Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-17

tinct tribe from the Ottawa and Potta-
watomie.
After the conquest of the Illinois. about
1895, they took possession Of the part OF
that state lying northeast of the country
seized by the Sank. Foxes and kickapoo,
at the same time spreading eastward over
preaching the Wabash. At the treaty of
Greenville, in 17o5. they notified the
Miami that they intended to move down
upon the Wabash. which they soon after
Miami. who claimed that whole region.
BY the beginning of the nineteenth CEN
fury they were in possession of all the
country around the head OF Lake Michi-
consin to the Grand river in Michigan,
extending southwest over large
part of northern Illinois, east across
Mlcnigan to Lake Erie. and south In In
Fine creek. Within this territory they had
about fifty villages. The principal d.
visions were those of st. Joseph river
and Huron river. Michigan. the Wabash
tonne in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Allies Of the French.
Tho Pottawatomie sided actively with
the French down to the peace of 1888
They were prominent in the rising under
Pontiac. and on the breaking out of the
| revolution In ITO took arms against the
United States and continued hostilities
until the treaty Of Greenville in 17a5. They
again took up arms in the British interest
| In 1912.
Those who crossed the Mississippi were
settled partly in western Iowa and partly
| in Kansas. The former, with whom were
| many individuals Of other tribes, were
known as Prairie Pottawotomie. while the
others were known as Pottawatomie Of
| the woods. In 1916 they were all united
on reservation in southern Kansas A
part of them were known as the Keokuc
band. In 1861 large part of the tribe
took lands in severalty and became known
as Citizen Pattawatomie. but In 1858 they
again removed to tract In Indian Ter
ritory (OklahOma), where they now are
The others are In Kansas, while a consid-
still In Wisconsin. and another band, the
Pattawatomie OF Huron. in lower Michi-
gan.
The tribe probably never greatly ex.
| ceeded 5000 souls. and most estimates
have them far below that number. tn,
principal estimates give them about
1900 in 1866. 1850 in 17e8, $3.50
in ITS, 1900 in 1888. 1900 in 1895,
$500 in 1873. $500 in 1920 and 1890
| include those who had recently fed to
| Canada. In 1907. those in the United
states were reported to number 2,453,
distributed as follows: Citizen Pottawa-
tonne In Oklahoma, ITO; Prairie band in
~ L u,
| In Calhoun county. Mich, 70. A few be-
| sides these are scattered through their
| ancient territory and at various other
points.
Memorial to White. Pigeon.
On the 18th of last August the citizens
of White Pigeon. one Of the oldest towns
| ed in the honor of Wah-be-me-me, ia
| mil1arly known at White Pigeon. another
| chief Of the Pottawatomie tribe, who was
one of the signers Of the treaty of Green
Vile. Ohio. August 3. 1876. and the treaty
of Brown Stone. Mich, November %,
| 1908. both of which had a very important
| influence upon the peace OF the frontier
and the development of Michigan, Indiana
and Illinois.
The statue to White Pigeon is an i'm
| mense boulder of irregular shape, mount
| ed upon pedestal of rock-faced granite,
and bears the following inscriptions:
In
wAHBEnEME.
Chief White Pigeon,
Who about 1890 gave his life to save
the settlement at this place.
Greater love hath no man than this that he
| lay down his life for his friends.
The event to which the Inscription re-
fers occurred in 1880. when White Pigeon
was about thirty years old. While in
the neighb0rhood OF Detroit he learned
| in some way that the Indians in the
western part Of Michigan had prepared
for an attack upon the settlement where
White Pigeon now stands. and intended
to massacre the entire population. He
| set forth promptly to warn his friends
OF the impending danger, and never
stopped running. not even for food or
rest, until he had crossed what Is now
| the state OF Michigan. He arrived at the
settlement just in time. but was so ex-
| hausted from the fatigue and Jack of
| food that he never recovered. He died in
cabin which stood very near the place
| where his monument has been erected.
| under q stately tree about q mile west
| Of the town OF White Pigeon.
Present Owner of Land.
The land now belongs to a man named
Weaver. who refuses to sell the site. but
permitted q women's society called the
Alba COLUMBIA Club to erect the monu-
ment there. White Pigeon is supposed
| to be buried very near the place, but
there has never been anything to iden-
tify his grave. When this neglect was
brought to public attention a year or
more ago various organizations In st.
Joseph county expressed a willingness to
undertake the responsibility provided
| Weaver would give or sell the land, but
he stubbornly refused to do SO. The
Womens Club then undertook the work
and Is entitled to the credit.
| The monument was unveiled by Master
| Willie White Pigeon of Dorr, Mich,
great-great-grandson Of the chieftain, and
| several other Of his descendants were
present.
At the time the White Pigeon died the
town which bears his name was q larger
and more important settlement than Chi
cago, and one Of the principal posts upon
the Indian trail from Detroit to Fort Dear
| born, which was followed by the tide OF
immigrants that flowed westward shortly
after the war Of 1912.
White Pigeon, according to tradition
and the early records OF the state, was q
tall, slender man of rather light complex
ion. He was a famous runner, and pro-
ficient in Indian athletics, but never
sought glory as an honor on the battle
field, and his loyalty and devotion to the
whites was remarkable.