Shingoquah1,2,3

b. 1826
Family
Father*Jacques Godfroy2
Birth*1826Shingoquah was born about 1826 in Indiana.4 
Name VariationHer name was also spelled Shin-go-quah.2,5 
Name VariationHer English name was Elizabeth Godfroy.6,7 
Marriage*She married James Aveline, son of Francis Aveline and Genevieve Cardinal.1,7,8 
Relationship Note*Little Charley, who was a chief of the Eel River Miamis and a close associate of Chief Francis Godfroy, was identified as a grandfather of Shingoquah, who married James Aveline. If accurate, the wife of Jocko Godfroy "the younger" was likely a daughter of Chief Little Charley.9,10,11 
Relationship Note* For some time we had been puzzled by the identity of Shingoquah, whom we knew only as the second wife of James Aveline, and mother of Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy and her siblings. Frustrated after many wrong turns, we labeled her a Brick Wali and continued our research in the direction of her children. It was in the transcripts of the law suit referred to as "Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124", which spanned the years from 1935 to 1955, that we finally found the answers to our questions.

The Affidavit submitted to the court by Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy's son, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, contained the following information regarding his mother’s ancestry: “I further state that my mother, Louisa (Aveline) Godfroy, was a half-blooded Miami Indian woman; that she was the great granddaughter of Louis Godfroy, a full brother of Chief Francis Godfroy, who was himself one of the distinguished men of the Miami tribe or nation. My mother’s mother being the daughter of Jocko Godfroy "the younger", who was a son of Louis Godfroy, she was all but a full blooded Miami Indian woman with only a strain of Caucasian blood. Her name was Shingoquah.”

In his subsequent deposition, Ira Sylvester Godfroy provided the following answers to questions about his mother: “My mother, Louisa Aveline, a Miami Indian; she died in 1924 near Peru. My mother’s mother was Shin-go-quah, a grand-daughter of Louis Godfroy, a distant relative and a Miami Indian”.5,2 
Census US 1870*22 July 1870Shin-go-quah (Godfroy) and James Aveline were enumerated on the 1870 census taken on 22 July 1870 in Butler Township, Miami County, Indiana. James was 62 years of age and a farmer with a personal estate valued at $850, and Shin-go-quah was 44 years of age and keeping house. James was able to both read and write and Shin-go-quah was unable to do either. Their eldest daughter, Catharine, was 18 years old and not able to read or write. The couple's younger children, Louis, Francis, Louisa and John, were ages 16, 13, 11 and 8 years, respectively, and had all attended school within the census year.4 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.12,13,14,15,16,17,18 

Family

 James Aveline b. 14 Oct 1807, d. 14 Dec 1877
Children 1.Catharine Aveline4 b. 1852
 2.Louis G. Aveline7 b. 11 Jul 1854
 3.Francis X. Aveline1 b. 8 Jun 1857, d. 9 Feb 1913
 4.Louisa Aveline+19,20,21 b. 11 Mar 1860, d. 18 Jan 1924
 5.John B. Aveline+4 b. Apr 1861, d. Jul 1932

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Dr Francis Xavier Aveline, Memorial# 118052479. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/7/rec/…; The Affidavit submitted to the court by Ira Sylvester Godfroy contained the following information regarding his mother’s ancestry: “I further state that my mother Louise Aveline Godfroy was a half-blooded Miami Indian woman; that she was the great granddaughter of Louis Godfroy, a full brother of Chief Francis Godfroy, who was himself one of the distinguished men of the Miami tribe or nation. My mother’s mother being the daughter of Jocko Godfroy the younger who, was a son of Louis Godfroy, she was all but a full blooded Miami Indian woman with only a strain of Caucasian blood. Her name was Shin-go-quah”. Hereinafter cited as Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection.
  3. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/85/…; The deposition taken of Ira Sylvester Godfroy provided the following statement about his mother: “My mother, Louisa Aveline, a Miami Indian; she died in 1924 near Peru. My mother’s mother was Shin-go-quah, a grand-daughter of Louis Godfroy, a distant relative and a Miami Indian”.
  4. [S37] 1870 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of James and Shingoquah (Godfroy) Aveline, Year: 1870; Census Place: Butler, Miami, Indiana; Roll: M593_343; Page: 17A. Hereinafter cited as 1870 United States Federal Census.
  5. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/85/…; The deposition taken of Ira Sylvester Godfroy provided the following statement about his mother: “My mother, Louisa Aveline, a Miami Indian; she died in 1924 near Peru. My mother’s mother was Shin-go-quah, a grand-daughter of Louis Godfroy, a distant relative and a Miami Indian”.

  6. [S2649] Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage of Francis X Aveline, son of James Aveline and Elizabeth Godfroy, and Annie Tawataw Prickett on 18 January 1885 in Grant County, Indiana, USA, officiated by Jacob S Barley. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012.
  7. [S1566] Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 1 July 1936 in Indiana, United States, of Louis G Aveline of Muncie, Indiana, age 82, born on 11 July 1854 in Peru, Indiana, son of James Aveline and Elizabeth Godfrey, married Anna Tweedy of Muncie, Indiana, age 79, born on 8 July 1857 in Louisville, Kentucky, daughter of Randolph Meredith and Susan "Slegel" (Slagle), referencing page 450, FHL Film# 002069553. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001.
  8. [S2709] Proceedings of Fourth Annual Conference on Indiana History, online at www.ancestry.com, History of the Anthony Wayne Flag, by Dr. P. G. Moore, Wabash, pages 23-27, images 23-27 of 128. Hereinafter cited as Proceedings of Fourth Annual Conference on Indiana History.
  9. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3640
  10. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Elizabeth Glenn Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3641
  11. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/4028/…, Networks of Wabash Valley Metis: 1820s and 30s, RG-04-01-40-B08-F40-005_Page-9, reporting that Francis Godfroy maintained a political network which, during the 1820s and 1830s, primarily involved consistent relationships with Miami leaders such as Jean Baptiste Richardville, Francis LaFontaine, Lagros, Metocina, and Charley--tribal or village chiefs, influential Metis, or both, while also maintaining relations with John Tipton, the dominant Indian Agent of the period; and of significant importance to him throughout his life was his brother, Louis, who was his partner in most of his business ventures.
  12. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  13. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  14. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  15. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  16. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  17. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  18. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.
  19. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Louisa “Nehc-co-moc” (Aveline) Godfroy, Memorial# 37573299.
  20. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/7/rec/…
  21. [S2701] Ball State University Digital Media Repository: Elizabeth Glenn Collection, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/search, Ira Sylvester Godfroy, et. al., plaintiffs, versus the United States of America, defendant, docket no. 124, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/85/….

Sho pe quah1,2

b. 1786
Family
Birth*1786Sho pe quah was born about 1786 in Indiana.1,2 
Marriage*She married Louis Richardville, son of John B. Richardville and Not-to-ma-quah.1,3,2 
Miami Annuity List*1854Her husband, Mia-que-ah, was listed as the head of their family on the Miami Annuity Pay-Roll List for 1854 near Huntington, Indian Country, Indiana. He was 64 years of age, and his wife, Sho pe quah, was 68 years of age. Their daughter, Kil so quah, was 30 years of age, and Kil so quah's two children, her son Mun go sah quah, and daughter Kat tah ke mun qua, were ages 8 and 2 years, respectively. Eight additional members of Mia-que-ah's family were listed also and included three more daughters, two sons-in-law, and three more grandchildren.2 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.4,5,6,7,8,9,10 

Family

 Louis Richardville b. 1790
Child 1.Jane Richardville+1 b. 1820

Citations

  1. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet, from the family of Miami Chief Jean Baptiste Richardville, whose Indian name was Pinšiwa, Maayaahkwia, English name Louis "Blind Eye" Richardville, Son; Sho-pe-quah (correct spelling uncertain), married name Richardville, Maayaahkwia's wife; Kiilhsohkwa, English name Jane, married names Peconga and Price, Sho-pe-quah's daughter. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  2. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere; Annuity Pay-Roll, Miami Indians of Indiana, 1854, which includes a list of Miami Indians who signed the treaty of 5 June 1854 and were to draw annuities in Indiana, page 3, the family of Mi ah gue ah. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  3. [S2691] Richardville Family Tree, from the Elizabeth Glenn Collection, "Richardville, LaFontaine, Langlois, Cass, and Little Turtle genealogical tree", RG-04-01-40-B06-F25-052_Page-10, Ball State University, Digital Media Repository, a project of the university's libraries,, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3447/. Hereinafter cited as Richardville Family Tree.
  4. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  5. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php
  6. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…
  7. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  8. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  9. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  10. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Tah-con-ze-quah1,2

b. 1821
Family
Birth*1821Tah-con-ze-quah was born about 1821 in Indiana.3 
Name VariationShe may have been known as Me-tek-on-sac.1,2 
Name VariationHer English name was Mary Louisa3 
Name Variation and she was also called Louisa.3 
Marriage*She married, as his second wife, Coesse, son of Kat-e-mong-wah.4 
Census US 1850*17 October 1850Coesse and his wife, Tah-con-ze-quah, who was recorded only as "Squaw", were enumerated on the 1850 census taken on 17 October 1850 in Whitley County, Indiana. Coesse was 58 years of age and owned real estate valued at $3,000, and his wife was 35 years of age. They were not able to read and write English. Their three children, Simon, Louisa and Elizabeth, were each recorded as a Papoose. Simon, the male papoose, was 9 years old, and the two female papooses, Louisa and Elizabeth, were ages 6 and 2 years, respectively.5 
(Wife) Death1853Tah-con-ze-quah became a widow when Coesse died in the fall of 1853 in Roanoke, Huntington County, Indiana, at about age 61. He had gone to Roanoke to visit his cousin, Kilsoquah, and the day after his arrival fell sick with a fever. He refused both doctor and medicine, telling his cousin he had some trouble in his family and didn't care to live. He died delirious less than two weeks later.4 
(Wife) BurialCoesse had died on a Sunday morning, and on the Tuesday forenoon, he was buried in Roanoke on his cousin's farm between his first wife and his cousin, Kilsoquah's, husband. There were no services.4 
Census US 1860*11 June 1860Louisa Coesse was enumerated as the head of her household on the 1860 census taken on 11 June 1860 in Columbia City, Whitley County, Indiana. She was 39 years of age and a widow with real estate valued at $10,000 and a personal estate valued at $200. She was not able to read or write, and her three surviving children were enumerated with her. Louise and Elizabeth were ages 15 and 13 years, respectively, and had both attended school within the census year; and young George, who was 6 years old, was recorded as George Coesse.3 
(Mother) Census US 188023 June 1880Mary was enumerated on the 1880 census taken on 23 June 1880 in the household of her son and daughter-in-law, Sah-ca-sha-quah and George W. Slusman, in Butler Township, Miami County, Indiana. Mary was 62 years of age, a widow, at home, and was unable to read or write.6 
(Mother) Miami Census 188110 September 1881Tah-con-ze-quah was listed with her son, George Slusman, on the Miami Indian Census taken on 10 September 1881 near Peru, Indiana. Tah-con-ze-quah was 63 years of age and identified as the widow of Coesse, whose name was recorded as "Ko-as-se". Her son George was 25 years of age and identified as the son of Tah-con-ze-quah. George's wife, Sac-o-choc-quah Slusman, was listed on her Miami Reserve with her two children from her first marriage, and identified as the wife of Slusman.7 
(Mother) Relationship Note3 August 1906Kilsoquah and her son, Anthony Revarre, were visited at their home on 3 August 1906 by four historians, which included S. P. Kaler, who asked Kilsoquah many questions about her life and extended family. They recorded her story and it was published in Kaler's History of Whitley County, Indiana. Among her stories was what we think is the answer to one of our questions: Who was George W. Slusman, and where did he come from? Kilsoquah told of being lonely after the deaths of her husband, Antoine Revarre, and then her cousin, Coesse, saying she took her two children and went up to Coesse's family near Columbia City and stayed there a year before returning to her home near Roanoke. She said Jacob Slusman, whose surname was spelled "Slessman" by her listeners, came from Columbia City and moved her up; and that he also moved her back the next summer. She said that Mrs. Louisa Coesse and her family lived on the farm up at Columbia City for about ten years after her husband Coesse's death, and then sold out and moved to Peru. She added that they are now all dead except an illegitimate son and half breed, George, who was born after Coesse's death.4 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.8,9,10,11,12,13,14 

Family 1

 Coesse b. 1792, d. 1853
Children 1.Simon Coesse4 b. 1841, d. 1857
 2.Louisa Coesse5 b. 1844
 3.Elizabeth Coesse5 b. 1848

Family 2

 Jacob Slessman b. 5 Feb 1828, d. 7 Apr 1914
Child 1.George W. Slusman3 b. 15 Sep 1855, d. 22 Apr 1931

Citations

  1. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907), Kilsoquah, pages 79-83, Coesse's wife's name spelled "Me-teck-on-sac", whom we suspect may have been Coesse's first wife, a sister of White Loon. Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  2. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere; Reserve Record# 75, Miami Indian Census of 1881, page 58, household of #38.,Tak-con-ze-quah, widow of Ko-as-se, age 63, mother of #39, As-son-zon-zah, alias George Slusman, son of Tah-con-ze-quah, age 25. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  3. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Louisa Coessee, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Columbia City, Whitley, Indiana; Roll: M653_307; Page: 724; Family History Library Film: 803307. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, Kilsoquah, pages 79-83.
  5. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Coesse, The National Archives in Washington, DC; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Whitley, Indiana; Roll: 181; Page: 515b. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  6. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of George W. and Susan Slusman, Year: 1880; Census Place: Butler, Miami, Indiana; Roll: 299; Page: 606a; Enumeration District: 123. Hereinafter cited as 1880 United States Federal Census.
  7. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php, Reserve Record# 75, Miami Indian Census of 1881, page 59, household of #101., Sac-o-choc-quah, wife of Slusman, age 25, mother of #102 Wap-shin-gah, alias David Slusman, son, age 6, and #103., Al-wom-mom-dah, alias James Slusman, son, age 2; in the first previous household on the same census page was Sac-o-choc-quah's sister, #99., As-son-zo-mo-quah, alias Louisa Price, mother, age 27, and #100., Kil-so-quah, alias Anna Price, her daughter, age 2.
  8. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  9. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php
  10. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  11. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  12. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  13. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  14. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Tah-cum-wah1,2

b. 1720
Family
Father*Aguenackgue3
Birth*1720Tah-cum-wah was born about 1720.3,2 
Research NotesThe name Tah-cum-wah means "Parakeet" in the Miami language.2 
Marriage*She married Antoine-Joseph Drouet de Richerville.4 
Research Notes*She was also a successful business woman and prominent chieftess of the Miami tribe. She operated a trading post out on Eel River, the Kenapocomoco, near the Turtle village where she and Little Turtle were born. She also had almost a monopoly of the trade by the way of the portage to Little River and down to the Forks of the Wabash. Young Richardville was the close associate of his mother in these business ventures. He was also closely associated with his uncle, the great chief Little Turtle.5,2 
Divorce*1774Tah-cum-wah divorced Antoine-Joseph Drouet de Richerville in 1774 after he sided with Alexander and Francis Maisonville for control of the Long Portage, an 8-mile strip of land between the Maumee and Wabash Rivers that was controlled by her brother Chief Pacanne.2 
Court Action*18 September 1774In addition to leading to the couple's divorce, their argument over Tah-cum-wah's property rights ended up in court. The case was centered around the marriage of Tacumwah and Richardville, the larger effort being to "maintain control of a large amount of capital in the form of slaves, cattle, corn and wampum, and of control of a pivotal portage that Tacumwah had inherited by virtue of her Miami lineage." For Tacumwah, the fact that she had been raised by a mother brought up in a matrilineal tradition which could have bearing in how Tacumwah carried herself. Pacanne alluded to this when he referred to his sister's possessions as belonging to her and not her husband since they had been inherited from her mother. This confirmed that Tacumwah's mother had gained valuable belongings in her own right, and her right to pass these onto her daughter was indisputable. It was decided that Pacanne would keep control of the portage, and Tacumwah would keep all her property.2 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.6,7,8,9,10,11,12 

Family

 Antoine-Joseph Drouet de Richerville
Child 1.John B. Richardville+2 b. 1761, d. 13 Aug 1841

Citations

  1. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919), Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, pages 28-51, her name spelled Tah-kum-wah. Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  2. [S225] Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, online at www.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacumwah. Hereinafter cited as Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
  3. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, pages 28-51.
  4. [S225] Wikipedia Encyclopedia, online at www.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Baptiste_Richardville
  5. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935), John B. Richardville, pages 13-15. Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  6. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  7. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  8. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  9. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  10. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  11. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis.
  12. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Tak-e-quah1,2

b. 1789, d. 15 September 1879
Family
(Wife of Eldest Son) Research Notes According to The Last of the Miamis, Me-to-cin-yah's grandfather, Chief Osandiah, had once lived with his family at the Miami capital of Kekionga, which is now Fort Wayne, Indiana. He moved with his tribal band to the Big (Great) Miami river, near what is now Piqua, Ohio. There he became a prominent Indian chief. At Osandiah's death, he was succeeded by his son, Aw-taw-waw-taw, who died soon after. The chieftainship then fell to Me-to-cin-yah, son of Aw-taw-waw-taw. Regarding his name, which had earlier been written as Metosinia by the French and English settlers, the source reported that the chief is better known in history as Me-to-cin-yah. And his name was often written by the author as Metocinyah, without the hyphens. After becoming chief, Me-to-cin-yah led his tribal band back west to Indiana and settled on the Mississinewa river where he raised a large family and became an influential chief. The village of Metocinyah, which was very large and important among the Indians, was located at the mouth of Jocinah Creek in what is now the southern part of Wabash County, Indiana. Jocinah is a modification of the name Metocinyah.

Me-to-cin-yah was thought to have had ten sons and also a number of daughters. Meshingomesia, his oldest son, became the chief of the Mississinewa band when Metocinyah died in 1839. Meshingomesia, early in life, married a Miami wife, Tak-e-quah, and they had two sons and no daughters of their own, although they raised an Indian girl whose mother was an Indian and whose father was a pioneer merchant in Peru, Indiana. Meshingomesia also took an interest in a Potawatomie Indian boy and had him adopted into the Miami tribe. For forty years, Meshingomesia was a trusted leader and advisor of his people, and was the last tribal chief of the Miamis with anything like the power of the old-time chiefs. His reservation was surrounded by white people with whom he lived in peace and by whom he was held in high esteem.

The names of Meshingomesia's nine brothers were believed recorded in 1840 when the Mississinewa Reservation was granted to the entire family of Me-to-cin-yah, although only three of them had been connected to any specific recorded events at the time of the source's publication in 1935. Wapesitah married Kegetonaquah, commonly called Shickaway; Chapendocia, whose wife was No-an-ge-quah, had a number of children; and Me-ta-ke-quah, who was also known as Captain Dixon, married when she was grown, Lydia Tharp, the little white girl who had been stolen from her father's home during the War of 1812 by Mississinewa Indians and raised at the village of Metocinyah. Charles Dixon, the son of Lydia Tharp and Captain Dixon, plays a role, with some of his descendants, in our research project.1,3,4 
Birth*1789Tak-e-quah was born about 1789.2 
Marriage*She married Meshingomesia, son of Me-to-cin-yah.2,5,1,6 
(Grandmother) Illness1879She and Meshingomesia did not live to see the mistake of the division of his reservation. During the summer of 1879 their grandson, Nelson Tawataw, became ill with tuberculosis. He had just finished building his fine new brick house. One visitor to that home reported that she saw, at one time in that house, not only Nelson Tawataw, but also his grandparents, Meshingomesia and Tak-e-quah, his father Aw-taw-waw-taw, his uncle and aunt, Pe-con-ge-oh and Aunt Polly, and other Indians. With the exception of Pe-con-ge-oh's wife, Nelson and all the others of those just named died before the following Christmas. They were buried in the Indian cemetery just back of the Indian church. Fine tombstones for that day were erected to their memory.7 
Death*15 September 1879She died on 15 September 1879 in Indiana, possibly at about age 87.2 
Descendants* Meshingomesia and Tak-e-quah had two sons, Pe-con-ge-oh and Aw-taw-waw-taw, who married sisters of Joseph and Charles Winters. The wife of Pecongeah was Soek-o-chock-quah, who was commonly known as Aunt Polly. They had five sons and one daughter whose English names were William, Robert, Jacob, Thomas, Peter and Mary. William Peconga and Robert Peconga married granddaughters of Frances Slocum. William had no children. The rest of the Peconga family had children and there were many descendants in 1935. Aw-taw-waw-taw's wife was Me-ta-ke-ke-quah, who was commonly known as Aunt Betsy. They had five children: Nelson, John, Anna, Lucy and Ellen. Anna Tawatah married Millard Prickett and left one son, Nelson, who was still living in Marion, Indiana in 1935. Nelson Tawataw married Melvina, a daughter of O-zah-shin-quah. They had a family of several children. Their oldest daughter married John Walters and left a number of children. By 1935, though, no one was left to perpetuate the name of Awtawwawtaw, or Tawataw as it had come to be known.1,6 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.8,9,10,11,12,13,14 

Family

 Meshingomesia d. 23 Dec 1879
Children 1.Pe-con-ge-oh+3 b. 1815, d. 16 Sep 1879
 2.Aw-taw-waw-taw+3 b. 1817, d. 26 Dec 1879

Citations

  1. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935), Metocinyah, pages 30-32. Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Takeequah Aw-Taw-Waw-Taw, Memorial# 58900409. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, Meshingomesia, pages 32-36.
  4. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, Meshingomesia, his brothers, pages 35-36.
  5. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Chief Me-Shing-O-Me-Sia, Memorial# 11565673.
  6. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, Meshingomesia, his family, pages 32-36.
  7. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, Introduction, pages 3-4.
  8. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  9. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  10. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  11. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  12. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  13. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis.
  14. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Tak-ko-nah1

Family
Marriage*He married, as her third husband, O-zah-shin-quah, daughter of She-po-con-ah and Frances Slocum.1 
Children* They had one son together, who died in infancy.1 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.2,3,4,5,6,7,8 

Family

 O-zah-shin-quah b. Oct 1809, d. 25 Jan 1877

Citations

  1. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935), John B. Brouillette, pages 23-27. Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  2. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  3. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  4. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  5. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  6. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  7. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis.
  8. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Wa-ka-com-me qua1

Family
Father*John Baptiste Richardville2
(Daughter-Youngest Son) Will9 April 1841Her paternal grandfather, Chief John B. Richardville, prepared his will dated 9 April 1841 in Allen County, Indiana, naming his three daughters, Catees, Susan and La Blonde, one son-in-law, Francis LaFontaine, his surviving son, Mia-que-ah, and his two deceased sons, John B. Richardville and Joseph Richardville. His will named a niece, Margaret Lafalia, and nineteen grandchildren which included three granddaughters, Che-Pe-Quay, Che-me-qua and Alin-Ben-Che-Quay, and three grandsons, Wa-pa-se-pah, Wa-ka-shin-qua and John B. LaFontaine, from his daughter, Catees; one grandson, Ma-ca-the-mun-qua from his daughter, Susan; two grandsons, Ca-the-mun-qua and Shap-pen-do-u-ah, and two granddaughters, Ca-the-mun-quah-quah and Wa-ka-com-me qua, from his deceased son John B. Richardville; one granddaughter, Mon-go-se-quah, and two grandsons, Mon-go-sau and Ke-la-ke-mo-ke-ah, from his daughter, La Blonde; one grandson, Alin-na-ben-she-shau, from his deceased son Joseph Richardville, and four grandchildren from his son, Mia-que-ah, whose names he was unable to recollect. His heirs also included two great grandchildren. The first was identified as the granddaughter of his daughter, Susan, from her son, Ma-ca-the-mun-qua, and was described as the "Daughter Child" by his former wife, Ke she co quah, who was a daughter of Pichiwa; his second great grandchild was identified as Thomas F. Richardville, son of his deceased grandson, Crescent, who was the son of his deceased son Joseph Richardville. Our transcription of his will follows:

In the name of God. Amen!

I, John B. Richardville of the County of Allen, Indiana, Principal Chief of the Miami Tribe of Indians, being of sound mind and memory, knowing the uncertainty of life and desirous to dispose of my affairs while in a sound state of mind, doth make, publish and declare this instrument of writing my last will and testament in manner following, to wit:

First. I commit my soul to that God who gave it, my burial to be under the direction of my executor hereinafter named.

Item First. I devise, will and bequeath to my daughter Catees (alias Catherine), wife of LaFontaine, her heirs and assigns forever, the three following sections of land, to wit: One section of the same situate in the County of Huntington at the forks of the Wabash to be laid out for her by my executor so as to include my houses and improvements there. The other two sections of land to commence at the confluence of the Mississinewa and Wabash rivers running down the Wabash to the lower line of the two sections and back for quantity.

Item 2. I devise, will and bequeath to my daughter La Blonde (alias Maria Louisa) and her heirs and assigns forever, three sections of land on the St. Marys river in the County of Allen, known as my residence on that river.

Item 3. I give, devise, will and bequeath to my daughter Susan and her heirs and assigns forever, three sections of land as follows. One of said sections lying in the County of Huntington nearly opposite Vermilya's Mill and the other two commencing at the confluence of the Salamonie River and the Wabash, to run so far down as a line run to the back line will embrace two sections of land, being the upper two sections of my reserve on the Wabash River below and adjoining the Salamonie.

Item 4. I devise, will and bequeath to my son Mi-aw-que-ah (alias Blind Eyed Richardville) and his heirs and assigns forever, one section of land situate on the Mississinewa river at what is called the Osage Village.

Item 5. I give, will and bequeath to my granddaughter Mon-go-se-quah, the daughter of La Blonde, her heirs and assigns forever, one section of land on the Wabash adjoining the Salamonie river, the residue of said reserve being devised to my daughter Susan.

Item 6. I devise, will and bequeath to my grandson Wa-pa-se-pah (alias Louis La Fontaine) and his heirs and assigns forever, one section of land situated in Miami County, lying on the Wabash River opposite the mouth of the Mississinewa river.

Item 7. I give, devise, will and bequeath to my niece Margaret Lafalia, her heirs and assigns forever, one-half section of land commencing at a point on the Wabash and Erie Canal where Clear Creek intersects the same in Huntington County, thence up the canal until it strikes the lots laid out for the town of Richardville and back for quantity.

Item 8. I give, devise, will and bequeath to each of my grand and great grandchildren, and to their heirs and assigns forever, one-half section of land each, to wit: to the following five children of my daughter Catees, Che-pe-quay, Che-me-qua, Alin-ben-che-quay, her three daughters; to Wa-ka-shin-qua and to John B. Lafontaine (alias Old Man), her two sons, these are the five children of Catees to whom I give ½ section of land each. To Ma-ca-the-mun-qua (alias John), son of Susan and to his daughter child by his former wife, the daughter of Push-ne, each one-half section of land. To Ca-the-mun-qua and to Shap-pen-do-u-ah, sons of my deceased son John B. Richardville Junior, to Ca-the-mun-quah-quah and to Wa-ka-com-me-qua, daughters of said deceased son John B. Richardville, each of the four one-half section of land. To Mon-go-sau and Ke-la-com-me-ka, sons of my daughter La Blonde, each one-half section of land. To Alin-na-ben-she-shau, son of my deceased son Joseph Richardville, one-half section of land; to my great grandson, the son of Crescent, who was the son of Joseph Richardville one-half section of land. To my four grandchildren, the children of my son Mi-aw-que ah, whose names I do not recollect, each one-half section of land.

It is my further will and I hereby direct that my executors cause to be surveyed and set apart to each of the devisees to whom one-half section of land is devised by this my last will and testament, the separate tract to each individual out of any lands I may possess at the time of my death not expressly devised to any individual by this will and file a record of such division with the name of the person to which each tract belongs, in the county where the land lies, a certificate of which shall be evidence of title to such devisee. Setting apart to the children of Catees the section I bought from Black Loon in Huntington County and the section and a half at my mill on the Wabash at Rock Creek. Should I own them at the time of my death being to the children of Catees, ½ section each. Should I dispose of the same in my life time, then they've to be selected as the others.

Item Ninth. All the property both real and personal or mixed, lands or tenements, credits, moneys and effects which I may possess at the time of my death not devised to any devisee in this my last will and testament and all my cattle and household furniture I devise, will and bequeath to my three daughters, La Blonde, Susan and Catees, their heirs and assigns forever.

And lastly, I constitute and appoint Allen Hamilton and the Reverend Julian Benoit as executors of this my last will and testament, and in the case of death, refusal to serve or removal of either beyond the limits of this state, it is my will that the Probate Court appoint and executor in place of the one removed, refusing to serve or deceased, so that there shall be at all times two executors to this my last will and testament.

In testimony whereof, I John B. Richardville have hereunto set my hand and seal this ninth day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred forty-one.

Signing as his witnesses were John P. Hedges and John E. Hill.1 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.3,4,5,6,7,8,9 

Citations

  1. [S2621] Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999, online at www.ancestry.com, will of John B. Richardville, Principal Chief of the Miami Tribe of Indians, dated 9 April 1841 in Allen County, Indiana, Probate Will Record, Volumes 1-2a, 1831-1875, pages 35-38, Ancestry online images 40-42 of 815. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999.
  2. [S2691] Richardville Family Tree, from the Elizabeth Glenn Collection, "Richardville, LaFontaine, Langlois, Cass, and Little Turtle genealogical tree", RG-04-01-40-B06-F25-052_Page-10, Ball State University, Digital Media Repository, a project of the university's libraries,, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3447/. Hereinafter cited as Richardville Family Tree.
  3. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  4. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  5. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  6. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  7. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  8. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  9. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Wa-sa-ca-suo-quah1

Family
Father*John Baptiste Richardville1
(Niece) Will23 May 1846Her aunt, La Blonde Richardville, prepared her will dated 23 May 1846 in Allen County, Indiana, naming her son, Ke-la-ke-mo-ke-ah, and daughter, Mon-go-se-quah, as her primary beneficiaries. Her will also contained bequests to her grandson, Me-che-ka-no-quah, the son of her deceased son, William Cass Richardville and Angelique Revarre, and to her niece, Wa-sa-ca-suo-quah, the daughter of her late brother, John Baptiste Richardville. A transcribed summary of her will follows:

1. To her beloved son Ke-la-ke-mo-ke-ah, alias George Ossem, his heirs and assigns forever, the section of land where I now reside; brick house, orchard and barn; the lines between that and the section devised to daughter, Mon-go-rah-quah are to be run under the direction of Executor. Also to said son Ke-la-ke-mo-ke-ah, the chairs in the parlor being twelve in number, the fancy mantle clock in the parlor, one large bureau and one new armoire bureau. One shaving case, the same formerly owned by my late father, one dining table, two bedsteads, two beds and bedding, one large looking glass, and all other furniture that is usually kept in the two north rooms of my house where I now live, and also all my horses, cattle, sheep and stock of any kind, and all my farming utensils.

2. To her dearly beloved daughter, Mon-go-se-quah, wife of James R. Godfrey, her heirs and assigns forever, the section of land where William Beck now resides, the land between it and that bequeathed to my son Ke-la-ke-mo-ke-ah to be run under the direction of my executors, the section thus bequeathed to my daughter, and the one to my son are to be run off under the direction of my executors so that each section shall contain six hundred and forty acres or thereabouts, as near as may be. Also to daughter, wife of James R. Godfrey, all by household and kitchen furniture, except that bequeathed to my son, George.

3. I will and bequeath to my grandson, the son of William Cass Richardville, deceased, and Angelie Revard, of the name of Me-che-ka-no-quah, one hundred dollars to be paid over to his mother by my executors, taking receipt therefor.

4. I give and bequeath to my niece Wa-sa-ca-suo-quah daughter of my late brother John Baptist Richardville, one hundred dollars to be paid to her at such time as my executors think best for her advantage.

5. To son Ke-la-ke-mo-ke-ah and daughter Mon-go-se-quah, their heirs and assigns forever, the section of land remaining undisposed of near where I now reside to be divided equally between them under the direction of my executors.

6. To son Ke-la-ke-mo-ke-ah, three-fourths (3/4) of all the money I may possess at the time of my death to be paid over by my executors to him, his guardian or guardians.

7. To daughter Mon-go-se-quah, one-fourth (1/4) of all the money I may possess at the time of my death to be paid over by my executors to her.

8. Hereby direct my executors to sell and dispose of all the residue of my lands and tenements which I will die possessed of, except those devised by this my last will and testament, to be disposed of by such directions as they think best calculation to sell will and for such prices as they may deem a fair value and on such terms of payment as to them may seem rewardable, and for securing payment for such lands thus sold, to give the their purchaser or purchasers, deed or deeds for such tract or tract as he or they may purchase, hereby fully empowering my executors, hereafter named, to make such sales and give such deeds of conveyance as will dispose of all my lands, except those disposed of and bequeathed in this my last will and testament.

9. I devise, will and bequeath the proceeds of the sale of my lands, so directed to be sold by my executors, in this my last will and testament, so soon as the same is rendered to money as well as all the credits and effects of every kind which I will die possessed of and not heretofore bequeathed in this my last will and testament, be equally divided and paid over by my said executors to my son Ke-la-ke-mo-ke-ah, alias George Ossem, and my daughter Mon-go-se-quah, the wife of James Godfrey, share and share alike, making my said son Ke-la-ke-mo-ke-ah and my daughter Man-go-se-quah legatees of all my property not heretofore bequeathed.

10. Devised and directed that after her death her body may be entered in such a manner and in such a place as her executors may direct.

11. Hereby constitute and appoint Allen Hamilton, Julian Benoit and Francis LaFontaine executors

Dated 23 May 1846; Signed and sealed La Blonde, alias Maria Louisa Richardville, with her X mark, and her witnesses were Francis Morrison and John Roch

Approved and opened for Probate on 1 June 1847.1 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.2,3,4,5,6,7,8 

Citations

  1. [S2621] Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999, online at www.ancestry.com, will of La Blonde Richardville dated 23 May 1846 in Allen County, Indiana, Probate Will Record, Volumes 1-2a, 1831-1875, pages 118-121, Ancestry online images 82-83 of 815. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999.
  2. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  3. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  4. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  5. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  6. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  7. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  8. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Wak-e-shen-e-quah1,2,3,4

Family
Father*Little Turtle5 b. bt 1747 - 1752, d. 14 Jul 1812
Mother*Mak-Wah Sister5,4
Birth*Wak-e-shen-e-quah was born at the bend of the Eel River in Turtle Village, Whitley County, Indiana.5 
Marriage*He married Nah-wa-kah-mo-kwa.6,4 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.7,8,9,10,11,12,13 

Family

 Nah-wa-kah-mo-kwa
Child 1.Kilsoquah+14,15 b. May 1810, d. 4 Sep 1915

Citations

  1. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907), Kilsoquah, pages 79-83, her father's name spelled "Mak-e-shen-quah", which we believe was a typo for "Wak-e-shen-quah". Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  2. [S2692] Calvin Young, "The Birthplace of Little Turtle", Ohio History Journal, Volume 23, pages 105-149, (April 1914, Number 2), viewed online at https://resources.ohiohistory.org/ohj/search/display.php page 145, Little Turtle's son's name spelled "Wak-shin-gay". Hereinafter cited as "The Birthplace of Little Turtle."
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Kiilhsoohkwa (Richardville) Revarre, Memorial# 34216800, which mistakenly reported her as a granddaughter of Chief Richardville, reported the spelling of her father's name as "Wak-sin-gay". Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  4. [S2693] Kil-so-quah Revarre 1916 Obituary, online at Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s, at www.newspapers.com, Piqua Leader-Dispatch, (Piqua, Ohio), Tuesday, February 15, 1916, Page 6, downloaded on November 4, 2024, reporting that her mother's name was "Nah-wa-mo-kwa", which meant Snow Woman, that her father, who was a son of Chief Little Turtle, was "Wok-shii-gah", which meant Crescent Moon. Hereinafter cited as Kil-so-quah Revarre 1916 Obituary.
  5. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, Kilsoquah, pages 79-83.
  6. [S1571] Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017, online at www.ancestry.com, death on 4 September 1915 in Jackson, Huntington, Indiana, USA, of Margaret (Kil-so-quah) Revarre, age 105, Widow of Anthony Revarre, born in May 1810 to "Wok-WA-Gah" and "Nah-WA-Kah-MO-Kwa" in Indiana, informant her son Anthony Revarre, burial in Glenwood Cemetery, Roanoke, referencing Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 1910-1919; Roll: 09. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017.
  7. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  8. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  9. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  10. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  11. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  12. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  13. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.
  14. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, Kilsoquah, pages 79-83, her father's name spelled "Mak-e-shen-quah."
  15. [S2692] Calvin Young, "The Birthplace of Little Turtle", page 145, her father's name spelled "Wak-shin-gay."

Wanagapeth1

b. 1773, d. 1805
Family
Father*Little Turtle1 b. bt 1747 - 1752, d. 14 Jul 1812
Mother*Mak-Wah Sister1
Birth*1773Wanagapeth, the eldest daughter of Miami war chief, Little Turtle, was probably born about 1773 at the bend of the Eel River in Turtle Village, Whitley County, Indiana.2,1,3 
Name VariationHer name in English was Sweet Breeze.4 
Marriage1791She married, as his second wife, William Wells about 1791.2,5,1 
Death*1805She died in 1805.5 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.6,7,8,9,10,11,12 

Citations

  1. [S225] Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, online at www.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanagapeth. Hereinafter cited as Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
  2. [S2700] Harvey Lewis Carter, The Life and Times of Little Turtle : First Sagamore of the Wabash, (St. Martin, Ohio: Commonwealth Book Company, Inc., 2022; published originally in 1987 by Harvey Lewis Carter), Chapter 10, "St. Clair's Defeat, 1791", pages 100-111. Hereinafter cited as The Life and Times of Little Turtle : First Sagamore of the Wabash.
  3. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907), Kilsoquah, pages 79-83. Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  4. [S2700] Harvey Lewis Carter, The Life and Times of Little Turtle : First Sagamore of the Wabash, Chapter 8, "Enter, William Wells, 1784", pages 82-87.
  5. [S225] Wikipedia Encyclopedia, online at www.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wells_(soldier).
  6. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  7. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  8. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  9. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  10. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  11. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  12. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Wapesitah1,2

Family
Father*Me-to-cin-yah1,2 b. 1760, d. 1839
(2nd Son) Research Notes According to The Last of the Miamis, Me-to-cin-yah's grandfather, Chief Osandiah, had once lived with his family at the Miami capital of Kekionga, which is now Fort Wayne, Indiana. He moved with his tribal band to the Big (Great) Miami river, near what is now Piqua, Ohio. There he became a prominent Indian chief. At Osandiah's death, he was succeeded by his son, Aw-taw-waw-taw, who died soon after. The chieftainship then fell to Me-to-cin-yah, son of Aw-taw-waw-taw. Regarding his name, which had earlier been written as Metosinia by the French and English settlers, the source reported that the chief is better known in history as Me-to-cin-yah. And his name was often written by the author as Metocinyah, without the hyphens. After becoming chief, Me-to-cin-yah led his tribal band back west to Indiana and settled on the Mississinewa river where he raised a large family and became an influential chief. The village of Metocinyah, which was very large and important among the Indians, was located at the mouth of Jocinah Creek in what is now the southern part of Wabash County, Indiana. Jocinah is a modification of the name Metocinyah.

Me-to-cin-yah was thought to have had ten sons and also a number of daughters. Meshingomesia, his oldest son, became the chief of the Mississinewa band when Metocinyah died in 1839. Meshingomesia, early in life, married a Miami wife, Tak-e-quah, and they had two sons and no daughters of their own, although they raised an Indian girl whose mother was an Indian and whose father was a pioneer merchant in Peru, Indiana. Meshingomesia also took an interest in a Potawatomie Indian boy and had him adopted into the Miami tribe. For forty years, Meshingomesia was a trusted leader and advisor of his people, and was the last tribal chief of the Miamis with anything like the power of the old-time chiefs. His reservation was surrounded by white people with whom he lived in peace and by whom he was held in high esteem.

The names of Meshingomesia's nine brothers were believed recorded in 1840 when the Mississinewa Reservation was granted to the entire family of Me-to-cin-yah, although only three of them had been connected to any specific recorded events at the time of the source's publication in 1935. Wapesitah married Kegetonaquah, commonly called Shickaway; Chapendocia, whose wife was No-an-ge-quah, had a number of children; and Me-ta-ke-quah, who was also known as Captain Dixon, married when she was grown, Lydia Tharp, the little white girl who had been stolen from her father's home during the War of 1812 by Mississinewa Indians and raised at the village of Metocinyah. Charles Dixon, the son of Lydia Tharp and Captain Dixon, plays a role, with some of his descendants, in our research project.3,1,2 
Marriage*His wife's name was Kegetonaquah.2 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.4,5,6,7,8,9,10 

Family

 Kegetonaquah

Citations

  1. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935), Meshingomesia, pages 32-36. Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  2. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, Meshingomesia, his brothers, pages 35-36.
  3. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, Metocinyah, pages 30-32.
  4. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  5. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  6. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  7. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  8. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  9. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis.
  10. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

Waucoon1

b. 1820, d. 1882
Family
Birth*1820Waucoon, who was a Potawatomi Indian, was born about 1820.1,2 
Marriage*He married Lus-ke-kuz-quah, a cousin of Chief Meshingomesia. They raised a large family of children, all girls except one son who died in infancy.1,2 
Biographical Info*The author of "The Frances Slocum Trail", writing about Waucoon, tells us that the old Indian was a most interesting character. He was one of the Potawatomi tribe, although he married a Miami woman who was a cousin of Chief Meshingomesia, who took a liking to him and adopted him into the Miami tribe.

Published originally in 1933, the source continued that Waucoon "built a home near where Grant Creek empties into the Mississinewa. He had a two story log cabin. It was much better than most of the Indian cabins, or even better than most of the white settlers had. Many stories are told of the roughness of this old Indian. But many of these are traditional referring to the days when he was raw savage and before he tried to become a Christian. His rough language and conduct have been emphasized and little has been said about his good qualities. As he gained light and knowledge he tried to make it real. He sent his daughters to Wabash to take music lessons. His was one of the few homes of that day where there was an organ. At times he had a teacher come to his home to give his children the beginnings of an education. It is said that he was the main one to urge the building of the pike from his home to Treaty, three miles north. He furnished the gravel.

"He had a large orchard of good bearing fruit trees. He took much interest in the church and endeavored to be a preacher. Many of his white neighbors were as rough as he was. They used vulgar and profane words whose meaning he did not know and often repeated them, even in his preaching. He solicited money and built a church, providing most of the money himself. That church is still standing, and in one of the doors may be seen a bullet hole where a white rough-neck shot at him through the door while he was preaching. Most of his daughters married white men who wanted the land they got from the government, but these marriages did not turn out well, for such white men are not much good, not nearly as good as the Indian women they married. There are very few descendants of the Waucoon family today. A fine set of farm buildings have replaced Waucoon’s buildings. The old church still stands, being used as a machine shop by the owner of the farm. Near by is the Waucoon cemetery where he and his wife and some of their children are buried."2 
(Recipient) Research Notes The following is copied, with minor modifications, from Winger's The Last of the Miamis, pages 35-37:

"In many ways, Meshingomesia's Mississinewa Indians had a good thing. They were perhaps living as well as Indians ever did. True, most of their hunting grounds were gone but they could introduce agriculture as rapidly as they liked. They had many of the advantages of the white settlers if they wished to accept them. When other Indians who had received individual grants were losing all they had this reservation was secure. No mortgage could be put upon it. The Indians were not citizens but wards of the government. They could neither sue nor be sued. Their condition seemed good for Indians.

"Some of the Indians began to desire to be citizens and to have this reservation divided among individual Indians. Some of their best white friends advised them against it. Some unscrupulous white traders, looking for victims, urged them on. At last Meshingomesia yielded to the pressure and requested the government to make the division. Congress appointed commissioners to do the work. The land was surveyed and the values estimated. There were found to be sixty-three Indians of Miami blood, or adopted, who were related to Meshingomesia".... For the purpose of the division, those sixty-three individuals were grouped into the families headed by Pe-con-ge-oh, Aw-taw-waw-taw, Chapendocia, Captain Dixon, Waucoon and Jane Newman.... "To each of these sixty-three men, women and children, a portion of these ten sections of the reservation was assigned. Each Indian received a farm in size somewhat in accordance to its location and value. The farms ranged in size from seventy-five acres to one hundred ten acres.... The following names indicate the families who received farms and the number of farms received by members of each family:

"Meshingomesia and his wife, two farms.
"Peconga, wife and children, nine farms.
"Awtawwawtaw, wife, children, and grandchildren, twelve farms.
"The widow, children and grandchildren of Chapendocia, nine farms.
"The children and grandchildren of Captain Dixon, seven farms.
"Waucoon and his children, eight farms.
"Jane Newman and her children, six farms.
"Other relatives of Meshingomesia, ten farms.

"The provision of the divide was that the Indians would not become citizens nor dispose of their lands until after 1880. But many of the Indians began to build better homes and to purchase many things such as the whites had. Money was loaned to them with the promises that it would be paid when they received their money. Nelson Tawataw built a fine, large brick house nearby the Indian cabin of his grandfather, Meshingomesia. Mr. Tawataw was a good financier and had he lived would no doubt have done well. But many others were not so. Their wants were many. They did not realize that borrowed money would have to be paid for and that they were now citizens and could be sued. Many white men were all ready to loan them money. Soon their land began going. Farm after farm was lost to the Indians until by the opening of the present century very few had any possessions left. One by one the Indian families left the lands of their ancestors to move to Marion, Wabash, Peru or other places where they have intermarried with the whites and their identity as well as their history has been all but lost."3 
Death*1882He died in 1882 in Wabash County, Indiana, at about age 62.2 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.4,5,6,7,8,9,10 

Family

 Lus-ke-kuz-quah

Citations

  1. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935), Meshingomesia, his family, pages 32-33. Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  2. [S2689] Otho Winger, The Frances Slocum Trail, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (North Manchester, Indiana: L. W. Schultz, Revised and Enlarged c1943; Original c1933), Waucoon, pages 65-67. Hereinafter cited as The Frances Slocum Trail.
  3. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, The Last of the Reservation, pages 36-37.
  4. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  5. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  6. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  7. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  8. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  9. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis.
  10. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

White Loon1

b. 1769, d. 11 October 1876
Family
Biographical Info* Waapimaankwa, who was also known as White Loon, was a prominent Miami leader who engaged with the Miami National Council during the turbulent 1840s over the forced removal of the Miami people to Kansas. He owned a section of land at the crossing of Longlois's creek on the Ten-mile reserve, and pointed to the taxes he paid on that property as grounds to be excused from the Treaty of 1840.2,3,4 
Birth*1769White Loon was born about 1769 at the place that would become Peru, Miami County, Indiana.5,6 
Name VariationHis Indian name was recorded as Wa-Pe-Mung-Ah in his will, and as Wapamangwa or Wawpawwawqua on his Find a Grave memorial.7,5 
Name VariationHis name was recorded as Waapimaankwa 'White Loon' when his family was granted an exemption from Removal by the U.S. Congress in 1850.2 
Relationship Note*White Loon and White Loon Sister were siblings.1 
Historical Note*3 August 1795 He was a Miami village chief near the present town of Roanoke, Huntington County, Indiana. As a Miami warrior and leader during several of the Indian conflicts with the United States, he may have been active at the Battle of the Wabash and General St. Clair's Defeat in 1791. He signed the Greenville Treaty as "Wapamangwa" on 3 August 1795. He was a leader during Tecumseh's War between 1811 and1813, led his warriors at the Battle of Tippecanoe in November 1811, and during the War of 1812.5,8 
Marriage*He married Ma-cute-mon-quah, a daughter of Little Turtle and a sister of Mak-Wah.1 
(Miami Leader) Indian Removal Act Copied in part, with minor changes, from the "Myaamia, A Living History: Myaamia Removal:

"Following the arrival of Europeans, the Miami were disrupted by waves of disease, war, and relocation. Beginning in 1795, the Miami were forced to sign treaties giving up ever-increasing amounts of their precious homeland to the government of the United States. By the 1830s, the Miami had only about 500,000 acres, which was surrounded by land controlled by the State of Indiana. Land speculators and settlers wanted this land too.

"In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. The goal of this act was to force all tribes to move west of the Mississippi. Throughout the 1830s, many tribes suffered their own version of the “Trail of Tears” most commonly associated with the Cherokee Nation’s forced removal in 1838. Throughout this period, the Miami resisted giving up their reservation in Indiana."9 
(Exemption Requested) Miami Removalbetween 1838 and 1845 In the Miami treaty of 1838, the Miami National Council had agreed, for the first time, to consider the possibility of a future Indian Removal, and also contained, for the family of Chief John B. Richardville, the first Exemption from Removal. The Miami treaty of 1840 provided for two additional families, those of Chief Francis Godfroy and Chief Meshingomesia, to continue to receive their share of the annuities at Fort Wayne, Indiana, essentially exempting those families also from Removal. And, on 3 March 1845, the family of Frances Slocum was exempted from Removal by a joint resolution of Congress. By 1845, most Miami National Council leaders who owned reservation land but were not exempted, also sought legal remedy to avoid Removal and protect their homes. They wrote to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, petitioned Congress, and hired Dr. Graham Fitch to lobby for them in Congress.

Using his Indian name, Toohpia, Principal Chief Francis Toohpia LaFontaine and other Miami leaders went to Washington themselves to discuss exemptions. Their letter following the visit showed them taking a new tactic to avoid Removal for Miami landowners, reflecting the reasons for the exemption of the Godfroy family and citing Indiana state law as the impediment to their Removal.

“Certain individuals of our nation, who are not permitted by treaty or by law of Congress to remain in Indiana and draw their annuities there, hold individual reservations of land by treaty, which they have improved, and upon which they are now living, and have paid taxes. A law of the State of Indiana forbids them making private sale of these lands, declaring all contracts with our people null and void. If such of our people emigrate, their farms will be ruined or sold for taxes, and their personal property, stock, etc., sacrificed. Will not our great father permit such of our people to remain upon their lands, and draw their annuities in Indiana, in the same manner as is specified in a similar permission, by treaty and by law of Congress, to a few other of our people? Such permission to be extended to those land owners (not now having it) until the legal inability to sell their lands is removed, or the U.S. buys them….”

They pointed out the hypocrisy that the federal government could force them from their homes on lands they owned as private property, a most sacred American tradition, while at the same time, the state of Indiana refused to allow them to legally sell their property. If they were removed, Miami leaders and their families would likely be swindled out of their lands, if their property was not outright stolen from them.

Dr. Graham Fitch, as a lobbyist for the National Council, sent a list to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, of the Miami who owned reservation land and wished to stay in Indiana. The list of petitioners included additional members of the family of Chief John B. Richardville, whose name was recorded as Pinšiwa ‘Wild Cat', and also the families of Misihkwa, Mahkateehsipana 'Cotesipin', Mihtekwahkia 'Coesse', Amehkoonsa 'Seek', Meehkwaahkonanka 'Benjamin', Meesancihkwa, Šowaapinamwa 'Antoine Revarre' and Waapimaankwa 'White Loon', and the heirs of Sha-co-mo and Chief Majenica. The men on this list were all prominent Miami leaders.2,3,4 
(Removal Petitioner) Miami Removal None of the 1845 petitioners were granted exemptions before the Miami's forced emigration to Kansas began, so tragically, they and their families were also "on Removal" and had to leave their homes and lands in Indiana with all of the other displaced members of the Miami tribe. They had resisted removal for six years and, with each passing year, more families were officially exempted from removal. They believed that everyone would be able to stay on individual family allotments that had been created for decades prior to 1840. All hope of resistance to removal ended, though, when private contractors and the U.S. Army were ordered to forcibly remove those that had not been exempted. U.S. Removal Agent Joseph Sinclair, however, did allow some of the petitioner's family members to temporarily stay behind to harvest the fall crops and sell their reservation land on the assumption that the state of Indiana would lift that ban on them.2,3,4,9 
(Miami Leader) Miami Removal6 October 1846The Miami's forced emigration to the Kansas Territory began on 6 October 1846 and, among those with Miami Indian blood, the only individuals who were permitted to remain in the Wabash country and not be removed to Kansas, were those who were specifically Exempted from Removal: the Meshingomesia Band, plus descendants of Chief Richardville and Francis Godfroy, the Slocum Family and Chief LaFontaine, his wife and their children. Everyone else was "on Removal". It would be winter before their grueling one-month journey brought them to their destination. In order to share their experiences as best we know how, we've copied, without changes, the description of their journey from the "Myaamia, A Living History: Myaamia Removal" source:

"On October 6th, 1846, hundreds of Myaamia were loaded onto three canal boats in Peru, Indiana – a place they called Iihkipihsinonki. Iihkipihsinonki translates to “straight place”. It was named because of the straight course of the Wabash River in that spot. From Iihkipihsinonki the canal boats were pulled along the Wabash-Erie Canal and followed the Wabash north to Ft. Wayne.

"The forced exodus began in earnest the next day, when more Myaamia were forcibly loaded onto canal boats in Ft. Wayne, known to the Myaamia as Kiihkayonki. Kiihkayonki was the original site of their largest village and was called “that Glorious Gate” by the Myaamia leader Mihšihkinaahkwa. That day the forced exodus began.

"On October 7th, Kiihkayonki became the gateway of the removal from Myaamionki. From Kiihkayonki, the five canal boats were pulled to the Miami-Erie canal and began a four-day journey south to Cincinnati, OH. On their way south the Myaamia passed numerous sites of great historical and cultural importance. They passed the site of Fort Defiance, the military bastion from which Anthony Wayne launched his final invasion into Myaamionki in 1794. They also passed Pinkwaawilenionki (Pickawillany) a prominent Myaamia village site in the mid-eighteenth century. Much of the Miami-Erie canal followed the course of the Ahsenisiipi (the Great Miami River); a river that originally was a major route of travel to their hunting grounds along the Ohio River and to their relatives who also called that beautiful place home.

"On October 11th, they reached the growing metropolis of Cincinnati, Ohio. In Cincinnati, the Myaamia were moved to the steamship Colorado, and on October 12th the ship began its journey west on the Kaanseenseepiiwi (Ohio River). While on route to the Mississippi River an infant passed away. After eight days of travel on the Colorado, they arrived in St. Louis, Missouri. The Myaamia were unloaded at Bloody Island, which lay in the middle of the Mississippi River. This location placed the group near the traditional village sites of their Inoka (Illinois) relatives and as such it was a place they knew well. However it was also at the western edge of Myaamionki. To the west lay the traditional homelands of groups that had formerly been their enemies; to their parents’ generation those western lands had been a dangerous place. Yet, the Americans told them these lands in the west were to be their new homes. Upon arriving at Bloody Island an elderly member of the group passed away. The elder and the infant that had passed earlier in the journey were buried on or near the Island according to Myaamia tribal traditions.

"On October 23rd, the Myaamia were loaded onto the steamship Clermont No. 2 and were taken north on the Mississippi River to its confluence with the Missouri River. From this point, they followed the Missouri River west to Kanza Landing, which today lies on the Missouri side of Kansas City. For the first time in their journey, these forced migrants were outside their traditional homelands. After a month of journeying, these Myaamia had moved from the forested bottomlands of the Wabash River Valley to the edge of the great American prairielands of the west. It was a very different landscape, and winter had set in.

"On November 1st, three hundred and twenty five Myaamia were unloaded at Kanza Landing. The next day they traveled the final fifty miles of their journey to Osage River sub-agency in the Unorganized Territory (Kansas). They arrived at Sugar Creek on Nov. 5th, of 1846. It was winter on the plains and the people were forced to sleep in government issued tents and eat government rations until they could build more permanent structures.

"After only just arriving in Kansas the Myaamia were told they had to move again. Kansas was becoming a state and hoped to move American Indians south to Oklahoma to open up land for settlers. In 1873, a small group of Myaamia traveled 150 miles south to what is today Miami, Oklahoma completing the final leg of a journey that began back in Indiana twenty-seven years earlier."9,10,11 
(Return to Indiana) Miami RemovalSpring 1847 Following the 1846 forced Miami Removal to Kansas, several Miami families quietly made their way back to their homelands in Indiana. In the Spring of 1847, among those who, traveling together, returned to Indiana were the families of Principal Chief Francis Toohpia LaFontaine, White Loon, Mia-que-ah, Antoine Revarre and Coesse. They had spent the winter in Kansas and, on the journey home, Chief LaFontaine became ill.2,3,4,12,5 
(Miami Leader) Death13 April 1847 Sadly, Chief LaFontaine didn't make it all the way home. He died on 13 April 1847 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, at about age 37. Although members of his family believed he had been poisoned, Lafontaine's weight and the rigors of travel are believed by most to have been more likely causes of his death.13,10 
Miami Removal1850 In 1850, the U.S. Congress granted official removal exemptions to the additional members of the family of Miami Chief John B. Richardville, whose name was recorded as Pinšiwa ‘Wild Cat', and also the families of Waapimaankwa 'White Loon', Šowaapinamwa 'Antoine Revarre', Mihtekwahkia 'Coesse', Misihkwa, Oonseentia 'John Osandiah', Mahkateehsipana 'Cotesipin', Amehkoonsa 'Seek', Mahkateemaankwa, Amehkoonsihkwa 'wife of Benjamin', Kinooseensa 'Peter Langlois' and Elizabeth Langlois, identifying them as specific Miami tribal leaders, community members, individuals, families, and their descendants who had returned to Indiana after the forced removals. With this action, Congress formally legalized their returns, allowing them to remain in Indiana permanently.

The names of Sha-co-mo, Chief Majenica and Meesancihkwa, or Chief Little Turtle, whose family members had also requested exemptions from Removal, were not included, nor was any mention of their heirs.2,3,4 
Description*5 May 1874In a newspaper article in the Fort Wayne News Sentinel of 5 May 1874, White Loon, who was a son-in-law of Chief Little Turtle and at the time reported to have been between 104 and 105 years of age, was described as tall, and straight as an arrow, with a straight white beard and a complexion which was unmistakable "red". He was a member of the Miami tribe and spoke no other tongue but Miami. He stated that he remembered Tecumseh distinctly, and also had a firm recollection of the building of Fort Wayne, which he invariably called "Kekionga", which had been the original name of the village, before it became Fort Wayne, when it was the capital of the Miami nation.7 
Will*5 May 1874He prepared his will dated 5 May 1874. It directed that, after all of his just debts were duly paid, the balance of his estate he gave devised and bequeathed to Mary E. Revarre and Anthony Revarre, share and share alike. Anthony and his sister, Mary E. Revarre, were the children of Kilsoquah and Antoine Revarre.14 
Death*11 October 1876He died on 11 October 1876 in Roanoke, Huntington County, Indiana, at the reported age of 107 years.15,16 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.17,18,19,20,21,22,23 

Family

 Ma-cute-mon-quah

Citations

  1. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907), Kilsoquah, pages 79-83. Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  2. [S3054] Aacimohtaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/07/02/…, article published by Diane Hunter on July 2, 2021, https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/07/02/…. Hereinafter cited as Aacimohtaatiiyankwi- Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  3. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet, https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  4. [S3056] Aacimohtaatiiyankwi, a blog serving as a space for Myaamia ‘Miami’ people to connect, reflect, and share. Our primary goal is to provide a platform for conversations about our community, places, ecological observations, and shared pasts. It also serves as a resource for educational opportunities that support a deeper understanding of Myaamia culture, language, and identity. Aacimohtatiiyaankwi is collaboratively authored by a dedicated team from the Myaamia Center at Miami University, the Cultural Resources Office of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, and guests from the Myaamia community. Through regular posts, we share insights, stories, research, and observations that reflect the ongoing efforts to support Myaamia knowledge; online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org. Hereinafter cited as Aacimohtaatiiyankwi.
  5. [S225] Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, online at www.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Loon. Hereinafter cited as Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
  6. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, White Loon “Wapamangwa or Wawpawwawqua” Miami Indian leader, Memorial# 236592364, with two attached obituary newspaper clippings, both dated Saturday, 21 October 1876. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  7. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, White Loon “Wapamangwa or Wawpawwawqua” Miami Indian leader, Memorial# 236592364.
  8. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919), page 24. Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  9. [S2788] Telling Our Story: A Living History of the Myaamia, online at https://teachmyaamiahistory.org/, Myaamia Removal, https://teachmyaamiahistory.org/contents/section5/readings/…. Hereinafter cited as Telling Our Story: A Living History of the Myaamia.
  10. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Chapter III, Indian Chiefs and Treaties, pages 28-51.
  11. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Chief Francis Topeah Lafontaine, Memorial# 42524370, which includes historical information contributed by various sources and authors.
  12. [S2953] Larry M. Wyckoff, Miami Indian Reservations in Indiana and Ohio, published 2022, online at https://www.academia.edu/84623627/…, page 47, #107, "To White Loon one section of land, at the crossing of Longlois's creek, on the Ten mile reserve, to run up said creek." White Loon’s reservation was located in Jackson Township, Huntington County and Lafayette Township, Allen County; Township 29 North, of Ranges 10 and 11 East, Survey# 43; referencing Maps 49, 59 and 60. Hereinafter cited as Miami Indian Reservations in Indiana and Ohio.
  13. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Chief Francis Topeah Lafontaine, Memorial# 42524370, recording his date of death as 15 April 1847 on the Memorial, and as 14 April 1847 and 13 April 1847 in added material relating to his life and death.
  14. [S225] Wikipedia Encyclopedia, online at www.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Loon, citing "Last will and testament of Wa-Pe-Mung-Ah (alias White Loon)" (PDF). Allen County Public Library, retrieved 8 November 2021.
  15. [S225] Wikipedia Encyclopedia, online at www.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Loon, reporting his date of death as 22 November 1876.
  16. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, White Loon “Wapamangwa or Wawpawwawqua” Miami Indian leader, Memorial# 236592364, recording his date of death as 11 October 1876, and with two attached obituary newspaper clippings, both dated Saturday, 21 October 1876.
  17. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  18. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  19. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…
  20. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  21. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  22. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  23. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

White Loon Sister1

Family
Relationship Note*White Loon Sister and White Loon were siblings.1 
Name VariationMe-tek-on-sac may have been the name of Coesse's first wife, who was the sister of White Loon.2,3 
Marriage*She married, as his first wife, Coesse, son of Kat-e-mong-wah.1 
Death*She died without leaving any children.1 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.4,5,6,7,8,9,10 

Family

 Coesse b. 1792, d. 1853

Citations

  1. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907), Kilsoquah, pages 79-83. Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  2. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere; Reserve Record# 75, Miami Indian Census of 1881, page 58, household of #38.,Tak-con-ze-quah, widow of Ko-as-se, age 63, mother of #39, As-son-zon-zah, alias George Slusman, son of Tah-con-ze-quah, age 25. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  3. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, Kilsoquah, pages 79-83, Coesse's wife's name spelled "Me-teck-on-sac", whom we suspect may have been Coesse's first wife, a sister of White Loon.
  4. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  5. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php
  6. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  7. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  8. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  9. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935). Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  10. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.

White Racoon1

Family
Marriage*She married Francis LaFontaine Sr.1 

Family

 Francis LaFontaine Sr.
Child 1.Francis LaFontaine+1 b. 1810, d. 13 Apr 1847

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Chief Francis Topeah Lafontaine, Memorial# 42524370, which includes historical information contributed by various sources and authors. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.

White Racoon1

Family
Name VariationHer Indian name was Wappesepah, which in English meant White Racoon.1 

Family
Child 1.Not-to-ma-quah+1

Citations

  1. [S2691] Richardville Family Tree, from the Elizabeth Glenn Collection, "Richardville, LaFontaine, Langlois, Cass, and Little Turtle genealogical tree", RG-04-01-40-B06-F25-052_Page-10, Ball State University, Digital Media Repository, a project of the university's libraries,, online at https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/GlennElizaC/id/3447/. Hereinafter cited as Richardville Family Tree.

Wop-Shing-Qua1

Family
Marriage*1835He married O-zah-shin-quah, daughter of She-po-con-ah and Frances Slocum, in 1835.1 
(American Indian) Indian Names Getting the Native American Indian names in our project "right" has been a struggle for us because we have often seen the same person's name spelled in several different ways. This was, at first, both frustrating and stressful to those of us who strive for accuracy in the presentation of our research. When we learned that the Miami Indians, who feature prominently in our project, had no written language before their associations with the French and English who kept records by writing them down, we began to understand. It’s all very human. Not every person speaks their words in the same way, and each listener may hear the same words differently. So, it’s not surprising that, phonetically, when names were spoken, they would be written down as each individual listener heard them.2,3,4,5,6,7,8 

Family

 O-zah-shin-quah b. Oct 1809, d. 25 Jan 1877
Child 1.Ki po ki na mo qua+9,1 b. 25 Sep 1836, d. 28 Oct 1879

Citations

  1. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Manchester, Indiana: Otho Winger, c1935), John B. Brouillette, pages 23-27. Hereinafter cited as The Last of The Miamis.
  2. [S2698] Prepared by the United States Department of the Interior for Indian Affairs and dated 12 July 1990, "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc.", in response to a petition submitted to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Federal acknowledgment that this group exists as an Indian Tribe; downloaded record number MNI-V001-D004, (file name 066_pf-2.pdf) from the Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs website (https://www.bia.gov) in October 2024. Hereinafter cited as "Summary Under the Criteria and Evidence for Proposed Finding Against Federal Acknowledgment of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana, Inc."
  3. [S2695] Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895, online at https://www.genealogycenter.info/search_miamiannuities.php; the website offers a Search capability and notes that the images were taken from microfilm, and that some years are out of order. The records include the following, although we've discovered they are more mixed up than we expected: Annuity Payroll, (reported to be the1854 cover only, although the handwritten pages that follow appear to us to be from 1854); Annuity Payroll, 1882; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Annuity Payroll, Eel River Tribe, 1889 (continued); Annuity Payroll, 1891; Annuity Payroll, 1895; Land Division, Francis Godfroy; and 1881 Census of Miami Indians in Indiana and Elsewhere. Hereinafter cited as Annuities and Census of the Miami Indians, 1854 - 1895.
  4. [S2694] Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal, online at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/10/28/…, with additional information from a linked Google Spreadsheet. Hereinafter cited as Aacimotaatiiyankwi - Myaamia Exempt From Removal.
  5. [S2690] S. P. Kaler and R. H. Maring, History of Whitley County, Indiana, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org. (Place of publication not identified: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1907). Hereinafter cited as History of Whitley County, Indiana.
  6. [S2675] Authur L. Bodurtha, History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, in 2 volumes, downloaded from the Boston Public Library eBooks and Texts Archive at www.archive.org, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1919). Hereinafter cited as History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests.
  7. [S2661] Otho Winger, The Last of The Miamis.
  8. [S2662] T. B. Helm, History of Wabash County, Indiana : containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, military records portraits of early settlers and prominent men, personal reminiscences, etc., downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Chicago, Illinois: John Morris, Printer, 1884). Hereinafter cited as History of Wabash County, Indiana.
  9. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Elizabeth “Ki po ki na mo qua” (Bondy) Godfroy, Memorial# 37551417. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.

Samuel Aaron1

Family
Marriage*He married Belinda Beere, daughter of John Beere and Elizabeth Lunn.1 

Family

 Belinda Beere

Citations

  1. [S2037] Edward Mathews, The Thomas family of Hilltown, Bucks County, Penn'a, downloaded from the Family History Library at www.familysearch.org. (Landsdale, Pennsylvania: Arthur K. Thomas, 1884), Chapter XI. The children of Mannesseh Thomas, pages 48-49, Amy Lunn. Hereinafter cited as The Thomas family of Hilltown, Bucks County, Penn'a.

Christopher Abbott1

d. 1783
Family
(Friend) Will3 October 1763Christopher, described as his friend, received a legacy in the will of Thomas Gerrard dated 3 October 1763 at Liscartan, County Meath. He also served as a witness to the will.1,2 
(Witness to Deed) Deed Memorial20 December 1771Christopher was a witness to a memorial of an indented deed bearing date 20 December 1771 made whereby Samuel Gerrard of Liscartan in the county of Meath, Esq., executor of Thomas Gerrard of Liscartan, gentleman, deceased, for the consideration therein mentioned, devised unto Charles Vipont of Bellevue in the county of Dublin, Esq., all that and those the castles, towns and lands of Liscartan in the county of Meath, containing 430 acres more or less with the appurtenances.3 
(Witness to Deed) Deed Memorial26 November 1779Christopher and his son Christopher Jr. were witnesses to a memorial of an indented deed of agreement dated 26 November 1779 made between Thomas Gerrard of Martry in the county of Meath, gentleman and William Gerrard, his only son, of the first part, Mary Stiles, one of the executors of the last will and testament of Charles Vipont, late of Jamestown in the county of Dublin, Esq., deceased, of the second part, Jane Vipont, spinster, of the third part, and Graves Chamney of Platin in the county of Meath, Esq., of the fourth part.4 
Residence*Christopher lived in Dublin.5 
Death*1783He died about 17835 
Will* leaving a will5 
Probate*1783 which was probated in 1783.5 

Family
Child 1.Christopher Abbott Jr.6

Citations

  1. [S1719] Thomas Gerrard will (3 October 1763), Abstract of the Will of Thomas Gerrard of Liscartan, County Meath, Ireland, Ms. 654, "Abstracts of wills of Thomas and William Gerrard", received with great joy and many thanks from a fellow Gerrard researcher who received them from the National Library of Ireland, Genealogical Office in Dublin. LHB Computer Files, Summerlin, Nevada. Hereinafter cited as Abstract of the 1763 Will of Thomas Gerrard.
  2. [S1620] Betham Genealogical Abstracts, online at Find My Past, www.findmypast.com, Thomas Gerrard of Liscartan, will dated 3 October 1763, probated 4 December 1763. Hereinafter cited as Betham Genealogical Abstracts.
  3. [S588] Ireland Registry of Deeds, Transcripts of memorials of deeds, conveyances and wills, 1708-1929; on 2687 FHL microfilms. Most are now digitized and available online at www.familysearch.org, LDS Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah: 1771; Film# 530914, Volume 281, pages 686-687, Deed Number 189262, image 363. Hereinafter cited as Deeds, conveyances and wills, 1708-1929.
  4. [S588] Ireland Registry of Deeds, Deeds, conveyances and wills, 1708-1929; on 2687 FHL microfilms: 1787; Film# 532579, Volume 382, pages 262-263, Deed Number 254726, image 140.
  5. [S1642] Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland 1536-1810 (Sir Arthur Vicars), online at Find My Past, www.findmypast.com, 1783, Christopher Abbot, Dublin Esq. Hereinafter cited as Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland 1536-1810.
  6. [S588] Ireland Registry of Deeds, Deeds, conveyances and wills, 1708-1929; on 2687 FHL microfilms: 1778; Film# 531695, Volume 323, pages 357-358, Deed Number 215449, images 187-188.

Christopher Abbott Jr.1

Family
Father*Christopher Abbott1 d. 1783
Birth*Christopher Abbott Jr. was probably born in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland.1 
(Witness to Memorial) Deed Memorial4 April 1778Christopher Abbott Jr. was a witness to a memorial made of the last will and testament, bearing date the 25th of August 1777, of Charles Vipont, late of Jamestown, County Dublin, Esq., deceased. The memorial was registered on 4 April 1778.1 
(Witness to Deed) Deed Memorial26 November 1779Christopher and his father were witnesses to a memorial of an indented deed of agreement dated 26 November 1779 made between Thomas Gerrard of Martry in the county of Meath, gentleman and William Gerrard, his only son, of the first part, Mary Stiles, one of the executors of the last will and testament of Charles Vipont, late of Jamestown in the county of Dublin, Esq., deceased, of the second part, Jane Vipont, spinster, of the third part, and Graves Chamney of Platin in the county of Meath, Esq., of the fourth part.2 

Citations

  1. [S588] Ireland Registry of Deeds, Transcripts of memorials of deeds, conveyances and wills, 1708-1929; on 2687 FHL microfilms. Most are now digitized and available online at www.familysearch.org, LDS Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah: 1778; Film# 531695, Volume 323, pages 357-358, Deed Number 215449, images 187-188. Hereinafter cited as Deeds, conveyances and wills, 1708-1929.
  2. [S588] Ireland Registry of Deeds, Deeds, conveyances and wills, 1708-1929; on 2687 FHL microfilms: 1787; Film# 532579, Volume 382, pages 262-263, Deed Number 254726, image 140.

Louise (__?__) Abbott1,2

Family
Marriage*1 January 1829She married, as his second wife, Rees Hill, son of Robert Hill and Priscilla Bowen, on 1 January 1829 in Frederick County, Virginia.3,1,2 
Census US 1850*1850Louisa and her husband, Rees Hill, appeared on the 1850 census in District 16, Frederick County, Virginia. Rees, spelled "Reece", age 75, was a farmer with real estate valued at $16,530. His wife Louisa was age 63, and their daughter Louisa R. was age 20. Others in the household consisted of Juliet B. Abbott, age 42, and Amanda M. Wiley, age 10. All members of the household had been born in Virginia.4 
Burial*She was buried at Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia.5 

Family

 Rees Hill b. 15 Apr 1776, d. 24 Nov 1852
Child 1.Louisa Rochester Hill2,6 b. 1830

Citations

  1. [S45] Dean Heaton, Heaton Families II, in two volumes, with indexes in Volume II. Warning: In this researcher's opinion, the information in these volumes often proves to be inaccurate. At the same time, the information presented has provided us with valuable clues for pursuing future research strategies in our attempt to establish a factual history of our Heaton family. (Tempe, Arizona: published for the author by Graphics of Tempe, 1999), Volume I, Chapter 7, page 243. Hereinafter cited as Heaton Families II.
  2. [S1272] Howard L. Leckey, The Tenmile Country and its Pioneer Families. A Genealogical History of the Upper Monongahela Valley (with surname index). (Apollo, Pennsylvania: Closson Press, August 1993), page 291. Hereinafter cited as The Tenmile Country.
  3. [S1404] Virginia, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1740-1850, online at www.ancestry.com. Hereinafter cited as Virginia, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1740-1850.
  4. [S17] 1850 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of "Reece" Hill, District 16, Frederick County, Virginia; Roll: M432_945; Page: 239A; Image: 84. Hereinafter cited as 1850 United States Federal Census.
  5. [S1272] Howard L. Leckey, The Tenmile Country, pages 290-291.
  6. [S45] Dean Heaton, Heaton Families II, Volume I, Chapter 7, page 244, although indicating she was the daughter of Nancy Heaton, Rees' first wife.

Phebe Abbott1,2

b. 1814
Family
Birth*1814Phebe Abbott was born in 1814 in Ohio.1 
Marriage*5 March 1840She married George W. Robinson on 5 March 1840 in Butler County, Ohio.1,2 
(Wife) Death25 March 1864Phebe became a widow when George W. Robinson died of disease while serving in the Union army on 25 March 1864 at Alexandria, Fairfax County, Virginia, at about age 42.2,3 

Family

 George W. Robinson b. 1822, d. 25 Mar 1864
Child 1.Mary E. Robinson+1 b. 1846

Citations

  1. [S18] 1860 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of George W. and Phebe Robinson, The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Waltz, Wabash, Indiana; Roll: M653_304; Page: 59; Family History Library Film: 803304. Hereinafter cited as 1860 United States Federal Census.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Corp George W Robinson, Memorial# 3256784. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  3. [S2292] Web: Indiana, U.S., Civil War Soldier Database Index, 1861-1865, online at www.ancestry.com, data for George W Robinson, born about 1821, age 40, enrolled on 22 July 1861 in Lafayette, Indiana, served in Company A of Regiment 20; notes: Died at Alexandria, VA. Buried in National Cemetery. Hereinafter cited as Web: Indiana, U.S., Civil War Soldier Database Index, 1861-1865.

Richard Abbott1

Family
Marriage*8 May 1739He married Hannah Thayer, daughter of Cornelius Thayer and Lydia Turell, on 8 May 1739 in First Church, Boston.1 

Family

 Hannah Thayer b. 1716

Citations

  1. [S746] Boston, Massachusetts Marriages, 1700-1809, online at www.americanancestors.org, Records of the First Church in Boston, page 397. Hereinafter cited as Boston Marriages, 1700-1809.

Dessie Ann Abel1

b. 31 January 1880, d. 18 May 1930
Family
Mother*Lillie B. Abel2 b. 15 Apr 1846, d. 29 Dec 1923
Birth*31 January 1880Dessie Ann Abel was born on 31 January 1880 in Orange County, Indiana.1 
Marriage*19 March 1898She married, as his first wife, Elvet L. Runyon, son of James A. Runyon and Sarah H. Owen, on 19 March 1898 in Orange County, Indiana.1 
Death*18 May 1930She died on 18 May 1930 in West Baden Springs, Orange County, Indiana, at age 501 
Burial* and was buried in Ames Chapel Cemetery, Paoli, Orange County.1 

Family

 Elvet L. Runyon b. 27 Mar 1877, d. 18 Nov 1951

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Dessie Ann (Abel) Runyon, Memorial# 84884790. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Lillie B “Delia” (Abel) Van Tress, Memorial# 46355250.

Lillie B. Abel1

b. 15 April 1846, d. 29 December 1923
Family
Father*William Abel2,1 b. 27 Nov 1786
Mother*Mildred Link3,1 b. 1810
Birth*15 April 1846Lillie B. Abel was born on 15 April 1846 in Orange County, Indiana.1 
Marriage*30 October 1903She married, as his third wife, Samuel T. Vantress, son of William Vantress and Eliza Lindsey, on 30 October 1903 in Orange County, Indiana.1,4,5 
(Wife) Death7 December 1911Lillie became a widow when Samuel T. Vantress died on 7 December 1911.6 
Death*29 December 1923She died on 29 December 1923 in Orange County, Indiana, at age 771,7 
Burial* and was buried in Ames Chapel Cemetery, Paoli, Orange County.1 

Family 1
Child 1.Dessie Ann Abel1 b. 31 Jan 1880, d. 18 May 1930

Family 2

 Samuel T. Vantress b. 1826, d. 7 Dec 1911

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, Lillie B “Delia” (Abel) Van Tress, Memorial# 46355250. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, William Abel, Memorial# 84813088.
  3. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Mildred (Link) Abel, Memorial# 84813362.
  4. [S2649] Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 30 October 1903 in Orange County, Indiana, USA of Lillie B Ables and Samuel T Vantress, son of Eliza Lindsey. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012.
  5. [S1444] Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1941, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 30 October 1903 in Orange County, of Samuel T Vantress, age 76, born about 1827, son of William Vantress and Eliza Lindsey, and (we note his wife's name was not transcribed on this record) , referencing the Works Progress Administration; Index to Marriage Records: Indiana Works Progress Administration, 1938-1940; Series Title: Orange County, Indiana; index to Supplemental Record Marriage Transcript 1 Original Record Location County Welfare Office Paoli; Book: H-3; Page: 5. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1941.
  6. [S2625] Indiana, U.S., WPA Death Index, 1882-1920, online at www.ancestry.com, death of Samuel T. VonTress, age 86 Years, on 7 December 1911 in Orleans, Orange County, referencing County Health Office, Paoli. The source of this record is the book H-21 on page 11 within the series produced by the Indiana Works Progress Administration. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., WPA Death Index, 1882-1920.
  7. [S1571] Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017, online at www.ancestry.com, death from chronic nephritis, of Lilly "Voutress", age 77, widow of Samuel "Voutress", housewife, on 28 December 1923 in French Lick, Orange, Indiana, USA, born on 15 April 1846 in Indiana, son of William Able and Mildred "Luck", informant her daughter, Mrs. Elvet Runyon, Paoli, Indiana, burial in Ames Cemetery, Date Registered 1923, referencing Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2011; Year: 1923; Roll: 17. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017.

William Abel1

b. 27 November 1786
Family
Birth*27 November 1786William Abel was born on 27 November 1786 in Pennsylvania.1 
Marriage*1 March 1833He married, as his second wife, Millie Link on 1 March 1833 in Orange County, Indiana.2,1,3 

Family

 Mildred Link b. 1810
Child 1.Lillie B. Abel+1,4 b. 15 Apr 1846, d. 29 Dec 1923

Citations

  1. [S748] Find a Grave website, which often provides cemetery and tombstone photos, and sometimes personal biographies, that may be obtained from the site, online at www.findagrave.com, William Abel, Memorial# 84813088. Hereinafter cited as Find a Grave website.
  2. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Mildred (Link) Abel, Memorial# 84813362.
  3. [S2649] Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 1 March 1833 in Orange County, Indiana, USA of William Able and Milley Link. Hereinafter cited as Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012.
  4. [S748] Find a Grave website, online at www.findagrave.com, Lillie B “Delia” (Abel) Van Tress, Memorial# 46355250.

John R. Abner1

b. 1858
Family
Birth*1858John R. Abner was born about 1858 in Ohio.1 
Marriage*26 January 1879He married first Mary B. Allen, daughter of John T. Allen and Lydia A. Dillman, on 26 January 1879 in Wells County, Indiana.1 
Census US 1880*13 June 1880Mary B. and John R. Abner were enumerated on the 1880 census taken on 13 June 1880 in Jackson, Wells County, Indiana. John was 22 years of age and worked as a laborer, and Mary was 17 years old and keeping house. Mary's mother and younger brother, Lydia Allen and William Allen, were enumerated with the newly married couple in 1880. Lydia was a widow, 39 years of age and sick with rheumatism, and young William was 4 years old.1 

Family

 Mary B. Allen b. 1863

Citations

  1. [S23] 1880 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of John R. and Mary B. Abner, Year: 1880; Census Place: Jackson, Wells, Indiana; Roll: 323; Page: 82a; Enumeration District: 144. Hereinafter cited as 1880 United States Federal Census.

Henry A. Abright1

b. January 1854, d. 7 September 1917
Family
Father*William T. Abright2,3,4 b. 1821
Mother*Sarah Ann Alford2,3,4 b. 1825
Birth*January 1854Henry A. Abright was born in January 1854 in Ohio.5 
Name VariationHis full name was Henry Alford Abright.2 
Marriage*16 October 1882He married Alice Hawkins, daughter of George William Hawkins and Ann Eliza Priest, on 16 October 1882 near Hannibal, Ralls County, Missouri.1 
Census US 1900*8 June 1900Alice and Henry A. Abright were enumerated on the 1900 census taken on 8 June 1900 in Precincts 10-14, Chaffee County, Colorado. Henry was 46 years of age and worked as a merchant of gauges, and Alice was 42 years of age. They lived in a house, had been married for 18 years and Alice had given birth to two children, both of whom were living, had been born in Colorado, and were enumerated with their parents. William Worden Abright was 13 years old and Pauline Abright was age 12.5 
Death*7 September 1917He died on 7 September 1917 in La Belle, Lewis County, Missouri, at age 63.2 

Family

 Alice Hawkins b. 30 Jun 1858, d. 10 Apr 1946

Citations

  1. [S1732] Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage on 16 October 1882 in near Hannibal, Ralls, Missouri, USA, of Alice Hawkins of Hannibal, Ralls County, and Henry A. Abright of Poncha Springs, Chaffee County, referencing Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City, MO, USA, Missouri Marriage Records [Microfilm]. Hereinafter cited as Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002.
  2. [S1766] Web: Missouri, U.S., Death Certificates, 1910-1962, online at www.ancestry.com, death of Henry Alford Abright, age 63, married, traveling salesman, on 7 September 1917 in La Belle, Lewis, Missouri, USA, cause of death apoplexy after coroner's inquest, born in Ohio, son of William Abright and ______ Alford, informant W. W. Abright of Hannibal, Missouri, citing Certificate# 32327, online at https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/Archives/ArchivesMvc/…. Hereinafter cited as Web: Missouri, U.S., Death Certificates, 1910-1962.
  3. [S37] 1870 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William T. and Sarah A. Abright, Year: 1870; Census Place: South River, Marion, Missouri; Roll: M593_791; Page: 715B; Family History Library Film: 552290. Hereinafter cited as 1870 United States Federal Census.
  4. [S1576] Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage of William T. Abright and Sarah Ann Alford on 23 September 1847 in Fairfield, Ohio, USA, referencing FHL Film# 000295269. Hereinafter cited as Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993.
  5. [S34] 1900 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of Henry A. and Alice Abright, Year: 1900; Census Place: Precincts 10-14, Chaffee, Colorado; Page: 10; Enumeration District: 0006; FHL microfilm: 1240121. Hereinafter cited as 1900 United States Federal Census.

William T. Abright1

b. 1821
Family
Birth*1821William T. Abright was born about 1821 in Ohio.2 
Marriage*23 September 1847He married Sarah Ann Alford on 23 September 1847 in Fairfield County, Ohio.1 

Family

 Sarah Ann Alford b. 1825
Child 1.Henry A. Abright3,2,1 b. Jan 1854, d. 7 Sep 1917

Citations

  1. [S1576] Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage of William T. Abright and Sarah Ann Alford on 23 September 1847 in Fairfield, Ohio, USA, referencing FHL Film# 000295269. Hereinafter cited as Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993.
  2. [S37] 1870 United States Federal Census, online at www.ancestry.com, household of William T. and Sarah A. Abright, Year: 1870; Census Place: South River, Marion, Missouri; Roll: M593_791; Page: 715B; Family History Library Film: 552290. Hereinafter cited as 1870 United States Federal Census.
  3. [S1766] Web: Missouri, U.S., Death Certificates, 1910-1962, online at www.ancestry.com, death of Henry Alford Abright, age 63, married, traveling salesman, on 7 September 1917 in La Belle, Lewis, Missouri, USA, cause of death apoplexy after coroner's inquest, born in Ohio, son of William Abright and ______ Alford, informant W. W. Abright of Hannibal, Missouri, citing Certificate# 32327, online at https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/Archives/ArchivesMvc/…. Hereinafter cited as Web: Missouri, U.S., Death Certificates, 1910-1962.

Albert Clifford Acker1,2

b. 6 September 1898, d. 29 January 1931
Family
Birth*6 September 1898Albert Clifford Acker was born on 6 September 1898 in Leoni Township, Jackson County, Michigan.2 
Marriage*4 December 1919He married Eva R. Hand on 4 December 1919 in Windsor, Essex County, Ontario Province, Canada.1,3 
Divorce Granted*23 December 1926An absolute divorce was granted to Albert Clifford Acker against Eva R. (Hand) Acker on 23 December 1926 in Jackson County, Michigan. Albert had filed on 24 August 1926, citing extreme cruelty as the cause, and the case was not contested. There were two children of the marriage, Elsworth, age 5 years, and Eileen P., age 3 years, and alimony was awarded.3 
Death*29 January 1931He died on 29 January 1931 in Jackson, Jackson County, at age 32.2 

Family

 Eva R. Hand
Child 1.Elsworth Acker1 b. 1922

Citations

  1. [S2090] Michigan, U.S., Marriage Records, 1867-1952, online at www.ancestry.com, marriage of Mr. Elsworth Acker of Jackson, Michigan, age 18, not previously married, born in Jackson, parents Albert Acker and Eva Hand, married Helen Carroll of Jackson, Michigan, age 17, not previously married, born in Ashtabula, Ohio, parents Charles Carroll and Helen D Burns, on 1 June 1940 in Jackson, Jackson, Michigan, USA, County File# 217, State File# 38 8863, citing Michigan, U.S., Marriage Records, 1867-1952, Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing, MI, USA, Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952, Film# 98, "Jackson (1938-1943)". Hereinafter cited as Michigan, U.S., Marriage Records, 1867-1952.
  2. [S2121] Michigan, U.S., Death Records, 1867-1952, online at www.ancestry.com, death of Albert Clifford Acker, age 32, Divorced, born on 6 September 1898 in Leoni Township, Michigan to Alsworth C Acker and Matilda I Wager, died on 29 January 1931 in Jackson, Jackson, Michigan, USA, referencing File# 007013, Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing, Michigan, Death Records. Hereinafter cited as Michigan, U.S., Death Records, 1867-1952.
  3. [S2224] Michigan, U.S., Divorce Records, 1897-1952, online at www.ancestry.com, absolute divorce decree granted 23 December 1926 in Jackson County, Michigan, USA, cause extreme cruelty, to Albert Acker vs. Eva R Acker, married on 4 December 1919 in Windsor, Canada, 2 children affected, Ellsworth, age 5 years, and Eileen P, age 3 years, not contested, alimony granted, referencing Docket# 9-207, Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing, Michigan, Michigan. Divorce records. Hereinafter cited as Michigan, U.S., Divorce Records, 1897-1952.