History of Fort Wayne

Front matter

PUBLIC LIBRARY |

FORT WAYNE AND ALLEN COUNTY, IND.

LON OG

CHAPTER I.—Prerumuinary

Primitive traces—Situation, general appearance of the City, and quality of the Soilin the region—The “glorious gate”—1Its early advantages both to the Indians and the Whites—The Key to the Northwest—Early occupation by the French, English, and Americans—For centuries doubtless the home of the Red Man—Its prowinence and early discovery by the French—The best route to the Mississtppi—First Settlement at Vinecénnes—This point evidently visited before Vincennes—la Salle’s journey afoot--His journal to Frontenae—Best route—D’ Aubry’s expedition —Farly settlements—Appearance in 1794=English and French Settlements— Farly ‘missionaries—Efforts of the French—La Salle’s voyage—New France— French trading posts—First Mission among the Miamies—Their territory—Indian liberality—Hennepin—The missionaries and Miamies—La Barre’s remonstrance— Illinois Indians—Feuds of the Iroquois, Miami, and Illinois tribes—Traders and squaws=+Kaskaskia~-Trade and traftie—Best points—French Voyageurs and Ouiatenons=-French militia artive here—French fort-—Capt. d’ Vincennes--The English fort—T¥ated by Wayne in 1794—A Nore—Concelusive evidence.

Gy? O WRITE of the past—to preserve the historic records of (WPya former age—to cull the good and the true of any time—to srxgrender green again the memories and relations of early days, bo ateh though blood and carnage had marked the fields and the

‘? foot-prints of the periods gone with gory redness, and made the rivers and rivulets to run crimson with the blood of the slain—is but to perforra a common duty to a common humanity!

” Thsrory or Fore Waysxc.

‘The primitive traces and carly evidences of barbaric and civilized life in this part of the State of Indiana are many and various ; and the present site of the City of Fort Wayne, with contiguous localities, is fully. and fairly entitled to Hisrortc Grounp!

Situated upon a point of land, the most elevated in_the State, Fort Wayne is very appropriately called the Suumir Crry. The weneral face of the country surrounding is rolling and somewhat uneven, with here and there a considerable promontory, overlooking the beautiful streams and valleys in the region. With strong impregnations of iron and sulphur, the soil is variously composed of the most valuable elements, admirably adapted both for farming and building purposes,—consisting of the loamy, sandy, clayey qualities. Mmbodying much of the romantic and picturesque in nature, the surrounding aspects and scenery of the place never fail to awaken the liveliest admiration and curiosity of the stranger ; while the general appearance of the city, itself, at the present period, with its numerous {fruit and shade trees, handsome dwellings and yards—beautiful shrubbery, and well cultivated gardens, in seasons ef verdure and flowers, is ever one of exceeding pleasantness and beauty, alike to the Aabetant and the momentary sojourner.

From a very early period, with the Indians, it was a “glorious wate” “through which all the good words of” their “ chiefs had to pass from the north to the south, and from the east to the west.” Ata later period in the history of events in America—in the struggle between barbarism and civilization—it became at once the pivotal point upon which the most important relations of the country turned, both for the advancing civilization of the time and the barbaric force against which it had to contend—rTuHE key, IN FACT, TO THE Great Nortuwest!

Early occupied as a military point of great importance, alike to the French, the English and our own Government, each, in turn, establishing and maintaining a military post here, as a means. by which to attain and exercise an extended control over the destinies and resources of the new world, “questions of infinite reach, involving dominion, race, language, law and religion, have hung upon the petty display of military power at the junction of these rivers.” +

Here the red man had lived, doubtless, for centuries before the first civilized settlement in America had begun,—his squaws cultivating the maze and performing the common hardships of life, while he hunted the buffalo and wild game of the forest and prairie ;

_* Little Turtle. + Jesse L. Williams, Esq.

Nore: Judge Law, in his interesting Address, ““The Colonial History of Vincennes,” (ind.) page 10, says: “tis a singular fact, yet no less true, that the Wabash was known and navigated by the whites long before the Ohio was known to exist. Indeed, all the maps—and I have seen two before the year 1730—call the Ohio at its eonflueuse with the Mississippi, ‘Quabache,’ The reason is obvious, when one reflects tor a single insiant, that the whole course of travel to the Mississippi was either by the IIIiuois or the Wabash. The only communication with the Mississippi Was BY THE Frencit in the latter part of the 17th and early in the 18th century, and was frem the Lakes, ‘the priest and the soldier were the only travelers. They ascended the Maumee, eroreed the Postage, and descended the Wabash to this Poat.”

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THis Pornr Visitep nerorr Vixcennxes. 3 speared the fish in the beautiful streams gliding by; leisurely basked in the sunshine; devoted hinselt to plays and games; huddled about the wigwam and the cainp-lire; or went forth to secure the trophies and honors of war.

» Being situated at the head-and terminus of two considerable streams, (the St. Joseph and Maumee), the one flowing from the region of Lake Michigan and the other into Lake Erie, direct from and into points near to and from which the carly voyageurs, Missionaries, and traders sought so earnestly to extend their efforts and discoyeries—-together with the tact, at an early, period, of a strong relationship * and doubtless frequent intercourse between, the tribes nlong those lakes and the Miamies of this part of their extended territory,—it is not probable that this point could have long escaped their attention. And, as will be seen in subsequent pages, there exists the strongest evidence that the early French missionaries, explorers and traders, from Canada, had visited the junction of these rivers as early as 1680 to 1682-3-—-and the probability is very strong that they were here at a much earlier period.

Judge Law, in his able Address, concerning the first settlement of Vincennes by the French, concludes it to have been about the year 1710 or 1711; and thinks it most probable in the first of the two years mentioned, “inasmuch,” says he, “as the /ort must have been built and garrisoned before an application was made for a missionary.” Now, the advantages of navigation, the nearness of this point to the Lakes, the extensive openings of this region,} and the fame it seems to have so long enjoyed asa “glorious gate,” give to ita claim préorz to that of the establishment ofa Post and Mission at Vincennes. And it is not improbable, that a temporary mission was established here before or soon aiter the eventful year of 1682.

In the early part of 1680, LaSalle, having penetrated the west to a point, which is now known as Peoria, Ill., where he built a fori, which he called Creveceur, (Broken Heart,) because of his former misfortunes, and soon finding himself without supplies and necessary materials for the completion of a vessel he had then begun at the foot of Lake Peoria, in the month of March, of that year, determining upon a plan to hasten the nceded supplies, with but three attendants, he set out a-foot towards Lake Erie, “following along the water-shed, or divide, which seperates the streams that flow into the Ohio river from those which flow into Lake Erie,” and reached

*The Mascoutens, says Gallatin, dwelling about Lake Michigan were a branch of the Miamies.

+The following, from the “daily journal of Wayne’s campaign,” will show the apyearance of this point, on the arrival of the army here, in 179-1; :

“Camp Mra Vitiaces, lin Srrremerr, 1794.—The army halted on this ground at 5 o’elock, p.m., being 47 miles from Fort Defiance and 14 from our last encampment: there are nearly 500 acres of cleared land lying in one body on the rivers St. Joseph, St. Mary’s and the Miami; there are fine points of land contiguous to those rivers adjoining the cleared land. The rivers are navigable for small crafts in the summer, and in the winter there is water sufficient for large boats, the land adjacent fertile and weil timbered, and from every appearanes it has been one of the largest settlements made by the Tndians in this country

A Ilmsrony o# Forr Wavxe.

his destination in safety; * which makes it quite evident, together with the fact of his having spent the Autumn of 1679 in the erection ot a fort at the mouth of the St. Joseph’s river, sounding the channel of that stream, and establihsing there “a depot for supplies and goods,” that he was by no means unacquainted, at an early periad of his efforts, with this region of the north-west. _

‘The reputed rival as well as co-laborer of La Salle, Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan friar, of the Recollect variety, and said to have ‘been very ambitious ag a discoverer, as also daring, hardy, enereetic, with other peculiarities closely allied thereto, as early as 1663-4 speaks of the “Hohio,” and of a route from the Lakes (northern) to the Mississippi by the Wabash, the account of which he had heard, and which was explored in 1676. In Hennepin’s volume of 1698, is a journal, says the best accounts, said to be that sent by La Salle to Count Frontenac, in 1682 or 1688, which mentions the route by the Maumee and Wabash as the most dircet to the great western river, (Mississippi;)f which makes it quite evident that this region was not only early visited, but that the route leading through this immediate vicinity, was often very early traversed by explorers, missionaries and fur-traders. And, in view of the navigable streams concentrating at this point; the vast amount of fur that must annually have been accummulated here; the great number of Indians dwelling at this locality, and in the region, -—that these adventurous and zealous spirits should have early selected this as a favorable and most advantageous site, not only for the prosecution of the labors of the missionary and the accumulation of fur by the trader, but for the early establishment of a military post, seems most reasonable indeed, and requires but little conjecture to arrive at a somewhat definite conclusion as to the truthfulness of the question considered.

Not only did the earliest of the French voyageurs and explorers consider this the most direct route to the great western river, Mississippi, but those of a later period seem to have universally regarded the route by the Miami or Omee villages, at this point, as the best. Says J. W. Dawson, Esq., in his researches: “By reference to early history, we find that, in 1716, among the routes of travel established by the French, was one from the head of Lake Erie, (now Manhatfan, or its more suecessful rival, Toledo,) up the Maumee river to ithe site of Fort Wayne, thence by portage to the head of Little River, across the marsh now crossed by the Toledo, Wabash and We:ztern railroad; thence by Little River to the Wabash, about nine railes below Huntington ; thence down the Wabash to the Ohio; and thence to the Mississippi.” And as late as 1759 the same route is favored. Says the same researches: “ The next interesting refercnce to Kort Wayne, isin 1759, and advises us of a most distinguished. expedition fitted out by M. @ Aubry, commandant at Ulinois. The

*< Western Annals.” pages 62 and 63. ?¢! States and Territories of the Great West,” pages 68 and G9, re

French having exhausted their supplies in Pennsylvania, and unable to withstand the British, it was conceived by M. @Aubry to reinforce his brethern. Accordingly, a levey ot 400 men, and 200,000 Ibs. of flour was raised at Kaskaskia,* and started from there to Venango, Pa. Ft. Du Quesne (Pittsburgh,) was abandoned, and hence the reinforcement could not vo thence by the Ohio river. So he proceeded with his. force down to the Mississippi; thence down that river to the mouth of the Ohio; then up the Ohio to the mouth of Wabash; then up the Wabash, to the mouth of Little River ; then up that suream to the portage; and then to Ft. Miami, (Ft. Wayne,) where they embarked stores and all on the Maumee then down the Maumee and along the shore of Lake Erie to Presque’Isle; then across the portage to Le Boeuff; then down French Creek, to Venango, Pa.”

From the founding, by the French, of the city of Quebec, in Canada, in 1608, to 1768, for a period of more than one hundred and fifty years, the governments of France and Great Paeey (the latter having begun a settlement at Jamestown, in Virginia,

early as 1607,) were most energetic and resolute rivals in ae civil, military, and often saneuinary contests as to territorial limits colonel establishments, and the general trade and commerce of the new world of North Americ =)

In 1634, the missionaries, Breboeuf and Daniel , joining a party of Hurons, on their return from Quebec, after crossing the Ottowa river, established a mission near a bay of Lake I[uron, where they are said daily to have rang a bell, calling the natives of the region to prayer, and who also “ performed all those kindly offices which were calculated to secure the confidence and aftection of the tribes on the Lake shores.”

As early as 1670, Great Britain had established, at different points, between the 82d and 45th degrees of north latitude, as many as nine colonial settlements in America; and it was not until about eighty years later that the English began to make any effort towards a settlement west of the Alleg! heny mountains.

In 1670, the French colonists in America had persevered in the extension of their settlements to the westward from Quebec, on the shores of the St. Lawrence, and the borders of lakes Ontario and Erie; and their missionaries and traders had succeeded in exploring the bordering regions of the northern lakes, to the west, as far as Lake Superior; and stations, with a view to the Christianization of the Indians, were established at several points, among a number of Indian tribes. To give protection and impetus to the fur trade, then coming to be very extensive in its operations, a number

*That this point was visited before the establishment of settlements at Kasixaskia and Kahokia, or other points westward, scems to be generally admitted by all the most authenie historical researches that the writer has had occasion to refer to. +For a more extended summary of these early periods, see Bancroft’s History of U. S., Dillon’s History of Indiana, Parkman’s Conspiracy of Pontiac, Sparks’s Life of Tun Salle, Vol. 1, new series, de, Life of Marquette, &e.

(5 Liisrony or Forr WAYNE.

stockade forts and trading posts were also erected at various points best suited for such establishments.

A little minutia as to the efforts, trials, and disappointments of these primitive missionaries and others,in connection with other points, will liere be of interest to the reader, and tend to open a more extended view of the relations that surrounded, and, at an early period, evidently influenced, the destiny of the present situa- 1ion and historic importance of the City of Fort Wayne.

At the period I now refer, Charles II. was King of England, and Louis XIV,—purported to have been a most ambitious man,— was monarch of the French. <A statesman of considerable ability, of the name of Colbert, was minister of Finances to the latter, who is said to have inspirited the colonists of Canada with an arduous wish to widen their domain, as well as to increase the power of the French monarch. Thus animated and impelled, with the hope ot enjoying the advantages and means of Christian civilization thought, necessary to be exerted over the various Indian tribes of the west, at that early period, the civiland religious authorities of Canada were constrained “to engage earnestly in the support of the policy of increasing the number and strength of the forts, trading-posts and missionary stations in the vast regions lying on the borders of the rivers and lakes between Quebec and the head of Lake Superior.”

At this early period, the French civil and ecclesiastical authorities of Canada, teens given considerable life to renewed action among the missionaries, “in the course of the years 1670, 1671 and 1672,” says Dillon, in his researches, “ the missionaries, Claude Al- Jouez and Olaude Dablon, explored the easternpart of Wisconsin, the north-eastern portion of Illinois, and, probably visited that part of Indiana which lies north of the river Kankakee. In the following year, M. Joliet, an agent of the lrench colonial Government, and James Marquette, a good and simple-hearted missionary, who had hig station at Mackinaw, explored the country lying about the shores of Green Bay, and on the borders of Fox River, and the river Wisconsin, as far westward as the river, Mississippi, the banks of which they reached on the 17th day June 1672.” In the following month, on the 17th, many obstacles presenting themselves, they set out on their return to Canada, by way of the Illinois river, and urrived at Green Bay, an outlet of Lake Michigan, in the latter part of the month of September, a distance of some 2.500 miles.— At a village of the Illinois Indians, it is related,‘they were feasted in a most friendly and hospitable manner, upon the choicest food of the tribe, consisting of roast buffalo, fish, hominy and dog meat.

_But the curiosity and desires of the French colonists in Canada did not cease with the return of the missionaries. In the early part of 1682, Robert Cavalier de La Salle, with a small exploring party, made his way to the Illinois, and passed down that stream to the Mississippi, thence continuing his voyage,—with short stoppages here and there at the presentation of the friendly calumet or attack

Awneimynt ‘Terrirory oF THE Murase. i from the shore by unfriendly Indians, etc.,—to the Gulf of Mexico, where, onthe 9th of April, 1682, they erected a column and cross, attaching thereto the arms of France, with the following inscription: “Louis the Great, King of Hrance, and Navarre, reigns—the 9th.

‘of April, 1682.” All being under arms, after chanting the Z¢ Deum, they fired their muskets in honor of the event, and made tho air to reverberate with the shouts of “Long live the King!” at once taking formal possession of the entire country, to which they gave the name of Louwzsiane, in honor of their King.

Soon after this event, La Salle and his party returned to Canada, whither he soon after went to France, where he was received with much favor by the King, and the account of his and those of Joliet and Marquette’s discoveries were made known. And thus it was that Louis the 14th of France at once laid claim to the whole of the soil lying between Canada and New Mexico,* disregarding all prior or subsequent claims set up by Spain, by reason of the discoveries of Juan Ponce de Leon, in 1512, and Hernando de Soto, during the years 1538 and 1542.

Not long subsequent to the discovery of the mouth of the Mississippi, the French government began to encourage the establishment of a line of trading posts and missionary stations in the country west uf the Allegheny mountains, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, which policy they seem ta have sustained with moderate success during a period of some seventy-five years. The greater part of this long period of time, afew missionarres pursued their labors, but with no lasting or general beneficial results, in so far, at least, as their efforts related to the Indians of the west.

In 1679, the same day that La Salle completed the erection of a fort at its mouth, the river St. Joseph, of Lake Michigan, received the name of “the River Miamies,” from the Indians of that name; and it was on the banks of this river that the principal station tor the instruction of the Miamies was founded, about that period ; after which it was called “the St. Joseph, of Lake Michigan.”

Hennepin thus gave the account of the erection of the first French post within the territoryt of the Miamiest} in 1679:

*Afterwards, for many years, called New France.

;Little Turtle, the distinguished chief of the Miamies, who lived here for many years with his tribe, and died here in 1812, at the famous treaty of Greenville, (O.), 1799, thus, in part, addressed General Wayne regarding the territory of his people: “ You have pointed out to us the boundary line between the Indians and the United States ; but I now take the liberty to inform you that, that line cuts off. from the Indians a large portion of country which has been enjoyed by my forefathers from time iramemorial, without melestation or dispute. The print of my ancestors’ houses are everywhere to be seen in this poftion. % ms % t is well known by all my brothers present, that my forefather kindled the first fire at Detroit ; from thence he extended his lines to the headwaters of Scioto; froin thence to its mouth; from thence to Chicago, on Lake Michigan.” From the earliest period we have of them, the Miamiesa have heen a leading and most powerful tribe.

+“When the Miarmis were first invited by the French authorities at Chieago, in 1670,” says Mr. Chas. B. Lasselle, in one of his interesting sketches, relating to the carly history of Fort Wayne, “they were a very powerful Indian nation. A. body ef them assembled near that place for war against the powerful Lroc uis, (Five N ations), of the Hudson, and the still more powerful Stoux, of the Upper Mizsissippi, consisted of at

S Lisroxy or Forr Wayne.

“ Just at the mouth of the river Miamis there was an eminence with a kind of platform naturally fortified. It was pretty high and steep, of a triangular form—defended on two sides by the river, and on the other by a deep ditch, which the fall of the water had made. We felled the trees that were on the top of the hill, and having cleared the same from bushes for about two musket shot, we began to build a redoubt of eighty feet long, and forty tect broad, with great square pieces of timber, laid one upon another; and prepared a great number of stakes, of about twenty-five fect long, to drive into the ground to make our fort the more inaccessible onthe river side. We employed the whole month of November (1769) about that work, which was very hard, though we had no other food but the bear’s flesh our savage killed. These beasts are very common in that place, because of the great quantity of grapes that abound there; but their flesh being too fat and luscious, our men began to be weary of it, and desired leave to go a hunting and kill some wild goats. M. La Salle denied them that liberty, which caused some murmurs among them; and it was but unwillingly that they continued the work. This, together with the approach of the winter, and the apprehension that M. La Salle had that his vessel (the Griffin) was lost, made him very melancholy, though he concealed it as much as he could. We made a cabin wherein we performed divine service every Sunday; and father Gabriel and 1, who preached alternately, took care to take such texts as were suitable to our present circumstances, and fit to inspire us with courage, concord and brotherly love. * * * * This fort was at last perfected, and called Fort Miamis. ”

This same missionary, Hennepin, in 1680, visiting some of the Indian villages on the Illinois river, speaks thus of the peculiar ideas and manners of the savages he met there atthat early period ; which must give the reader to infer that, though the natives of the forest, in their wntutored state, had but a poor sense of the Christianity taught by the missionaries of the time, they yet possessed a sinvular intelligence regaxding life and the-religious nature of man; and were, withal, strangely liberal in their views and actions toward least three thousand, and were under the head of a chieftain who never sallied forth nt with a body-guard of forty warriors. He could at any time lead into the field an army of five thousand men.” Of all their villages,” says he, ‘“Ke-ki-ong-a was considered by the Miamis the mest important, as it was the largest and most central of alt their possessions—being situated near the head waters of the ,\Wabash, the Miami, (Maumee), and the St. Joseph of Lake Michigan.” ’ Says Baneroft: “The Miamis was the inost powerful confederacy of the west, excelling the Six Nations, (Iroquois.)

a ee their influence reached to the Mississippi, and they received frequent visits from tribes beyond that river.’ As the messenger of St. Clair, Antwine Gamelin, in‘ the spring of 1796, proceeded from Vincennes toward this point with a view to friendly relations with the Indians, he was told at the different villages on his route to go to Ke-ki-ong-a. “You know,” said they, “that we can terminate nothing without the consent, of our brothers, the Miamies.” ‘The impress of its name;”’ says Mr. W illiams, of our city, “upon so inany western rivers, shows the predominance ot the tribe. The two Miamiecs of the Ohio ‘will ever perpetuate it. The Miami of Jiake, rie (now Maumee) was likewise named for the tribe. % % re #

Our own St. Mary’s was marked ‘Miamies’ river,’ on the rude skeleton map, made to represent the western country at the time of Culonel Bouyuet’s expediticn in 1793.”

Tuanevin's Account. 4)

those differing from them. But the Indian was a rude child of nature—horn in the woods, with the great spirit of the forest deeply impressed upon his soul. He had ever seen the Great Father

“Tn clouds, and heard him in the winds.”

Says Hennepin :—‘“There were many obstacles that hindered tho conversion ofthe savages, but in general the difficulty proceeds from the indifference they have to every thing. When one speaks to them of the creation of the world, and of the mysteries of the Christian religion, they say we have reason; and they applaud, in general, all that we say on the great affair of our salvation. They would think themselves guilty ofa great incivility, if they should show the least suspicion of incredulity, in respect to whatis proposed. But, after having approved all the discourses upon these matters, they pretend, likewise, on their side, that we ought to pay all possible défference to the relations and reasonings that they may make on their part. And when wemake answer that what they tell us is false, they reply that they have acquiesced to all that we said ; and that it isa want of judgement to interrupt a man that speaks, and to tell him that he advances a false proposition. * * * The second obstacle which hinders their conversion, proceeds from their great superstition. * * * ‘The third obstacle consists in this,— that they are not fixed to a place. * id .

Lhe traders who deal commonly with the savages, with a design to rain by their trafic, are likewise another obstacle. * * * They think of nothing but cheating and lying to become rich in a short time. They use all manner of stratagems to get the furs of the savages cheap. They make use of lies and cheats to gain double, ifthey can. This, without doubt, causes an aversion against a religion which they see accompanied, by the professors of it, with so many artifices and cheats.” Continuesthe same missionary, ‘the Illinois ( indians ) will readily suffer us to baptise their children, and would not refuse it themselves; but they are incapable of any previous instruction concerning the truth of the Gospel, and the efticacy of the sacraments. Would I follow the example of some other missionaries, I could have boasted of many conversions; for 1 might easily have baptised all those nations, andthen say, (as Lam afraid they do, without any ground,) that I had converted them, * * * Our ancient missionary recollects of Canada, and those that succeeded them in that work, have always given it for their opinion, as I now own it as mine, that the way to succeed in converting the barbarians, is to endeavor to make them men, before we go about to make them Christians. * * * America is no place to goto out of a desire to suffer martyrdom, taking the word in a theological sense. ‘Lhe savages never put any Christian to death on the score of his religion. They leave everybody at liberty in belief; they like the outward ceremonies of our church, but no more. * * * They do not kill people but in particular quarrels, or when they are brutish or drunk, or inrevenge, or infatuated with a dream, or some atD) Hissrory o¢ Lorr WayXe.

extravagant vision. They areincapable of taking away any person’s life out of hatred to his religion.”

The best accounts agree that it was through the agency and_persevering exertions of missionaries, combined with the active and enterprising movements of traders, that amicable relations and a moderate trade were brought about between the colonists of Canada and the Miami Indians—which occurred before the end of the 17th century.

M. de la Barre, governor-general of Canada, in 1684, in a remonstrance to the English authorities, at Albany, complained that the Iroquois, or Five Nations, (a league of friendship between whom and the English, it was understood, then existed,) had been intermeddling with the rights and property of French traders among the western tribes. To which the Iroquois, upon learning of this remonstrance, said their enemies were furnished with arms and ammunition by the French traders; and, at a subsequent council, held by M. de la Barre with the Five Nations, he accused the Iroquois, Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagas, Oneidas, and Mohawks, with having mistreated and robbed French traders going westward. To which Grangula, chief of the Onondagas, replied that they plundered none of the French, excepting those who took guns, powder, and balls to the Twightwees, (or Miamis ) and Chicktaghicks. “'These arms,” said he,“ might have cost us our lives. We have done less wrong, ” continued he, in a spirit of upbraiding, “than either the English or French, who have taken the lands of so many Indian nations.”