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Documents A TRIP FROM FORT WAYNE TO FORT DEARBORN IN 1809 The letter and “Notes” reprinted ljelow appeared in the Peru (Indiana) Saturday Gazette on August 10, 1839. The letter, written by J. M. D. on August 5, 1839, is reproduced because of the facts that it presents relative to the traveler who made the journey in 1809 and because of the views characteristic of the time in which the letter was written. The “Notes,” were taken on the trip from Fort Wayne to Fort Dearborn in June 1809, by a pioneer of Piqua, Ohio. This pioneer, by the name of Johnston, left the original manuscript with his son, J. S. Johnston, who passed it on to J. M. D. The copy of the Peru newspaper containing the “Notes,” which were printed from the original, is on file in the Indiana State Library. A photostat copy of the page carrying the “Notes” and the letter of J. M. D. was kindly furnished to the Editor by the staff of the Indiana Division of the Library. NOTES Taken on a Journey From Fort Wayne to Fort Dearborn, in June, 1809 The general course of the road is something north of west. For about three miles the land is thin and timbered with oak, until you reach Spy run, when immediately on crossing this stream a fine bob tom commences, which continues for some distance; the timber here is generally sugartree, buckeye and hickory, all of a very large growth. Twelve miles further is Eel river, a tributary of the Wabash.1 This uncommon little stream is very deep; and at the distance of .ten miles on a direct line, and about seventeen by the meanderings of the stream from its source, it is not more than five yards wide and is generally three feet deep, with an uncommonly slow current. The land on this river is remarkably rich and appears to be well adapted to the culture of wheat or hemp. There are but few situations in this region where mills could be placed, owing to the levelness of the land, as all the rivers have their sources in swamps and ponds, and as there are but few springs in the upper country, that is, on the high land which divides the waters of the Lakes from those of the Ohio. Passing on westward you travel through a fine, rich, level country, which bears evident marks of having been under water at some former period. Fifteen miles from ‘This Eel River flows Into the Wabash at Lonans ort. It should be remembered that Indiana has another Eel River that flows into &e Wed Fork of White River at Worthindon. 46 Indiana Magazine of History Eel river you come to the little Lakes.2 Here is one of the most en- chanting prospects my eyes ever beheld. The traveller after passing through a country somewhat broken for a few miles, is immediately struck with the sight of two most beautiful sheets of water, as pure and limpid as the mountain spring. They are about one-fourth of a mile apart. On the bank of the most westerly one I encamped for the night. The borders of these Lakes are so low, that the waves often roll out upon the bushes. I perceived a number of fishes playing in the lake near the shore where the water is not more than a foot deep. I took my pistols, went in ten or fifteen yards and shot several ring eyed perch. Indeed they were so tame that they came close to me, as if wondering at the new master that had got among them. At the outlet of this lake I think there might be a mill placed. The lake I should think covers about one hundred acres of land. The outlet is from the eastfrom thence it runs about half a mile along the side of a mall ridge whicR divides it from the other lake, It then turns suddenly round to the N. E. and passes through a break in the ridge, and is merged into the other, and the waters of these two beautiful likes are mingled into one. In these narrows or outlets the current is very swift-and as it would be a very easy matter to form a canal for a mill, it might be taken out so high as to obtain three or four feet fall. And there is a sufficiency of water to drive ten run of mill stones, if it could all be brought to act upon then The soil in the vicinity of these lakes is well adapted to the cultivation of wheat or any kind of small grain. The timber is chiefly white and Spanish oak, with some chestnut oak. The land is a mixture of sand and clay, and in some places a deep black soil something like river bottom. Eighteen miles further and you come to the Elkhart river, a branch of the St. Joseph of Michigan. For eight miles before you reach this river, you pass through a thicket of young hickory and oaks, about as thick as a man’s thumb, and growing so close together that it is impossible to penetrate through it at any other place except where the road runs. This land is as rich as any in Kentucky, and there is not a doubt but that it would prove as fruitful if cultivated. Immediately after crossing the river, which is here about fifty yards wide, a most delightful prospect is presented to view-there is scarcely one tree to the acre of ground for about three miles. Here is an Indian town containing about twenty houses. This village is the place of residence of one of the principal chiefs of the Pottawattamies-his name is Five Medals. This place is beautifully situated on the edge of a fine prairie containing about three thousand acres. About a mile west of this prairie the road comes to the bank of the river, where I found a spring of excellent water, a thing that is very rare in this country. Here the timber is tall and thick on the ground and principally white oak. The soil is white clay. Fourteen miles fufier is ,the junction of the Elkhart and St. Joseph. Here is a place fomed by nature for a ?In general. the traveler passed northwestward from Fort Wayne to the junction of the Elkhart and St. Joseph rivers. He must have croswd Eel River above Co- lumbia City. The two lakes described were probably in the southwestern patt of what is now Noble County, a little way south of Albion. Fort Wayne to Fort Dearborn in 1809 47 town.3 About half a mile Irom [above] the forks [junction], these rivers approach within sixty yards of each other. They then separate and form something like an oval piece of ground of nearly one hundred acres, until it comes to lo+ bottom, which appears to be somewhat marshy. This bottom contains about fifty acres, which I suppose is occasionally overflowed. Both these streams are navigable, without any kind of falls, almost to their sources. From the junction down to the Lake, about sixty miles by water, [the St. Joseph] may be navigated with any kind of small craft at any season. It has a deep channel with a gentle current all the way. There is na situation in this country better cal- culated for trade, than at the junction of the Elkhart and St. Joseph. These two streams pass through the richest and dryest part of this country; and I think it would e ban object with our government to make a settlement at this place. Ten miles down ,this river from the forks, is a portage of three miles , west to the Theakiki [Kankakee], a branch of the Illinois river. Fifteen miles below the forks is a French trading house. There are abouty twenty persons kept here for the purpose of trading with the Indians. These men in the winter season, take each of them a load of goods and ascend some of the branches of the St. Joseph-thence across the portages into the other rivers, and so on to the Indian villages; where they con- tinue until spring-from whence they then return with their peltry. They all collect together in May and make up their packs, and then proceed down the river into the lake and round to Michillimackinac. It will scarcely be believed that the men perform a voyage of more than a thousand miles in bark canoes, heavy laden with packs, the greater part of the way over a boisterous lake. The soil on the St. Joseph river varies considerably, but there is none but what is equal to our third rate in Kentucky, and has the advantage of being level. There are several fine springs in this part of the country. At the fac- tory [trading post] I was told that there were the remains of a British Fort three miles below, and a fine orchard of apple trees. Twenty miles from the Fort, at the mouth of the river, Iwas informed a trader had raised several crops of wheat which were as good as could be produced any place. I crossed the St. Joseph river at the French Factory. Twelve miles west is an Indian village called Terrecoupee. This town stands upon an eminence, and may be seen about seven miles. There is not a tree to intercept the sight for a distance of nine miles. This prairie, I was informed, extends to the Mississippi, a distance of four hundred miles.