fought battles before the Pottawattomies got possession. The last of these battles, according to tradition, was fought on the site of this village. This open space in the wilderness was, prior to the settlement of that part of the county by the whites, occupied by a few families of the Pottawattomies. In 1836-40 this place was dotted over with small rises of ground, indicating the former cultivation of maize or Indian corn. It had been unoccupied, however, for some time prior to 1836. Still, small stalks of corn continued to grow each spring and summer for several years after ; Indian ponies running wild through the woods were occasionally seen ; war implements, bows and arrows, tomahawks, beads and rings, and various trinkets common to the Indian were found in abundance and even to this day an occasional arrow point or other Indian implement is picked up.

There was an Indian village on the north bank of the Tippecanoe river, about six miles south of the present town of Bourbon, known as the Ben-ak village, as it was located on the landed reservation of the distinguished chief Ben-ak, and presided over by him and the elder Pe-ash-way. Ben-ak had other reservations over in Kosciusko county, and spent most of his time in that region and in traveling about from place to place, until he disposed of his lands, when he disappeared, probably going west with the other members of his tribe.

There was also what was called Au-be-nau-be village, in Fulton county, on or near the southern line of Marshall county, and about two miles to the west of the Michigan road. It w-as on what was then known as ]\Ianke-kose's reserve, not far from the present town of Walnut. Au-be-nau-be presided as chief over several bands of Pottawattomies, in this and Fulton county, but made his permanent home at what was Au-be-nau-be village in Fulton county, a few miles south of Maxinkuckee lake. A large allotment of land was ceded to him and his band, which was called "Au-be-nau-be reserve." It extended half way up the east shore of Maxinkuckee lake, thence east a mile or so, and then south several miles into Fulton county.

Au-be-nau-be was a stout, robust, coarse featured, sullen specimen of his race, and when under the influence of liquor, which he nearly always was for a long time prior to his tragic death, was quarrelsome, vicious and unmanageable. One who knew him intimately said Au-be-nau-be was born in 1760, at the Portage between the headwaters of the Kankakee river and St. Joseph river, then called by the Indians "Lock-wock," the Indian name for portage, and was seventy-six years old at the time of his death.

Polygamy being allowed among the Indians at that time, Au-be-nau-be had provided himself with a number of wives, with not all of whom he lived in that peace and harmony that should characterize man and wife. In one of his drunken sprees he quarreled with one of his wives, and in a fit of anger killed her. A council of the chiefs of the different bands of the Pottawattomies was called, so the story goes, to deliberate as to what the punishment should be. The council, following an ancient custom, decided that the oldest son should be the avenger of the murder of his mother and slay his father. The sentence of death was pronounced and the son was given a certain number of moons to carry it into execution. The father had the right to defend himself, and if he could keep out of the way and escape the infliction of the penalty until the time had expired he was to be considered a free man. His son kept watch of him, and as he wanted the old man out of the way so he could succeed him as chief of the band, he was really in earnest in wanting to kill him. Finally the opportunity presented itself. One day the old man drank to excess and, sitting down in a chair in the Blodgett log shanty, went to sleep. His son having followed him, approached stealthily into his presence, pulled his tomahawk from his belt, and, with a terrific blow, thrust it into his head up to the handle. The blood spurted to the low ceiling above; and with a single groan and struggle, the great chief, Au-be-nau-be, fell over on the floor, dead! This was at the Blodgett log cabin, just over the county line in Fulton county.

The son, whose name was Pau-koo-shuck, succeeded his father as chief of the tribe, and the same year disposed of the lands belonging to the reservation by treaty to the government, and with his band, in September, 1838, was started for the reservation west of the Missouri river. According to the account of one who accompanied the Indians on that expedition Pau-koo-shuck, when near the Mississippi river, refused to go any further, finally escaped and returned to the old hunting grounds, where he remained hunting and fishing, drinking and carousing, until he died not a great while afterward.

After the death of Au-be-nau-be his remains were set up by a big tree and fenced in with poles, and supplied with pipes and tobacco and provisions sufficient to last him until he reached the happy hunting grounds "over there." The few white people in the neighborhood, however, did not approve of that manner of burial, and dug a hole in the ground and put him in it, covered him up and piled stone over him ; and there he remained and his dust is probably there yet, but as the stones have all been taken away, and the ground composing the little mound that covered him has been plowed and cultivated, there is not now a trace of the spot where the old chief lay.

being John W. Davis and Marks Crume. The meeting was held at the forks of the Wabash, where the city of Huntington now stands, October 26, 1832. One who was present tells the story of what happened there, as follows :

During the preliminary council, Dr. John W. Davis, who was a pompous, big-feeling man, said something that gave offense to Au-be-nau-be, one of the head chiefs of the Pottawattomies. Au-be-nau-be addressed Gov. Jennings, saying: "Does our great father intend to insult us by sending such men to treat with us? Why did he not send Gen. Cass and Tipton? You (pointing to Gov. Jennings) good man and know how to treat us. (Pointing to Crume) - He chipped beef for the squaws at Wabash;" meaning that Crume was the beef contractor at the treaty of 1826. Then, pointing to Dr. Davis, he said : "Big man and damn fool." The chief then spoke a few words to the Pottawattomies present, who gave one of their peculiar yells and left the council house, and could only be induced to return after several days, and then only through the great influence of Gov. Jennings. This was the treaty that set apart what is known as the Me-no-mi-nee reserve, consisting of twenty-two sections of land, extending from west of Plymouth to Twin lakes, where Me-nomi-nee village was located and the old Indian chapel erected. The signing of this treaty was said to be the last official act of Jonathan Jennings, the first governor of Indiana. He was, probably, the most distinguished man in many ways who took an active part in the formation of the Indiana territory and later in the organization of the state in 1816. He had blue eyes, sandy hair and fair complexion. He died comparatively young, but he did as much for the well-being of Indiana as any man that ever lived. He died July 26, 1834, at Charlestown, Ind., surrounded by his family and friends, beloved by all.

Among the many Indians that were here when the white people came and became distinguished in one way or another, and were well known to the early settlers, was Anthony Ni-go. He remained in the county until his death occurred in Plymouth in 1878. He was born somewhere in the territory of Kosciusko county in the year 1805, and moved into the territory of Marshall county in 1828, locating near Ben-ak village in the region of where Tippecanoe town now is. His head was not clear as to numbers, but he said there was "heap Indian here then." His father was of the Pottawattomie tribe, and his mother of the Miami tribe. He claimed to have belonged to the Miami tribe in accordance with an Indian custom of designating the tribe the papooses should belong to from the mother's side of the house.

He said he was married at the chapel at Me-no-mi-nee village in the year 1828, in accordance with the rites of the Catholic church by a missionary then in charge. His wife's name was Ash-nic, in plain English, Angeline. She was what is now known as a half-breed, one of her parents being French and the other Indian. It was also in this chapel, at that time, that he was baptised into the Catholic faith by a missionary sent there to look after the spiritual welfare of the Indians. For forty years he had

An Indian by the name of Marshall, a large, burly fellow, and generally intoxicated, visited the residence of Ni-go when he resided north of Bourbon in an early day, and attempted to take improper liberties with Mrs. Ni-go. For her protection, and in self-defense, Ni-go took his gun down from over the door and shot the brute dead in his tracks. An inquest was held and a verdict rendered that the killing was done in self-defense. Notwithstanding Ni-go believed himself justifiable in permanently putting Marshall out of the way, yet he always regretted the necessity that compelled him to do it.

When the Indians were removed in 1838, Ni-go was taken along with the Pottawattomies that were gathered up around the various localities in the county and taken to ;\Ie-no-mi-nee village to be removed with the caravan then ready to start. Ni-go obtained an interview with Gen. Tipton, the removing agent, and informed him that he was a Miami Indian, and did not come under the provisions of the treaty made with the Pottawattomies. Gen. Tipton told him that was true, but under the excitejnent and bad feeling then existing among the Pottawattomies it would not be safe for him to leave then, as they could not see why he should be released, and serious trouble might result from his departure at that time, and advised him to go with the caravan the first day of the journey, and after they had camped for the night and all had gone to sleep to come to his headquarters and he would tell him what to do. That night they camped at a place called Chipe-way, on the banks of the Tippecanoe river, Gen. Tipton's headquarters being a deserted log cabin. Along about midnight Ni-go stealthily found his way to Gen. Tipton's lodge. He was told to go up a ladder in the corner of the room into the garret above and remain there next morning until the caravan had moved away and was out of sight. He did so. It was ten o'clock in the morning before he ventured to leave the cabin. Upon looking around he found that he was all alone, his brother redskins having all departed on their long journey. He still had friends here, and not far away, of his own tribe, and not wishing to leave the scenes of his early life among the red men of the forest, he bade farewell to his red brothers, turned his face homeward, and, having secured and settled on a piece of land suited to his ideas of civilization, he became a peaceable citizen and had been an exemplary and law-abiding resident of the county to the day of his death.

Historical Sketch of Me-no-mi-nee. The Pottawattomie Indian chief who was the central figure in the disturbances that led to the raising of troops and the removal of the Indians by force from Twin lakes September 4, 1838, was personally known to many of the original settlers of Marshall county, nearly all of whom, however, have long since passed away. In his history of Indian aflfairs. Rev. Isaac McCoy, a Baptist missionary, and the founder of Gary mission on the St. Joseph river, a short distance west of Niles. ^Michigan, thus speaks of Me-

"I had been informed by an Indian trader that on the Illinois river, some hundred miles from Fort Wayne, there was a company of religious Pu-ta-wat-o-mies, at the head of whom was one who was a kind of preacher, whose name was Me-no-mi-nee. As this man exhorted his followers to abstain from ardent spirits and many other vices and to practice many good morals, and as a part of their religious services consisted in praying, I was induced to hope that their minds were somewhat prepared to receive religious instruction. l\ly circumstances were such that I could not visit them at that time, but I w^rote the leader a letter to come to Fort Wayne to see me, which he did about April i, 1821. He professed to have been called some few years previously by the Great Spirit to preach to the Indians that they should forsake their evil practices, among which he enumerated the vices of drunkenness, theft, murder, and many other wicked practices. He had a few followers, the number of which was increasing. Menominee appeared to be more meek and more ready to receive instruction than could have been expected fron: a wild man who had arrogated to himself claims to be a leader, not only in temporal, but also in spiritual things. At his particular request, I gave him a writing in which I stated that he had been several days with me, that I had heard him preach and pray, and had conversed much with him ; that I hoped his instructions would do his people good, and therefore requested all to treat him with kindness. "Now," said he, T will go home and preach to my people all my life. I will tell them that my father says 1 tell the truth.' "

In June following. Rev. Mr. McCoy visited Menominee at his village near Twin lakes, in what is now Marshall county. It was then unorganized territory. Of that visit he said :

"As we approached the village, Menominee and others met us with all the signs of joy and gladness which could have been expressed by those poor creatures. Menominee immediately cried aloud to his people, all of whom (1821) lived in four little bark huts, informing them that their father had arrived. I was no sooner seated by their invitation than men, women and children came around and gave me their hand - even infants were brought that I might take them by the hand. A messenger was immediately dispatched to a neighboring village to announce my arrival. In his absence IMenominee inquired if I had come to reside among them. Receiving evasive answers, he expressed great concern. He said the principal chief of their party, and all the people of the villages, with few exceptions, desired me to come. He showed me a place which he had selected for me to build a house upon. The huts being exceedingly hot and unpleasant, I proposed taking a seat out of doors. The yard was immediately swept and mats spread for me to either sit or lie upon. We were presently regaled with a bowl of boiled turtle's eggs ; next came a kettle of sweetened water for us to drink. I was then shown a large turtle which had been taken in a pond, and asked if I were fond of it ? Fearing that with their cooking I should not be able to eat it, I replied that I was very fond of corn and beans. This I knew was already over the fire. It was placed before us in one large wooden bowl, and we ate it with wooden ladles. Menominee had two wives, each of whom presented me with a bark box of sugar containing about thirty pounds each.

"In a short time the principal chief, Pcheeko (Che-kose?) and every man and almost every woman and child in the village were at Menominee's, and all came and shook hands. On the arrival of Pcheeko we had resumed our station in the house, where I handed out my tobacco, and all smoked until the fumes and heat became almost insufferable, but mustered courage to remain, as I supposed it would be impolite to leave the room at that time."

"In compliance with an invitation from the -principal chief, Pcheeko, we paid him a visit on the twelfth of June, 1821, accompanied by Menominee and several others. Pcheeko, to show his loyalty to the government, or rather as an expression of respect for me, had hoisted over his hut the American flag. A large kettle of hominy and venison was ready for us on our arrival. To my mess, besides some' choice pieces, they added sugar With the help of my knife, a wooden ladle and a good appetite, I dispatched a reasonable meal, endeavoring at the same time to indulge in as few thoughts as possible about the cleanliness of the cooks. In private they intimated to my interpreter, Abraham, that they suspected me to be partial to Alenominee. The lad replied that my mission was to them all. They said that they were glad to attend the preaching, for they were afraid that Menominee did not know how to preach good. On this subject Abraham replied to them that my business was preaching, teaching school and instructing the Indians in mechanical trades and in architecture ; that Menominee being a preacher received but little pay, and had but little to give away. I then informed them that I desired to address them solely on the subject of religion, and wished the women also to hear. They were called, but were ashamed to come into the house, it not being customary for women to mingle with men when in a council, from which they could not distinguish this assembly. The females generally seated themselves outside of the house near enough to hear. All listened attentively to the discourse, then retired about half an hour, which time the principal men employed in private conversation. When we reassembled they made the following reply :

" 'Our father, we are glad to see you and have you among us. We are convinced that you come among us from motives of charity. We believe that you know what to tell us, and that you tell us the truth. We are glad to hear that you are coming among us to live near us, and when you shall have arrived we will visit your house often and hear you speak of these good things.'

"The bowl of hominy was then passed around the company again ; all smoked, shook hands and parted in friendship. On leaving, some of them gave their blessing. The benediction of one was as follows :

" 'May the Great Spirit preserve your energy and health and conduct you safely to your family, give success to your labors, and bring you back to us again.' "

Mr. McCoy remained two days. "'During that time," he said, "Menominee delivered to his people a lecture. He had no ceremony, but commenced without even rising from his seat, and spoke with much energy."

Continuing, Mr. McCoy said : "A little after dark the company dispersed, and all shook hands with me as they had done in meeting. When we were alone, Menominee informed me that he had two wives. Some had said that if I had knowledge of this circumstance I would push him away from me. 'I tell you,' said he, 'that you may know it. It is a common custom among our people, and often the younger sister of a wife claims it as a privilege to become a second wife, that she, too, may have some one to provide meat for her. This is the case with regard to my two wives who are sisters. I did not know that it was wrong to take a second wife ; but if you say it is wrong, I will put one of them away.' This I thought appeared like cutting off a hand or pulling out an eye, because it offended, and I therefore said I must think before I speak in regard to it.

"Menominee at one time showed me a square stick on which he had made a mark for every sermon that he had preached. I then showed him in my journal the lists of texts from which I had preached at different times, showing at the same time that what I had preached had been taken from such and such places in our good book. He immediately began counting his marks and mine in order to ascertain which of us had preached most frequently in the course of the year. Finding a considerable difference in my favor, he pleaded his inferiority. He must now see all my books and papers, hear me read, notwithstanding he could not understand a word. I attempted to write in my journal, but he kept so close to me that I had to

"The weather being exceedingly hot, and we being obliged to use water taken from a filthy pond, the flies exceedingly severe on our horses, and our situation in every respect being very unpleasant and unwholesome, Abraham, who was already sick, insisted on our leaving. He said : "We stay here, I'm sure we die ; our horses die, too. Me no want to die here.' Alenominee called together all his people, of whom I took an affectionate leave after promising them that, if practicable, I would visit them again when the leaves began to fall. Menominee walked with us half a mile, begged a continuation of our friendship, declared that he would continue to please God and do right - and so we parted."

Concluding his remarks concerning Menominee, Rev. Mr. McCoy said : "Among these tribes we rarely saw the men laboring in the field. The cultivation of the field was almost universally esteemed the business of the women. On our return trip we passed a small field in which a company of men were also laboring. Men, women and children came running to meet us at the fence, and gave me the parting hand. I did not see among them a particle of either bread or meat, excepting a few pigeons which they had killed with sticks ; some deer might have been taken, but they were destitute of powder and lead, and had not anything with which to purchase these articles. Excepting roots and weeds, their only food at this time consisted of corn and dried beans, of which their stock was exceedingly small."

It may be a query in the minds of many, what finally became of the good preacher. ^lenominee. The twenty-two sections of land ceded to him and Pe-pin-a-wa, Na-ta-ka and Mak-a-taw-ma-aw were never transferred by Menominee to the government, and, were he living, whatever interest he then had would still be his. The other chiefs who shared with him in the ownership received $14,080 for their interest, but Menominee refused to sign the treaty, and never transferred his interest either by treaty or sale to the government or others. He was placed under military surveillance at the time of the removal and guarded by soldiers on the 900 miles march to the western reservation. He was at that time a man well along in years, and it is more than likely, as he was never heard of afterward, that he died of a broken heart.

Father Benjamin Marie Petit. The Catholic missionary. Rev. Father Petit, who was in charge of the chapel at the time of the removal of the Indians from Twin lakes, was a remarkable character and performed a prominent part during that exciting period. He was born in France, and was about twenty-five years old at the time of his ministrations, which began probably in the summer of 1837 and ended in September, 1838, when the Indians were driven away. This ardent, youthful spirit evinced an intense enthusiasm from first to last in the work of his chosen field, and in an outburst of fervency he tells something of his feelings and ministrations. "How I love these children of mine," he exclaimed, "and what pleasure it is for me to find myself amongst them. There are now from one thousand to two thousand Christians.

Could you see the little children, when I enter a cabin, crowding around me and climbing on my knees - the father and mother making the sign of the cross in pious recollection, and then coming with a confiding smile on their faces to shake hands with me, you could not but love them as I do." Again he said : "When I am traveling in the woods, if I perceive an Indian hut, or even an abandoned encampment, I find my heart beat with joy. If I discover any Indians on my road, all my fatigue is forgotten, and when their smiles greet me at a distance I feel as if I were in the midst of my own family." This was at Twin lakes, six miles southwest of Plymouth, then known as "Chi-chi-pe Ou-te-pe."

"At sunrise the first peal was rung; then you might see the savages moving along the paths of the forest and the borders of the lakes ; when they were assembled the second peal was rung. The catechist then, in an animated manner, gave the substance of the sermon preached the evening before; a chapter of the catechism was read, and morning prayers were recited. I then said mass, the congregation singing hymns the while; after which I preached, my sermon being translated as I proceeded by a respectable French lady seventy-two years old, who has devoted herself to the missions in the capacity of interpreter. The sermon was followed by a pater and ave, after which the congregation sang a hymn to Our Lady, and quietly dispersed. The next thing was confession, which lasted till evening, and sometimes was resumed after supper. At sunset the natives again assembled for catechism, followed by an exhortation and evening prayers, which finished with a hymn to Our Lady. I then gave them my benediction - the benediction of poor Benjamin. Many practice frequent communion. In the first three weeks of my pastorate I baptized eighteen adults and blessed nine marriages."

All agree in saying that an indefatigable and burning zeal never was seen under more amiable and graceful form than in Rev. Father Petit. He had literally become a sort of idol among his beloved savages, whose frankness and childlike simplicity delighted him. In 1838 he wrote as follows: "Here I am in my Indian church of Chi-chi-pe Ou-ti-pe (Chapel at Twin lakes). How I love my children and delight in being among them." Speaking of the Indian chapel at Twin lakes, he said : "Now m\' cherished place of residence is in my Indian village (Menominee village) ; here I have a grand habitation, built of entire logs, placed one above the other; in more than one place we can see daylight through the walls. My fireplace is large enough to contain a quarter of a cord of wood. I have no carpet and the boards of my floor are so slightly fastened that they yield to the pressure of the foot like the keys of the piano to the musician's fingers."

"One morning I said mass, and immediately afterward we began removing all the oranments from my dear little church. At the moment of my departure I assembled all my children to speak to them for the last time. I wept and my auditors sobbed aloud ; it was indeed a heart-rending sight, and over our dying mission we prayed for the success of those they would establish in their new hunting grounds. We then with one accord sang.

'O, \'irgin, we place our confidence in Thee.' It was often interrupted by sobs, and but few voices were able to finish it. I then left them."

"A large number of the Indian huts are built around the chapel, which is constructed of logs with the bark on, with a cross erected behind and rising above it, and filled with rudely made benches. The Indians begin and end their work without hammer, saw or nails, the ax being their only implement, and bits of skin or bark serving to fasten the pieces together. The room of the missionary is over the chapel, the floor of the one forming the ceiling of the other. A ladder in the corner leads to it, and his furniture consists, as did that of the prophets, of a table and chair and a bed, or rather a hammock swung on ropes. Around the room are his books and the trunks which contain the articles used in his chapel as well as his own apparel. He spends his life with his good people, sharing their corn and meat, with water as his drink, as all Catholic Indians are forbidden to touch that which is the bane of their race, and he would encourage them with his example."

Recollections of Rev. Warren Taylor. Rev. Warren Taylor was one of the early pioneers, having settled here about the time of the organization of the county in 1836. He was an itinerant Wesleyan Methodist preacher, and divided his time between farming, preaching and writing his recollections of early times. He wrote with great care, from personal knowledge so far as was possible, and in his sketch of the Pottawattomie Indians in this part of the country it will be observed that where he does not know, he says "probably," or "it is said," or "it is reported," etc. His paper on this subject is as follows :

MTien the first white settlers came to Marshall county they found within its bounds a somewhat numerous branch of the Pottawattomie tribe of Indians. These Indians were divided into bauds, the most or all of which by the treaty of 1S32 obtained reserves. The largest of these reserves were those of Aub-be-naub-bee and Me-no-mi-nee. The first was situated west of the Michigan road, and in the southern part of the county, extending perhaps into the county of Fulton.

Me-no-mi-nee reserve embraced a region of country southwest of Plymouth, its northeastern corner being near the western border of the town. These two reserves eonViiined twenty or thirty sections each. The reserves of Ben-ack, Nis-wau-gee and Qu£sh-qua were much smaller, each of them containing two or three sections. The two latter lay on the east side of Maxinkuckee lake; the former was situated on the Tippecanoe river in the southeastern part of the county.

The Indian bands above mentioned while living in this region had several villages. The Aub-benau-bee ^'illage was on or near the southern line of the county, and about two miles west of the Michigan road. From three to four miles to the southwest of Plymouth in the neighborhood of the Twin lakes was a settlement of the Me-no-mi-nee band which contained near 100 wigwams. Around and among the wigw^ams were partly cleared fields from which the Indians raised considerable quantities of corn. This settlement was partly on the north side of the Twin lakes, and extended over one or two sections. The Ben-ack village was near the Tippecanoe river and about five miles south of the town of Bourbon. There was also a village on the Boberts prairie four miles southeast of Plymouth, and one at the Taber farm, about four miles south, on the Michigan road, which was called Pash-po, from its principal chief.

The Pottawattomies were formerly a powerful tribe, inhabiting the northern part of Indiana, the southern part of Michigan, and the northeastern part of Illinois. In the early history of Indiana they were said to be for several years hostile to whites. It is said that a detachment of the Pottawattomies were on the way to oppose Harrison when that general approached the Prophet's town near the mouth of the Tippecanoe river. But before they could reach the scene of action the battle of Tippecanoe had been fought, and the Prophet's warriors had been defeated. It is reported, too, that, after the battle, the Indians retreated to a spot a few miles to the west or southwest of the present village of Marmont (now Culver) in Union township, which was so surrounded with marshes as to be almost inaccessible. During the last war with Great Britain the Pottawattomies were probably engaged with Tecumseh against the United States. In 1812 a detachment of the United States army marched from Fort Wayne and destroyed a large Pottawattomie village on the Elkhart river. Soon after the death of Tecumseh peace was declared with the Pottawattomies, the Miamis, and some other tribes inhabiting the Northwest territory. In 1832 the infant settlements of La Porte, South Bend, and Niles strongly feared that the Pottawattomies, with whom they were surrounded, would espouse the cause of Black Hawk and wage, if possible, against the white settlers a war of extermination. These fears, however, appear to have been unfounded. These facts have been mentioned because they belong to the history of the Pottawattomies, and with a branch of this tribe the early history of Marshall county is intimately connected.

The great mass of the Pottawattomie nation had embraced the Catholic religion long, perhaps before, the settlement of northern Indiana by the whites. French missionaries had been among them and among many other tribes of the Mississippi valley. In some of the villages in this region, the Sabbath was observed as a day of worship. Many of our old citizens can recollect the time when they attended Indian meetings at the chapel on the Menominee reserve. This chapel, which was of good size and built of hewed logs, occupied a beautiful site on the north bank of the Twin lakes. The Indians who attended these meetings generally formed large congregations, and their behavior during services was very exemplary. Generally these meetings were conducted by ministers of their own nation, but occasionally French clergymen were present and took the lead.

The demeanor of the Indians toward the white settlers was with few exceptions peaceable and friendly. A few of them had received an English education, and many of them were able to read books that had been translated into their language. In dress they had partly adopted the habits of the whites. Occasionally individuals would be seen dressed in fine broadcloth, which was made up in fashionable style. Such would, however, affix to their garments more or less of the fantastic ornaments which characterize the dress of an Indian.

It has been observed that the Pottawattomies in this region were generally peaceable in their demeanor. All, however, did not possess this spirit. (Mr. Taylor then relates the tragic end of Au-bee-nau-bee practically as recorded in another place in this history. - Editor.)

It has been observed that the Indians by the treaty of 1832 obtained within the county several reserves. Something like three years afterwards Col. A. C. Pepper, agent for the United States, held a council with the Indians for the purchase of the above mentioned reserves, which council was held, according to some, at the Pottawattomie mills, about one mile east of Rochester, and according to others on the Tippecanoe river, about two miles above the crossing of the Michigan road north of Eochester. The purchase was effected, but whether fairly or otherwise has been a matter of considerable dispute. Many of the Indians were extremely dissatisfied with the result of the treaty, maintaining that a few individuals had consented to the purchase; that the wishes of the great mass of the owners had not been consulted. By this treaty the Indians obtained a tract of land in the then territory of Kansas, and perhaps something besides in the shape of an annuity. The news of this purchase soon brought to these reserves many white settlers, who were called "squatters," as the lands were not then in market. The settlers would build a house and sometimes make a small improvement upon the quarter section which they wished to secure. This was considered as establishing their claim. During the years 1836 and 1837 the most of the Au-bee-nau-bee and Menominee reserves were in this way taken up. The Indians who still lived upon the grounds regarded these settlers as intruders. Disputes frequently took place between them, but none of them, it is believed, terminated seriously. About this time congress passed a preemption law, which secured 160 acres at $1.25 per acre, to all actual settlers upon United States lands, if these lands were paid for within a specified time. The settlers of our reserves were included within the provisions of this act, and most of them succeeded in paying for their claims.

Those who may be interested in knowing all the facts in relation to this unfortunate affair are referred to the article in this work entitled "Removal of the Pottawattomie Indians from Northern Indiana" ; and also to an article, "A Monument to the Pottawattomie Indians."

Northern Indiana

The first emigration of the Pottawattomie Indians from northern Indiana under the treaty stipulations made in 1836 that they would remove to the reservation west of the Missouri river within two years from the date of signing the treaty, took place in July, 1837. Under the direction of Abel C. Pepper, United States commissioner, the small bands of Ke-wa-na, Ne-bosh, Nas-wau-gee, and a few others, assembled at the village now kniown as Ke-wa-na, in Fulton county. They were placed in charge of a man by the name of George Proffit, who conducted them to their reservation. In this emigration there were about one hundred all told, all of whom went voluntarily.

On the 6th of August, 1838, the time stipulated in the several treaties for the Indians to emigrate having expired, and Menominee and his band declining to go, a council was held at Menominee village, just north of Twin lakes, in Marshall county, five miles southwest from Plymouth. Col. Abel C. Pepper, Indian agent for the government, was present, and most of the chiefs in that part'of the county; also many of the white residents of the surrounding country. The treaty was read wherein it was shown that in ceding their lands the Indians had agreed to remove to the western reservation within the specified time, and that the date was then at hand when they must go. It was plain to those present who were familiar with the Indian character that there was great dissatisfaction among them, and a spirit of rebellion growing which if not soon suppressed would probably lead to serious results. The leader and principal spokesman for the Indians was Me-no-mi-nee. By the treaty of 1832 twenty-two sections of land had been reserved to him and three other chiefs, viz., Pe-pin-a-waw, Na-ta-ka and Mack-a-taw-ma-ah. This reservation bordered on the west of Plymouth, north as far as the Catholic cemetery and far enough south to take in Twin lakes, about half way between Plymouth and Maxinkuckee lake. The last three named chiefs entered into a treaty with Col. Abel C. Pepper on behalf of the government August 5, 1836, by which they ceded all their interest in the reservation above described, for which the government agreed to pay them $14,080 in specie, being one dollar an acre, there being in the reservation 14,080 acres of land, and they agreed to remove to the country west of the Missouri river provided for them within two years. Chief Menominee refused to sign this or any other treaty, and persistently declined to release to the government his interest in the reservation. When Col. Pepper had made his final appeal and all had had their

"Members of the Council: The President does not know the truth. He, like me, has been imposed upon. He does not know that your treaty is a lie, and that I never signed it. He does not know that you made my young chiefs drunk and got their consent and pretended to get mine. He does not know that I have refused to sell my lands and still refuse. He would not by force drive me from my home, the graves of my tribe, and my children who have gone to the Great Spirit, nor allow you to tell me your braves will take me, tied like a dog, if he knew the truth. My brother the President is just, but he listens to the word of the young chiefs who have lied; and when he knows the truth he will leave me to my own. I have not sold my lands. I will not sell them. I have not signed any treaty, and will not sign any. I am not going to leave my lands, and I don't want to hear anything more about it."

Describing the scene, one who was present said : "Amid the applause of the chiefs he sat down. Spoken in the peculiar style of the Indian orator - although repeated by an interpreter - with an eloquence of which Logan would have been proud, his presence, the personification of dignity, it presented one of those rare occasions of which history gives few instances, and on the man of true appreciation would have made a most profound impression."

In order that a clear understanding may be had of the cause that led up to the forcible removal of Menominee and his band, it may be briefly stated that at a treaty held on the Tippecanoe river October 26, 1832, negotiated by Jonathan Jennings, John W. Davis and Marks Crume on the part of the United States, and the chiefs, etc., of the Pottawattomies, extensive reservations belonging to the Pottawattomie Indians were ceded to the United States, from which a number of small reservations were given to certain chiefs and their bands named therein as follows :

Article 2. From the session aforesaid, the following reseri-ations are made, to-wit: For the band of Au-bee-nau-bee thirty-six sections, to include his village.

For the bands of Menominee, No-taw-kah, Muck-kah-tah-nio-way, and Peepinoh-waw, twenty-two sections (and to several others too numerous to mention).

The object of copying the foregoing is to show how Me-no-mi-nee came in possession of his interest in the twenty-two sections of land in dispute. This record may be found in "A Compilation of all the Treaties Between the United States and the Indian Tribes," published by the United States in 1873, at page 680.

Menominee's contention was that he never signed any treaty transferring his interest in the twenty-two sections above named, and the government book of treaties above referred to does not show his name attached to any treaty, while it does show the names of the other three chiefs as having signed a treaty transferring their interest in the twenty-two sections named to the L'nited States August 5, 1836, and in that treaty the three chiefs agreed to remove west of the Mississippi river within two years. In order that the treaty may be handy of reference, it is copied below in full as found on page 712 of the book of treaties above referred to:

Article 1. The above named chiefs and headmen and their bands hereby cede to the United States twenty-two sections of land reserved for them by the second article of the treaty between the United States and the Pottawattomie tribe of Indians, on Tippecanoe river, on the twenty-sixth day of October, 1832.

Article 2. In consideration of the session aforesaid, the United States stipulate to pay the above named chiefs and headmen and their bands the sum of $14,080 in specie after the ratification of this treaty, and on or before the first day of May next ensuing the date hereof.

Article 3. The above named chiefs and headmen and their bands agree to remove to the country west of the Mississippi river provided for the Pottawattomie Nation by the United States within two years.

Article 4. At the request of the above named band it is stipulated that after the ratification of this treaty the United States shall appoint a commissioner, who Bhall be authorized to pay such debts of the said band as may be proved to his satisfaction to be just, to be deducted from the amount stipulated in the second article of this treaty.

Article 5. The United States stipulate to provide for the payment of the necessary expenses attending the. making and concluding this treaty.

Article 6. This treaty, after the same shall be ratified by the President and Senate of the United States, shall be binding upon both parties.

This is the treaty that Menominee at the council above referred to declared he had never signed, and from the treaty record made by the government from which it is taken he was correct.

From Gen. Tipton's report of the removal, which will be copied in full later on, it appears that the government had been trying for some time previous to get this land from Menominee. In 1834 a commissioner was appointed by the President to purchase this land. He succeeded in purchasing one-half of the land at 50 cents per acre. The other half (eleven sections) was reserved for individual Indians, jMenominee coming in for a large share of individual property. There is no record of this treaty, as the President did not submit it to the senate. The refusal of the government to ratify this treaty undoubtedly offended Menominee and caused him to refuse to further treat with the government agents with reference to the sale of his intere.^t in the reservation, and there negotiations ceased.

At the council above referred to considerable time was spent in trying to persuade Menominee and his following to accept the inevitable and remove peaceably to the reservation provided for them, as, if they did not, the government would remove them by force. Without accomplishing anything, however, the council disbanded.

Menominee was a wise and experienced chief, and he knew that the final consummation was near at hand. As soon as the council had disbanded he began at once to fire the hearts of his followers with a determination to resist the government officers in their evident intention to remove them from their lands and homes which Menominee had never sold or transferred to the government. The consequence was the Indians became desperate ; intoxicating liquors, which the white traders and schemers had supplied them with, were drank to excess; threats of violence were freelv made, and the white settlers in the immediate neighborhood became greatly alarmed for the safety of themselves and families. Several white men, who had squatted on the reservation expecting to enter the land as soon as the Indians went awav, urged on the disturbance and it seemed probable that a general fight would ensue. In this alarming condition of affairs a number of white settlers early in August, 1838, petitioned the governor of Indiana for protection against what they believed would result in the certain destruction of their lives and property. On this subject, in his message to the legislature of Indiana, December 4, 1838, Gov. David Wallace said:

"By the conditions of the late treaty with the Pottawattomie tribe of Indians in Indiana, the time stipulated for their departure to the west of the Mississippi expired on the sixth of August last. As this trying moment approached a strong disposition was manifested by many of the most influential among them to disregard the treaty entirely, and to cling to the homes and graves of their fathers at all hazards. In consequence of such a determination on their part, a collision of- the most serious character was likely to ensue between them and the surrounding settlers. Apprehensive of such a result, and with a view to prevent it, the citizens of Marshall countv, earlv in the month of August, forwarded to the executive a petition praying that an armed force mieht be immediately sent to their protection. On receipt of this petition I repaired as speedily as circumstances would permit to the scene of difliculty, in order to satisfy myself by a personal examination whether their fears were justifiable or not. On my return to Logansport a formal requisition awaited me from the Indian agent. Col. A. C. Pepper, for one hundred armed volunteers to be placed under the command of some competent citizen of the state whose duty it should be to preserve the peace and to arrest the growing spirit of hostility displayed by the Indians. The requisition was instantly granted. I appointed the Hon. John Tipton to tlvLS command and gave him authority to raise the necessary number of volunteers. He promptly and patriotically accepted the appointment, and although sickness and disease prevailed to an alarming extent throughout northern Indiana, yet such was the spirit and patriotism of the people there that in about forty-eight hours after the requisition was authorized the requisite force wa^ not only mustered but was transported into the midst of the Indians before they were aware of its approach, or before even they could possibly take steps to repel it. The rapidity of the movement, the known decision and energy of Gen. Tipton, backed by his intimate acquaintance and popularity with the Indians whom it was his business to quiet, accomplished everything desired. The refractory became complacent ; opposition to removal ceased ; and the whole tribe, with a few exceptions, amounting to between 800 and 900, voluntarily prepared to emigrate. Gen. Tipton and the volunteers accompanied them as far as Danville, 111., administering to them on the way whatever comfort and relief humanity required. There they were delivered over to Judge Polke and the United States removing agents. Copies of all the communications and reports made to the executive by Gen. Tipton while in the discharge of this duty I lay before you. from which I feel assured you will discover with mvself that much credit and manv thanks are due not onlv to him

Before referring to the message of Gov. Wallace, the writer desires to state that diligent search and inquiry has been made in the several departments of the state at Indianapolis, and it is much to be regretted that none of the papers referred to have been preserved, or at least cannot be found.

The reader will observe by perusing the message of Gov. Wallace, and the report of Gen. Tipton, which appears later on, that Menominee nor any other of the Indians were in any way consulted in regard to the matters in dispute. Undoubtedly the information forwarded to Gov. Wallace was furnished him by one Watters and others like him, who were waiting to enter the lands as soon as the Indians were driven away. Watters was aided in his scheme by a few others who joined him in working the Indians up to a point where armed soldiers would be necessary to quell the disturbance and remove the Indians by force from the reservation. These disturbers were assisted in securing the cooperation of the governor by Gen. Tipton and Col. Pepper, who, without doubt, prepared and forwarded the petitions signed by Watters and others. The governor says on receipt of the petition he repaired to the scene of the disturbance as speedily as possible. He does not say how long he stayed or what the nature of the trouble was that he discovered. He says on his return to Logansport he found a formal requisition awaiting him from the Indian agent, Col. Pepper. And then he adds, "The requisition was instantly granted." And this, too, without consulting Menominee or any other of the Indians to get their side of the story or to see if he could not hold a conference with them, ascertain the real cause of the trouble and see if some terms of settlement could not be agreed upon. But he did nothing of the kind. He instantly granted a requisition for a company of soldiers, and appointed Gen. Tipton, an Indian fighter and an Indian hater, who, the governor says, "promptly and patriotically accepted the appointment." And then, the rapidity of the movement, etc., accomplished everything desired. The refractory became complacent, opposition to removal ceased, etc. Of course it did ! Gen. Tipton says : "The arrival of the volunteers in the Indian village was the first intimation they had of the movement of men with arms. Many of the Indian men were assembled near the chapel and were not permitted to leave camp or separate until matters were amicably settled and they had agreed to give peaceable possession of the land sold by them." They were simply surrounded by the soldiers, their guns, bows and arrows, tomahawks, etc., they had in their possession were taken away from them ; they were surrounded and placed under guard, and, as the governor said: "The refractory became complacent, opposition to removal ceased, and the whole tribe, with a few exceptions, amounting to between 800 and 900, voluntarily prepared to emigrate." Of course "they voluntarily prepared to emigrate." How could they have done otherwise, being deprived of their arms and surrounded with one hundred armed soldiers prepared to shoot the first one that offered resistance ?

On the day prior to the exodus a meeting of the Indians was held at the little graveyard, a short distance from the village, at which a final farewell of the dead was taken by those who were to leave the following morning never to return. Addresses were made by the chiefs present and by several white settlers. An address of some length was delivered by Myron H. Orton, of La Porte, which was afterward printed, but unfortunately no copies of it can now be found. The scene is said to have been affecting in the extreme. Weeping and wailing, which was confined to a few at first, became general, and until they were finally induced to disperse, it looked as though a riot would surely ensue. In solemn reverence they turned their weeping faces from the sleeping dead, never to look upon the graves of their kindred again.

Early the next morning, September 4, 1838, orders were given to move; the wig;wams, tepees, and cabins were torn down, and Menominee village, the largest in the county, had the appearance of having been swept by a tornado ; and immediately nearly a thousand men, women and children, with broken hearts and tearful eyes, took up the line of march to their far distant home in the west. Xo sadder sight was ever witnessed in the great northwest as a result of the dealings of the whites with the Indians, the original owners and inhabitants of all this vast country. It was unjustified by the facts, and, as shown by the report of Gen. Tipton, was cruel and almost inhuman. It makes one's blood run cold to realize the amount of suffering that fell to the lot of the many old and feeble Indians and squaws, and the mothers and their pappooses, dragged along through the wilderness those hot, sultry summer days with little food and pond water unfit to drink.

Dear Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the volunteers under my command reached this place last evening with 859 Pottawattoniie Indians. Three persons improperly called chiefs - Menominee, Black-Wolf, and Pe-pin-a-wa - are of the number. I have this morning put the Indians under the charge of Judge William Polke, ivho has been appointed by the United States to conduct them west of the Missouri river. I have also the honor to lay before your excellency a copy of my orderly book, or daily journal, to which I beg leave to refer a detailed statement of the manner in which my duties have been performed as commanding officer of volunteers engaged in this delicate sers'ice.

It may be the opinion of those not well informed upon the subject that the expedition was uncalled for, but I feel confident that nothing but the presence of an armed force for the protection of the citizens of the state to punish the insolence of the Indians could have prevented bloodshed. The arrival of the volunteers in the Indian village was the first intimation that they had of the movement of men with arms.

Many of the Indian men were assembled near the chapel when we arrived, and were not permitted to leave camp or separate until matters were amicably settled, and they had agreed to give peaceable possession of the land sold by them. I did not feel authorized to drive these poor, degraded beings from our state, but to remove them from the reserve and to give peace and security to our citizens. But I found the Indians did not own an acre of land east of the Mississippi; that the government was bound to remove them to the Osage river, to support them one year after their arrival west, and to give to each indi\advial of the tribe 320 acres of land. Most of- them appeared willing to do so. Three of their principal men, however, expressed a wish to be governed by the advice of their priest (Mr. Petit, a Catholic gentleman), who had resided with them up to the time of the commencement of the quarrel between the Indians and the whites, when he left Twin lakes and returned to South Bend. I addressed a letter inviting him to join the emigration and go west. He has accepted the invitation, and I am happy to inform you that he joined us two days ago and is going west with the Indians. It is but justice to him to say that he has, both by example and precept, produced a very favorable change in the morals and industry of the Indians; that his untiring zeal in the cause of civilization has been, and will continue to be, eventually beneficial to these unfortunate Pottawattomies when they reach their new abode. All are now satisfied and appear anxious to proceed on their journey to their new homes, where they anticipate peace, security and happiness.

It may be expected that I should give your excellency an intimation or an opinion of the causes which have led up to the difficulty now happily terminated. A few words on that subject must suffice.

First, the pernicious practice (I believe first introduced into our Indian treaty making at Fort Meigs in 1817) of making reservations of land to satisfy individual Indians, and sometimes white men, opened the door for both speculation and fraud.