USA > Indiana > Lake County > Lake County, Indiana, from 1834 to 1872 > Part 5
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with rifles, came into the field where Wiggins was at work alone. They went to the grave, and sat down their rifles, and talked. Wiggins was alarmed. He conjectured that avengers were near, and he was in their power. The Indians were evidently much displeased, but finally with- drew without offering any violence. Wiggins, who had claimed this part of the Indian village, allowed his break- ing-plow to pass over the burial ground.
This desecration did not pass unnoticed by the Red men. When, in 1840, General Brady, with eleven hun- dred Indians from Michigan, five hundred in one division and six hundred in the other, passed through this coun- ty, some of both divisions visited these graves, and some of the squaws groaned, it is said, and even wept, as they saw the fate of their ancient cemetery. Thoroughly have the American Indians learned the power and the pro- gress of the Anglo-Saxon civilization, but not much have they experienced of its justice towards them and theirs.
Leaving, for the present, the village at Wiggins' Point, some camping grounds near the Kankakee are worthy of record. On an island in the marsh, known as Red Oak Island, which is nearly south of the residence of Mrs. Pearce, was one of these camps or Indian gardens. About two hundred camped at that garden during the winter of 1837-38. South of Orchard Grove was another garden, on Big White Oak Island. Here during this same winter camped, perhaps, one hundred and fifty. These camping grounds were called gardens because the Indians there cultivated grapes and some corn. Just across the river they had quite a vineyard. It does not appear that they made wine, but used the grapes as de-
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licious food. There are now in this county some small productive vineyards, and many orchards of excellent fruit ; but we should not forget that those who here first gave attention to the culture of the grape were our pre- decessors, the Pottawatomies.
On Red Oak Island they had two stores, kept by French traders, who had Indian wives. The names of these traders were Bertrand and Lavoire. At Big White Oak was one store, kept by Laslie, who was also French, with an Indian wife. Here a beautiful incident occurred on new year's morning, 1839. Charles Kenny and son had been in the marsh looking up some horses. They staid all night, December 31st, with Laslie. His Indian wife, neat and thoughtful, like any true woman, gave them clean blankets out of the store, treated them well, and would receive no pay. The morning dawned. The children of the encampment gathered, some thirty in number, and the oldest Indian, an aged, venerable man, gave to each of the children a silver half-dollar as a new year's present. As the children received the shining sil- ver each one returned to the old Indian a kiss. It was their common custom, on such mornings, for the oldest Indian present to bestow upon the children the gifts.
A beautiful picture, surely, could be made,by a painter of this island scene ; the marsh lying round, the line of timber skirting the unseen river, the encampment, the two white strangers, the joyous children, and the vene- rable Pottawatomie who, long years before, had been active in the chase and resolute as a warrior in his tribe, bestowing the half-dollars and bending gracefully down to receive the gentle kisses of the children. Such a pic-
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ture on canvas, by an artist, would be of great value among our historic scenes.
Leaving these gardens, the loaded grape vines,-some excellent wild grapes are found on some of the Kanka- kee islands now-the corn patches, and domestic scenes of the Red children, we may look upon the Pottawato- mies in other haunts and amid other scenes.
They had quite a camp south of the present Lowell, on Cedar Creek, at the same time that parties were camping on the gardens ; also one near what is now the Jones school-house. During this same winter, or the preceding one, some thirty Indian lodges were in one camp north of Cedar Lake, on a ridge near a cranberry marsh. Along the Calumet there were many wigwams, and at In- dian Town, just east of the county line, there was a large village. As already mentioned, an encampment of six hundred was in the West Creek woods, in the winter of 1835-36; and a less number camped there in the winter of 1836-37. This camp was on section 20, town 34, range 9, about two miles west of the head of Cedar Lake. Around this lake they hunted ; the burial ground at its head proved that they formerly resided near it. One of their canoes was left there, and was used by. Job Worthington, staying on the claim bought by Hervey Ball; but the first settlers mention no large en- campment on its banks. That canoe was a well made dug-out. It became the property of the Ball family. It would upset very easily, as Mrs. Mann and Loretta Cox ascertained one day, when it left them both in the water, the former losing her gold ring, but both reaching the shore in safety. I find no evidence that the Indians left
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more than two canoes in the hands of the whites at Ce- dar Lake.
There were probably Indians on the islands west of Cedar Creek, but I have not succeeded in tracing them there. One other camping place remains to be noticed. This was near the present village of Deep River. After the Wood family settled there the Indians had a small camp about a mile from the mill. They were sometimes seen by the white children going up and down the river in their canoes, but were not around there much after 1836. This part of the river has a swift current and some quite high banks, and must have been attractive to the native fisherman. There is evidence of its having been a place of much resort. Near the river bank, on one of the intervals or bottoms, is a singular mound. It is shaped like a common flatiron, except that the sides are not curved. The height of this mound is about twenty feet, and it slopes regularly down on each side to the meadow land. The two long sides are in length about ten rods each. There was not a tree or shrub upon this in 1836. Against the sharp angle where the long sides met was a round opening in the ground, about twenty or twenty-five feet in diameter, and of unknown depth. Into it have been thrown the grubs from eight or ten acres of land ; but, like the gulf at Rome into which, it is said, Quintus Curtius plunged,-noble Roman on noble steed,-it is difficult to fill it up. As yet, after thirty-six years, it is still an opening in the ground. The object of this artificial mound and opening is not known.
There are also, in this locality, as many as eight places where the Indians are supposed to have "steamed "
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themselves when sick. In fact, it appears to have been a kind of water-cure establishment. The holes in the rocks where the water was heated are still to be seen. About the use of these collected rocks, it is true, there is some conjecture. But it being known that Indians em- ployed such treatment for some diseases, it is easy to fancy the sick and enfeebled . gathering there. Again, on some of the flats near by are many arrow-heads. Ever busy conjecture has therefore located here a savage battle, of which no tradition has reached us, and how many red warriors fell no history records. On the other hand, as indicating the arts of peace, a stone pestle found in this same locality, in the possession of Nathan Wood, shows careful workmanship. It is smooth, regu- larly rounded, and stained or curiously stamped. It must have been used for pounding corn in a mortar.
On this quarter section of land, which includes the mill-seat, a "float " was laid in the name of a Pottawa- tomie, Quash-ma, after it had been claimed by John Wood ; and to obtain the title, after the U. S. patent was issued to Quash-ma, cost the claimant one thousand dollars. While, therefore, the Indians had at this place little in- tercourse with the early settlers, there are evidences that it was one of their homes of antient occupancy.
Some incidents of life at Indian-town belong to our history, although the village itself was in Porter county. Simeon Bryant selected that section for a farm, and leav- ing Pleasant Grove, built his cabin near the village. The Indians at first were not well pleased with the idea of a white neighbor; but the resolute squatter treated them kindly, would gather up land tortoises and take to their
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wigwams, for which, when he threw them on the ground, the women and children would eagerly scramble; and after he had fenced around some of their cornfields he still allowed them to cultivate the land. This kindness and consideration secured their regard. A father and son from La Porte county were stopping with this Bryant family while improving their claims, and the daughter and sister, a girl of eighteen or twenty, came out to assist in the housekeeping. She was necessarily brought in contact with the villagers. Among these were two young Indians about her own age, sons of a head man, who were quite inclined to annoy the white girl and play pranks. They would lurk around and watch her motions, and sometimes when she would enter the little outdoor meat-house, would fasten her in. One day, when she was coming out with a pail of buttermilk, one of these young Pottawatomies stood in the doorway, with his arms stretched across, and refused to allow her to pass out. Reasoning and entreaty were unavailing, and as a last resort she took up her pail and, to the great surprise of the impolite young savage, dashed the buttermilk all over him. He then beat a retreat, and left her mistress of the field, with only the loss of one bucket of milk. Some- time afterward an errand took her among the wigwams, and at a time, it appeared, when the occupants had ob- tained some "fire-water." Raising the curtain of their doorway, according to custom, to make an inquiry, the young savages sprang up and threatened her with their tomahawks. She stood and laughed at them, and at length, ashamed perhaps to injure the bold, defenceless girl, they let her pass on and accomplish her errand.
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This she succeeded in doing, and then returned in safety to the Bryant cabin, glad to have escaped the peril' through which she had passed. The heroine of these. incidents soon afterward married, and became an inhab -. itant of Lake, having now several grown up daughters, and being the head of one of our well known and highly respected families.
A still greater peril was experienced by Mrs. Saxton, who became a resident on the Wiggins place. Her hus- band was away, and she was at home with small chil- dren. The evening was cold and stormy, and, as it ad- vanced, an Indian called at the door requesting shelter. At first his request was refused, but one of the children pleaded for him; the storm was pelting without, and he was admitted. He was a young man, and unfortunately had with. him a bottle of whisky. He wanted some corn bread. It was made, but did not suit him. He drank whisky and was cross. An intoxicated man, whether white or red, is an unpleasant guest. A second trial in the bread line was made, using only meal, and salt, and water, which succeeded better. The Indian talked some,. sat by the fire, drank. He went to the door and looked out. Something to this effect he muttered, " Pottawat- omies lived all round here; white man drove them away. Ugh !" Then he went back to the fire. A little child was lying in the cradle, and he threatened its life. The alarmed mother and children could offer little effectual resistance. But the Indian delayed to strike the fatal blow. At length he slept. Then the startled mother poured out what was left in the bottle, and waited for the morning. The savage and drunken guest awoke, ex -.
THE POTTAWATOMIES. 77
amined his bottle, and finding it empty, said, " Bad She- mokiman woman ! Drink up all of Indian's whisky." He then went off to Miller's Mill, replenished his bot- tle and returned. Sometime in the day Dr. Palmer came along and succeeded in relieving this family of their troublesome guest. The next night this Indian's father came; apologized as best he could; said that was bad Indian and should trouble them no more.
One pleasant Cedar Lake incident may be here re- corded. A party of nine, eight men and one squaw, called one morning at the residence of H. Ball, and de- sired breakfast. It was soon prepared for them, and all took places at the table and ate heartily. At first only the men took seats for eating, but their entertainer insisted that the squaw also should sit down with them. This caused among the Indians no little merriment. They had brought with them considerable many pack- ages of fur, and as they passed out each one took two muskrat skins and laid them down as the pay for his breakfast. They then went into a little store on the place and traded out quite a quantity of fur. After some hours trading they quietly departed.
The following has been kindly prepared for this re- cord by an early settler of Pleasant Grove. It contains some recollections of his boyhood :
"At the time referred to, as late perhaps as 1840, bands of Indians would frequently come into the settle- ments, erect their tents, and remain as long as the hunt- ing was good. They would then go to some other hunt- ing ground and remain for a time. These companies consisted frequently of from twenty to fifty, including.
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men, women, and children ; dogs and Indian ponies not included. The Indians were generally peaceful and it is not remembered that they committed any acts of dep- redation, when they were properly treated, during the time they remained in that section of the country. They visited Wayne Bryant and family often; were said to be uniformly kind, were anxious to exchange such commodities as they had for provisions. They in- quired the name of Mr. Bryant, and on being told that his name was 'Wayne' they exhibited surprise and indi- cations of fear, and by their language and deportment Mr. Bryant was led to believe that they had some knowl- edge of the manner in which some of their race had been treated by Mad Anthony Wayne of historic reputation.
"An instance may be given of the result of an attempt to trifle with the Indians. Two of the early settlers con- cluded to amuse themselves with them, and one evening they went to their camp near where Lowell now stands and proposed to sell them a gallon of whisky. The In- dians said they would trade fur, and brought out a respectable quantity which they offered for the gallon of whisky. The men said, ' It is not enough.' .So the In- dians brought more fur, and, on being refused, continued to pile up the fur, and gathered around the men, until they were told that they were only joking, and they had no whisky. But the Indians declared they would have it, and proceeded to enforce their demand, when the whites broke and ran, being closely followed by the Indi- ans in a race, until the whites took shelter in their own log cabin, an Indian following one of the men into his door-yard."
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The Indians evidently had not learned the ways of civilized grain dealers " on 'Change,"to be able to buy and sell what one did not possess.
It is a pity to spoil a good story, but justice requires that another version of this occurrence should be record- ed. I have conversed with one of the actors in this scene and he relates that, on going to the Indian camp at a certain time, he found them quite merry and ani- mated, and he remarked, "I guess you have had some whisky." They eagerly caught up the word whisky and offered to give fur, professing to understand that he had some whisky for sale. In vain he explained to them that he had none, but supposed they had been drinking some. They piled up the fur and crowded around. As his only alternative he did run, and ran well; but a swift-footed savage came up abreast of him in the race, although he had a pathway and the Indian was in deep snow, and presented his knife to stop his flight. The white man seized the Indian by the arm, threw him into the snow, and reached in safety the shelter of a cabin. He probably concluded that it was not very prudent even to name whisky in the presence of the Indians. The French traders on the gardens did not sell whisky to the Indians, but some few settlers and other traders had the name of doing it.
As still further illustrative of the mode of living and customs of these French-taught Pottawatomies, let us look again upon the village and white family at Indian Town.
A head man resides there called a chief. J. W. Din- widdie, his father, and sister, are staying with the Bryant
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family until their own claim is ready for occupancy. The chief keeps a cow, and so do the whites. The chief's wife would bring up their cow, and also would drive along sometimes the other cow, saying as she passed the settler's cabin, " Here, John, I have brought up Mar- garet's cow." This squaw had a quite fair complexion ; was between thirty and forty years of age, in appearance ; could talk some English, and was very kind to the whites. The chief's name was called Shaw-no-quak. Here also was a dancing-floor. The Indians would form in a line for a dance according to age, the oldest always first, the little children last. They danced in lines back
and forth. The old chief, a young chief, and an old In- dian sat together and furnished the music. This was made by shaking corn in a gourd. The song repeated over and over the name of their chief. After the dance they feasted on venison soup, with green corn, made in iron kettles, served in wooden trenchers with wooden ladles. The white neighbors present at one of these en- tertainments were invited to partake. This the women declined doing, which the chief did not like. And thus he expressed his displeasure : " No good Shemokiman ! no good ! no eat ! no good Shemokiman woman !" Then he would pat S. Bryant and say, " Good Shemokiman ! Good Shemokiman ! Eat with Indian !"
This Indian Town belongs to Porter county ; but the Dinwiddie family make this history our own, and it gives us a more full view of Pottawatomie life.
The camping-ground at Wiggins' Point was called McGwinn's Village, being named after one of their head men.
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The Indians here, on the gardens, and elsewhere, lived in lodges or wigwams. These were made of poles driven into the ground, the tops converging, and around the circle formed by the poles was wound a species of mat- ting made of flags or rushes. This woven flag resembled a variety of green window shades seen in some of our stores and houses. The Indian men wore a calico shirt, leggins, moccasins, and a blanket. The squaws wore a broadcloth skirt and blanket. " They "toted " or " packed " burdens. The Indians along the marsh kept a good many ponies. These they loaded heavily with furs and tent-matting when migrating. They also used canoes for migrating up and down the Kankakee. The village Indians lost some eighty ponies one winter for want of sufficient food. Those at Orchard Grove win- tered very well. During the winter the men were busy trapping. Three Indians caught, in one season, thirteen hundred raccoons. They sold the skins for one dollar and a quarter each, thus making on raccoon fur alone $1625. Other fur was very abundant and brought a high price in market. They trapped economically until they were about to leave forever the hunting-grounds of their forefathers. They then seemed to care little for the fur interests of those who had purchased their lands, and were destroying as well as trapping, when some of the settlers interfered.
One of these was H. Sanger. He, in company with some others, went on to the marsh to stay the destruc- tion it was said was there going on. He went in advance of the others after reaching the trapping ground, and told the Indians they must cease to destroy the homes of the
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fur-bearers. He is himself a tall, and was then an athletic man, and said he, "Look yonder. Don't you see my men ?"
They did see men coming, and were alarmed, and men- tioned to others the threatening aspect of the "tall She- mokiman." One Indian burial-place has been mentioned, the one at the McGwinn village. This contained about one hundred graves. Another has also been referred to at the head of Cedar Lake. This one has not been specially disturbed. At Big White Oak Island was a third. Here were a good many graves ; and among them six or seven with crosses. There were probably others over which the plowshare has passed and no memorial of them remains. At Crown Point was a small garden, and on the height Indians seem to have camped, but no burial-place is known to have been found here. It has been claimed that sick Indians were brought here to be restored to health. As there were no springs of water close by, and no unfailing stream, it would not have been desirable for a permanent camping place. A few toma- hawks have been found near the present town.
Besides the mound already mentioned, there is one quite large and circular on the west side of Cedar Lake ; growing upon it were, thirty years ago, some large oak trees ; one at the south end of the lake also circular ; one a short distance north of Lowell; and some other evi- dences of human existence. Whether the mounds were the work of the Pottawatomies, or of those Old Mound Builders who long ago disappeared, is quite uncertain. Some chiefs have been mentioned. The principal chief of all the Pottawatomies, becoming such by adoption in
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1825, was Alexander Robinson, a man part Indian, part French, and part English, who died but a few months ago at his home on the Des Plaines, at the supposed age of one hundred and four years. As early as 1809, hav- ing become connected with Joe Baies, the founder of Baileytown, in the fur trade in the service of John Jacob Astor, he was engaged in taking corn around the head of Lake Michigan. This corn was raised by Pottawatomies and brought to that young trading post, now Chicago, "in bark woven sacks on the backs of ponies." In Au- gust, 1812, as he was on a canoe voyage to Chicago to buy corn, friendly Miamis hailed him from the shore with the warning "not to go to Chicago, as it would storm to- morrow." He therefore left his canoe at the mouth of the Big Calumet, and passed in safety through the Au- gust Massacre. The next winter he was living in Indian style as a hunter on the Calumet. In 1829 he took a three-quarter Indian wife from the Calumet. His head- quarters were Chicago, and he made fur-trading journeys extending, it is said, as far as the Wabash.
This is the man whom our Pottawatomies, as well as others, recognized as head Chief, who during the Black Hawk War "convened one of the last Indian councils ever held in Chicago." In 1836 the great body of this tribe, then five thousand strong, met for the last time in Chicago,-one of our citizens, J. Hurlburt, was in Chicago at that time, and he says that there were then gathered ten thousand Indians,-" received their presents and as- surance of the distinguished esteem of the Great White Father," and then, led by this chief, called Chee-chee- bing-way, or Blinking Eyes, left these hunting grounds
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for their Kansas reserve. But, according to the reliable authorities for the statements in this chapter, many still lingered within the bounds of our county. Few of these, if any, remained after 1839. To us the Pottawatomies have left many of their bones in their known and unknown burial-places, the name of one of our rivers, and their own perishing memorials and remembrances as treasured up by those with whom they had intercourse. Some of us who are now living enjoyed for a few years their rich hunt- ing grounds and trapping region ; but the deer that re- mained around their wigwams will not tarry long around the White man's home, and the fur-bearing animals de- crease as civilization advances; and soon there will be only now and then a bone, an arrow head, a tomahawk, or a mound, to bear witness to the existence of Aborigi- nes. Already it is said that the tribe who once occupied this soil has dwindled to less than half its numbers in 1836, and like the other tribes of North American Indians, a strange and an injured people, it is passing into western wilds, crowded on by the whites, and rapidly becoming extinct. It is surely but just that the citizens of Lake County should treasure up and transmit to posterity among their own records some memories andincidents of the once powerful Pottawatomies.
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CHATER IV. GROWTH. 1840-1849.
Squatter sovereignty ceased after the land sale of the last year. Many of the settlers were now the legal own- ers of the soil, holding their patents from the United States. Others were hoping to become such owners.
The leading event of this year, 1840, which opened a new career and a hopeful prospect before the newly made lords of the soil, was the relocation of the county seat. An act was passed by the State Legislature in the winter of 1839-40, ordering such relocation. The commis- sioners appointed were, Jesse Tomlinson and Edward Moore of Marion county, Henry Barclay of Pulaski, Joshua Lindsey of White, and Daniel Doale of Carroll county.
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