Kekionga
Encyclopedia
Kekionga, also known as Kiskakon or Pacan's
Village, was the capital of the Miami tribe
at the confluence of the Saint Joseph
, Saint Marys
and Maumee river
s on the western edge of the Great Black Swamp
. It became the site of several French
, British
and American forts and trading posts before being founded as Fort Wayne, Indiana
in 1794.
and the Little River
, connecting Lake Erie
to the Wabash River
and Mississippi River
. Due to the French and Iroquois Wars of the mid-17th century, the route was at first considered too dangerous. Following the wars, however, the portage proved to be the shortest route between French Canada
and Louisiana
, and the region was teeming with wildlife due to years of uninhabitation. The Miami at first benefited from trade with the Europeans. The French under Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes
established a trading post and fort
, first at the St. Joseph River
, and later at Kekionga. Vincennes and the Miami developed a strong and enduring friendship.
Kekionga remained a focal-point for the Miami for several decades, compared to other Miami villages which were more temporary. Kekionga also had a large meeting house, where official councils were held. Little Turtle, in a speech at the Treaty of Greenville
(1795), called Kekionga "that glorious gate... through which all the good words of our chiefs had to pass from the north to the south, and from the east to the west." In 1733, however, Kekionga was struck by a smallpox epidemic and was evacuated for one year.
. In 1749, the pro-British La Demoiselle left Kekionga to establish the English trading village of Pickawillany
, which grew rapidly. Fighting between pro-French and pro-British villages broke out in 1751. French officials tried to persuade Miami to return to Kekionga, which was near the stronghold of Detroit and harder for the British to reach. Lieutenant Louis Coulon de Villiers was sent to the dilapidated Fort Miamis and given authority to commandeer French voyageurs
to construct a new fort, which was finished in 1752. In the same year, another smallpox epedimic took the life of Kekionga's pro-French Chief Cold Foot
, and the French-allied Three Fires Confederacy destroyed Pickawillany. Most of the surviving Miami of Pickawillany returned to Kekionga, which may have undermined the village's loyalty to the French Empire.
After the French and Indian War
, New France
was ceded to the British Empire. Kekionga became involved in Pontiac's Rebellion
in spring of 1763, capturing the British garrison there and killing the two ranking officers. The following year, Pacanne
emerged as village chief when he spared the life of captive Captain Thomas Morris and returned him to Detroit. By 1765, Kekionga had accepted the British, and deputy commissioner George Croghan
recorded a description of Kekionga:
, who planned to ultimately take Detroit from the British. This force was utterly destroyed by a Miami force led by Chief Little Turtle. The Miami and the traders of Kekionga would remain economically tied to the British held Fort Detroit
, even after the British ceded all claims of the Northwest Territory
to the new United States in the Treaty of Paris (1783)
.
Historians have a unique view of Kekionga in the year 1790, due to multiple circumstances. In 1790, Canadian Governor Guy Carleton
warned the government in London that the loss of Kekionga would result in grave economic hardships to Detroit. He estimated that Kekionga annually produced 2000 packs of pelts, worth about £24,000 sterling. This was twice the value of the next most important trade area, between Detroit and Lake Huron.
Also during the Winter of 1789/1790, traders Henry Hay and John Kinzie
stayed in Kekionga. Hay kept a daily journal, which included regular routines of drinking, dancing, and parties, as well as weekly Mass. Hay played the flute and Kinzie played the fiddle, which made them quite popular with the inhabitants of Kekionga. Although Hay and Kinzie stayed primarily in the French village in Kekionga, they also described some of the Native American villages, and had frequent discussions with Chiefs Pacanne
, Little Turtle, Blue Jacket
, and Le Gris
, as well as brothers James, George, and Simon Girty
, who lived only three miles away.
Later that year, General Josiah Harmar
led an invasion
of Kekionga. His army counted seven distinct villages in the vicinity of Kekionga, known collectively as "the Miami Towns" or Miamitown. The collected villages of Kekionga had advanced knowledge of the advancing army, and evacuated. The fleeing Miami took as many of their food stores as they could carry. All traders and trade goods were sent to Fort Detroit, but all arms and ammunition were given to defenders. The United States army succeeded in burning some villages and food stores, but was forced to retreat after suffering high casualties in a series of battles with forces led by Little Turtle.
The victories over General Harmar's army only encouraged anti-U.S. sentiment in Kekionga, and Secretary of War Henry Knox
decided that a United States fort needed to be built in the area. He ordered the territorial Governor Arthur St. Clair
- who had recommended such a fort to Knox in 1790- to attack Kekionga and maintain a presence in the area, but that campaign was intercepted long before they reached their destination in what became the greatest defeat
of a U.S. army by Native Americans.
In 1794, American General Anthony Wayne
led his well-trained Legion of the United States
towards Kekionga, but then turned and marched instead towards the British held Fort Miami
near modern-day Toledo, Ohio
. Following General Wayne's victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers
, Kekionga's prominence began to diminish. The Legion arrived at Kekionga on 17 September 1794, and Wayne personally selected the site for the new U.S. fort
. It was finished by 17 October, and was capable of withstanding 24-pound cannons. Despite their objections, the Miami lost control of the long portage in the Treaty of Greenville
, since the Northwest Ordinance
guaranteed free use of important portages.
(modern Huntington, Indiana
) became more prominent. Despite the strong U.S. presence and loss of portage revenue, however, the Miami maintained sovereignty in Kekionga through the War of 1812
, until the Treaty of Ghent
in 1814. The site became the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana
.
Pacanne
Pacanne was a leading Miami chief during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Son of The Turtle , he was the brother of Tacumwah, who was the mother of Chief Jean Baptiste Richardville. Their family owned and controlled the Long Portage, an 8 mile strip of land between the Maumee and Wabash...
Village, was the capital of the Miami tribe
Miami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
at the confluence of the Saint Joseph
St. Joseph River (Maumee River)
The St. Joseph River is an tributary of the Maumee River in northwestern Ohio, and northeastern Indiana in the United States, with headwater tributaries rising in southern Michigan. It drains a primarily rural farming region in the watershed of Lake Erie. It shares its name with the St...
, Saint Marys
St. Marys River (Indiana)
The St. Marys River is a tributary of the Maumee River in western Ohio and eastern Indiana in the United States. Prior to development, it was part of the Great Black Swamp. Today, it drains a primarily rural farming region in the watershed of Lake Erie....
and Maumee river
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
s on the western edge of the Great Black Swamp
Great Black Swamp
The Great Black Swamp, or simply Black Swamp, was a glacially caused wetland in northwest Ohio, United States, extending into extreme northeastern Indiana, that existed from the end of the Wisconsin glaciation until the late 19th century...
. It became the site of several French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and American forts and trading posts before being founded as Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
in 1794.
History
Kekionga became an important trading post due to the six mile portage between the Maumee RiverMaumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
and the Little River
Little River (Indiana)
The Little River is a stream in Allen and Huntington counties in northeastern Indiana. A tributary of the Wabash River, it is sometimes called the "Little Wabash", which may cause it to be confused with the Little Wabash River of Illinois....
, connecting Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
to the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
and Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Due to the French and Iroquois Wars of the mid-17th century, the route was at first considered too dangerous. Following the wars, however, the portage proved to be the shortest route between French Canada
Canada, New France
Canada was the name of the French colony that once stretched along the St. Lawrence River; the other colonies of New France were Acadia, Louisiana and Newfoundland. Canada, the most developed colony of New France, was divided into three districts, each with its own government: Quebec,...
and Louisiana
Louisiana (New France)
Louisiana or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682–1763 and 1800–03, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle...
, and the region was teeming with wildlife due to years of uninhabitation. The Miami at first benefited from trade with the Europeans. The French under Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes
Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes
Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes, was a Canadian soldier, explorer, and friend to the Miami Nation.Vincennes was born in Quebec on January 19, 1668. His father, tanner François Bissot, was granted a seigniory for his tannery on the St. Lawrence River in 1672...
established a trading post and fort
Forts of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne in modern Fort Wayne, Indiana, was established by Captain Jean François Hamtramck under orders from General "Mad" Anthony Wayne as part of the campaign against the Indians of the area. It was named after General Wayne, who was victorious at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Wayne may have...
, first at the St. Joseph River
St. Joseph River (Maumee River)
The St. Joseph River is an tributary of the Maumee River in northwestern Ohio, and northeastern Indiana in the United States, with headwater tributaries rising in southern Michigan. It drains a primarily rural farming region in the watershed of Lake Erie. It shares its name with the St...
, and later at Kekionga. Vincennes and the Miami developed a strong and enduring friendship.
Kekionga remained a focal-point for the Miami for several decades, compared to other Miami villages which were more temporary. Kekionga also had a large meeting house, where official councils were held. Little Turtle, in a speech at the Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville was signed at Fort Greenville , on August 3, 1795, between a coalition of Native Americans & Frontiers men, known as the Western Confederacy, and the United States following the Native American loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. It put an end to the Northwest Indian War...
(1795), called Kekionga "that glorious gate... through which all the good words of our chiefs had to pass from the north to the south, and from the east to the west." In 1733, however, Kekionga was struck by a smallpox epidemic and was evacuated for one year.
Pre-U.S. colonial period
British merchants, seeking to expand their economic base, convinced some Miami to travel East for trade, in apparent violation of the 1713 Treaty of UtrechtTreaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
. In 1749, the pro-British La Demoiselle left Kekionga to establish the English trading village of Pickawillany
Pickawillany
Pickawillany was a Miami Indian village located on the current site of the city of Piqua, Ohio, in the United States.It was created in 1748 by La Demoiselle, a Miami chief, and was destroyed by the French and their Indian allies under Charles Langlade in June 1752...
, which grew rapidly. Fighting between pro-French and pro-British villages broke out in 1751. French officials tried to persuade Miami to return to Kekionga, which was near the stronghold of Detroit and harder for the British to reach. Lieutenant Louis Coulon de Villiers was sent to the dilapidated Fort Miamis and given authority to commandeer French voyageurs
Coureur des bois
A coureur des bois or coureur de bois was an independent entrepreneurial French-Canadian woodsman who traveled in New France and the interior of North America. They travelled in the woods to trade various things for fur....
to construct a new fort, which was finished in 1752. In the same year, another smallpox epedimic took the life of Kekionga's pro-French Chief Cold Foot
Cold Foot (Miami)
Cold Foot was a Miami chief in the 18th century. An inhabitant of Kekionga, Cold Foot lived during a time when the Miami were torn between their traditional trading partners of New France and new, more lucrative traders from the British colonies...
, and the French-allied Three Fires Confederacy destroyed Pickawillany. Most of the surviving Miami of Pickawillany returned to Kekionga, which may have undermined the village's loyalty to the French Empire.
After the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
was ceded to the British Empire. Kekionga became involved in Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's War, Pontiac's Conspiracy, or Pontiac's Rebellion was a war that was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the...
in spring of 1763, capturing the British garrison there and killing the two ranking officers. The following year, Pacanne
Pacanne
Pacanne was a leading Miami chief during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Son of The Turtle , he was the brother of Tacumwah, who was the mother of Chief Jean Baptiste Richardville. Their family owned and controlled the Long Portage, an 8 mile strip of land between the Maumee and Wabash...
emerged as village chief when he spared the life of captive Captain Thomas Morris and returned him to Detroit. By 1765, Kekionga had accepted the British, and deputy commissioner George Croghan
George Croghan
George Croghan was an Irish-born Pennsylvania fur trader, Onondaga Council sachem, land speculator, British Indian agent in colonial America and, until accused of treason in 1777, Pittsburgh's president judge and Committee of Safety Chairman keeping the Ohio Indians neutral...
recorded a description of Kekionga:
The Twightwee Village is situated on both Sides of a River called St. Josephs ... The Indian Village Consists of about 40 or 50 Cabins besides nine or ten French Houses.
Early U.S. history
In 1780, Kekionga was sacked by a force of French Americans led by Colonel Augustin de la BalmeAugustin de La Balme
Augustin Mottin de la Balme was a French cavalry officer who served in Europe during the Seven Years War and in the United States during the American Revolution...
, who planned to ultimately take Detroit from the British. This force was utterly destroyed by a Miami force led by Chief Little Turtle. The Miami and the traders of Kekionga would remain economically tied to the British held Fort Detroit
Fort Detroit
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
, even after the British ceded all claims of the Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
to the new United States in the Treaty of Paris (1783)
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
.
Historians have a unique view of Kekionga in the year 1790, due to multiple circumstances. In 1790, Canadian Governor Guy Carleton
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB , known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Irish-British soldier and administrator...
warned the government in London that the loss of Kekionga would result in grave economic hardships to Detroit. He estimated that Kekionga annually produced 2000 packs of pelts, worth about £24,000 sterling. This was twice the value of the next most important trade area, between Detroit and Lake Huron.
Also during the Winter of 1789/1790, traders Henry Hay and John Kinzie
John Kinzie
John Kinzie was one of Chicago's first permanent European settlers. Kinzie Street in Chicago is named after him.-Early life:...
stayed in Kekionga. Hay kept a daily journal, which included regular routines of drinking, dancing, and parties, as well as weekly Mass. Hay played the flute and Kinzie played the fiddle, which made them quite popular with the inhabitants of Kekionga. Although Hay and Kinzie stayed primarily in the French village in Kekionga, they also described some of the Native American villages, and had frequent discussions with Chiefs Pacanne
Pacanne
Pacanne was a leading Miami chief during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Son of The Turtle , he was the brother of Tacumwah, who was the mother of Chief Jean Baptiste Richardville. Their family owned and controlled the Long Portage, an 8 mile strip of land between the Maumee and Wabash...
, Little Turtle, Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket
Blue Jacket or Weyapiersenwah was a war chief of the Shawnee people, known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in the Ohio Country...
, and Le Gris
Le Gris
Le Gris, was a chief of the Pepikokia band of the Miami tribe in the 18th century. Also known as The Gray, he was one of three important Miami leaders during the Northwest Indian War, along with Pacanne and Little Turtle....
, as well as brothers James, George, and Simon Girty
Simon Girty
Simon Girty was an American colonial of Scots-Irish ancestry who served as a liaison between the British and their Native American allies during the American Revolution...
, who lived only three miles away.
Later that year, General Josiah Harmar
Josiah Harmar
Josiah Harmar was an officer in the United States Army during the American Revolution and the Northwest Indian War. He was the senior officer in the Army for seven years....
led an invasion
Harmar Campaign
The Harmar Campaign was an attempt by the United States to subdue Native Americans in the Northwest Territory in the Autumn of 1790. It was led by General Josiah Harmar and was part of the Northwest Indian War...
of Kekionga. His army counted seven distinct villages in the vicinity of Kekionga, known collectively as "the Miami Towns" or Miamitown. The collected villages of Kekionga had advanced knowledge of the advancing army, and evacuated. The fleeing Miami took as many of their food stores as they could carry. All traders and trade goods were sent to Fort Detroit, but all arms and ammunition were given to defenders. The United States army succeeded in burning some villages and food stores, but was forced to retreat after suffering high casualties in a series of battles with forces led by Little Turtle.
The victories over General Harmar's army only encouraged anti-U.S. sentiment in Kekionga, and Secretary of War Henry Knox
Henry Knox
Henry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....
decided that a United States fort needed to be built in the area. He ordered the territorial Governor Arthur St. Clair
Arthur St. Clair
Arthur St. Clair was an American soldier and politician. Born in Scotland, he served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in Pennsylvania, where he held local office...
- who had recommended such a fort to Knox in 1790- to attack Kekionga and maintain a presence in the area, but that campaign was intercepted long before they reached their destination in what became the greatest defeat
St. Clair's Defeat
St. Clair's Defeat also known as the Battle of the Wabash, the Battle of Wabash River or the Battle of a Thousand Slain, was fought on November 4, 1791 in the Northwest Territory between the United States and the Western Confederacy of American Indians, as part of the Northwest Indian War...
of a U.S. army by Native Americans.
In 1794, American General Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
led his well-trained Legion of the United States
Legion of the United States
The Legion of the United States was a reorganization and extension of the United States Army from 1792 to 1796 under the command of Major General Anthony Wayne.-Origins:The impetus for the Legion came from General Arthur St...
towards Kekionga, but then turned and marched instead towards the British held Fort Miami
Fort Miami (Ohio)
Fort Miami was a fort built on the Maumee River at the eastern edge of the present-day city of Maumee, Ohio, and southwest of the present-day city of Toledo, Ohio. It was built by the British on territory disputed between Britain and the USA; according to the U.S. interpretation of the terms of the...
near modern-day Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. Following General Wayne's victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers
Battle of Fallen Timbers
The Battle of Fallen Timbers was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indian tribes affiliated with the Western Confederacy and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory...
, Kekionga's prominence began to diminish. The Legion arrived at Kekionga on 17 September 1794, and Wayne personally selected the site for the new U.S. fort
Forts of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne in modern Fort Wayne, Indiana, was established by Captain Jean François Hamtramck under orders from General "Mad" Anthony Wayne as part of the campaign against the Indians of the area. It was named after General Wayne, who was victorious at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Wayne may have...
. It was finished by 17 October, and was capable of withstanding 24-pound cannons. Despite their objections, the Miami lost control of the long portage in the Treaty of Greenville
Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville was signed at Fort Greenville , on August 3, 1795, between a coalition of Native Americans & Frontiers men, known as the Western Confederacy, and the United States following the Native American loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. It put an end to the Northwest Indian War...
, since the Northwest Ordinance
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States, passed July 13, 1787...
guaranteed free use of important portages.
Disestablishment
After the establishment of Fort Wayne, Kekionga's importance to the Miami slowly declined, and the Miami village at the Forks of the WabashThe Forks Of The Wabash
Historic Forks of the Wabash is a historic museum park near Huntington, Indiana, that features site several historic buildings, trails and remnants of the Wabash and Erie Canal...
(modern Huntington, Indiana
Huntington, Indiana
Huntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
) became more prominent. Despite the strong U.S. presence and loss of portage revenue, however, the Miami maintained sovereignty in Kekionga through the War of 1812
Indiana in the War of 1812
During the War of 1812, Indiana Territory was home to several conflicts between the United States territorial government and partisan Native American forces backed by the British in Canada. The Battle of Tippecanoe, which had occurred just months before the war began, was one of the catalysts that...
, until the Treaty of Ghent
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent , signed on 24 December 1814, in Ghent , was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
in 1814. The site became the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
.