The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-07-10
JEAN JACQUES BLANCHARD.

BlanchaFa. after whom B,aucia--
Fork Of the AugIaze river wa- named .
from tie manuscript Of the History "i
Baucoc,z To be published by j. il. Ear-
desty. ~, IL, Lis Combination Atlas:
TI.rr- not p character tila' r~.-'.t-
it-.If in f.r history o. t..- Enr.awaf
about whom there cling 30 much l..nT-
est and lr.y-tc-y a. that q. jean .!.c .Ues
blanchard the personal history -"'f.s.-
strange ul1u. j. vague and Indefinite.
but ia ;il" oo.-;I-iOuai g!imp-ra sF.,ir! So
get 81 Il. through the iau-e ~ yral ve
see lie Of adycHtUre-. wandering Hit
vici,>ifudes From the best information
that can be obtained, it appears that
Blanchard was born IN France about rife
year I12g Tie place oi his birth g..
and probably viii b.. forever unknown.
II appear that he received e liberal
education. lie was well vrr-ed iu Tsafli-
rmatics. and from an HccouIt o- him
given by IN American officer w!.o met
him Ia 1.ig. near the present eit" of tif-
town Of Macarthur, the sHppps.fi'n D.
that i.. AT one time possessed an iHfialaf"
acquaintaucc with the Latin laH-lIHg-.
He spoke his native language iiUeuriy.
with that peculiar accent called paris
French. The theory long held in refer
ence 10 Blanchard is that hr WAS :;
! French Canadian. who. either 10 escape
/ the penalty Of some crime. or for love
! Of adventure. had wandered from some
| Of the forts along the Northwestern
frontier and taken mp his residence
among Tire Indians.
While this story appears tenabla III its
face. Ii !. not warranted by known facts
and circumstances connected with his
historr. In tire meaccr account Of linn
self which Blanchard gave 10 Captain
Forth. the officer before referred 10, he
saws that he emigrated from France
10 Louisiana in the year 1860. lie remain
ed here autil few mont Es after the ce7-
sion Of Louisiana To Spain in l5t2.
What his emplOyment= were cannot Ee
ascertained For the next seven wears
nothing whatever l. known Of hiiH-
The sup2osition in tine mind cf Elliot
was that he had Joined :; band OF Spanish
freebooters. and with them engaged in
Numbering small vessels in the Wet
India waters EyijDi's ALy,IY'i'ss, f''r
York, 1881.
In the Autumn Of 1863. or TIE Spring
of IT70, Ie made his appearance among
z
about twenty-five miles south OF the
place where Dayton now stands. How
or from whence he came no one knew
nor did he ever explain it. 1t is sup.
posed That becoming tired Or being a
pirate, le had returned TO Louisiana and
Joined 4 party of traders. and after Wis
iting several Indian tribes. became weary
Of his mcrceHary companions and piuEg-
n L. Z
ing to the village of the Shawnecs deter
mined To take up his abode with them.
He was kindly received, and il was not
long until the Indians regarded him as
one OF their number. Another account
of Blanchard that has long been regard
ed as true. states that hc was a tailor.
Whether this statement has any foumda-
ton in fact or not, / have not been able 10
discover. When he came into the Shaw
nee tribe lac had with him an elaborate
case Of curiOusly wrought tools. These
he used in making ornaments, for the
Indians from the small coins and shells
they furnished linn. SO skilled was he
in manufacturing ornaments with which
to adorn the persons of the savaCcS, that
his fame spread abroad among other
tribes, and they came from far and near
To bring him material, and out OF which
he wrought wonderful diyicCs. I,h" CON
clusion that arises from this circum-
stance IS that ia addition with othcrac-
quiremcnts, blanchard was also Il jcwe.-
Ter.
In 171I, blanchard married q Shaw
nee woman named i'ah-ne-o-ne pah-que,
or White Thunder. by her he had seven
chidrr;I. five sons and two daughters
At the time the tribe went West the see
ond son was a sub-chief. la 1857, there
were several Indians ia the tribe who
claimed TO be descendants of blanchard.
Blanchards = FORK OF the AGclaize river
was named after him. Previous to 1872.
the stream was simply known aS Billch
ards river. but on certain military sur
veSS being made the maine was changed
TO Biaucllards Fork of the Auglaize.
About the year 1884, n party Of the tribe
with which Blanchard lived moved to a
point near the head of the river Here
it was that they were visited by traders.
and so skilled was the band in obtaining
furs that the village soon became the
resort of the agents Of the Canadian
Fur Company. 1t WAS they who gave
the name TO the river IN honor of THE Old
Erenchmau.
There is no evidence that Blanchard
ever resided in Hancock county. and the
only visits ne ever made within its pres
ent boundaies were hunting excursions
along the river, and the salt licks in the
Eastern part Of the county There was
nothing striking in tue personal appear
ance of the man. He was little below
the medium height, and was n trifie
''bow legged" His features were regu-
lar and expressive of some strength
of character, He was quiet in his de-
meanor, and at times morose. He sell
dom talked OF his early life; in fact
he never spoke OF it unless pressed
TO, or when ne heard Indians or whites
boasting of things they had heard or
seen. At one time TecumSeh, then |
young man, boosted to blanchard OF |
great things he would perform when he |
was Older, and how he would join The
tribes together and eNterminate the |
whites, and make himself the greatest |
chief Oh earth. Blanchard listened CON
fOr a time, then replied:
In my country, across the big water, to-
ward the rising sun, | have seen a
;lief whose wampum belt was so bright
hat its glitter would blind your eyes,
md whose blanket was covered with
metals richer than the wealth of all the
ribes."
Blanchard died about the year 1902.
His burial place is unknown. The Shaw
lees once had tradition that after his
burial four beings ciIme and carried his
body TO a far of land in a canoe that
loated through the air, and that some
ime in the future he would return and
BRING with him beautiful presents for the
rihe.