USA > Indiana > Miami County > History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45
In the treaty of St. Mary's in October, 1818, Francis was granted a reservation of six sections of land on the Salamonie river and his brother Louis a reservation of the same size on the St. Mary's. On December 2, 1824, an agreement, witnessed by Joseph Barron and General John Tipton, was entered into by Francis and Louis Godfroy to exchange one section of these reservations, "the sole object and purpose of the exchange being that the brothers may live near each other," and they bound themselves not to sell or otherwise dispose of the sections thus exchanged except by mutual consent."
About a year before this exchange was made, Francis Godfroy had established a trading post on the Wabash river, near the mouth of the Mississinewa, which he named Mount Pleasant. As a trader he was successful and amassed a considerable fortune. He would probably have become as wealthy as Richardville, had it not been for his liberality. Stephens says: "The most distinguished quality in the character of Francis Godfroy was his generosity. In this he was a prince. He was like a good, old father to his tribe. His Mount Pleasant home was like
35
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
an Indian village. A number of Indians were always feasting at his table. Generosity was extended to all. His home was like that of a lord of an English manor, or a king of a French feudal state-here were horses and hounds, guns and ammunition, the chase and the feast. He was held in perfect reverence by his people."
Although Godfroy's father was a Frenchman and the French largely predominated in his character, his mother was a Miami woman and he always claimed to belong to that tribe. His first wife was Sac-a-che- quah, the daughter of a white man named Cole, who was captured when a child in Kentucky by the Shawnees, grew up among the Indians and acted as interpreter at the treaty of Greenville in 1795. His sister became the wife of White Wolf. By his first marriage Francis Godfroy had six children-Poqua, Tac-con-ze-quah, Catherine, Louisa, James R. and William. His second wife was a Miami woman named Sac-a-qua-tah, who also bore him six children, viz .: Sallie, George W., Thomas, Gabriel, Clemence and Frances. George Washington, when only fourteen years of age, was killed by a bolt of lightning, which came from an almost clear sky, in May, 1841, while he was sitting on his horse in front of his father's trading house. The incident was regarded with profound superstition by the Miamis and a large bowlder near the place was for many years pointed out as marking the place of his tragic death.
1334594
In his personal appearance Francis Godfroy was over six feet in height, weighed about three hundred pounds, and carried the air of one "born to command." It is said that even those against whom he fought in battle respected him. While Colonal Richard M. Johnson was vice- president of the United States, Chief Godfroy sent him an elaborately decorated tomahawk, the receipt of which Colonel Johnson acknowledged in the following letter to Colonel Abel C. Pepper, superintendent of Indian affairs :
"Senate Chamber, 12 January, 1839.
"Sir :- I have this day received the elegant tomahawk from your hands, as a present from my friend and brother, the brave Miami chief, Palonzwa, and I now return my thanks to that brave and generous chief and warrior, and let him know that I shall ever keep it as a token of his friendship.
"In addition to this, I send by you a brace of pistols, which you will please present to that brave chief and warrior as an evidence of regard. With sentiments of great respect,
"Your friend and obedient servant,
"RH. M. JOHNSON."
36
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Palonzwa, the name that appears in Colonel Johnson's letter, was the Indian pronunciation of the French word François, which was the real name of Chief Godfroy, but which became corrupted into the English name Francis.
After a lingering illness Francis Godfroy died on May 1, 1840, and was buried on the rising ground a short distance south of his Mount Pleasant home. His funeral was attended by hundreds of white people, as well as a large number of the Miamis. The funeral oration was delivered by Wap-pa-pin-sha (Black Racoon), who was one of the local chiefs and most noted orators of the Miami tribe. Translated, his address was as follows:
"Brothers: The Great Spirit has taken to himself another of our once powerful and happy, but now rapidly declining nation. The time has been when these forests were densely populated by the red man; but the same hand whose blighting touch withered the majestic frame before us, and caused the noble spirit by which it was animated to seek another abode, has dealt in a like manner with his and our fathers; in a like manner it will deal with us. Death, of late, has been common among us-so much so that an occurrence of it scarcely attracts our notice. But when the brave, the generous and the patriotic are blasted by it, then it is that the tears of our sorrow freely flow.
"Such is now the case. Our brother who has just left us was brave, generous and patriotic, and as a tribute to his merit, and a reward for goodness, the tears, not only of his own people, but also of many white men, who are here assembled to witness these funeral rites, mingle in sorrow over the death of one they loved.
"At this scene the poor of his people weep, because at his table they were wont to feast and rejoice. The weak mourn his death, because his authority was directed to their protection. But he has left the earth, the place of vexation and contention, and is now participating with Pocahontas and Logan in those joys prepared by the Great Spirit for such as well and faithfully discharge their duties here. Brothers, let us follow his example and practice his virtues."
On February 26, 1840, Francis Godfroy executed a will, disposing of the lands granted to him by treaties with the United States, and other property which he had accumulated. To this will a codicil was added only a short time before his death. As this will is of historic interest to the people of Miami county, forming, as it does, the basis of title.to a great deal of real estate in the county, it is here reproduced in full :
"I, Francis Godfroy, a Miami Indian, of the county of Miami, Indiana, being desirous to settle and dispose of my worldly affairs while
37
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
in a sound mind, memory and understanding, do publish and declare this as my last will and testament :
"First, I desire my body to be decently interred, at the discretion of my executors hereinafter named.
"Second, It is my will and I hereby bequeath to my beloved son, James R. Godfroy, one section of land, to include my mill on the creek below Peru, commonly called Pipe creek.
"Third, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, William Godfroy, one section of land lying on the Mississinewa river, being the section of land granted to O-san-di-ah at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of 1838, which I purchased of the said O-san- di-ah.
"Fourth, I will and bequeath to my beloved son, George Washing- ton, the section of land lying opposite the town of Peru, on the Wabash, being the same on which Peter Gibout now lives.
. "Fifth, I will and bequeath to my dearly beloved sons, Thomas God- froy and Gabriel Godfroy, as tenants in common, three-fourths of the section lying above and adjoining the town of Peru, which said three- fourths of a section so bequeathed as aforesaid is a part of the section granted to me adjoining the town of Peru at the treaty between the United States and the Miami Indians of October, 1834.
"Sixth, For the purpose of educating my son Gabriel, I hereby will and bequeath to him, in addition to my former bequest, the one- quarter section of land lying opposite my house, being the same pur- chased of John B. Richardville.
"Seventh, I will and bequeath unto my two wives, or the mothers of my children, Sac-a-che-quah and Sac-kah-quet-tah, and my beloved chil- dren, my eldest unmarried daughter, Louisa, to my daughter Sally, to my daughter Frances, to my daughter Clemence, the four sections of land and improvements where I now live, during the lifetime of my said wives, to be decided in case of dispute by my executors during the lives of my wives. The two of the four sections of land aforesaid to include the houses and improvements, I will and beqeuath to my said daughters, Louisa, Sally, Frances and Clemence, as tenants in common and to their heirs forever. The remaining two of the four sections aforesaid, I will and bequeath to all my children and their heirs and assigns, as well as those who are devisees to this will, as also Poqua, and the wife of Good- boo, to be equally divided among them all.
"Eighth, It is my will that after the personal property, which I may be possessed of at the time of my death, should be exhausted, that my executors, or the survivor of them, or the person who may administer on my estate, shall sell so much of my real estate as he or they may deem
38
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
necessary for the payment of my debts, the same to be sold for such prices as he or they may deem reasonable. Such real estate to be sold as is not devised individually to any member of my family.
"Ninth, I will and bequeath such property as I may die possessed of, both real and personal, not heretofore disposed of, after my debts are paid, to be equally divided among all my children, share and share alike.
"Tenth, All the property devised to all the devisees in this my last will is hereby bequeathed to them, their heirs and assigns forever.
"Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint Allen Hamilton and John B. Richardville, of the county of Allen, to be the sole executors of this my last will and testament. In the case of the death of either of them, the other to be sole executor, or in case one fails to serve. then the other to be the executor.
"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the twenty-sixth day of February, 1840.
His
"FRANCIS (X) GODFROY. (SEAL) Mark
"Signed, sealed, published and declared by the testator as and for his last will and testament, executed in the presence of the undersigned, who signed the same as witnesses in the presence of each other, and in the presence of the testator subscribed their names as such witnesses at the request of said testator, the 26th day of February, 1840.
"EDWARD A. GODFROY. His "PETER (X) ANDRE. Mark "B. H. SCOTT. "F. S. CORNWALL."
In the codicil provisions were made for defending the titles to several tracts of land bought by Godfroy from Wap-pa-pin-sha and other Indians by the employment of James Raridon as attorney, and that the sum of $1,000 should be paid by his executors to his wife, Sac-kah-quet-tah, imme- diately after his decease, the money to be used for the support of the in- fant children. The principal provisions of the codicil, however, was as follows :
"I do further will and direct that my executor or administrator lay off, within three months after my decease, on the quarter section of land immediately adjoining the town of Peru, town lots and streets in continu- ation and corresponding in size and width with the lots and streets in
39
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Peru, excepting only that portion of the said quarter section near the sand hill, suitable for tannery sites, for which purpose I desire that it should be laid off in lots of two acres each; that every fourth of the town lots and tannery sites be reserved and titles for the same executed to my son, James Godfroy, and the remaining three-fourths of each description of said lots be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, on the follow- ing conditions, to wit: One-third of the purchase money to be paid at
GABRIEL GODFROY
the expiration of six months from the day of sale, the remainder in two equal payments at the expiration of twelve and eighteen months from the day of sale; and I hereby authorize and empower my said executor or administrator, when full payment is made by the purchasers, to make, seal and deliver deeds for the conveyance of said lots to the purchasers, their heirs and assigns, hereby vesting him with full power and authority to act in the premises as fully to every intent and purpose as I myself could do if living. The proceeds of the sales of the the aforesaid lots I
40
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
hereby direct my said executor or administrator to apply to the discharge of my just debts, and in the event of there being thereafter a surplus, that the same be by my said executor invested in bank stock, and the annual interest thereon be applied to the discharge of the taxes on my real estate."
Some time after the death of Francis Godfroy, his sons erected a handsome marble monument over his grave. On one side is the name, date of birth and death of the deceased, and on the other is the inscrip- tion: "Late Principal Chief of the Miami Nation of Indians. Dis- tinguished for courage, humanity, benevolence and honor, he lived in his native forests an illustration of the nobleness of his race, enjoying the confidence of his tribe and beloved by his American neighbors. He died as he lived-without fear or reproach."
The inscription is somewhat misleading, in that it describes Godfroy as "Late Principal Chief," when, as a matter of fact, he was the war chief of the tribe.
Gabriel, the son of Francis Godfroy, lived for many years after the death of his father and was called by courtesy and common consent "the last chief of the Miamis." For a long time he lived in a brick house on the right bank of the Mississinewa river, a short distance above its mouth and across the valley from the old Osage village. His farm there was a part of the reservation of four sections of land granted to his father by the treaty of November 6, 1838. After a time this farm was acquired by B. E. Wallace and is now the winter quarters of the Hagenback and Wallace shows. The closing years of Gabriel Godfroy's life were passed farther east, on the road to and near the old cemetery where his father lies buried. He was held in high esteem by the Miamis of Indiana and is said to have been guardian for more persons than any other man in the United States. His death occurred in 1911.
Among the Miamis, besides the principal chief and the war chief, there were numerous band or village chiefs. The names of several of the most important of these minor chiefs appear as signers of the great treaty of 1838.
Of the Pottawatomi chiefs that inhabited the country immediately north of the Wabash, the most prominent were Winamac, Ashkum, Weesau, Chechawkose, Kinkash, Metea, Menoquet and Mota. Ashkum's and Weesau's villages on the Eel river were the only Pottawatomi villages within the limits of Miami county. Ashkum's village and its reservation were ceded to the United States in 1836, and Weesau's vil- lage was ceded the next year, when the tribe relinquished title to all its lands in Indiana and soon afterward removed to a reservation in Kansas. Winamac (the Catfish) was no doubt the leading Pottawatomi chief in
41
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
the Wabash valley. There were, in fact, two chiefs of that name. The elder signed the treaty of Greenville in 1795 and the treaties of Fort Wayne in 1803 and 1809. He was in the battle of Tippecanoe, fought with the British in the War of 1812, and was one of the chiefs that brought about the massacre of the whites at Fort Dearborn on August 15, 1812. On the 22nd of November following this massacre Winamac was killed by a Shawnee Indian. The younger Winamac had his vil- lage on the Tippecanoe river, where the county seat of Pulaski county now stands, and which bears his name. He was in the battle of Tippe- canoe, but afterward became friendly to the Americans and was influen- tial in securing the cession of the Pottawatomi lands in Indiana to the United States.
An account of the treaties made between the United States and the Miami and Pottawatomi Indians previous to the admission of Indiana into the Union as a state will be found in the chapter on the "Period of Preparation." After the admission of the state their was a heavy tide of immigration and the chiefs asked for a treaty to establish the boundary of the Indian lands. Jonathan Jennings, Benjamin Parke and Lewis Cass were appointed commissioners on behalf of the United States to negotiate the treaty, which was concluded with the Pottawatomi at St. Mary's, Ohio, on October 2, 1818. The next day it was ratified by the Delawares, who relinquished all their lands in Indiana, and on the 6th the treaty with the Miamis was concluded. By this treaty the tribe ceded all its lands south of the Wabash river, except what was known as the "Big Reserve," which extended along the Wabash river from the mouth of the Salamonie to the mouth of the Eel river and "from those points running due south a distance equal to a direct line from the mouth of the Salamonie to the mouth of the Eel river." The "Big Reserve," as thus established, included all that part of Miami county lying south of the Wabash ; the southeastern part of Cass; that portion of Wabash county south of the river and west of a line running south from the mouth of the Salamonie, near the present town of Lagro; about one-third of Grant county-all west of that line; the northeastern corner of Clinton ; the northern half of Tipton; all of Howard, and the northwestern corner of Madison county. It contained nearly one million acres of land.
Three years later, when it became known that the capital of the new state was to be permanently located at Indianapolis, immigration was attracted to the central and northern portions of the state and again the Indian found the white man encroaching upon his domain. These condi- tions led to the treaty of October 16, 1826, which was concluded at
42
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
the mouth of the Mississinewa river, when the Pottawatomi ceded all that part of Indiana included within the following boundaries :
"Beginning on the Tippecanoe river where the northern boundary of the tract ceded by the Potawatomies to the United States by the treaty of St. Mary's in 1818 intersects the same; hence in a direct line to a point on Eel river half way between the mouth of said river and Pierish's village; thence up Eel river to Seek's village near the head thereof ; thence in a direct line to the mouth of a creek emptying into the St. Joseph's of the Miami near Metea's village; thence up the St. Joseph's to the boundary line between the states of Indiana and Ohio; thence south to the Miami (Maumee) ; thence up the same to the reservation at Fort Wayne; thence with the lines of the said reservation to the boundary established by the treaty with the Miamis in 1818; thence with the said line to the Wabash river; thence with the same river to the mouth of the Tippecanoe river; and thence with the said Tippecanoe river to the place of beginning."
Seek's village was near Columbia City; Pierish's village was on the north side of the Eel river, almost due north of the city of Wabash ; Metea's village was on the St. Joseph river, about eight miles from the Ohio line. The cession made by this treaty included the greater part of Cass county, all that part of Miami lying between the Wabash and Eel rivers and a large part of Huntington and Allen counties.
Just a week later-October 23, 1826-at the same place a treaty was concluded with the Miamis, by which that tribe ceded all claim "to the lands in the State of Indiana, north and west of the Wabash and Miami rivers, and of the cession made by said tribe to the United States by the treaty concluded at St. Mary's, October 6, 1818." For the lands thus ceded the Miamis received $31,040.53 in cash and a similar amount in goods. In 1827 they received an additional payment of $61,259.47 and in 1828 they received $30,000. After that they were paid an annuity of $25,000. The treaty also authorized the State of Indiana to lay out and construct a canal or road through any of the reservations, and for the right of way for the canal a strip of land six chains in width was appropriated.
Within the territory ceded by the Pottawatomi and Miami tribes by the treaties of October, 1826, was what was known as the "Five- mile Reserve," so-called because it included a tract of land five miles in width, extending from the Wabash river to the Eel river. The east line of this reserve began on the Wabash river two and a half miles above the mouth of the Mississinewa, and the west line, two and a half miles below the mouth of that stream, was coincident with the east line of the individual reservation later granted to J. B. Richardville. The
43
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
southwest corner of the Five-mile Reserve rested on the Wabash river between the present streets of Broadway and Wabash, in the city of Peru. In 1834 the Five-mile Reserve was ceded to the United States, but within its limits several individual reservations were given to cer- tain Indians. One of these was the reservation of Francis Godfroy, No. 12, the southwest quarter of which now forms Godfroy's addition to the city of Peru, under the provisions of Francis Godfroy's will. All these individual reservations were granted subject to the former pro- vision of the treaty of 1826, setting apart a strip six chains wide for a canal or highway. On account of these individual reservations Presi- dent Jackson refused to ratify the treaty of 1834 and it did not become effective until late in the year 1837.
Some time after the treaty of 1826 was concluded, Congress appro- priated a strip five miles wide along the Wabash for the construc- tion of the canal to the mouth of the Tippecanoe river, and for this strip paid the sum of $335,680. By the treaty of October 23, 1834, the Miamis ceded several small reservations granted to individuals and clans by former treaties, and the same year the government purchased a strip seven miles wide off the west side of the "Big Reserve" -- 177,000 acres in all-in the present counties of Cass, Howard and Clin- ton, and this tract was turned over to the State of Indiana to aid in the construction of the canal. As the Indians saw their reservation thus passing to the ownership of the white man many of them became dissatisfied and proposed to sell the remaining portion of their lands in Indiana and remove to a new reservation beyond the Mississippi. The result of this condition of affairs was the treaty of 1838.
Abel C. Pepper was appointed commissioner on the part of the United States to hold a council with the Indians and ascertain their views with regard to the disposal of their lands. The council met at the "Forks of the Wabash," a short distance south of the city of Hunting- ton, at the place known as the "Treaty Ground," where on November 6, 1838, a treaty was concluded. As this treaty was the one by which Miami county was fully opened to settlement by white people, the full text is here given :
"Article 1. The Miami tribe of Indians hereby cede to the United States all that tract of land lying south of the Wabash river and included within the following boundaries, to wit: Commencing at a point on said river where the western boundary line of the Miami reserve inter- sects the same, near the mouth of Pipe creek; thence south two miles; thence west one mile; thence south along said boundary line three miles ; thence east to the Mississinewa river; thence up said river, with the meanders thereof, to the eastern boundary line of the said Miami
44
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
reserve; thence north along said eastern boundary line to the Wabash river; thence down said last named river, with the meanders thereof, to the place of beginning.
"The said Miami tribe of Indians do also hereby cede to the United States the three following reservations of land, made for the use of the Miami nation of Indians .by the second article of a treaty made and concluded at St. Mary's, in the State of Ohio, on the 6th day of October, 1818, to wit :
"The reservation on the Wabash river, below the forks thereof.
"The residue of the reservation opposite the mouth of the river Abouette.
"The reservation at the mouth of a creek called Flat Rock, where the road to the White river crosses the same.
"Also one other reservation made for the use of the said tribe at Seek's village, on Eel river, by the second article of a treaty made and concluded on the 23d of October, 1826.
"Article 2. From the cession aforesaid, the Miami tribe reserve for the band of Me-to-sin-in, the following tract of land, to wit: Beginning on the eastern boundary line of the Big Reserve, where the Mississinewa river crosses the same; thence down said river with the meanders thereof to the mouth of the creek called Forked Branch; thence north two miles; thence in a direct line to a point on the eastern boundary line two miles north of the place of beginning; thence south to the place of beginning, supposed to contain ten square miles.
"Article 3. In consideration of the cession aforesaid, the United States agree to pay the Miami tribe of Indians $335,080-$60,000 of which to be paid immediately after the ratification of this treaty and the appropriation to carry its provisions into effect; and the residue of said sum, after the payment of claims hereinafter stipulated to be paid, in ten yearly installments of $12,568 per year.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.