Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Part 17

Author:
Publication date: 1876
Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co.
Number of Pages: 472

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The geological report fer 1874 conlains n nlunber of figures of curious prehistorie pipes, Inken I'rom mounds nnd plowed up in culturalel fields in sliftervot parts of the Stale. Though differing in forus and design, the prin- cipile of a bowl in which lobneco is buruei, ond a communicating hole at the basr through which smoke moy be drawn into the mouth, is essentially the salue as in pipes of modern construelinh Some of Ibese pipes are of curious anul arliwie workmanship, erincing a high degree of care und skill on the pail of the oborigins toukers. There is one carveit out of hard, coarse- grinned, gray-colored Irap rock, nud is a fuir represeululion of n bullfrog, willi the exception of oue or Ino physiological omissions. The Agnro is full size, five and u nlf inches long and four inches bigh. The bowl, which is silyuled on the back, is one und one-cighib inches in dinmeler ; the greatest dimneler of the stem- hole is one and one-quarter inches, and lapers rapidly lo ils connection with the bowl. In order to smoke euch a pipe with ease, il should eithen be held above the level of the mouth or the stemu should be cronked lo evil The lower position The excellent finish and high ilegree of arl displayed in varring so perfect au image of a Frog from burd slone might Al first lesul oue la question ils authenticity as n relic of prehistoric times, bul when il is compared with other pipes which helong undoubtedly lo the Molind Buildlyre' or stone age, there is little room lo dispute ils claim lo unliquily. In all the Mounil Builders' stemless juprs, The bowl and stem- Lotes are neurly equal in size of their openings . the Jaller opening lapers rapidly and is small where il connects with the base of the bowl, and fornis uilh il a slightly obtuse angle.

This specimen was found by Mrs. Margaret Rogers, on her funn in Foun- nis Couuly, Indiano, one mile from Coringlob, nad loaned In the Siste lo hr figured and described. The frog is silling upon ite hind legs, which are mimirably folded, but the artist exhibilx carelessness in minor details, by only giring four instead of five loes to the hind feet, ond Ihrce instead of folie toes lo the fore feel. The nllitude is quite nulural, and the head nod bailly ure in gooll proportien.

Another jupe, representeil ty Figure 1. Plate D. in the report, 18 earned oul of greenish gray, compact stealile. 11 is perfeel in itself, and does not require an additional ninthpiece. The figure is a very good imitation of a wolf's head. The boul is one and one- half inebes in diomeler and Ihree aud one- quarter inches deep. From the center of Ihr bowl lo ibr end of the siem is six inches, abd Ibe whole length of the pipe frem the end of the slem lo the lip of the u vif's nose is eleven and a half inches. The slein hole is a full balf inch in diameter of uniforin size throughonl, and mude as straight as if drilled by machinery.

In the collection at tudionapolis is a pipe of sandstone, linndsomely bnishrd iu the shape of mo urn. It irns found by byeurgus Chaffin, nego- clAlyd with a copper axy of peculiar construction, plummais moile of manguel- ite, nod a nutolier of slone axes and flint arrow heads. They were plowed up in a short ridge just above high water mark on the Cut-Off Islund, one quilr from New Harmony, mu Posey Coutily, and presenled to the Stale Cabi- uel by Mr Chofhu.

The Mound Builders undoubleilly necupied the whole Mississippi Vultoy. extending as far north as the copper mines of Lake Superior, und south lo Tho Gulf conut ons Mexico. Troces of their warks pro fonmil Throughout ull Ibis region. There appears to be no evidence that they mundo nuy permanent selllements na for north ny Lake Superior, but they probably resorled lo that region during the suuuner season for mining purposes. Kvilences of their works ore not only found in the enppor mines, bul specimens of coppor nrlieles manufactured hy Them anil evidently obtained from thal someo, have been plowed up or obtained from the exparution of mounds in differepl poris of the connin'.

Artificial moutils, us well as ilaris nud other implementa, are numerous in Ohio and Switzerlandl Counties, near the Ohio Itirer and Laughery Creok. Thoy oro offen associateil with burial plners, oithor in the boltom or ou con- tonnding eminences. Dr. J. W. Baxter, of Yminy, gives an account of n series of mounds or signal slatious, occupying prominent points along the Ohio River, and so localed that ench muny be seen from the next nboro ond below. These command nearly the whole bollom. From the slalion helew Pniriol, The observer juny look neross Gnlinlin County, Kentucky, amit the valley of Englo Creek to the height of Innd in Owen County. Both this mounil and one near Rising Sun exhibit Irners of fires That were doubtless used ny telegraphie signals by the Mound Builders. The mounds ul thie following places furin n complete series, though ol hors mony have been used I wheu tho country was limbered : Rising Sun ; near Gunpowder Crook, Ken- lucky ; the Dibble Farmu, two miles south of I'niviol , tho North Hill, hielore Warssu, Kentucky ; This Taylor Farm, brlow Long Lick Creek : opposite Carrollton, Henturky, und belou Carrollton.

In Jasper County, spear und arrow hearts of on unusual form, nhil of n glossy cheri, nro fouud, together with polished stono nxes und serapers. The wound on tho cast sido of the Iroquois River, nboul four miles north- ensi of the rounly svat, 19 the only relic of the Mound Buihlers yel fenil in thol section of the Stale. It was nearly len fert high, forty feet in dinin- eler, amil contained ushies, bones auil shells.

Numerous carthworks nre found in Vigo nod Sulliron Counties of such an extent ns lo requiro for their evostruction time and tho porsisteni Inher ef many peuple Sitbeled on The river bluffs, their location combines pie- Turesqne Neenery, susceplibility for defense, mul conrenlence lo Iransperin- lion, water and productive lanils. These are nol requisite in the nomnulic life of The red men, and identifies the Mound Builders as a purlially rivil- ized, agricultural people.

Over one liuudred small mouni», from two lo fner feet high, niny he seet About one mile northwest of Middletown, in Vigo County. The nnernl works wear Merom inclose about Three neres. Excavationis here ilisclosed twelve Iniman skeletons, beside relies of stue, flint and rirer shells. By opening u section across the momul the following nnoninlous condition, of high interest lo ibe urobuvologist, wns doreloped : Al The hise, sabes and mineralized boues of the Mound Builders; near the surface, remains of sproge luilinha; and between these liro, intrumire graves of an intermediate race-fisherinen who prepared vanlla for their dend. The degree of civiti- zation nilniuod by the Inller mny be inferred from the faith io immerinlily exhibiled by tho depasul of fooil for the departed, from the careful propara- tion of their sepulchers, nud especially from the respeel ful burial of children -Dol The linbil of tbe Monod Builders. In illustration of the Inst fact, a small sipue vault ucar the brow of the hill was opened; it contamed Ibe bones of two babes who lind been lenderly luid to rest, ornminenled with a child'a Irenaure of shell beads.

" All Ibe mounds," Mys Dr. Collelt, "which have come under my bolice are located so na lo secure an ont look toward sunrise, confirming the belief that ibo fires of The sun- worshipers bare blazeil upon every mound-cappel eminence in the great valley of the continent."

Ås to Ilir origin and disappearance of this prehistorie race, sorem! ren- jectures hure been pel forth ; among them, the opinion lins prevailed thol The Mound Builders were of Aztec origin, or n portion of the same race found in Mexico ut the period of the earliest Entropenn discorories in Ihnl coun Iry. It is thought that the race come, originally, from Chion, or separated from some of the Chino-Japaneso proplo, alul, by crossing Tho Sirails or drifting from island to island foward tho const of Amerion, finally landed upon the continent, nud spread Themselves orer ils most eligible portions; Thal being involed by the warlike smages of the north, they were nl lost driven soulhunrd from their uucient homes nod forlifed lowns, all except the remnant found in Mexico by tho Spanish mlreolurers who first explored that country, and which ling since become culirely extinel. This theory ub- vinles The necessity of supposing them lo linve been surpt nuny hy rome uluversal pestilence. The remains of skeletons found in the mounds and forlifications are uol in sufficient numbers lo comport with this theory. while they are sufhciently numerous lo shon thul a strong resistance wis mundo against the iurmling enemy, and that in defending themselves in Theh forlibcalions thousands of them perished. Their skeletons, their carth- works, their domesbie utensils and their weapons of defense are everywhere found mingled together in one common ruin. Il is a noticeable fact that the Mounil Builders were never an aggressive people, their fortifirnlions anil their weapous being all for defensr, aul not for alinck. Their extensive defensive arrangements being founul all over the country proves that they were ul- Incked by some powerful invading foe-probably The Indiaus who succeeded them-nnit thol they were not ilisposed to give up their homes and hurisl plnces without x struggle In these defensive works they displayed u good deal of engineering skill.

The Theory above hinled is qmle a plausible one, and is onlerlained by Those who hare devoleil considerable attention to the subject, I would, indeed, he interesting lo know the origin und causes of the disappearance of tlus strange people, who have left behind them such monuments of their unciont works ; bul the solution of the problem will long boffle the akill of The best ellinologists, nad remnin, ny at present, inrolveil in mystery.

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF INDIANA.

BY W. W. CLAYTON.

CARLY DISCOVERIES.

The first iliscoveries in Indinon were minde by the French, who pene. trited the territory front Cauda as inissionories ont fur traders among the Indians. After they had pushed their explorations us fur westuard as the head of Lake Superior, and lind established trading posts and missionnry stations ut Mackinmir nul Green Bay, they began to penetrate the waters nlong lake Michigan, and to thiscover and pass the portages from these to thir tributaries of the Mississippi. One of these portages lies between the Fox nud the Wisconsin Rivers, nnother hetneen the St. Joseph of Lake Michigan oud the Konkaker, lewiling to the Illinois aml theore to tho Missis- eipp Marquette nmul Joliet, by folloiving the former route frem Green Bay, in joj4, discorerril and passed deun the Mississippi to neer the mouth of the Arkansas, nhd, by following the Intter route on their return the same year, discorered that portion of Indiunn which lies along the Kankakve l'hiver, and perhaps north of thut point. These were the first Europeans Irlo nrv positively known to have visitedl tho territory ombruced irithin the pres- ent Stutr, although it is probable that Pierre Claude Allouez and Claude Da- blon, who traversed Southeastern Wisconsin and Eastern Illinois in 1571 ond 1nid riaiteil thr northern portion of Indiana at nbout the latter of these antes.

Nurquette minl Juliet returned to Connda irithout having traced the Mis- issippi to the Gulf of Mexico. lo 1679, M. de LaSalle, ivith n number of French colonists for Illinote, arrived at the muouth of the St. Joseph Rirer. Ilere he built a fort, which he named Fort Miami, and proceeding by the u ny of the St. Joseph and the portage to the Kankakee, descended the lutter to Inke l'eoria on the Illinois, where he mimulr n trenty with the Illinois In- dings, und established n sminll fort and settlement. In 1082, after ho hail Inude a trip to Conuda and returned, he constructed a birge und descended the Mississippi to tts continenice with the Gulf of Mexico. Hlo erreted the King y arms peor the inouth of the great river, and took possession of the nhole country intered by it and its tribittaries in the humpe of Louis XIV io linor of whom he named the ragt territory Louisinin.

Indiana iras embraced in Louisiana till the downfall of thr I'reneb Colo- Dinl Iempire in North Amerien, und tho change of its political relations by the British in 1774 Its history during this period is therefore a part of the history of the French colony of Louisinun.

EARLY FRENCH SETTLEMENTS.

Itu Losalle's return to France, after the discovery of the Louer Missis+ upja, he iras, in 1685, appointed Goreruor of Louisiana, and sent to the colony with a deet and a large number uf emigrants. He sauleil into tho Gulf of Mexico, but failing to find the month of the Mississippi, up a hich hr intended to proreed to his settlement in Illinois, he was desertrd by Beou. Jenu, his associate commander, nho abandoned him and returned to Franee. Lasalle, with his store ship and two hundred und thirty passengers, Has denen nshore util irreckeil on Mulagorda lluy. Here bo coustructed n fort out of tho fragments of his strandmil ressel, and formed u little settlement which he numid St. Louis. After a fruitless search of four mouths for the notath of the Mississippi in ennoes, he turned his steps toword New Mexico in April, 1686, with iu enty compuntons, in hope of discovering the mines of St Bnrbe, the fubled El Dorado of Northern Mexico. Returning once more, he fontid his littto colony reduced to nbout forty, und he resolred lo traiel I'll [not to bis settlement in Illinois, sud thenco to thunda to obtuin recruits Wid supplies fur bis settlowients, lle started on the I'lth of January with sixteen men, and hud passed the basin of the Coloruido and reached a branch uf T'rituty Rirer, where, on the 20th of Murch, 1687, he was ay4axsinuted by three uf his comunione.

Although this first ottelupt ut colonization proi eit disastrous, the French, trom the time of LaSalle, were uctuated by lurge hopes respecting I.ouisinon. I roto 1688 to 1dfi, litite progress rus inudr in colonization, oning to the KAN hetween France att Great Britain, but ufter the peace of Rysuick, Louis XIV determined to srud out & Inrge number of colonists. Lemeine D'Aberrille was ajquintedl Gorernor, and M ile Bienrille, ComumDilunt uf the l'rovince. Utnifer the conduct of these officers n large number emigrated from Frauce in 1008. The following year, they foutuled the settlement nt Biloxi, on Mobile Bay, ono of the wiost ituportant settlements to the rarly traders, particularly on the Wabash, of any in the colony of Louisiana.

Iti 1701, & perminnent settlement was made nt Detroit by Antoine ile La. mutte t'adillne, nho, in July of that yenr, arrived from Moutreul with a uns- sivtary and one hundred men. In 1705, this officer was it rsted by the Croun of Franco with poner to grant lands in small quantities to actual set- tlers iu the vicinity of Detroit. Among many interesting and curious condi- tions upon which theso lumis ivore grauteil, there uns one of specint impor- tancu, considering tho circuinstances of those curly ontposts of civilization. We refer to the prohibition against selling or truling spiritnous liquore to the Indians. This custom was every where the great curse of the early trad- iog pests, und ivns complainedl of hy the missionaries as the chief hindrance to the eirdlizing intueners of Christinitity upon the Indians of the West.

Within the territory now embraced in ludinon the earliest French settle. Illunt was made nt Vincennes. A post tiny establishedl here by Sieitr Juche- renn und a missionary untur Merinet, ns early ns 1202. This hos been disputed by some authorities, who think the settlement iras tuade near the mouth of the Oluo River, but more careful investigntiung bore yhonn this Intter opinion to lie erranerais. Tho tirst juiblishod account of the " Poste " is found in i letter written by Gabriel Murrat, n missionary, to Father Grrom, nud duteil Kuskuskin, November 9, 1712. It was embodied in a book published in l'oris in 17til The citizens of Vincennes consider the origin of thvir town ns u Freaeh touliug post to ilate hack to 1792, and have so en- grived it on n muurhle tablet placed in the front of their present fine court Tutar. [Ser history of Vinernues, ututor the head ur Kuux County, in this Il urk ]

An early as the yrar 17tkt, traders und hunters bul penetratul the fertile region of the Walash, oud in 110h, Ha,ett hides and skins hud bron collected At this point and whipped to Mobile, for the European iturkets. In 171G, the French popultimi on the Wubush kopt up n hteratire commerce with Mobile Buy. by menns af trailers und voyageurs, while ns yet the Ohio blirer uns

comparatively unknown, it being out of the line of French immigration from Canada, und the English colonies bad mude no movement west of the AHe- ghony Mountains.

1n 1716, ngriculture on the Wabash had attained to grrater prosperity than in uny of the other French settlements of Louisiana In that year, six hunilred borrels of four ivere munufnetured und shipped to New Orleans, together with considerable quantities of hides, peltries, tallou and beeswax. in lil2. nn atteinjit was mule by the Inilians to destroy the post and settlement at Detroit.

The English had not only extended their Indian trade into the vicinity of the French settlements, but, through their friends, the Iroquois, bad guined on nacendaney over the Foxes- a fierce and porrerful tribe, of Iroquois Arscent-whom they ineited to hostilities against the French. The Foxes began their movements writh the siege of Detroit, in 1712-a siege which they continueil for nineteen consecutive days, and although the successes achiered orrr them by the French and their Indian Allies resulted in diminishing the number of the Foxes and huinhting their pride, yet it was not until after scverni successive campaigns, emboilying the best military resources of New France, hud been directed against them that they were finolly ilefeated at the great battles of Bitte des Morts (bill of the dead) and on the Wisconsin River nnd driren ueross the Mississippi, in 1740

THE CHARTER OF CROZAT.

By the treaty uf Utrecht, in 1113, France ceded to England her posses- sions in Builson's Bay, NewfoundInnd and Nora Scotia. England also obtained supremacy in the fishericy, and stipulations that France should not molest the Five Nations subject to tho dominion of Great Britain. France still retilbeil Louisiana, but the province hud so far failed to bicet the expec- tutions of the crown and people of France, that a change in the government and policy of the country iras deemed indispensable.

Accordingly, in 1711, the colony was plnceil in the hands of a Governor General, with headquarters at Mobile. But this scheme lasted only one year, und in 1712 nuother change was made. The resources of the province ivere transferred to individunl enterprise-a charter being granted to Anthony Crozat, n wealthy merchant of Paris, giving him the entire control anil mo- nopely of the traile unit resources of Louisianu.

This selicme alse failed of snecess. Croznt nttempted to carry on cotu- mercinl intercourse irith Spain ; hut erery Spanish harbor on the Gulf was closed nguinst his ressels. The occupation of Louisiana was deemed on en- croachment upon Spanish territory, and Spain looked with jealousy upon the ambition of the French.

Horing failed with the Spaniards, Crozat sought to ilrielop the interoul resourers of Louisiana, by causing trading pusts to be opened and explora- tione made to its remotest borders. But he actually accomplished nothing for the province. Even the small sources of profit made hy harter with the Indians and a petty trade with neighboring Europesu settlements wus cut off ly his monopoly ; thr ludians irere too numerous to lie resisted by his fuc- tors; the English gradually approprintid the traile of the nutives; every Frenebioun in Louisiana, except his agents, fomeuted opposition to his exclu- sive privileges ; and after three years spent in fruitless negotiations with the Spanish Viceroy of Mexico, relative to commercial intercourse with ports on the Gulf, and after inuch delay, vexation wul expense, his vessels ivere finally prohibited froin trading in any of the Spanish ports, and he surrou- ilered his charter in August, 1717.

THE MISSISSIPPI COMPANY.

Uniler the Mississijyd Company Louisiana u us somewhat more fortunuto, although this tras an ontgrowth of a scheme withour solid financiul foundlution, abil derised tu sore the failing revenue of the National Government. France had become inroliet in debt at the time that Johu Low, & Scotchman, pro- posed his famous puper money srlieme, and got it enilorved hy Louis XIV under the umino of the Bank of Fruunec.

Probably there nerer ias such a huge financial bubble ever blou'n as this scheme of Lau's. nevertheless, such was the bnancial condition of France that it u'us accepted as a nationul deliverance. Orders irrre given to the officers of the rerenue in all parts of the kingdom to receive the eerrener at par for the puriveut of inxes, aud this, together with its conrrnieuce, quick- hess aud promptness of payment, soon brought it into greut repute. It a little while it rose to n premium of one per cent. On the 4th of Itecomber, 1118. the Bank was declared to by a Royal Bank of France-thenceforu'nrd to be administered in the name of the King

In this financial high tido the Mississippi Company Hlouted into uxistenco. It irny ol first organized to tako olinrge of the affairs of Louisiana ; and, in 1717, soon after the surrender of the charter of Crozat, the whole province tras made over to it by roral churter. In May, 1719, the company obtained of the Regrut n monopoly of the trade with the Fast Indies, China and the South Sens, and, thus enlarged, changed its origina. name to the Company of the ladies, ut the onlyo time errating fifty thousand mblitional shares of stock nt iuli Increaseil price. In July, 1114, the National Mint irus minde over to it. In August fidloning, it isslimed the farming of all the taxes of the uation. Other interests quickly folloired, so that before the end of 1;19 the company had absorbed within itself nearly every commercial and fitas- cial interest of the country. Law was now the most powerful man in France. He became a Catholic, and ins appointed Comptroller General of Finnuce.

Among the first operutions of the Mississippi Company was to send eight hundred emigrante to Louisiana, who arrived at Dauphine Island in 1718 For the future hume of these, as irell us the capital of Louisiana. Bienville lind selected tho site of New Orleans. But he had brought orer n very poor uluss of pruple to bhilil a city. At the end of three yours the place was still n wilderness, where tiro hundred of the intuigrants had ouly eucamped iu the nusubiluted cane brake. Of the eight hundred brought out by Bienrille, some perished for the nant of unterpriso, others from the sickliness of the climate. Instead of nacomiling the rirer in ships, they all blindly disem- barkeil on the quiserable const to minke their way, as best they could, to the intuls trhich bud beon ordrd to them

The charter of the Mississippi Company was limited to iwenty.6ve years. Although, in Mny, 1720, the company was declared bankrupt, yet it con- tinued to adminisirr the affairs of Louisiaus, and, under its admitustration, tho colony enjoyed the most prosperous period of its history. The directors of the company oudearored to turn the attention of the colonists to agricul- tural pursuits, und the cultivation of the mechanic arts, rather than the visionary seareli after inines of gold and silver, which had occupied so largely the attention of the restless and Boating population.

In 1721, the company divided the colony of Louisiana into nine districts, ns fellous : New Orleans, Biloxi, Mobile, Alabama, Notches, Yazoo, Naichi- toches, Arkansas and Illinois. Indiana was included in the latter district. Factories or storehouses were established in each district and the cultivation of rice, tobacco, indigu, ete,, strongly urged upon the people. . About the year 1121, negro slares were first imported from Africa, under the auspices of the Company of the Indies, and sold to the planters in Louisiana on & erulit of three years. In the month of March, 1124. Louis XV published a famous ordinance for the regulation of slavery nul other domestic and ciril matter swithin the Province of Louisiana.

FORT CHARTRES.

This celebrated French fortress, on the Mississippi, was first built under the direction of the Mississippi Company, in 1118, by M. de Boisbraint, a military officer, under command of Bienville. It stond on the east bank of the Mississippi, about eighteen miles below Kaskuskin, and was for some time the headquarters of the military commandants of the district of Illinois. At the time of the breaking out of the war betiveen France and Spain, the Lower Mississippi was threatened by the Spaniards. The offices and prin- cipal depot of the Mississippi Company were removed to New Orleans, and measures taken for the improvement and fortification of the town. It was decided at that time to make New Orleans a commereinl port. In order to test the capabilities of the Mississippi for shipping up to that point, a com. plete surrey wray made of it helow the site of the city, including all its bars. channels and passes, by M. Panger, a royal rugineer.

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Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Part 17

Author: Publication date: 1876 Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co. Number of Pages: 472

Author:
Publication date: 1876
Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co.
Number of Pages: 472