The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1897-06-19

Is nothing about the spot to indicat,
that II was ever a place of human
habitation. In a valley running
back from the st. Joseph river aboui
mile to the west, at the head Of 9
ripping, winding little brook, sur
rounded by hills and on two sides by
heavy oak forests, it lies, a peaceful
picturesque little nook Of farm land
rarely ever cultivated, seldom visited
save by the farmers boy who goes to
bring home the cows grazing where
the wigwams stood a half century ago
or by the relic hunter who knows its
history. 1t is hidden from the highway
and not trace Of the old town is left
How old IT was no one now living can
tell. The few log huts that Pokagon
and his followers with their little fam
tlies occupied looked to the first white
settlers who saw them sixty-seven
years ago, as IL they were about ready
to tumble down and they might have
been built seventy-five or 100 years
before that time. Probably an Indian
village had been there around the bub-
bling spring that formed the source
Of the little brook for many genera
tons. The numerous relics of the
stone and copper variety found In the
vicinity would indicate this.
Pokagon was pious Indian. On one
OF the hills overlooking the village
was q log chapel where he and his
people worshiped according to the
rites Of the Catholic church, taught
them by their fathers. How long the
chapel had been built Is not known,
but II may have been one Of the mis-
sions established more than 200 years
ago by Father Claude Allouez, the
pioneer missionary of the region,
whose ashes are reposing somewhere
along the st. Joseph river, the exact
spot Of his burial place not being
known. In 1853 the English drove the
French from this region and took pos
session of the territory. dissolving all
these missions. They were not re-es-
tablished for nearly 100 years after
ward. and during that period, although
the Indians were deprived of the care
and instruction of the priests, they did
not forget the forms of the church.
In the latter part Of the EOS Polka
gon made a pilgrimage to Detroit to
implore the church authorities to send
a "blaek robe" the Indian name for
priest, among his people. His speech
to the vicar-general Of the bishop of
Cincinnati, Father Gabriel Richard, on
this occasion, is on record. It was an
earnest and effective plea. 81 implore
you" he SAID, "to send us a black robe
to teach US the word Of God. II you
have no care for US old men, at least
have pity on our poor children, who
are growing up in ignorance and vice.
I'VE still preserve the manner of
prayer as taught our ancestors by the
black robe who formerly resided at st.
Joseph. Morning and evening with
my wife and children we pray together
before the crucifix. Sunday we pray
together oftener. On Friday We fast
all evening, men. women and children,
according to the traditions handed
down to us by our fathers and mothers,
for we have never seen a black robe.
Listen to the prayers which he taught
to them and see IL have not learned
them correctly" Then the old chief
fell on his knees, made the signs and
repeated the prayers Of the church, the
creed and the ten commandments in
the Pottawattomie tongue.
The result of the plea was the send
ing of Father Stephen Theodore Ba-
din, the first Catholic priest ordained
in the United States, who came to In
diana In 1929 and for several years
had charge Of all the missions in
southern Michigan and northern Indi-
ana He established a mission two
miles north Of South Bend that eventu-
ally developed into the great Notre
Dame university Of today. He was the
religious instructor Of Pokagon's band
rs long as they stayed at the old vii
lage and there are a number of old
residents Of the vicinity that heard
Father Badin preach lin the little log
church on the hill. The church itself
has long since been taken away. but
the foundation remains. Down the
valley on the bank Of the river was the
burying place Of Pokagon town and
the old cedar cross with Its hoizontal
arm gone Is still standing. It was
here when the first white settlers came
Into the region.
Pokagon Ia represented by some his
torical writer's as the leader Of band
Of Pottawattomies in a battle with the
Shawnees In the days before the whites
II Three Rivers, but this can be elassed
- action, as Pokagon was wholly
syerse to fighting. and his whole aim
was to keep his people from war.
Again, he Il said to have been at the
massacre Of Fort Dearborn In 1872 In
the capacity of peacemaker and to have
been the one who brought Capt. Head /
and his wife away from the bloody
array at Chicago and across the lake
10 Sc. Joseph. This h not believed to
BE- true by some Of the older residents,
:.