Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-03-02
A Historic Kentucky Woman.

The announcement of the death at |
Glasgow, KY, last week, of the veh-
cradle Mrs. Susan NJ. Calls recalls
many interesting "reminiscences, not
only of that well-known lady, but al
SO of the history of Chicago. Mrs.
Calls was born in Mercer county in
1872. Her father was Charles JOu-
EFT, Virginisn, who came from an
intensely patriotic family, several of
whose members were famous for
deeds of daring in the Revolution.
They were men of great size and
strength, and traditions linger in
tile family chronicle Illustrating acts
Of their capacity. Charles studied
law, practiced few years in Char
lottesville, Va, then in 1902 he came
West to assume the Office Of Indian
Agent at Detroit, Mich. lie was
transferred TO Chicago, and was the
first Indian Agent stationed here.
The service in which Mr.. Jouett
was engaged sometimes, it seems, re-
quired his presence elsewhere. 1t is
known that he made one journey to
Kentucky about the holiday season
in the winter of lS0S-9. The object
Of that then long, tedious and dan
gerous trip was manifest when he re-
turned with bride in the person of
Miss Susan Randolph Allen, of Clark
county, Ky. The bridal tour of Mr..
and Mrs. Jouett was made on horse
back, through the forests, over snow
drifts, OIL ice, across the pralries and
in the midst of driving storms. Their
company consisted of a colored SER
want and an Indian guide. After a
residence here of some six years the
.Jouetts removed TO Kentucky in 1911
and settled near Ilarrodsburg, and
the next year lie became one of the
Judges of that county. When III
war with Great Britain closed, and
Fort Dearbon was rebuilt, Judge Jou-
cit again became Indian Agent here,
and once more made the journey from
beyond the Ohio to the site of the
Western metropolis 1t is related that
the Indians in this vicinity called
Judge Jouett "The White Otter
while his colored servant was named
"Blackmeat." In the year 1918 or lS-
10 Judge Jouett resigned the agency
here and once more sought his home
in Kentucky. He filled several other
important offices, and died in 1884
His widow survived linn third of a
century, dying near Hopkinsville in
1871. And now the interest in this
first Indian Agent at Chicago is re-
vived by the announcement of the
death of his daughter, Mrs. Calls.
The question of who was "the frs
white child in Chicago" has been dis
cussed for years by the antiquarians
Many interesting chronicles hav'
been produced. Testimony has beel
= voluminous in support of the claim
], of this one and that, but these hav'
: one by one been set aside in the pres
ence of new evidence. 1t was lonI
claimed by Mrs. Calls that "she wa
the first white child who ever live
on the site of this city," Henry II
. Hurlbut, whose "Chicago Antiqui
ties" is accepted as authority on near
ly all disputed points regarding earl
d Chicago, has given this subject hi
critical attention. lie remarks in thi
3 connection:
"John Harrison Whistler, son o
: Lieutenant Whistler, was born il
Fort Dearborn, October 7, 1907. Thi
gentleman died in Burlington, Kas
a October %, 1873. Meriwether Levi
:. Whistler, brother ofthe above name
was also born in the Fort in the ia
Of the year 1705, and was, withou
d doubt, the first boy baby that 'bleN
II his horn anywhere in this region
l. But the young lady was browne
81 in Newport, KY, when some seve
Y, years old"
Of OF course the interest felt in til
ID venerable and estimate lady who hf
ID just passed away is not whit dimii
d. ished because of this fact. She hi
contributed several valuable poin
to Chicago's early history, particl
larly those in relation to the mass
ere during the war of 1872, and son
in of the more important actors in tn
awful tragedy. Her death remov
another link that united the pa
nj with the present, and revives maj
he recollections in which such men
er. Mr.. Wentworth, Mr.. Gurdon S. Hu
INF bard and a few of the other cal
TO- settlers take deep interest and
,se greater part of which they were."
nrs